Trunk rack vs trunk
 

How many of you transport your bike in the trunk versus a trunk rack? I have always put it in the trunk; seems safer to me. Sometimes I ride after work so I can't/won't leave my bike out on a rack for 8-9 hours. Just wondering if I'm missing something. I currently fold down the rear seatbacks, take off the front wheel and it fits in the trunk easily.

It's almost new car time so the rack issue would factor into whether I go 4-door or 2-door. Having to fold the front seat down just to reach in and fold the rear seats down might get old...opening the rear door and folding them down isn't so bad.

I avoid using any rack if possible. Although I have a nice Saris Bones 3, my bike goes in the back seat unless I need that seat for something else. It won't fit in my trunk unless I remove both wheels and the seatpost, so in that case I'd opt for the rack.

I like to take the front wheel off and put it longitudinally in the rear footwells. Works well with FWD cars that don't have the "hump"

To get my bike in my trunk I would have to remove the front and rear wheels, leaving the chain to drag around on the carpet. Not a big deal, but dropping it on a rack and snugging down 3 straps is a lot simpler. As for safety and security, if my bike is out of the house, it is either being transported with me in the car, I am on it or it is in the hotel room, or in the cases when I commute, in my office, so that isn't a concern.

Neither.
A rack that plugs into a 2" hitch receiver.

Mine has a "hump" but it doesn't get in the way. That's still where the bottom bracket goes, so I just have to position the cranks at an angle. Mine is FWD, so I'm guessing the hump is due to a very loose relationship with an AWD car on the same chassis.

I take off the front wheel and put it in the back seat.

SUV - too tall to put bike rack on top (been there done that) and I dislike dismantling bike - so now use one that connects to the trailer hitch - allows me to carry 2 bikes w/out removing anything- Super nice.

I rent, so trunk rack is the way to go.

Back of the van. On top of the other crap back there.

none of the above, I ride my bike everywhere so I don't need to transport it.

putting the bike in the car made the interior dirty and greasy and scratched the sides of the car and occasionally the bike. it moves around a bit and putting 2 bikes in the car just scratched the hell out of the bikes. i just ride from the front door now, even though it means boring start and finish to the rides.

I was using my trunk, but I got sick of removing the seat post as well as the front wheel. Add to that, I'm going to be driving halfway across the country this summer, with suitcases and whatnot, so there'll be no room in my trunk or back seat, so, roof rack it is.

If I'm just carrying one bike then I take off both wheels and put everything in the trunk. I find that to be quicker than bothering to fold down the back seat and it leaves everything hidden and secure if I want to stop somewhere. For 2-3 bikes I'll add a trunk mount rack and for 4-5 bikes I'll also add the roof rack.

inside the van unless I'm driving my car and then it's off with the front wheel and in the back seat.

I have a VW hatchback and two road bikes fit well in the back with the seats folded down. That said, I'll use my Thule Speedway 2 trunk mounted rack to transport them if we're going on a long trip or need the space in the back for other things (pickin' up chicks in our lycra! kidding)

I put mine in the back of the Vue. It's not a trunk, though.

I have a roof rack. I transport everything but my S-Works on it, the S-Works ride in the car with me. :)

I have a big-ass gas guzzler of a Suburban. I have a fork mount system I made for it and can put three bikes in the back. That's where I transport my bike 99% of the time. I pretty much leave it in there when I'm not riding. It's safe and secure.

I put my bike in the trunk with the back seats folded down and the front wheel off the bike. It's a BMW coupe and I don't really mind having to reach into the back seat to fold the seats down (vs. having a 4 door car). On my last car the seats didn't go down so I had a trunk rack, otherwise I prefer putting the bike inside the car, it's not inconvenient to me.

I'm in the market for a trunk rack and I'm looking at the Thule Passage 2 and the Yakima King Joe 2....anyone have one of these that could offer up some info??

i want a vue so bad. saturns are excellent vehicles. id still be driving one if that ***** didnt total it!!

It's structural - that little hump stiffens the unibody chassis up.

nissan altima is able to fit a full sized bike in the trunk when both wheels are removed.

actually, it has such a large boot, that it can seemingly fit two size 52cm bikes in the trunk with their wheels removed and stacked.

might have to throw two wheels in the rear seat, but still, two frames in the trunk is possible.

One thing to watch out for, however. A few years back I put my bike in the back of the car, planning on a ride after work with some colleagues. What I had not counted on (since I drove to work at 5:30AM when it was still dark and nice and cool) was how hot the car got during the day in the summer sun. When I got out to the car in the afternoon there was this powdery stuff on the inside of the windows, and one of the tires (tubulars) had exploded from the expanded air! I guess another good rule is don't pump up your tires in the cool morning if you are going to leave them in a hot car all day....