Bike hitch/rack recommendations please

On 6/27/2016 9:10 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 11:06:22 PM UTC-7, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 26 Jun 2016 22:41:54 -0700, sms
wrote:

Me bad, the Element can take a Class 3 hitch.

Remind me not to trust you any more. Googling...
https://www.etrailer.com/hitch-2008_Honda_Element.htm
Yep. Class 3 with a 2.0x2.0" receiver. That should work nicely with
any trailer hitch bike rack.

We have hitches on all our vehicles. Prius=Class 2, 2x Camry with Class
2, and 4Runner with Class 3.

Incidentally, a former lady friend bought a hitch mounted rack for her
2013(?) Toyota Prius. The Prius only took a 1.25"x1.25" receiver. So,
the LBS sold her a 1.25" to 2.0" adapter and a Thule monster bike
rack.

Bad idea, since the tongue weight is probably being exceeded.

Nope. Class 2 is 350 lbs maximum tongue weight. The two heavy
bicycles and accessories probably totaled about 90 lbs. The rack and
adapter added about 60 lbs. 150 lbs total is well under the 350 lb
maximum.

I think it was this model:
https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks/thule-doubletrack-2-bike-990xt-_-5776509

I've long been a Thule fan since the days when I was comparing roof
racks. The Thule roof mounts were better designed.

I never could get used to roof racks:
http://wicycling.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Bike-rack-accident-570x398.png
http://i.imgur.com/CDtd1vy.jpg
https://thezeph.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/crumpled-bike.jpg
http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2009/03/no-carbon-wednesday-take-bike-off-roof.html
http://semi-rad.com/2013/08/a-letter-from-your-bike-re-your-roof-top-bike-rack/
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s81/ofcounsel/photo-12_zpsde39c025.jpg
http://content.bikeroar.com/system/content/000/082/869/original/Crazy-bike-carrying-van.jpg


I'm the other way around -- hitch racks make me nervous. I'm worried about backing into something or vice versa. However, if you have a tall-mobile and a bunch of heavy DH bikes, a hitch rack is about your only option -- unless you have a step-ladder and like upper body workouts.

I have had a few bad roof rack incidents -- drove into the garage and broke the forks on an old steel bike. My wife drove under a low overhang, which knocked the front rail off and bent the gutters, but the bikes were unharmed. Those were both Yakima racks (which was good, because we were about to start a tour around the Grand Canyon). I had a La Prealpina rack rail fall off a VW bug on the highway, and that was hair-raising. That was my first expensive roof rack -- '70s Italiano technology POS.

-- Jay Beattie.


LaPrealpina was innovative for its time but a classic
example of 'bag of bolts' car rack technology. OK design
with abysmal execution.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:10:00 -0700 (PDT), jbeattie
wrote:

I'm the other way around -- hitch racks make me nervous. I'm worried
about backing into something or vice versa.

I've never had an accident going in the forward direction. However,
backing up is a problem for me.

Among the 3 available choices (roof, hitch, trunk/hatch/strap mount, I
chose the strap mount because it's the cheapest of the three.

However, if you have a tall-mobile and a bunch of heavy DH bikes,
a hitch rack is about your only option -- unless you have a
step-ladder and like upper body workouts.

Apparently some riders have worked out a suitable method:
http://content.bikeroar.com/system/content/000/082/869/original/Crazy-bike-carrying-van.jpg

If that's unacceptable, prehaps a bicycle forklift:
http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bicyleforklift.jpg

I have had a few bad roof rack incidents -- drove into the garage
and broke the forks on an old steel bike. My wife drove under
a low overhang, which knocked the front rail off and bent the
gutters, but the bikes were unharmed. Those were both Yakima
racks (which was good, because we were about to start a tour
around the Grand Canyon). I had a La Prealpina rack rail fall
off a VW bug on the highway, and that was hair-raising. That
was my first expensive roof rack -- '70s Italiano technology POS.
-- Jay Beattie.

I was too cheap to get a roof rack, so I just threw my bicycle onto
the roof of my 1960 Ford Falcon. The pedal scraped off some paint. No
big deal as the factory paint job was falling off in large flakes.

Most of my later vehicles were pickup trucks, which made bicycle
transport quite easy, and bicycle security quite difficult. My only
real problem was driving over and breaking an antenna that was leaning
against a wall and into my intended parking space. When I only have
one bicycle to transport, and the back of the Subaru is empty, I
prefer to remove the wheels, and throw everything into the back. The
former lady friend also complained that fitting into a parking space
with the hitch rack attached is difficult.

--
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 Monday, June 27, 2016 at 7:14:27 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 6/26/2016 11:40 PM, jbeattie wrote:
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..

Sounds like it would be worth five minutes time with a rattail file or
reamer. Fix it and be done!

That's a good idea -- maybe tomorrow. The rack is primarily used for family vacations, and on the rare occasion that I drive my bike somewhere alone, I usually use the roof rack.

The tongue/receiver interface is snugged up with a threaded bolt. https://assets.yakima.com/product/in...ions/8002443/1 150 foot pounds! There is no play in that joint. There is some slop elsewhere, but watching the bikes in the rear view mirror, they look pretty stable.

I didn't mention that the rack has a built-in cable lock. I wouldn't rely on it too heavily because the cable is pretty small diameter, but it would deter a casual thief. It's primarily for bike retention.

-- Jay Beattie.

Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

When I only have
one bicycle to transport, and the back of the Subaru is empty, I
prefer to remove the wheels, and throw everything into the back.

That's similar to the approach I take with our Ford Escape. I fold the
driver's side rear seat, remove the bike's front wheel and wedge its back
wheel between the driver's seat and the "B" pillar.
--
Andrew Chaplin
SIT MIHI GLADIUS SICUT SANCTO MARTINO
(If you're going to e-mail me, you'll have to get "yourfinger." out.)

Andrew Chaplin wrote:
Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

When I only have
one bicycle to transport, and the back of the Subaru is empty, I
prefer to remove the wheels, and throw everything into the back.

That's similar to the approach I take with our Ford Escape. I fold the
driver's side rear seat, remove the bike's front wheel and wedge its back
wheel between the driver's seat and the "B" pillar.

I've got a piece of plywood with three fork mounts (meant for pickup truck
beds) screwed to it. The plywood has four J bolts and wing nuts that attach
to the base that is left after I pull a seat out of my minivan. I can then
remove the front wheel, clamp the fork into the fork mount, and have my
bike firmly ensconced inside my vehicle.

On 6/27/2016 10:03 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
Andrew Chaplin wrote:
Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

When I only have
one bicycle to transport, and the back of the Subaru is empty, I
prefer to remove the wheels, and throw everything into the back.

That's similar to the approach I take with our Ford Escape. I fold the
driver's side rear seat, remove the bike's front wheel and wedge its back
wheel between the driver's seat and the "B" pillar.

I've got a piece of plywood with three fork mounts (meant for pickup truck
beds) screwed to it. The plywood has four J bolts and wing nuts that attach
to the base that is left after I pull a seat out of my minivan. I can then
remove the front wheel, clamp the fork into the fork mount, and have my
bike firmly ensconced inside my vehicle.

Our previous car was a Pontiac Vibe (= Toyota Matrix). I was able to
use that fork mount trick with our two touring bikes. My wife's bike
needed no modification; my bike needed its seat post removed. It was
very handy to have the bikes secure and out of the weather.

Our current car, a Mazda 3, isn't tall enough for that trick. Its
interior also lacks the very flat cargo floor and lots of handy
tie-downs that the Vibe had. This means our folding bikes get used a lot
more on trips.


--
- Frank Krygowski

Regular nym-shifting troll...

--
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Subject: Bike hitch/rack recommendations please
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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