Bike hitch/rack recommendations please

I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that is any consideration.

Thanks in advance...

~~~ __O
~~~ _-\,_
~~~ (*)/ (*) Bob

On 6/26/2016 2:20 PM, Bob Newman wrote:
I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that is any consideration.

Depends on the type of bicycle. For a carbon fiber frame you need to buy
a rack that holds the bicycle only by the wheels because the frame is
too fragile for any kind of clamps.

I prefer hitch racks where the bicycle wheels are in a tray or wheel
holder thingees and then the frame is held by a clamp, but I have no
carbon fiber bicycles to worry about.

This is what I have:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1122106_-1___

One more piece of advice, learned the hard way. When the rack is on the
hitch, your bumper is non-functional. If someone hits the rear of your
car, they hit the rack. It can cause significant damage to the vehicle.
I had to have a new floor welded into my Honda CR-V many years ago.
Fortunately the guy who hit me's insurance paid for it.

Is the Element unibody or chassis and body construction?

Also check Costco.com.

On Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 5:45:36 PM UTC-4, sms wrote:
On 6/26/2016 2:20 PM, Bob Newman wrote:
I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that is any consideration.

Depends on the type of bicycle. For a carbon fiber frame you need to buy
a rack that holds the bicycle only by the wheels because the frame is
too fragile for any kind of clamps.

I prefer hitch racks where the bicycle wheels are in a tray or wheel
holder thingees and then the frame is held by a clamp, but I have no
carbon fiber bicycles to worry about.

This is what I have:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1122106_-1___

One more piece of advice, learned the hard way. When the rack is on the
hitch, your bumper is non-functional. If someone hits the rear of your
car, they hit the rack. It can cause significant damage to the vehicle.
I had to have a new floor welded into my Honda CR-V many years ago.
Fortunately the guy who hit me's insurance paid for it.

Is the Element unibody or chassis and body construction?

Also check Costco.com.

No carbon fiber for me. One Aluminum & one, who knows?
I can empathize with the auto damage. I had a minivan and forgot I had my cheap rack on it. The kind with the straps to hook on you trunk edge. I backed into a parking space with a wall at the end of it and the rack hit the wall all pushed through to a huge dent in the back of my mini-van.

Bob

Measure the hitch hole

go to metals supermarkets or online ( there are calculators

buy 2'6" long rectangular tube 3/16ths thick

one 1/8th plate 2x2'

one 2'x2"x2"2" (or wider what tires ?) channel

and 2 1"x1" angles measured running from bumper or what ever vehicle steel*

to plate bottom. ,,,as bracing

use a measure u channel of aluminum if possible 1x1x1 for a brace running from near hitch to top tubes cycle frame

add bottom platform channels for2-3-4 bikes

wireup red/yellow LED running lamps..avoid liability.

price this then compare against commercial rigs

paint everything with rusto primer n 2 topcoats WHITE or GREEN or ORANGE or YELLOW for visibility

bolt this together with quality bolts washers nylocks with blue Loctite or red

https://goo.gl/ekrBDG

On Sun, 26 Jun 2016 14:20:16 -0700 (PDT), Bob Newman
wrote:

I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element
so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about
the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions
for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to
take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that
is any consideration.

I drive a 2001 Subaru Forester. A hitch rack would block opening the
rear hatch door, so that's out. What's left is a roof rack or a
temporary rack attached by straps and shock cords. So, I ended up
with a Rhode Gear rack something like this:
http://bike.sitelerwash.net/rhode-gear-bike-rack-design-for-your-car/rhode-gear-bike-rack-model/
I have several of these racks made for anywhere between one and three
bicycles. None of them were purchased new. Most cost about $10 at
the local thrift shop, probably donated by someone who didn't know how
to follow the printed instructions. I guess I'm not an exception
because I rode around with the rack install in an inverted position
for about a year, until someone was good enough to advise me of my
error.

Mo
http://www.racksreviewed.com/rhode-gear-bike-rack/
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=rhode+gear+bike+rack
As long as I take the time to install the rack properly, they work
just fine.

As usual, there were a few problems. This type of rack offers zero
security if the bicycle is left attached to the rack and unattended. A
bicycle thief needs only to slash the straps, and drive off with both
the rack and bicycle. My current solution is to attach a cable lock
to the towing chain safety holes on the trailer hitch.

I also had a problem with pedals scratching the car and other
bicycles. I added folding pedals, and urethane foam bumpers, which
mostly solved that problem.
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/bicycles/Sunlite%2067302%20folding%20pedals/index.html

Another problem is that such racks don't store very well in either the
vehicle or home closet. It would be nice if they collapsed into
something small, but to the best of my knowledge, none of the
manufacturers considers that a design requirement. Therefore, I
suggest that once you get the rack properly positioned for your
vehicle, you mark the position of the various interlocking parts with
paint or nail polish, so that you can easily re-assemble the rack when
needed.

My Subaru has the exhaust pipes just below the rear bumper. Unless
you can deal with having your wheels and tires covered with water,
oil, soot, etc from the exhaust pipes, make sure that you secure the
bicycle to avoid this problem.

Long ago, the CHP (Calif Highway Patrol) decided that my bicycle was
obscuring their view of my license plate. I talked my way out of a
ticket and settled for a warning. I then attached a color
reproduction of my rear license plate to the bicycle, which attracted
the attention of literally every CHP vehicle that I passed. Bad idea.

Hint: Buy a foam "pool noodle". Slit it lengthwise and use sections
to protect your bicycle tubes from friction damage and scratching.
https://www.google.com/search?q=foam+pool+noodle&tbm=isch
Also useful if you need to ship your bicycle somewhere.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 7:07:07 PM UTC-7, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 26 Jun 2016 14:20:16 -0700 (PDT), Bob Newman
wrote:

I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element
so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about
the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions
for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to
take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that
is any consideration.

I drive a 2001 Subaru Forester. A hitch rack would block opening the
rear hatch door, so that's out. What's left is a roof rack or a
temporary rack attached by straps and shock cords.

snip

I have a Yakima Hold-Up two-bike hitch rack on a Subaru Outback, and I can get the hatch open: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTIXHLc8O08 (at about 6:00) It does not work with all cars, though.

If I have any complaints, I take them up with the inventor -- well at least the guy whose name goes on the patent. The head of products is my neighbor and frequent riding companion. I rode with him today. I ride with him and his workmates a lot, so as you might expect, I'm brand loyal. I get slapped around if I even mention Thule.

Down side of any hitch rack is weight and wrestling the rack into place. The Holdup has a threaded hitch bolt, and you can't get the supplied wrench on the head because of the tight clearances between the hitch and the bottom of the hatch -- so I had to get a 15/16" socket. The rack now has both the main pin for raising and lowering the rack plus a safety pin. The hole-registration for the safety pin on my rack is really tight, so you have to wrestle with the rack a bit to get the pin in. It could be a one-off issue. I keep forgetting to take it up with my buddy.

Even if you don't have CF frames, the wheel clamping method works really well with mountain bikes and odd-shaped (non diamond-frame) bikes. I got a hitch rack because my wife has a disability but wants to try driving to some of the local flat riding areas, and she can't manage lifting her steel, flat-bar bike on to the roof of the Subaru.

The rack is not cheap, but REI and others put them on sale on a fairly regular basis.

As for hitches, I would get the largest hitch your vehicle will accept. I have a 2" hitch and use it to pull my utility trailer to the yard debris dump. UHaul is a popular supplier for hitches and balls, and their prices are good. I had the hitch on my Subaru installed by Rack Attack and got a Curt hitch, which is a nice hitch -- but I've also had OE hitches and UHaul hitches and couldn't tell the difference. You can even mail order hitches with instructions for drilling holes and doing wiring. It's not rocket science, but I typically let others do it.

-- Jay Beattie.

As written. I screwed together a rear door rack, a hitch rack AND a roof rack.

Door rack is right rear on a Ford van. Door opens. Frame only, seat post n wheels are inside cargo.

Hitch rack is described into OEM Class 4

Cost $40 with paint. Al rod from dumpster.

Door rack made from bed frame angle irons

Top rack is front fork axle holder from uh either Universal or Jenson. Costs $5

The standard hatch does not function or continue with a bicycle n rack on it ?

Interesting observation on racks are NOT passing a bicycle debris field where we are passed by many potential intact fields held together with shock cords.

Six ! Massed against Caravan's rear door with one equipped with obligatory pink tires n a large fog rubbing his asshole on the upholstory.

On 6/26/2016 8:40 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 7:07:07 PM UTC-7, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 26 Jun 2016 14:20:16 -0700 (PDT), Bob Newman
wrote:

I believe that I am going to put a hitch on my 2008 Honda Element
so I can put a bike rack on the hitch. I know nothing about
the hitches or the racks that go in them. Your suggestions
for either would be very welcome. I will probably want to
take the rack on and off a couple of times a week if that
is any consideration.

I drive a 2001 Subaru Forester. A hitch rack would block opening the
rear hatch door, so that's out. What's left is a roof rack or a
temporary rack attached by straps and shock cords.

snip

I have a Yakima Hold-Up two-bike hitch rack on a Subaru Outback, and I can get the hatch open: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTIXHLc8O08 (at about 6:00) It does not work with all cars, though.

If I have any complaints, I take them up with the inventor -- well at least the guy whose name goes on the patent. The head of products is my neighbor and frequent riding companion. I rode with him today. I ride with him and his workmates a lot, so as you might expect, I'm brand loyal. I get slapped around if I even mention Thule.

I SPIT on Yakima. Moved all production to Mexico.

Down side of any hitch rack is weight and wrestling the rack into place. The Holdup has a threaded hitch bolt, and you can't get the supplied wrench on the head because of the tight clearances between the hitch and the bottom of the hatch -- so I had to get a 15/16" socket. The rack now has both the main pin for raising and lowering the rack plus a safety pin. The hole-registration for the safety pin on my rack is really tight, so you have to wrestle with the rack a bit to get the pin in. It could be a one-off issue. I keep forgetting to take it up with my buddy.

Even if you don't have CF frames, the wheel clamping method works really well with mountain bikes and odd-shaped (non diamond-frame) bikes. I got a hitch rack because my wife has a disability but wants to try driving to some of the local flat riding areas, and she can't manage lifting her steel, flat-bar bike on to the roof of the Subaru.

The rack is not cheap, but REI and others put them on sale on a fairly regular basis.

As for hitches, I would get the largest hitch your vehicle will accept. I have a 2" hitch and use it to pull my utility trailer to the yard debris dump. UHaul is a popular supplier for hitches and balls, and their prices are good. I had the hitch on my Subaru installed by Rack Attack and got a Curt hitch, which is a nice hitch -- but I've also had OE hitches and UHaul hitches and couldn't tell the difference. You can even mail order hitches with instructions for drilling holes and doing wiring. It's not rocket science, but I typically let others do it.

The Element can take a Class 2 hitch.

Call the BP ...