S-Max Internal Bike Carriers

James T

Hi,

What are peoples' experiences of S-Max Internal bike carriers?

Is it best to go with the Ford Activity Kit? Is the Thule 592 the same/will it work? Is the Sari Bones Single Track work?
Which of these is easiest to fit?

Do I need a track at both ends? Or do I just need a track at the fork end, and strap the other end to the cargo restraints?

Will I need to lower the saddle to fit the bikes in, or is it just front wheel off and straight in?

Lots of questions I know.

Kind regards

James

luv2ride

I ordered a Saris single track from Evans but it was too wide for the boot space. Swapped it for the triple track version instead which, although more expensive, seems much more stable and is not as wide as the boot aperture so you can move it about a bit. I also bought 2 x of the fork holders (unfortunately they don't come with the track).
I have used it to carry a couple of mountain bikes or a couple of road bikes. As a guide my 54cm Roubaix fits inside the car without the need to drop the seatpost, but you might need to if your bike has a bigger frame.

I'm happy with its versatility - can easily carry a bike with just the middle seat down, or 2 bikes with 2 seats lowered. The single seat configuration is great because I can ride out somewhere nice and my other half drives out with the kids to meet me for lunch, etc, and my bike gets stowed safely in the car. Of course, you could just buy the fork adapters and bolt them to some wood of similar dimensions to the Saris triple rack? There is a grippy rubber mat under the triple rack to stop it moving when in transit, but I'm sure you could get something similar to put under some wood. You could also cut this to size to stop it moving. The saris rack is a neat solution though...

James T

Thanks for the info - I though you had to bolt all of the tracks into the car. Is that not the case with the triple track?

luv2ride

I think you can, but I don't bother as its seriously stable (just don't go "nuts" round corners!). For further info, I mount the rack towards the boot, so the bike rear wheel is towards the front seats and the handlebars facing the rear screen. Actually, if you have the 7 seater s-max I don't see how you could mount the triple track on the floor, as the floor is the back of the rearmost seats? I use a strap to secure the rear wheel to the flat rear seat to stop it moving in transit, and I guess this would also prevent it moving fore and aft in the event of heavy braking.
Hope this helps....

James T

Great, that makes sense. The OEM version appears to bolt to the back of the seats when they are folded flat, although I am not sure if you have to drill the holes for the attachment points yourself - on the rear most seats there are already four bolts that you may be able to make use of.