Van/Car you can fit bike in

evren
evren Posts: 18
edited October 2017 in Road general
Can anyone recommend a small van/Car you can fit a road bike inside preferably without removing the front wheel?

Looking at VW caddys which seem pretty good, also Citroën Berlingos which seem quite spacious.

I looked at Transporters but they're big and quite expensive. Ford transits seem more affordable but again quite big.

Any recommendations welcome \w/

Ev
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Comments

  • paulwood
    paulwood Posts: 231
    I've used a Renault Kangoo or the Citroen / Peugeot alternatives as cheap bike transport. Loads of space.
  • luv2ride
    luv2ride Posts: 2,367
    edited September 2017
    What's the issue with removing the front wheel? I had a Ford S-Max which was great for ferrying the bikes, albeit with the front wheels removed. Front forks attached to a Saris floor mounted rack. The versatile rear seat arrangements also meant you could carry one or two bikes upright as the individual rear seats folded absolutely flat, meaning you could still use one or two rear seats even with the bike(s) inside, due to the extra height over, say, a typical estate car.

    Best bit was it drove really well, so much nicer than a van. I really miss the versatility of it....good deals second hand
    Titus Silk Road Ti rigid 29er - Scott Solace 10 disc - Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 disc - Scott CR1 SL - Pinnacle Arkose X 650b - Pinnacle Arkose singlespeed - Specialized Singlecross...& an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 string...
  • veryslowtwitch
    veryslowtwitch Posts: 321
    any big estate car with bike horizontal and back seats down. chuck it in. can fit two in a mondeo estate with wheels on, three with front wheels off if you don't mind chainring marks on the ceiling.
  • veryslowtwitch
    veryslowtwitch Posts: 321
    If front wheel off then you could put a bike in just about any focus-sized car with back seats down.

    But leave a tarp in the back and some cardboad to protect frame/car.
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    I love my Mondeo mk3. Huge loading space, very convenient for winging my bike in and out for my partial commute.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,823
    I recently bought a used Smax. As mentioned above loads of room, really versatile and it drives well.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    Any estate.
    Lynskey R480

  • Rigga
    Rigga Posts: 939
    Mk3 mondeos are humongous.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Any car. So long as your bike is a Brompton.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    If the situation is one where someone would rather buy a new car than occasionally take off a front wheel then we have a new definition of first world problems.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    veryslowtwitch wrote:
    If front wheel off then you could put a bike in just about any focus-sized car with back seats down.

    But leave a tarp in the back and some cardboad to protect frame/car.
    With front wheel off you can get my bike across the back seats without any seat folding in a Focus. Had to deflate the rear tyre though.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    Just a reminder
    evren wrote:
    Can anyone recommend a small van/Car you can fit a road bike inside preferably without removing the front wheel?
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • craker
    craker Posts: 1,739
    I regularly drive with a car in the boot - my old Almera was great for that, back seats down, parcel shelf on top of the bike (or lost in the shed).

    I'm now on a 3 door Kia Cee'd. 3 doors makes it slightly more hassle to get the seats down and pull the bike forward, still fits comfortably.

    Any medium sized hatch will do TBH.

    Less good if your bike has mudguards, as the you need to spin the steerer 90 degrees and the weight ends up on the front mudguard. Also less good with straight handlebars, they may end up poking the back window.
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    I used to fit my carbon road bike into the back of our 2007 Ford Fiesta without removing the front wheel. It was the previous boxy shaped Fiesta, not the current curved shaped one. It was just a question of folding down the back seats, sliding the front passenger seat fairly far forward, and placing the bike rear wheel first with the bars and front wheel at an angle. I did the same with my previous (company) cars - Ford Focus and Renault Megane. I did have to take the front wheel off for my mudguard-equipped tourer.

    As others have said, any estate car will take a road bike easily with both wheels on. And a Berlingo or Renault Kangoo will have even more room.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    2011 or newer Ford focus hatch.
    We fit two bikes in ours without removing front wheels.
  • part time waster
    part time waster Posts: 244
    Now have the new Toyota Proace , compact , which is 4.6 m long which fits a standard length parking space of 4.8m long.
    The load space at the rear fits bikes in long ways , no wheels require removing. And being a van no one can see in the back. It had 3 seats upfront.
    All depends on what suits your personal needs. This fitted mine spot on.
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    Before changing could get two bikes and extras - pumps etc.- into a honda civic, which is reasonably small.
  • ovi
    ovi Posts: 396
    mercedes vito and a toyota hi ace wood do the job
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,473
    Mercia Man wrote:
    I used to fit my carbon road bike into the back of our 2007 Ford Fiesta without removing the front wheel. It was the previous boxy shaped Fiesta, not the current curved shaped one. It was just a question of folding down the back seats, sliding the front passenger seat fairly far forward, and placing the bike rear wheel first with the bars and front wheel at an angle.
    I have a modern Fiesta and while you can't easily get a bike in without taking the front wheel off it's fine if you do (with the back seat folded forwards). Don't really see why having to take the front wheel off could be a problem, unless maybe you are putting the bike in the car every day and want to make the process as quick as humanly possible.
  • dee4life2005
    dee4life2005 Posts: 773
    With the back seats down, and the parcel shelf out ... I can fit my road bike (large frame) into my Focus ST-3 (2009) [with Mountine kit :-)]. Lies on its side, but can keep the front wheel on, but you need to turn the handlebars 45-90 degrees once almost all the way in so the front wheel is parallel to the back of the front seats (no where near touching them though).

    Easier just to take the front wheel off, and secure it behind the rear passenger seatbelt to stop it moving about.
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/307297
  • part time waster
    part time waster Posts: 244
    dee4life2005 wrote:
    With the back seats down, and the parcel shelf out ... I can fit my road bike (large frame) into my Focus ST-3 (2009) [with Mountine kit :-)]. Lies on its side, but can keep the front wheel on, but you need to turn the handlebars 45-90 degrees once almost all the way in so the front wheel is parallel to the back of the front seats (no where near touching them though).

    Easier just to take the front wheel off, and secure it behind the rear passenger seatbelt to stop it moving about.


    Cool , one of the last real focus with no petrol sipping nonsense involved. Mountune upgrade . Essential.
    My hot hatch days are over. ...... for now.
  • davem399
    davem399 Posts: 269
    In our club, we have 2 using Kangoos, 2 with Berlingos and 1 using a Doblo. One of the Kangoo owners carries his trike in it, upright with all wheels in place.
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    I could get a 54 frame in a VW up with only one wheel off and a tiny bit of passenger seat tinkering. So, really, anything bigger than that shouldn't be an issue.
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    Ford Transit Connect, I transport my bike(s) all the time as I work away a lot and always take the bike(s). Wheels straight in (and I am tall) shock cord drops over the saddle to hold in place and then I use a small ratchet strap to secure in place.
  • sniper68
    sniper68 Posts: 2,910
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    Just a reminder
    evren wrote:
    Can anyone recommend a small van/Car you can fit a road bike inside preferably without removing the front wheel?
    Yet the OP mentions Transporters and Transits.....hardly small vans :wink:
    Lynskey R480

  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    DaveM399 wrote:
    In our club, we have 2 using Kangoos, 2 with Berlingos and 1 using a Doblo. One of the Kangoo owners carries his trike in it, upright with all wheels in place.

    You clearly have members who have absolutely zero sense when buying a car.
  • davem399
    davem399 Posts: 269
    ChippyK wrote:
    DaveM399 wrote:
    In our club, we have 2 using Kangoos, 2 with Berlingos and 1 using a Doblo. One of the Kangoo owners carries his trike in it, upright with all wheels in place.

    You clearly have members who have absolutely zero sense when buying a car.
    In all cases bar one, these are second or third cars for taking bikes to events. They have better (?) cars for day to day use.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,345
    ibbo68 wrote:
    SloppySchleckonds wrote:
    Just a reminder
    evren wrote:
    Can anyone recommend a small van/Car you can fit a road bike inside preferably without removing the front wheel?
    Yet the OP mentions Transporters and Transits.....hardly small vans :wink:
    Clearly looking for reasons to support the choice he has already made. And it isn’t a small car, even if that solution suffices. :wink:
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,821
    DaveM399 wrote:
    In our club, we have 2 using Kangoos, 2 with Berlingos and 1 using a Doblo. One of the Kangoo owners carries his trike in it, upright with all wheels in place.

    After the ride they all drive in convoy at 15mph back to the retirement village.
  • lettingthedaysgoby
    lettingthedaysgoby Posts: 1,732
    Another very happy S-Max owner here. It's a fantastic family car and perfect for bike transport.

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