Vultan

Hey all!

Just completed a Father's Day family biking trip. First time we got all four of us out together to a nearby state trail. The biking was great! The car rack experience was awful. I'm looking for help.

I recently bought a Yakima RidgeBack, the four bike version. Getting our four bikes on it was a nightmare. I had bought converter tubes for three of the family bikes, since my kids and my wife all have bikes with diagonal cross bars. In the end, my daughter's bike was too small to fit on the rack even with the frame adapter, but I was able to squeeze it in the back of our Honda CR-V. However, fitting my bike, my wife's bike, and my son's bike on that RidgeBack was a nearly impossible puzzle, and even after having succeeded at it the first time after 30 minutes of effort with a neighbor helping me, it took all that time again with me doing it on my own in the park before being able to come home. There's no room for the handlebars. Or the wheels. Or the pedals. Those bikes are crammed so close together that getting them to all fit without destroying each other seems to be a mammoth undertaking.

Any suggestions on what I can do differently? I've attached a picture to try to show some of the issues. I can't imagine I'll ever be able to actually fit a fourth bike on this thing, even though it's a four bike rack. Since people clearly make this work, do people have any thoughts on how I could better get these bikes on?

Thanks for the ideas. It was awesome getting the whole family out biking! I'd love to do it without the car loading to be so awful.

rumrunn6

welcome to the club! take heart, you're not alone. you're right, it can be torture. A) I've read posts from guys with hitch mounted "tray style" racks that don't seem to have as much trouble. I can't tell from the picture, is that a hitch rack?B) removing front wheels or loosening handlebars to turn them sideways can make fitting them together easier. take your time to find the right combination of which bike first facing which way. but honestly it seems every time I load ours it's in a different order

BTW I don't use the accessory cross bar / converter tube for our bikes. it does take some time getting all 4 to fit on my Swagman Titan. maybe you need a rack w longer arms? BTW, I removed the plastic/rubber cups meant to cradle each bike. they seemed to just get in the way

Vultan

Thanks for the advice, rumrunn6. Maybe I'll take a day off and play with the bikes. Yep, it's a hitch rack.

I'll also think again about tray racks. I was hoping not to spend that much money. That, and of course I'd have to sell the rack I've got at a loss. But the advice on playing with order, as well as possibly removing front wheels is good. Thanks!

rumrunn6

good luck. was thinking of you yesterday as I was loading our bikes again. somehow I was able to load them alternating ea front to rear for the 1st time ever. can't explain why



decided it would be a good idea to devote one entire duffle bag to just the bulky bike stuff: rack trunks, helmets, water bottles & locks. also brought a base camp bike tool bag stowed in the cargo area. but getting all the loose bulky stuff out of the car & on the roof with the family's duffle bags helped make a lot of room in the car. also made it easier to bring it all in to our motel room

kbarj

We have the 3 bike version of this. It does require a hitch, but our bikes fit well without rubbing against each other or our vehicle. I also feel they are very secure.

https://smile.amazon.com/Rage-Powers...ch+4+bike+rack