What small car...

strudelpus

Looking to get a small car to cart 19" FS around - what class of car can i generally get the bike into by taking the front wheel off (purely for convenience). Just curious.

bluechair84

With the seats down, you might get the bike minus it's front wheel into a focus or golf sized car. It's the bars that cause you grief as they always protrude at an akward angle. I have a Primera and some days I can get the bike in whole, depends on how long I fight with it. I end up having to take off the front wheel usually.
You need both wheels off ideally.

butcher of bakersfield

Any small hatch really. Seats down, bike in. Done. If you're not bothered at all about any kind of luxury, a berlingo van, with folding seats in the back if necesarry. You'll get half the house in there and 50+ mpg.

Chris5.5

If you want something a bit different try an Audi A2, we have one as a second car and I occasionally put my bike in it when the wife has the Saab.

The boot has a false floor that you can take out and the back seats fold down and then the whole unit folds forward again or can be taken out.

Loads of room for the bike and a nice drive.


Chris

Andy

Both wheels off = clio sized car
front wheel off = focus/307 sized car

dave_hill

See if you can find something where you can fold the front passenger seat down too.

sparrowlegs78

DON'T get a Daewoo Matiz, even with no wheels on I can't get my 19" Merlin Malt in
CAZ XX

dave_hill

sparrowlegs78 wrote:

DON'T get a Daewoo Matiz, even with no wheels on I can't get my 19" Merlin Malt in
CAZ XX

I'd have just said, "don't get a Daewoo Matiz" and left it at that...

Actually, that conjures up a really funny image. DO you have to drive with your head out the sunroof???

sparrowlegs78

What sunroof? , I've not taken the tin opener to it yet lol.
Our poor Matiz goes to Wales and the Lakes with 2 bikes ona rear rack and all the bags and kit inside,...hit the heady speeds of 60 mph uphill full whack ...goes downhill fast with all the weight in though, we hit 90 once lmao
Caz xx

fletch8928

Clio with the front wheel off, its kinda tight but you soon get the hang of it. I now have a booted megane and I can just get the whole thing in. Its just as easy to pop the front wheel out as it is to drop the seats.

Make syre if you do get a car and take the wheel out to chock the brake open, I always end up pushing the levers either when picking up or sliding/jamming it in.

dave_hill

fletch8928 wrote:

Clio with the front wheel off

Does that not make it difficult to steer?

bails87

I take both wheels off to put it in my 106, but I'm sure I've done it with just one wheel out.

butcher of bakersfield

All depends how easy you want it really. With two wheels off I used to get mine in the back of a saloon, but I'd rather chew my arm off than do that after a long, cold, wet ride. Which is what led me to getting something that does 15mpg and 150+mph. Maybe I went over the top... Plenty inbetween though, just got to know what you want. There's a fair few decent sized cars that will get good fuel economy these days too.

fletch8928

dave_hill wrote:

fletch8928 wrote:

Clio with the front wheel off

Does that not make it difficult to steer?

No. I used to move one from the back to replace it

ste_t

Assuming you only have need for one passenger, I used to get 2 bikes without front wheels into my old saxo. As long as you take out the seat+post you could probably fit it in just about anything as long as its a hatchback rather than a boot.

Atz

My polo will take two bikes with back seat down and both wheels off.

stunter ant

Fiesta= NO Well it depends what year but anything upto 2002 you cant get F all in them

Astra is quite a good size we get 2 DH bikes and a hard tail in

And u can pick them up dirt cheap!

Surf-Matt

I can get my Stumpy (front wheel off) in the back of our tiny Jimny.
We can get two HT bikes in it with both wheels off!

MacAndCheese

I can get the Wolf Ridge in a Renault Clio with the front wheel off and the seats in the car folded down. With both wheels off I can get it in and still have one of the back seats up.

stunter ant

Dam why can clio's and saxo's fit a bike in but my fezzer cant!!!!

P-Jay

Both wheels off, and some mad Tetris skills from back-in-the-day and I can get my Shocker DH bike in (which is HUGE), armor, FF, spares tool in the back of a Yaris.

Given a surprise day off, an open space on Cwmdown and some Sun anything is possible.

covelove

I was able to get 2 bikes with wheels off into my polo but resorted to selling that and buying a transit connect and have never looked back, safer, more comfy and easier to store bikes in than a wee car and also doubles as a changing room! well worth considering?

CJC105

2 bikes (1 fs, 1 ht) with wheels still on in the back of an old style focus (the new focus is about a foot longer so should be easier).

Andy B

18" Orange 5 with a wheel off & seatpost out goes in the back of a '05 Seat Ibiza no prob

But I have a set of roof bars & 2 carriers, so don't have to do it too often

ste_t

Thinking back, I remember going to C-y-B once in a mates Audi A3 - driver, 2 passengers, and 3 bikes. Though we did have to take all the wheels off and loosen the bars. And I made damn sure I got shotgun.

All comes down to how much you're looking to spend though. A Saxo 1.1 or an A3 1.8T...

jairaj

To the OP my advise would be to take both wheels off (the bike not car) that way you open your self up to more choices. Most small hatchbacks even the really small ones will easily fit a bike with both wheels off.

It really isn't a chore once you do it a few time you'll be able to whip them on and off in no time.

delcol

does it have to be a small car..

why not look at a small combi van like a citreon berlingo or the peugoet partner. these will take 2 mtbs no dismantling and kit...
or 3 bike minus front wheels and kit and 3 passengers.....

scale20

delcol wrote:

does it have to be a small car..

why not look at a small combi van like a citreon berlingo or the peugoet partner. these will take 2 mtbs no dismantling and kit...
or 3 bike minus front wheels and kit and 3 passengers.....

We have a peugeot partner and you wont get 2 mtb's in without dissmantling. You have to take front wheel off. Brilliant trucks though with plenty of room.

Anyone put a bike in the back of a new shape 3 door corsa?

delcol

i can guarntee you will get 2 mtbs in without dismanting them..

we do every weekend,, we got an 04 pug partner we get both the hard tail in complete. or both full sussers (160mm all mountain mtbs) with out removing fron wheels...

had 3 bikes 3 people in removing front wheels....

scale20

Is there a secret to it then? We tried it but they weren't going in. Ours is an '02 model, are they different shapes between the '02 and '04?

delcol

they di change the head lights but im sure the cabin is pretty much the same..

try this.
fold both seats down so they back to back with front seats.
place bike 1 in front wheel first turn bars 90 degres (behind drivers seat rear wheel over towards pass side rear end...
place bike 2 in rear wheel first behind drivers seat just in front of the front wheel of bike 1. turn bars 90 degrees towards pass side pointing towards the rear wheel of bike 1,( you may have to wind the forks of the bike down) i put mine on 100 on my santa cruz fox talas rc2 and 120 on my pace marzocchi 55
we use bungy cords to secure the bikes while in transit use the loops in the floor and use the loops were the seats lock into when upright..
the kit then fits around the bikes....
good luck...
they do fit in with ease.