How do you transport your bike(s)?

steve_sordy

I have used roof racks, and boot racks, but I have always preferred the security of a bike in the back of the car, so why did I go to the expense of a tow bar and a bike rack?

The main reason is that I have ordered an eBike and I did not want to risk injuring my already damaged back loading that lump in the back of the car. Even without the front wheel, it's still a heavy lump. Very much the second reason is that having a bike or bikes in the back of the car seriously reduces the amount of other stuff I can take. Loading and unloading can take time. When my wife is with me and we're away for a few days, lack of space can become a problem. It's not unsolvable, just inconvenient.

I won't have the bike until Jan/Feb, but I got the tow bar and rack now as it spread the cost and it gives me time to play with it first. Racks have their advantages: massively reduced back strain, no muck in the car, fast get away, much easier with two bikes, uncompromised luggage space. And their disadvantages: higher cost, reduced security, increased fuel consumption, the need to store the unused rack somewhere, getting the car’s modern electrickery to work properly afterwards – never thought about that!

I had considered that being out in the open on the way home the bike might arrive home clean if it was raining, but I had not considered the reverse! That I might end up with a mucky and contaminated bike at the start of the ride! After a horrible brake-howling ride, I’m looking at plastic sandwich bags for the discs and calipers to prevent road grime contamination on the next trip.

whyamihere

Personally, always in the car, to the point that the ability to fit a bike in the car with the least amount of faff and being able to fit a roof box to overcome the lack of space inside when a couple of bikes are in there are the main things I'm looking at now that I'm looking to buy a new car in the near future.

My reasoning is basically the same as your last paragraph. I can't control what happens to the bike when it's outside the car. Driving to a relatively local riding spot and having the brakes contaminated or something damaged by a stone flicking up would be annoying, having it happen on holiday or after a long trip would really ruin my day.

whyamihere

The starred out word in the last sentence is the present participle of 'flick'... I think the swear filter's a bit over sensitive.

robertpb

Why not buy a Fiamma bike cover they're only £30, I was going to buy one for my motorhome but I can fit 2 bikes in the rear garage, much safer.

daniel_b

Used to have an estate car, now have one of these

steve_sordy

@Daniel B: Thanks for the contribution, but I could not bring myself to drive one of those vehicles. What is it?

steve_sordy

robertpb wrote:

Why not buy a Fiamma bike cover they're only £30, I was going to buy one for my motorhome but I can fit 2 bikes in the rear garage, much safer.

I watched this video and decided "No thanks!" was an appropriate answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjtIOXsfzAE

robertpb

That's the premium version the cheap one is much more simple, goes on very quickly.

sniper68

steve_sordy wrote:

I had considered that being out in the open on the way home the bike might arrive home clean if it was raining, but I had not considered the reverse!

I took my CX bike to the Lakes in February,family Holiday so car was full.It was on the towbar mounted carrier.It chucked it down all the way there and the bike was absolutely filthy when we arrived.Road-muck/oil/diesel and everything else that the road could throw at it.
I had to clean it before I could ride it :roll:
This is why I rarely use the carrier!

BTW if a bike is too heavy to lift into your car then don't buy it

Danny1920

whyamihere wrote:

My reasoning is basically the same as your last paragraph. I can't control what happens to the bike when it's outside the car. Driving to a relatively local riding spot and having the brakes contaminated or something damaged by a stone ******* up would be annoying, having it happen on holiday or after a long trip would really ruin my day.

So sorry for be a bi of an idiot but are you sayng that you don't want to carry a bike on the outside
because the brake rotors might become contaminated or a stray stone/rock might hit your bike & leave
a stone chip?? In last 10 years of transporting my bike on a roof mounted carrier Ive never ever had
the rotors contaminated,nor has the bike been struck by a stray stone.I have had rocks & stones strike
the bike but only when out on the trail

steve_sordy

Sniper68 wrote:

..............

BTW if a bike is too heavy to lift into your car then don't buy it

Yep, I can see your point!

But I'm stuck between two physical problems. My knees are slowly getting worse, despite all sorts of work. Osteo-arthritis seems to be a one way trip. My knees are restricting my riding, both in distance and in steepness of climbs. So that is why I finally decided to get an eBike. But eBikes are 10-13kg heavier than clockwork bikes (depending upon what you are comparing), and loading one of those in the back of the car does not mix well with my back problem of 22 years standing. So that is why I got a tow bar and rack. I excluded a roof rack for the same reason. I am determined to keep on riding mtb.

Don't get old!

PS: The tow bar rack I had to buy to cope with the eBike itself weighs 18.5kg! But at least I can lift and move it about quite easily, whereas sliding an even heavier eBike into the back of the car requires me to be bent over.

whyamihere

Danny1920 wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

My reasoning is basically the same as your last paragraph. I can't control what happens to the bike when it's outside the car. Driving to a relatively local riding spot and having the brakes contaminated or something damaged by a stone ******* up would be annoying, having it happen on holiday or after a long trip would really ruin my day.

So sorry for be a bi of an idiot but are you sayng that you don't want to carry a bike on the outside
because the brake rotors might become contaminated or a stray stone/rock might hit your bike & leave
a stone chip?? In last 10 years of transporting my bike on a roof mounted carrier Ive never ever had
the rotors contaminated,nor has the bike been struck by a stray stone.I have had rocks & stones strike
the bike but only when out on the trail

It's why I wouldn't want it on the back of the car. The roof would be much better for the bike, but it kills fuel economy and restricts access to some of the places I ride because of low entrances.

daniel_b

steve_sordy wrote:

@Daniel B: Thanks for the contribution, but I could not bring myself to drive one of those vehicles. What is it?

It's a Ford Grand Tourneo connect - i'd got bored of having to partly dissasemble bikes everytime I wanted to take them anywhere - this with some of the second row down, will swallow bikes whole, ever a cargo bike!

It's like a practical version of an MPV, it has seats, but also space and critically height.

It's smaller than an Audi Q7, has a really nice manual box, and is surprisingly torquey and nice to drive.
Economical, and £30 a year tax to boot - *wish I had bought one years ago now!

*They have only been out since 2013

steve_sordy

Daniel B wrote:

..........

It's a Ford Grand Tourneo connect - .................*They have only been out since 2013

My eyes must have glazed over every time I saw one! Sorry to be less than positive about your vehicle, it does sound a highly practical proposition for a family man who also has to carry lots of stuff. I once found myself with a Mark 3 Cortina Estate 1.6 (not even a 1.6L) in white. I had a wife, two in-laws, a toddler in a toddler seat, and a baby in a carry cot to take on holiday for a week. The bay in the carry cot went in the boot behind the rear seat (grandma looked after the baby). The sailboard and mast went on the roofrack. I was very glad of that car, but also very glad to no longer need it!

I just remembered spraying a long woven fence with creosote one Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately the white Cortina Estate was on the other side and it now looked as though it had brown measles! :shock: Instead of going sailing, it took me all Sunday to remove the creosote stains with Flash floor cleaner (nothing else worked!) I then had to T-Cut the whole car back from from its now matt-white finish, and then to polish it. Afterwards, I must admit it had never looked better, but I could have done without the faff. That was 39 years ago and I had forgotten all about that, until now.

w00dster

Best bike purchase I have made is my Citroen Berlingo van. Its the most practical solution there is. Removes all of the faffing completely.
The only downside is when we go on family mtb breaks, I go in the van with the bikes and the missus is in the car with the kids (not sure that really is a downside....)
I can get three 29ers in the back, plus all of the bags. Can also fit three adults in the front, but that's tight and not great for long journeys. For the majority of my trips away though its fine.

898kor

Daniel B wrote:

steve_sordy wrote:

@Daniel B: Thanks for the contribution, but I could not bring myself to drive one of those vehicles. What is it?

It's a Ford Grand Tourneo connect - i'd got bored of having to partly dissasemble bikes everytime I wanted to take them anywhere - this with some of the second row down, will swallow bikes whole, ever a cargo bike!

It's like a practical version of an MPV, it has seats, but also space and critically height.

It's smaller than an Audi Q7, has a really nice manual box, and is surprisingly torquey and nice to drive.
Economical, and £30 a year tax to boot - *wish I had bought one years ago now!

*They have only been out since 2013

I get that kind of car/van - its function over form and they work well - good choice. I have a Q7 and an E-Class and they are both missing the practicality a Van base can bring, they only manage to get somewhere near through shear size. Factor in the price differences and the Ford is a wise choice.

The only bit you lost me on was "manual" - thats like going to currys and asking for a twin tub instead of a front loader - Autos all the way for me.

norvernrob

We have a towbar and a whispbar 3 bike rack with 4th bike extension. It takes around 10 minutes to securely fit all 4 bikes on and I’ve done over 3,000 miles in two trips to the Alps this year without any issue. The boot is still accessible as the rack tilts with a foot pedal. It’s the best solution I’ve tried by a long way.

steve_sordy

NorvernRob wrote:

We have a towbar and a whispbar 3 bike rack with 4th bike extension. It takes around 10 minutes to securely fit all 4 bikes on and I’ve done over 3,000 miles in two trips to the Alps this year without any issue. The boot is still accessible as the rack tilts with a foot pedal. It’s the best solution I’ve tried by a long way.

But have you ever had contamination of the discs/pads?

898kor

robertpb wrote:

Why not buy a Fiamma bike cover they're only £30, I was going to buy one for my motorhome but I can fit 2 bikes in the rear garage, much safer.

20% off at the moment - go-outdoors

daniel_b

898kor wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

steve_sordy wrote:

@Daniel B: Thanks for the contribution, but I could not bring myself to drive one of those vehicles. What is it?

It's a Ford Grand Tourneo connect - i'd got bored of having to partly dissasemble bikes everytime I wanted to take them anywhere - this with some of the second row down, will swallow bikes whole, ever a cargo bike!

It's like a practical version of an MPV, it has seats, but also space and critically height.

It's smaller than an Audi Q7, has a really nice manual box, and is surprisingly torquey and nice to drive.
Economical, and £30 a year tax to boot - *wish I had bought one years ago now!

*They have only been out since 2013

I get that kind of car/van - its function over form and they work well - good choice. I have a Q7 and an E-Class and they are both missing the practicality a Van base can bring, they only manage to get somewhere near through shear size. Factor in the price differences and the Ford is a wise choice.

The only bit you lost me on was "manual" - thats like going to currys and asking for a twin tub instead of a front loader - Autos all the way for me.

Aha, well we are vastly different people with regards to transmission then

I was gifted a Volvo V70 T5 before this, and despite the phenomenal engine, for me it was muted by the inability to change gear, and for me I find the van more enjoyable to drive, despite less than half the horses, the manual makes it a lot more engaging for me, and I genuinely enjoy stirring the box.
I don't spend a lot of time in traffic though, so perhaps that is related.
Main thing is that cruise control works perfectly, so can still stick in in 6th gear and let it maintain speed for me.
Looking forward to long journeys down through Europe in the coming years, think it will prove very capable and comfortable.

sandy771

I am thinking of replacing my XC60 with a van.

It needs

* to be less than about 6'2" with roof bars fitted to get in garage
* take two MTBs stood up in the back with wheels on
* Dont want it any bigger than necessary to tick the two boxes above.

Happy to have rear seats removed as will mainly only need two, but wouldn't want too much faff refitting them when needed. I also want something "nice" (subjective I know), particularly in the front, as this will be my only vehicle.

Not interested in anythng old, or putting the bikes on a rack or on the roof (bars are for my paddle board).

Thinking of something like a VW caddy long wheelbase but after ideas...

daniel_b

Ford Grand Tourneo Connect (With the two rear seats removed) for me :-)

Nice is wholly subjective, but it's a comfy well specced vehicle, and I enjoy driving it.

larkim

Hyundai i800 here. Could take out row three of the seats and it would be massive. Not sure whether it would be too tall though, but great vfm compared to VW or Merc Vito etc.

johnmcl7

This is a handy thread as I've been thinking of asking the same. I have a second generation Mazda6 estate which is one of the bigger estates, it can just take my 29+ hard tail in the boot without removing the wheel which is handy and there's room for a second bike on top with the wheel removed.

I've been looking at possible replacements and unfortunately the third generation Mazda6 is both smaller and lower powered, I have looked at vans but not keen on them as they're mostly diesel (I don't do many miles and don't like all the emissions control systems) and not great to drive. I'm interesting to know what estates people are driving and how much they can pack in as the boot capacity figures aren't always a good indication of how much room there is.

daniel_b

Skoda Superb is meant to be the king (in terms of space) estates currently, and was top of my shopping list (to replace an LPG Volvo V70 T5) after writing off the Vivaro/Trafic angle due to my gf finding them too utilitarian or 'vanlike' dare I say.

That is until a kind soul on here alerted me to the Grand Tourneo Connect that we test drove (drives like a car thanks to the chassis), and soon realised was perfect for what we needed, for superb cost levels, plus only £30 road licence thingy per year 8)

Lagrange

On the subject of tow bars I seem to remember good advice is to inform your insurer that you have one, and also that you use it with a bike rack.

eric_draven

Daniel B wrote:

That is until a kind soul on here alerted me to the Grand Tourneo Connect that we test drove (drives like a car thanks to the chassis), and soon realised was perfect for what we needed, for superb cost levels, plus only £30 road licence thingy per year 8)

Think the OP really needs to test drive a newer van as they are comfy and nice to drive and economical,I think you would be pleasantly surprised,I have owned Transporters for the best part of 20 years,I do look at estate cars every now and again but the practicality of a van is just to much to lose for me,I have driven some long trips in them,from Scarborough down to the alps in a day,also did down to Mont Ventoux left at 4am arrived at about 10pm,I used to have a LWB kombi i could take 3 other people and 4 bikes fully built up behind the rear seats,can also fit a 9'6" surfboard in the back

Grovsie29

Ive got a Bmw 2 door Coupe, and use the thule roof bars and roof rack. There excellent. Have 2 of the new racks, and a older one.

Im a car guy always will be, love my motor, but also love bikes. I can get 3 bikes on the roof. Only downside is crap falls off onto the roof and MPG isn't great when going longer trips with a 3 litre twin turbo straight 6 lol.

steve_sordy

Lagrange wrote:

On the subject of tow bars I seem to remember good advice is to inform your insurer that you have one, and also that you use it with a bike rack.

I did that and they were totally unconcerned about what I use the tow bar for, but they did want an extra 10%! If they weren't already the cheapest, I would have gone somewhere else on principle! (So you can tell just how principled I am).

My mate had two expensive mtbs on his tow bar rack when someone drove into the back of them. The insurer took some convincing that two push bikes could add up to so much money! (Plus a broken tow bar rack and a dented body part that the tow bar was bolted to). But they paid up in the end.