Darold

Well, it seems that I have found some fun areas to bike in outside the city, but they are WAY too far away to bike to. There are also two bike stores I visit (one is across the street and the other is a few miles away, but on very busy streets. I am thinking a bike rack might be in order, especially if I want to bring the bikes home to Florida and really enjoy biking on "the island" again. What are the recomended ways to transport a bike? I am in favor of the roof mounted type for aesthetics reasons, but do the trunk mounted ones allow for better gas mileage? I would need to be able to transport two bikes. I can fit my bike in my backseat as is, but have been causing some extra wear and tear on the leather (seat fold down, but doors and the backs of the front seats have taken a steady beating from only putting th ebike in the car 4 times).

So, I need a rack to drive two bikes around. What is the absolute cheapest option, and what is the best option on a small budget. I am hoping to score something for less than $150. Trunk mounted options would have to be temporary, but a roof mounted one could be permanent.

I hope this is in the correct forum. Since it seems like I could get away with it in MOST forums, I posted it here.


PS: Completely unrelated to the post, but can you "watch" a thread without posting in it? I haven't found the link for that yet. As always, thanks in advance for your time!

2wheeled

Trunk mount racks are going to be the most economical. Roof mounted are more expensive but more sturdy IMO. Go to the Yakima, Thule and Saris sites to get an idea on the different styles and types to get yourself familiar to them. I would recommend checking out Craiglist when you're ready to buy. For the Seattle area they pop up all the time and could easily pick good one for $50.

As for your other question...go to thread tools on the header on the thread, the rest is self explanatory.

Michigander

I took the backseat out of my crown victoria. I can now easily fit 3 bikes in the back, without worry of damage to the seat. And if I ever want to put the seat back in, its as easy as two nuts and threading the seat belts back through. The best part is, it was totaly free.

DieselDan

I've found huge bargins on lightly used bike racks at thift stores, including the one I have now. Just make sure you have all the straps and the straps are not dry rotted.

ceridwen

If you go trunk mount the Saris Bones is a great rack. Set up initially takes a few minutes (maybe 15) to get it set up for your car, then you can take it off/put it on in less than 5. It comes in a 2 bike and 3 bike version and you should be able to get the 2 bike one for ~$100 and the 3 bike one for ~$130 (MSRP is a bit higher, but a lot of places sell it cheaper).

Darold

Cool, thank you. I assume trunk racks are universal, while some roof mounted racks might be specific to vehicles. if it matters, I have a 2002 VW Passat with a sunroof. Will the sunroof be a problem for roof mounted?

How harsh is a roof mounted rack with two bikes on it on as mileage? I know there are a million factors at play, but am I loking at a serious hit because of the areodynamics of having two bikes on a car going 60-70?

ollo_ollo

Somebody else who uses a roof rack with bikes on it, can give a better figure but for what its worth, I have a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica that came with a 2 bar, roof luggage rack. I never use the rack , so removed it & received a .7 increase in miles per gallon on our regular Olympia, WA to Salem, OR trips (@ 60-70 mph)to visit my son.

Adiankur

I have read some reviews from people complaining that the rack fell off their trunks. those complaints came from thule and yakima owners. Were those people just fools that didnt know how to put on the rack properly? or did they just let it deteriorate over time? I ask this, not because I think people here are clairvoyant and capable of knowing what those individuals did, but from their knowledge of the rack quality and if they should have problems.

I also heard that the saris bones can damage your paint on your car.

Darold

Oh, I was actually looking at some of the Thule models. I would prefer the roof rack, but it seems like i have two by two different bike holders as well as the basic rack itself. I might have to be happy with a trunk mount for now, although they aren't very pretty.

Dr.Deltron

I have a Hollywood folding trunck rack. It will haul almost anything on my '91 Honda Accord, including a FREE refridgerator that was on the sidewalk one day!
I just took my Greenspeed GTX & my Challenge Hurricane to San Francisco on it last tuesday.
I've had this rack for about 15 years, so I don't know if they even still make them.
Here's my tandem trike mounted on it.