How do you transport your bike?

veronese68

Drove back from Brighton with my mates after doing the off road L2B had to carry 4 blokes and bikes so had 2 on a rack on the back and 2 on the roof using universal cross bars clamped to the rails and a couple of bike mounts. It was a bit slow going through roadworks on the A23 so got a bit bored and wound up putting my foot down once we hit the M23. As I was taking the crossbars off the next day I realised the wind resistance had pushed the bars back a couple of inches along the rails. :shock:
There was no danger of them coming off because of the way the bars clamp around the rails, but they were on there good and tight and still moved back. I guess a combination of the drag pushing back and vibration allowed them to move.
If I'm on my own or with only one other it's much easier to fold the seats and put the bikes in the back, as well as being more secure.

Plyphon

chiefinspector wrote:

Not worried about it being snatched while i'm in the car as it's got a lock on it.

For your benefit,

Those "locks" on your roof rack will take a thief less than 10 seconds to break. The locks are designed only to keep the bike upright on your car, not to stop someone helping themselves!

So please don't leave your pride and joy outside a pub "locked" in your roof rack - otherwise you'll end up making a thread on here in the stolen bikes section.

cubedean

On the roof, cheapo Cruz bolt on cross bars (got an estate with roof rails as std) & a thule 532, however the wife is also after a bike so i will probably purchase a thule 592 for mine & she can use the 532.

lostboysaint

Towbar mounted rack. As has been mentioned it doesn't knacker your economy like roof mounting, doesn't gack your car up like throwing it inside, is easily accessible (to lift on and off) and, as I have a tilting rack, can still access the boot of the car no problem.

andy46

As someone has mentioned above, one of those bars to go from seatpost to stem work. I had a Saris Bones for a while, but having 2 full sus bikes on there was nerve wracking as they moved around and bumped into each other quite a bit.

In the end I got a tow bar fitted and a Thule carrier, now I put the bikes on with no worrying and can drive normally too. I'd highly recommend one.

Kowalski675

Saw one of these on my last visit to Gisburn, hadn't seen one before. Bit different to the usual racks (and doesn't obscure your lights or number plate):

http://www.saris.com/en/bike-racks/vehi ... egory_id=7

simmo3801

I have an old Ford Mondeo estate so back seats down and my bike easily goes inside. However I've just bought one of these

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k352/a ... -sack.html

as the price was cheapest I'd seen for a bag. It's better quality than I imagined it would be for the price. I bought it to keep my more expensive mountain bike in the hallway of my flat to keep dirt off the carpet and I can just pick the bag up and slide it into the back of the car.

JayKay3000

Goes on the roof. I own a 29er and a clio. The bike is practically as long as the car. I can drive the car normally and the bike stays rock solid with a bit of flex in the mounts. I'll probably change the screws next year to avoid metal fatigue.

Think it's a fuel branded one. You do get some alarming wobble, but I've had it for a year with no problems. The only time you notice the bike on the roof is on round abouts where you can't just fling the car around as the extra weight of the bike has a tendency to cause understeer in the wet. I have a sun roof and I periodically check to make sure it's still there.

I had a m8 loose his bike from the rear of his expensive estate car on the motorway so I'm more anti boot mounted racks. Vans on not that safe either.

Northwind

In the immense cargohold of my mondeo. Downside is the tarp and the old carpet in the back makes it really obvious I'm planning a murder.

Bishbosh10

lostboysaint wrote:

Towbar mounted rack. As has been mentioned it doesn't knacker your economy like roof mounting, doesn't gack your car up like throwing it inside, is easily accessible (to lift on and off) and, as I have a tilting rack, can still access the boot of the car no problem.

This ^^^^^