Keeping the inside of my car clean?

Mark909

Hello i just bought a newish car and it's lovely and clean inside and I want to try and keep it that way.

This doesnt really go well with wanting to transport my mtb in the back.

What I was thinking of was buying a waterproof picnic blancket and putting this in the car to rest mtb on.

Does anyone else do this or have any other suggestions?

The Rookie

Just any old blanket, take it out, let it dry, shake it off, put it back....

cooldad

Huge tarpaulin - a few £'s on Ebay, plus an old duvet to pad things out and stop rattling if I'm carrying a few bikes.
Plus it comes in handy if I get lucky with gorgeous lady MTBers. Or would if I ever did.

danlikesbikes

Have a trap in the back of the estate as quite cheap and easy to clean up afterwards. Also then use and old sheet (has been used for painting too) to wrap up the sides of the bike so the wheels, chain etc don't bump against any of the side of the car.

BigJimmyB

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-m ... d=13029284

With some poles and string, makes a nice changing shelter in the rain too !

ilovedirt

Buy a bike rack...

paulneenan76

I line the boot with a few big boot liners from one of those 99p stores. Buy a few and they cover almost everything. Also worth spending a tenner on a 5lt pump sprayer, which you can leave in the car with a brush, and then clean off most of the crap before you sling it in the boot.

Also, get a cheap valet every now and again to keep it looking new-ish.

rockmonkeysc

ilovedirt wrote:

Buy a bike rack...

Can be expensive for some cars, for my new Mondeo I can only get tow bar mount (means buying a tow bar as well) or roof bar mount (around £250 to carry one bike).
Having the bike in the car also means tea leafs can't spot your bike & follow you home.

Murphybarnes

Apologies. High on Crystal at the time.....or is that Krystal?

welsh_14

You could be generalising a bit there! Car may not be a top of the range thing, and getting it scuffed may not knock a lot off the sell on price, but he may well want to keep it nice inside out of pride. And as said bike racks can be expensive/invite thieves! My car isnt top of the range but i still dont want to drive around in it with the inside covered in mud, and causing damage with the bike.

I just use some plastic sheeting and a dust sheet to keep everything clean, you dont have to spend a fortune to keep it looking tidy. Just give the plastic a shake when i get home to get rid of the mud!

Mark909

Thanks for the advice guys. A tarpaulin is a good idea. I had a doh moment that i didnt consider it. In the end I'm managed to find a picnic blanket with a water proof lining. This should give a bit of protection against bumps and scrapes as well as stopping water and mud dripping into the car.

Murphybarnes I really don't understand you answer. You just come across as an individual who is very frustrated with life. And the link in your signature doesn't work.

paulneenan76

Mark909 wrote:

Thanks for the advice guys. A tarpaulin is a good idea. I had a doh moment that i didnt consider it. In the end I'm managed to find a picnic blanket with a water proof lining. This should give a bit of protection against bumps and scrapes as well as stopping water and mud dripping into the car.

Murphybarnes I really don't understand you answer. You just come across as an individual who is very frustrated with life. And the link in your signature doesn't work.

Perhaps he is simply a simpleton who cannot understand your rational or a kn*b head ;D

From my perspective, my car was expensive, so was my bike. It fits in the car and with a bit of thought I can keep it clean even when my bike is covered in 10lb's of England's finest countryside. It's secure etc etc., plus it means I don't have to she'll out on carriers. A few quid a year on covers and a valet every now and again. And it doesn't damage the paint on bike or car!

thelonegroover

Mark909 wrote:

Hello i just bought a newish car and it's lovely and clean inside and I want to try and keep it that way.

This doesnt really go well with wanting to transport my mtb in the back.

What I was thinking of was buying a waterproof picnic blancket and putting this in the car to rest mtb on.

Does anyone else do this or have any other suggestions?

I assume you will never want to carry more than one at a time. Have you though about going down the 'carry it outside the car' route?

rockmonkeysc

I manage to get three bikes in the boot of my Mondeo (but only two people). Carrying multiple bikes is ok but just takes a bit of thoughtful loading and some padding between frames.
I have seen two downhill bikes plus tools, track pumps, spare tyres and racing kit squeezed in to a Fiat 500 along with a driver and passanger!

paulneenan76

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I manage to get three bikes in the boot of my Mondeo (but only two people). Carrying multiple bikes is ok but just takes a bit of thoughtful loading and some padding between frames.
I have seen two downhill bikes plus tools, track pumps, spare tyres and racing kit squeezed in to a Fiat 500 along with a driver and passanger!

^^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^^

Mark909

Thelonegroover wrote:

I assume you will never want to carry more than one at a time. Have you though about going down the 'carry it outside the car' route?

Yes but it's expensive and no good if I go away for the weekend and need to keep the bike hidden away in the car.

Briggo

Murphybarnes wrote:

I don't really understand the question.

That doesn't surprise me from your response.

Carrying bikes on the outside is rubbish but unavoidable at times, increased fuel economy and increased chance of theft.

allthegearnoidea

a few years back one of the bike mags suggested poppin to the local Bed stoe and asking if theyve ay Double matress bags, (all ew mattresses come in a bag) you can fit most types of bike inside one!! otherwise, a big tarp thats far to big for the boot so it wraps up th sides of the car and hangs over the bootlip too!