Bike racks

I'm shopping for a trunk-mount bicycle carrier for Daughter's car.
It's a 2009 Pontiac coupe and it has a little spoiler on the rear
deck. (not sure if the spoiler is a problem or not) Any
recommendations for a good rack that will hold 2 mountain bikes or
cruisers, won't scratch all the paint off the car, and will allow
the trunk to be opened (carefully) with the rack still installed and
bikes removed?

I've been looking online at the Thule models 910 and 961XT. And
maybe a Saris Bones II, but I'm not sure I trust that one because
it's all plastic.

Thanks,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
I'm shopping for a trunk-mount bicycle carrier for Daughter's car.
It's a 2009 Pontiac coupe and it has a little spoiler on the rear
deck. (not sure if the spoiler is a problem or not) Any
recommendations for a good rack that will hold 2 mountain bikes or
cruisers, won't scratch all the paint off the car, and will allow
the trunk to be opened (carefully) with the rack still installed and
bikes removed?

I've been looking online at the Thule models 910 and 961XT. And
maybe a Saris Bones II, but I'm not sure I trust that one because
it's all plastic.

Thanks,
Bob

Presumably you mean a G6 Coupe. The spoiler is a problem on most trunk
mount racks.

Personally I'd not cheap out here on a new car. Install a 1.25" trailer
hitch, and then get a hitch rack. Forget about the trunk rack.

I ran into the same issue on a Toyota (though not with a spoiler). The
trunk mount racks just looked like they'd damage the vehicle, so I
ordered a hitch from "http://www.hitchesonline.com/" and installed it. I
had an old 2" hitch rack so I bought a 1.25" to 2" adapter from Harbor
Freight (and I also shortened the 2" bar on the old rack with a chop saw
and drilled a new hole for the pin (which was very difficult)).

Lot of used hitch racks on craigslist, so that offsets the cost of the
hitch somewhat, but you're still looking at at least $200.

If it were an old car where it didn't matter if the paint got damaged,
or the trunk dented a bit then I'd say go for one of the Thule racks.

I remember the days of steel bumpers on cars, where you could attach a
bumper mount bike rack with no problem on most any vehicle.

On Nov 30, 12:37*pm, SMS wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
I'm shopping for a trunk-mount bicycle carrier for Daughter's car.
It's a 2009 Pontiac coupe and it has a little spoiler on the rear
deck. (not sure if the spoiler is a problem or not) *Any
recommendations for a good rack that will hold 2 mountain bikes or
cruisers, won't scratch all the paint off the car, and will allow
the trunk to be opened (carefully) with the rack still installed and
bikes removed?

I've been looking online at the Thule models 910 and 961XT. *And
maybe a Saris Bones II, but I'm not sure I trust that one because
it's all plastic.

Thanks,
Bob

Presumably you mean a G6 Coupe. The spoiler is a problem on most trunk
mount racks.

Personally I'd not cheap out here on a new car. Install a 1.25" trailer
hitch, and then get a hitch rack. Forget about the trunk rack.

I ran into the same issue on a Toyota (though not with a spoiler). The
trunk mount racks just looked like they'd damage the vehicle, so I
ordered a hitch from "http://www.hitchesonline.com/" and installed it. I
had an old 2" hitch rack so I bought a 1.25" to 2" adapter from Harbor
Freight (and I also shortened the 2" bar on the old rack with a chop saw
and drilled a new hole for the pin (which was very difficult)).

Lot of used hitch racks on craigslist, so that offsets the cost of the
hitch somewhat, but you're still looking at at least $200.

If it were an old car where it didn't matter if the paint got damaged,
or the trunk dented a bit then I'd say go for one of the Thule racks.

I remember the days of steel bumpers on cars, where you could attach a
bumper mount bike rack with no problem on most any vehicle.

I agree with this post, except that I use 2" receiver hitches and
hitch racks to permit maximum strength. That's been a fixture on at
least my last 3 cars.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:

I agree with this post, except that I use 2" receiver hitches and
hitch racks to permit maximum strength. That's been a fixture on at
least my last 3 cars.

Unfortunately, most newer cars don't have class III or IV hitches (2"
receiver) available, and you're stuck with class I or II (1.25"
receiver). I wish the hitch manufacturers would just do 2" receivers for
class I and class II with a warning that they're only to be used for
stuff like bike racks, within the limits of the vehicle.

You have to watch out for the tongue weight, but a 2 bike hitch rack on
a 1.25" receiver is no problem, and as long as you're under 150 pounds
total weight then it's okay. I wouldn't want to put my XPORT Flatbed
4-Bike Hitch Rack, which weighs a lot even without bikes, into a 1.25"
hitch with an adapter (it comes only in 2").

"SMS" wrote: (clip) You have to watch out for the tongue weight, but a 2
bike hitch rack on
a 1.25" receiver is no problem, and as long as you're under 150 pounds
total weight then it's okay.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The 1.25" receiver hitch which I just installed on my Subaru Legacy Outback
has a tongue rating of 300 lb.

zxcvbob wrote:
I'm shopping for a trunk-mount bicycle carrier for Daughter's car.

I never let a bike rack thread go by without warning people about the
one that let me down, literally. This rack was supposed to be able to
carry three bikes, so I loaded three onto it, carefully, with the
lightest outermost, everything properly strapped, etc. A pin in the
pivot of the rack gave way, and had I not had the safety strap also
carefully attached, it would have dumped all three bikes onto an
Interstate, in a construction zone, at rush hour.
So I just have this to say, based on that near-disaster: whatever you
choose in a bike rack, for the love of all that is good, right,
beautiful, and holy, stay away from Byke Ryder brand racks! Or any
other cheapo brand, for that matter. Whatever type rack you get, trunk,
hitch, or roof, stick with the quality brands: Thule and Yakima. (Roof
racks are a lot more effort and expense, but also work better. Are they
an option for you?)


Bill

__o | You don't stop riding because you get old.
_`\(,_ | You get old because you stop riding.
(_)/ (_) |

wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
I'm shopping for a trunk-mount bicycle carrier for Daughter's car.

I never let a bike rack thread go by without warning people about the
one that let me down, literally. This rack was supposed to be able to
carry three bikes, so I loaded three onto it, carefully, with the
lightest outermost, everything properly strapped, etc. A pin in the
pivot of the rack gave way, and had I not had the safety strap also
carefully attached, it would have dumped all three bikes onto an
Interstate, in a construction zone, at rush hour.
So I just have this to say, based on that near-disaster: whatever you
choose in a bike rack, for the love of all that is good, right,
beautiful, and holy, stay away from Byke Ryder brand racks! Or any
other cheapo brand, for that matter. Whatever type rack you get, trunk,
hitch, or roof, stick with the quality brands: Thule and Yakima. (Roof
racks are a lot more effort and expense, but also work better. Are they
an option for you?)


Bill

__o | You don't stop riding because you get old.
_`\(,_ | You get old because you stop riding.
(_)/ (_) |



I think I'm stuck with a trunk/bumper carrier, or a 1-1/4" trailer
hitch plus carrier. The car will not pull a trailer (small engine and
manual transmission) but there are hitches (class II?) that will fit
it. Hitch-mounted carriers are bulky and take up a lot of room (I
have one already.)

My pastor is a bicycle enthusiast; he suggested that I go to one of
the bicycle shops in town and talk to a salesman who actually knows
something instead of going to Dick's Sporting Goods or Target and
talking to a 19-y.o. mininum wage stockboy who barely knows how to
wipe himself. (that's not quite how he put it ;-)

I may end up buying Daughter a trailer hitch and giving her my
hitch-mounted 3-bike carrier if that's what she wants -- after all, it
is her car.

I know that I don't want a cheap bicycle rack.

Bob

"SMS" wrote: (clip) If the car is hit from behind, even a light hit, with
the rack on, the bumper does nothing and the impact is transferred through
the rack to the hitch to the mounting points of the hitch on the body. It
will do significant damage to the vehicle. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This could happen even while you are backing into a parking space. If you
leave the ball hitch in place it could also transfer impact forces into the
sheet metal support points on the car body.

SMS wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:

snip

I think I'm stuck with a trunk/bumper carrier, or a 1-1/4" trailer hitch
plus carrier. The car will not pull a trailer (small engine and manual
transmission) but there are hitches (class II?) that will fit it.
Hitch-mounted carriers are bulky and take up a lot of room (I have one
already.)

Hmm, I have two of them and don't find them bulky. The arms fold down.
Even my larger 4 bike XPORT rack, where the bicycles sit on their
wheels, and there's a lot of steel, folds up narrow enough to slide into
the back seat of the car if I don't want to leave it attached.

I really like the lack of funky rubber bumpers and straps and
adjustments that are needed with trunk racks, and the hitch rack seems
much sturdier and less likely to damage the bikes. It's also much faster
to put on and take off, just one bolt through the hitch pin hole. I do
use a cable lock to lock it to the vehicle to prevent casual theft of
the rack.

I once went on a Scout camp, and allowed my bike to be transported on
a very large, homemade hitch rack. It had room for ten bikes (no
kidding!), and performed fine until we turned off the paved road onto
the bumpy dirt one, which is when it broke and dumped all ten bikes on
the ground. Fortunately, we were riding home on the bikes the next day.
This is not to say that your hitch rack will do this to you. This
one, as I said, was home-made and heavily loaded. Still, it's
instructive as a physics lesson. There are a lot of leverage forces at
work on a hitch rack, so it's all the more important to get quality.

My pastor is a bicycle enthusiast; he suggested that I go to one of the
bicycle shops in town and talk to a salesman who actually knows
something instead of going to Dick's Sporting Goods or Target and
talking to a 19-y.o. mininum wage stockboy who barely knows how to wipe
himself. (that's not quite how he put it ;-)

It's a good thought, but you'll find that bicycle salesman are unlikely
to know much about racks, and they'll try to sell you whatever they
happen to have in stock.

Other than me, has anyone on this thread got a particular *brand* to
recommend? (I've already mentioned Thule and Yakima.) Or one to avoid?


Bill

__o |
_`\(,_ | Subvert the fuel-based-transportation paradigm!
(_)/ (_) |

wrote: I once went on a Scout camp, and allowed my
bike to be transported on
a very large, homemade hitch rack. It had room for ten bikes (no
kidding!), and performed fine until we turned off the paved road onto
the bumpy dirt one, which is when it broke and dumped all ten bikes on
the ground. Fortunately, we were riding home on the bikes the next day.
This is not to say that your hitch rack will do this to you. This
one, as I said, was home-made and heavily loaded. Still, it's
instructive as a physics lesson. There are a lot of leverage forces at
work on a hitch rack, so it's all the more important to get quality. (_)/
(_) |
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Evidently the bikes were rideable for the return trip. Could have been a
lot worse. Not only were the bikes hung out where they had a lot of
leverage--it's possible that they were hitting on the ground as the car
bounced. You would have been better off using the trailer hitch as a
trailer hitch, and hauling the bikes on a trailer.