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Old 03-31-08, 12:14 PM
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alhedges
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Naptown
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Bikes: NWT 24sp DD; Brompton M6R

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Can you not fit the bike inside the car and keep the trunk closed? Even if you take the front tire off? Since you are only traveling 10 minutes, this seems like the easiest option - maybe put down a plastic 6 mil painter's dropcloth to protect the inside of your car. This is probably not a good option with passengers.

The next best option would be to get a hitch rack - decent ones start at around $150, and a hitch will probably cost about $200 or so. But the rack is easy to put on the hitch and the bike is easy to put on the rack. Probably you would be able to carry two bikes this way.

For several years I used a Saris Bones (tm) rack. It is a trunk rack that will fit on a VW and carry two or three bikes, depending on the model you buy. I like them better than other trunk racks I've used, but conceptually they are similar - you use three straps to attach the rack to the car, and then put the bike on the rack. Once you've set the rack up the first time, the most time it should take you to put the rack on the car and the bike on the rack is 10 minutes; five would be more typical. A two-bike bones costs around $100; a three bike model costs around $130.

The next option is a roof rack. I don't really like these for bikes because, not being very tall, I find it awkward to get a bike all the way up on the roof - it's much easier to put something on a trunk or hitch rack - particularly if you are just going for a 10 minute drive. Also, if you are inattentive you can damage your bike, garage, and car by driving into the garage with the bike still attached. A Yakima rack system to carry one bike, plus locks, costs around $500. This would only really be worthwhile if you needed the rack for other sports, like kayaking or skiiing.
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