transporting bike by car

[Grumblyberries]

Does anyone fit their bike in a car without removing the front wheel? How do you load/fit it in?

I've replaced my QR skewers with security ones and have a dynamo, so taking the front wheel off would be a real pain.

Car is a hatchback that has fold flat back seats and passenger seat, but not sure it's wide enough or tall enough, or how I would load the bike - there are sliding side doors (car is not here to try it out, though obviously I will if I think it is likely to fit).

I'm not tall enough for roof racks, have no tow bar, a trailer is overkill for one bike - it's just me, one bike, have to load it alone.

Some kind of door/boot rack is a possibility otherwise. Mostly keen on ways to transport it without disassembling anything! (except possibly turning handlebars sideways, as only one bolt for that)

What do other (short) people do?

[Grumblyberries]

There's something called Saris solo bike rack that fits on the outside of the boot door for one bike - anyone tried something like this? Do you feel the bike as you are driving? www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/rear-mounted-bike-racks/saris-solo-1-bike-bike-rack-147920.html

[TheHighestSardine]

I can only just get a normal road bike into my old Astra estate without taking a wheel off, I'd be surprised if you can at all in a hatch. Unless you want to leave the hatch open and bungee it down, a rear-mount rack is your best bet - be very careful reversing though.

It may affect the drive and fuel economy a little, but nowhere near as much as a roof rack.

[Grumblyberries]

thanks. It's not as long as an estate, though it is a bit longer than some hatchbacks (ford B-max, similar length to a Fiesta, but taller)

Just reading the reviews of that Solo rack on amazon, and they're a real mixed bunch! Not actually clear if it's legal or not, if it blocks number plates or lights, whether the straps loosen over time, what extra bungie cords are needed etc. Hmmm. Those I guess most of those points would apply to any rear mounted rack!

Fuel economy not such a worry as I wouldn't be going far. More worried about safety - bike falling off; paint damage to car or bike; and whether the car handling would be odd, as I'm not the most experienced driver! I'd probably have to go on at least one 70mph road, think you are restricted to 65mph with one of these on the back, which is fine, but want to be sure it would be safe.

[Grumblyberries]

oh, and I have a women's frame. That seems to rule out some of the racks, or at least mean you have to buy a separate 'beam' to act as a top tube, which I guess would be OK, if just a bit more expensive

[TheHighestSardine]

Something mechanically simpler with its own arms would be a better choice, ugly but easy:
www.amazon.co.uk/Explora%C2%AE-Universal-2-Cycle-Rear-Mounted-Carrier/dp/B01N2G6R30?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Grumblyberries]

Thanks!

that seems to have even worse reviews than the other, and says you can only drive up to 30mph, but it might be that style is available in a slightly better quality example. I will keep researching. I haven't yet figured out exactly how all these attach and stay attached to the cars anyway...! It all looks a bit dicey to me but I'm sure they couldn't sell something actively unsafe (or illegal), whatever the reviews say

[bathorshower]

We do this regularly - DH collected a friend with a puncture last week (friend over 6' tall, so bike was big). We have an estate, a fairly big one, but your bike is probably smaller than his! Go in through the boot; if you can turn your handlebars in line with the frame, it'll be easier (though we don't have to). You will want to lower the back seat fully first - we can get my bike in with just half the back seat down, but you probably won't.

Your car is wide enough and tall enough - it'll be similar to ours. I can't absolutely promise it's long enough! Best to try at home rather than the day someone comes to collect you when you have a puncture (yes, that's the voice of experience!).

We don't have a rack, because we wouldn't be able to park on our drive if we fitted a tow bar (it's already really tight, and slightly awkward for our neighbour to park), but a tow bar mounted one is what I'd go for if we had a shorter car! Could you get one fitted?

[Beemail1]

Try first. I was amazed to find I could get my Giant women's road bike in my Nissan Micra without removing wheel

[Grumblyberries]

thanks. I don't think it's worth the expense of getting a tow bar fitted, as it was just for the very occasional days out that I thought I might like to be able to put it in the car. I have a friend who lives near a lot of cycle paths, but it's about 30 min away, some of it on a 70mph dual carriageway, so safe and secure and legal are all very important.

the rear racks, the more I read about them, all seem to have fairly bad reviews in one aspect or another! Some people love them but there are a lot of people saying negative things. They'd be convenient, though.

So maybe I will try to see if I can fit it in the rear. I don't mind lowering the whole back seat - there's no passengers, so that's fine, and the passenger seat as well. If I could get part of the wheel up in the front area where the passenger seat would be, it is likely long enough, but I'm not sure that part would be wide enough. I can probably turn the handlebars first (you mean without turning the wheel? actually turning them by undoing the bolt?) I did think at one point that turning the wheel, so the handlebars were flat, and the wheel went in the rear footwells along with one side of the handlebars, but I couldn't quite see how I could GET it to that position in the car, even if it technically would fit!

My frame is quite small, yes, and a hybrid bike, with a lowered top tube.

[Grumblyberries]

oh wow, that would be good, I'm sure mine is bigger than a micra! Mine is a b-max, based on a fiesta size, but a little taller, and with sliding doors. It sort of looks big enough, but just not quite sure how to approach the loading of it.

Do you turn the handlebars flat?

[SweepTheHalls]

The crossbar is dead easy, friends that dont have tow bars use the Saris Bones carrier.

[alexdgr8]

you should be able to get your bicycle in a car like that, with back seat down.
why don't you just experiment.
i live near a park and i see esp women often have no idea how to hold, lift, manoeuvre a bicycle into the back of the car. some even attempt to grab it by the wheel. but there again, i can't cook, they'd laugh at me.
don't undo anything. just turn the handlebars as far back on themselves.
you need time and possibly stout gloves with a good grip.
and when you have got it in, think about securing it. any sudden braking could be dangerous for you if it's loose.

[Grumblyberries]

yes I will experiment when I get a chance. I live somewhere with no parking so it's a little more complicated to arrange, but I can do it. Just wanted to have an idea if it could be done first, and how best to go about the loading.

I'm not tall, and I'm not strong, and I find even getting the bike into double decker bike racks awkward, so I will be one of the women people are laughing at!! I'd rather not make a spectacle of myself and garner lots of well meaning advice from passers by, when I need to be able to do it single-handedly in the end.

put it in rear wheel first then? I'd been assuming front wheel first, thinking that maybe it would be narrower that way, specially if I turned the wheel somehow.

I have some bungy cords or something that I might be able to secure it with, if there are any suitable hooks on the sides of the car anywhere.

[bathorshower]

I normally try front wheel first, because I don't put the handlebars in line with the frame, which means they're the tallest part if the bike is on its side. Our boot lid slopes, so putting the handlebars under it wouldn't be great. I'm not tall or strong either, but I have got my bike in our car (disclaimer, DH helps if he's there!), and would also struggle to use double decker bike racks. I don't use bungees, and I have learnt to take the front basket off first! My lock is usually mounted on the frame; it's fairly heavy, so I take that off too.

[ByTheStarryNight]

I used to use a rear frame that hung from the windows. I had to buy a lighting board as the bike obscured my lights and reg plate. It was a faff to put the rack on on my own each time, and once it was on, I couldnt use the boot without climbing through from the back seat.

Now I have a tow bar mounted rack (thule i think). It was expensive to set up (£150 for tow hook i think, £250 for rack) but it now only takes me 5 minutes max to attach the rack and bike, the electrics are all connected so my parking sensors work, and the rack can tilt, with bike still on, so I can access the boot. And my car stays clean inside (I have done years of winter drive-cycle commuting, mud everywhere).

[mermaidbutmytailfelloff]

i have a saris bones, had it for years and it is fantastic. Goes on the back quite simply, you have to lift the bike on to it but other than that it is really secure.

[Grumblyberries]

It sounds like the Saris Bones is more substantial than the Saris Solo, if I'm reading them right. Will keep checking the reviews, if I can't fit it inside. thanks

[ivykaty44]

I used to have an astra hatchback - smaller than your b max and I could fit my road bike inside the car when the seats were down, I never took the front wheel off. I always slide the car in with the chain wheel upright and turned the from wheel. Id put in at a slight angle and with the side door open you can go to the side and pull the bike up towards the front and tilt the wheel