I rode with a new group this morning. Lots of pricy bikes. These are non-racers but never-the-less people who ride a lot. No bike racks. Actually, I think that one woman had a bike rack on her car but everybody else, including the guy with the blue Camaro, carried their bikes inside the car.

I like to ride to the start of my rides.

Maybe this group fears a traffic mishap, where a bike gets squished. Or they have security concerns, and don't want a pricey bike left out on a rack for any time...

A third concern is that some darker and raw carbon frames show scratches in the clear coat after repeated carrying in rubber clamps that may have collected some grit.

Who knows?

Lots of riders in our club, many with pricy bikes, carry them inside their vehicles. These days, when so many coupes and sedans have fold down rear seats, it's really pretty easy to do. Even easier with a mini-van, SUV or station wagon.

I even fit my (pricy) Guru inside my Honda Insight; just have to remove the front wheel. When I drive my Miata, however, I do use a bike rack.

Rick / OCRR

I only have the roof rack (ATOC Tandem Topper) because I need to transport the tandem, but I also use it for the fixie when it's got fenders on. Otherwise, the fixie goes in the trunk of the Jetta TDI with both wheels off. Much better fuel mileage.

When I drove to Davis, CA, we put my friend's bike on the roof rack and I was getting 36 mpg (diesel) along I-5. After she flew back home, I drove to Borrego Springs (US 395) and then back home on I-5, with nothing on the roof rack, and I was getting up to 45 mpg. So all that drag on top does make a difference. Had I taken off the roof rack, I likely would have got close to 50 mpg. (Yes, there is a deflector on the front of the rack. It is REALLY noisy without it, especially with the sunroof open!)

Luis

I can fit two road bikes (without removing front wheels) into the back of my Audi A4 Avant (Audi-speak for station wagon.) I put a thick foam pad between the bikes.

I use my 4X4 from work a good bit but I am looking for a Yakima or Thule for our new 2012 Accord's roof. The Accord's gas mileage beats my Silverado all to pieces My son has a nice single bike rack for his GTI, Mark IV that goes on the hatch.

Bill

When you consider new Saris Bones cost $150, people may not want to use them for fear of having them ripped off. It's happened

I don't always ride to the Saturday club rides (14 miles one way) and when I drive my bike is inside. Plenty of room in my Mazdaspeed3 for my bike without taking the front wheel off, just turn the bars to the side. That way if I stop anywhere after the ride I don't have to worry about my bike being stolen off a car mounted rack.

Other times I am meeting people after work and time constraints require I drive to the rides.

Mark

Only way I transport my bike is on the rack on the back of the car. Or on the roof rack-laid flat if it is the Tandem. BUT when it gets up and running- my new van will be able to take the bike(s) inside. My neighbour is already planning our trip to France to watch the TDF next year.

My bikes go into the back of my Honda CRV without having to take off the wheels. It's literally 5 seconds to chuck a bike into the car. I rarely have passengers so the Honda's back seats are kept folded down and I have a flattened piece of a cardboard bike box that the bike just slides on - that keeps the upholstery clean and un-snagged. A foam pool noodle fits under the handlebars to prevent the bar ends/tape from rubbing against the cardboard.

I can fit two road bikes stacked in a pile in the back with another piece of cardboard separating the two bikes so they don't tangle.

Perfect for when I plan to ride directly after work, when I run errands before/after my bike ride, or other situations when the bike+car are unattended. It's nice not worrying about the removable accessories too - lights/batteries, saddlebag, heart rate monitor and computer.

Also, some friends had a rooftop rack stolen (bike not in rack) - it was an expensive rack and the thieves damaged the car. The bike rack I used on my 2-seater convertible didn't fit the Honda. Why buy a new rack for $$$ when I can avoid the nuisance of mounting a rack before rides then removing it when I don't need it?

I have a rear rack for the Jeep Wrangler but it's easier to have the rack removed and just carry the bike sans front wheel in the back seat with the handlebars hanging out the windowless back area. Sometimes I grab the wife's Cherokee and just toss the bike in the back.

We used to have a motorhome and that would carry 4 bikes on the back no probs.

Even though I have a Ford Focus hatchback, I can easily put my road bike in the back without taking off the front wheel. Why not? It's easier and I think safer for the bike. When my wife and I both go out, we toss them on the rack.

I have Yakima crossbars and a Thule tandem rack (just like the ATOC Tandem Topper) that I can put on the Mazda van or Vibe but it is so much easier to just put a bike or two or three inside the minivan. The tandem or long wheelbase 'bent fit (one at a time) right down the middle. This is likely our last van, so I'm taking advantage of it.

I don't use a rack either. The trunk/hatch has a lot going for it:
-it locks
-it hides the bike better
-less chance oF getting damaged (I would be sick if I got rear ended carrying the tommasini on a rack)
-cheaper
-less likely to scratch the paint


The only downfall is being stuck with driving my bronco (12mpg) if I have to haul multiple bikes.

I have a Thule rack that will attach to a trunk or hatchback but I don't use it. It is much easier for me to put my bike in the back of my car rather than attaching the rack to the hatchback, then putting the bike on the rack. I'd be afraid to leave the bike rack on the car if I was away for any length of time, and I won't use a roof rack because I know I'd forget the bike was there.

I've always carried the bikes inside whatever car I have. I've had the Blazer for 15 years now.

I get almost exactly the same mileage with my 2002 Jetta TDI wagon. 36-37mpg with the tandem on top at 75 mph, mid-40's bare. 280K miles and I don't regret a single mile. (with apologies to the OP for the highjack)

It's 3 miles of gravel from my house to the pavement, so I usually borrow my wife's Explorer and carry the bike in the back. If her car isn't available, my Wrangler has a rack, but then the bike is exposed to dust, mud, etc. Going into town means driving on 8 miles of gravel, so on the rare occasion that I take my bike into town, I'll only use the Explorer.

I don't carry a car on my bike, and I don't carry my bikes in/on a car. If a ride is too far to ride to, it's not worth doing, at least for me. Fortunately, I have a fairly long range.

I'd like to find a single-bike trunk rack for my 2010 Accord sedan, but so far the only one I've found is a Saris Solo. Nothing wrong with that, really, but I'd prefer one that could be folded up for trunk storage. The Solo is kinda bulky in the trunk, being made from a rigid piece of plastic. Allen makes some decent racks, none of which fit my car last I checked.

Bikes fit upright in the back of my Honda Odyssey with one of the 3rd row seats folded down. I can still fit my entire family of 5 plus luggage too. It's so much easier than roof loading, which is what I tried a few times on my old Plymouth Voyager minivan.

Just a word of caution; My LBS reports that carrying bikes inside cars is the most common cause of bent dérailleur hangers and broken computer harnesses.

I carry any of our bikes inside the back of our Town and Country, standing up with the front wheel on. Safer for motel travel, etc.

I can carry any type 2 wheeler in the backseat of my non-hatchback Neon sedan style by removing the front wheel.

Haven't used a bike rack of any kind in years. Anyone want one of two bike racks hanging in the garage?

This.

Bikes never rub, hitch mounted, won't damage vehicle, less than a minute to put bike on rack.
Accident damage-Insurance
Theft-Insurance
No grease or grime from bike on car upholstery

Normally I can toss my Bike in the back of the Tahoe if it is just me. With front wheels removed I can get 4 bikes in the back as well but not as easy if I have to take the 4 riders with me. On out of town rides I do use a Saris Cycle-on pro. Wheels sit in a tray with a small locking clamp for the back wheel and a large arm that locks the front wheel in place. It can take two 65 pound downhill bikes on the rack closest to the car and two 35 pound bikes on the back two.

Like some I usually ride to the start of our group rides but for centuries, double centuries and longer rides it requires a road trip and I may take the rack.