bike rack fears
 

I own a scion XB. I can stack, front wheel removed five bikes in the back with the seats down. Problem is that method is not the most appopraite nor effective when I need to go camping. My fear is that the rear rack, bones, is going to be to low with the bikes hanging off the rear. Is a roof rack my only option? What do you guys think of the Saris racks?

Hi,
I don't like the idea of stacking bikes...lol...not too good on the paint job...so I am a fan of racks. Some will tell you they love trunk racks but I don't. I like fork mounted roof racks. Saris makes an excellent and cost effective roof rack...what I use. Believe the #901 Saris load bars with #922 fork mount bike tray is what you want for your Scion. Nice car incidentally. Have a look at a pic of my set up. Note that I have a Thule fairing on the Saris rack. I retrofitted the Thule fairing...size large #872...their new design...to my Saris rack because I like the design of their fairing better but I prefer the design of the Saris rack both for aesthetics and for being solid and simple....a very elegant design.
Only some mild work to the mounting bolt heads that came with the Thule fairing with a die grinder to fit in the load bar channel of the Saris rack allowed an excellent fit. I love the rack...have a look. Think you could fit 3 or 4 bikes up top on your car.
HTH,
George

thanks for the pics. I am still not sold on the roof v. installing a hitch and doing the rear rack. Saris is deffiently a nice rack though and stacking sucks.

Your bikes can be damaged by a small fender bender when using a trunk or hitch mounted rack. Yet, I use a trunk rack.

I don't like the roof racks, I'm 5'2". I would have to carry a ladder with me. I like the hollywood team rider(which they no lnger make) or the saris cycle-on. The tray type of carrier will carry ANY bike, kids, womens, and FS. The carriers that use the top tube to hang the bikes, limit the type of bike you can carry.

P.S. I've seen bikes taken off a roof rack, and they are covered with bugs.

I'm willing to bet more people have damaged their bikes and/or car by driving a loaded roof rack under a low overhead than have had their bikes damaged in a rear ender.

I think that it's funny because you use a trunk rack yet warn of the dangers of trunk racks and I have a roof rack and I am talking about roof rack drawbacks.

Yep, thats how I went from a triple to 105 double....
Thankfully frame wasn't damaged.

hehehe...no question RG is correct...actually my biggest concern...running my bike into the top of my garage...lol. Plus...more wind resistance...but...better access to the trunk of the car. Personal choice...I like the bike(s) up on top.
George

I used a Yakima roof Rack for many years. Had one on top of my Nissan and both of my VWs. Then one weekend, I had two bikes loaded up top on a busy SoCal freeway when the front clips let go. The front fairing caught air and lifted the rest of the rack with the bikes off the top of my car. The bikes crashed into the freeway.

I was fortunate that a CHP officers saw the entire episode and closed the freeway only minutes after it happened. I was able to safely walk out onto the lanes and retrieve what remained of two expensive bikes.

I'm too feeble to use a roof mounted rack ever again.

I like hitch mounted. If you get something like the Sportworks, you can load and unload your bike in about 10-15 seconds. It holds the bike individually by the tires. I drive an SUV (my evil self) so I leave it on there. It folds up out of the way and I can still open the rear hatch. I can also take the whole thing off in a couple minutes.

I just reread and saw that you are talking about 5 bikes. If you went hitch mounted there it would be sticking out pretty far, if you can even find one. I know they go up to 4.

REI sells a Thule 5-bike hitch rack . . . but I think it's only for the 2-inch receivers, which are usually only found on "full-size" SUVs/Pickups, etc. . . . not sure if that's a realistic solution for a Scion.

You can always do four on the outside and one inside. But then you're carrying more bikes than people. My optimum loadout with my Jeep is three bikes and three riders plus gear. This means one bike inside, two on the hitch rack and gear everywhere in the cargo area. This leaves me with adequate seating for the three riders to sit in relative comfort for long trips. Now I could attach a +2 extension to my hitch and seat four inside with four bikes outside. And I can stick a roof rack on there to fit more bikes up top and seat an extra rider inside although that starts getting cramped with three adult-sized riders in the back seat thus making long trips pretty much unbearable. If I'm just acting as a bike SAG then I can fit as much as four bikes inside, four on the back (with hitchrack extension) and four on top with one of those fancy roof racks that hang out all over the place. That's pretty extreme though.

Well I have a Scion Xa myself and use the Saris Bones. If someone does rear end me then yes my bikes will be wrecked, but the car cost me a lot more heh. I've yet to see a bones strapped to a Xb so not sure how it would sit on one, but I know you can adjust the levels on the bars a lot so I'm sure you wouldn't have to worry about the bikes being too low.

Why not keep bikes inside car where it is nice and warm and away from all that ugly wind they hate so much and get a cartop carrier for camping gear.

So you'd have at maximum, five bikes... and two riders. Well I suppose in some situations a single rider might want more than one bike with them on a camping trip.

I don’t need to carry five bikes; I was just illustrating the vast cavity that is the XB.

I found a receiver hitch for the Xb http://www.hitchesonline.com/toyota_cl1_sion_xb_05.htm and that is the cheapest place I can find it. Next step is to find a good two bike rack that holds the bikes, via, the wheels and not the frame and works with a 1.25 hitch. Thanks for the help thus far guys.

DOesn't the Scion line have a large catolouge of accessories from the dealer? I'd hope a bike rack or options would be in there.

just get the Thule roof rack. It makes the XB look even more bad A$$ :)
And yes I do need a step stool to put my mountain bike up there because of the weight but no problems with the road bike

So does GM, but their racks are garbage.

they do, its a yakima and they add about 200 to the price at the dealer. I decieded to go ahead and order a reciever hitch and ditch the roof idea. Ill post here when it comes in.

Oh NO!!!! I've seen bikes come back from rides covered in dust and dirt and bugs and crap. I'm talking about road bikes.

More seriously, I've seen first hand bikes that are carried behind the car covered in black soot from the exhaust (doesn't matter what car, if you don't believe me, look at the inside of your tailpipe - black soot). I've also seen bike from the back of a car that had been in a mild sprinkling of rain end up covered in mud and oil thats kicked up in the road spray behind the car.

the "factory" xa and xb racks are actually Yakima racks. You gotta get trays though.