Convertible car bike rack help needed

Yorkman

Does anyone have experience of a durable bike rack that is designed for convertibles?

If so, where is it available?

Having to take the roof off to get your bike in/out every time is a pain in the proverbial, and the back seat always manages to get oil marks on as well.

Many thanks in advance.

alan_sherman

A friend has a tow bar mounted back rack on his hairdressers car that is very effective. Expensive though to get a tow bar fitted and by the rack, but secure and doesn't mark the car.

stu99

How about one of these?

http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/product_3072.htm

According to the Saris website, this type is suitable for some convertibles. You can do a car search at saris.com

john ponting

I've not taken any piccies but I use a normal small Pendleton rack on the back of my MG TF. I set it so that the bike is more horizontal than vertical; the boot opens as normal with the rack fitted. It will also fit so that the lower feet are below the boot opening; boot cannot be opened and may need a numberplate bar & light.

When I mount it higher up, the boot lid supports the weight downwards. Mount slightly further back and it seems as though the lid edges are under more strain.

When a bike is on, it really isn't much different to the manufacturers boot mount luggage rack.

bhm100

I've used a simple rack from Halfords in the past, I think it was one of the paddy hopkirk range.

It wouldn't fit neatly as bought, but by re-drilling the arm pivot points and moving them I managed to get it to sit very securely on the boot-lid & bumper.

Also I used different nylon straps at the top - not the usual ones that come with hooks on them, but those with a plastic-dumbell on the end - again bought from Halfords for use on cars with all-glass hatchbacks. These can just slip inside the boot lid and are very secure without marking paintwork.

geoff_ss

When we used our Austin Healey Sprite Mk4 for camping we carried the spare wheel on a boot-rack (We had more space, almost, when we cycle camped years later ). I'm sure a bike carrier which supports the bike under the bottom bracket with the front wheel removed would have worked OK.

I suppose it depends what kind of convertible you have. The Sprite's boot lid is almost horizontal IIRC

Geoff