Which cars can fit two bicycles?

"Todd Strong" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks

to

Quoted message said:

warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to

be

Quoted message said:

able to take our bikes with us when we travel. She also doesn't really

like

Quoted message said:

riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking

of

Quoted message said:

the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from the front forks, with some

sort

Quoted message said:

of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

We recently bought a 2002 Mazda MPV, which is a marvelous vehicle. Seating for 7 with all the seats
deployed. Or you can fold the third seat into the floor, remove one of the middle-row seats, and
carry two or three bikes, upright with wheels on, while still keeping a seat for a third passenger
and plenty of room for luggage.

With its 200hp 6, 5-speed automatic, and carlike handling it's a blast to drive. Smaller footprint
than most minivans (or SUV's); on our recent vacation ours consistently turned in 26mpg in 70mph
Interstate driving. Quiet, comfortable, extremely high build quality.

RichC

(Todd Strong) said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks to warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to be able to take our bikes
with us when we travel. She also doesn't really like riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd like
them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking of the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from
the front forks, with some sort of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus
regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station wagons
(e.g. Subaru Outback).

thanks, Todd

My Honda Odyssey is a lot like Rich's MPV: the rear seat folds into the floor, leaving room for up
to three bikes without taking the wheels off.

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"Todd Strong" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks

to

Quoted message said:

warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to

be

Quoted message said:

able to take our bikes with us when we travel. She also doesn't really

like

Quoted message said:

riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking

of

Quoted message said:

the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from the front forks, with some

sort

Quoted message said:

of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

thanks, Todd

A minivan or a pickup with a cap. I had a 96 Jeep GC, and the only way I could fit two bikes
standing up was remove the front wheel, slide the seats down, and fold the back seat down (limiting
it to two people). Most minivans a FAR better at cargo and people space than SUV's, especially the
small SUV's. Fitting two bikes with the back seat up was hard no matter what you took apart.

The 4WD aspect of the SUV's creates a high floor, restricting cargo space.

Pete

"Todd Strong" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks

to

Quoted message said:

warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to

be

Quoted message said:

able to take our bikes with us when we travel. She also doesn't really

like

Quoted message said:

riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking

of

Quoted message said:

the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from the front forks, with some

sort

Quoted message said:

of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

Most aren't tall enough to stand a bike up in. But what's wrong with laying the bike down? Just fold
the rear seat down, and lay one bike on top of another. You can use a blanket or towel to keep
things from rubbing or scratching, if you find that's necessary. Most small station wagons will take
two or three with no problem, as will most hatchbacks with a rear seat that folds.

You might be able to stand a couple of bikes in the back of a small-medium sized SUV, with the front
wheels removed. SUVs have a tall, shallow cargo area, while cars have a flat, deep one.

I drove a small BMW for many years, with my bike in the trunk, and another either in the back seat
or on a roof rack. No problem either way, with still plenty of room for two people's worth of cargo.

Matt O.

Todd Strong said:

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to be able to take our bikes
with us when we travel. She also doesn't really like riding in my old pick-up.

Quoted message said:

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking of the front wheels, and supporting the bikes
from the front forks, with some sort of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels
(plus regular travel luggage).

I don't care to drive a van or some other vehicle that has drayage symptoms so I have been using a
station wagon as my family car and bicycle transport. Three different ones did the job adequately,
transporting up to four riders, their bicycles and incidental baggage on bicycle tours that did not
start at home. A Chevy-II, a Volvo 245, and currently a Volvo 740 wagon does the job. No rack and
the bicycles are inside rather than outside getting a 70mph high pessure "cleaning" in the rain.
Hey, how'd my bearings get all rusty?

Forget about the upright and assembled bicycles. That's why we have QR wheels. On the other hand, if
you like to drive truck, that probably rules passenger cars out.

Jobst Brandt [email hidden] Palo Alto CA

[email hidden] (Todd Strong) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station wagons
(e.g. Subaru Outback).

We have a Subaru Legacy (not Outback). There's a Yakima rack on top for the tandem. We usually don't
have the tandem extension on it, so it usually just takes a single.

We also hang bikes off the back on a standard, easy-to-remove rack.

If you fold down the seats you can stack bikes on top of each other without removing the wheel
(better if you do) if you want to haul them inside. There is not enough room to store them upright.

With the racks, we have successfully hauled the tandem, two singles, and a trail-a-bike, while
transporting 3 adults and two kids in relative comfort, with the trunk still available for gear,
lunches, etc.

Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky ([email hidden]) Home of the meditative cyclist at:
home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗

Todd Strong said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks to warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to be able to take our bikes
with us when we travel. She also doesn't really like riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking of the front wheels, and supporting the bikes
from the front forks, with some sort of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels
(plus regular travel luggage).

Others have mentioned station wagons, but let me add to that. I usually carry my bikes inside in my
wagon (Subaru Forester -- taller than some inside). I have fork mounts attached to boards, which
just sit on top of either folded-down 1/2 rear seat. At my height, I have to pull the seat & post
out of the frame, but with a QR lever it's not so bad. I don't like carrying bikes flat, since with
all the other stuff, wheels, maybe another bike, etc., things can get scratched up that way. This is
cleaner, except for the seatpost bit. If your frame is short, you might be able to leave the saddle
on. The bike stays out of the way, and doesn't get banged up.

Some cute-utes are taller inside, such as the new Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4, but they are shorter.
The RAV4 in particular is so short in cargo room that it seems you can't put a bike in facing front.
Besides, it's full-time 4WD, not AWD or equivalent, which will wear out tires and burn gas. You can
put a bike in, with part of the rear seat folded, with both wheels and the seat still on, but it has
to be angled sideways so putting two in is a pain. The Honda is also short, since the rear seats
curl up in a ball and don't leave that much cargo room. It does have more height than last year, and
probably will hold a bike with all wheels on, but again, probably only angled.

Surprizingly, getting a real-man's SUV won't help this, plus your mileage will tank. Most SUV's
do not have enough height to carry a bike upright with the seat in. Maybe the Ford Valdez does,
but sheesh.

A mini-van does a much better job of carrying bikes, to tell the truth. My wife has one of those,
and with one of the middle seats removed I can just roll in 2-3 bikes, no problem, standing upright,
bungeed to the handhold.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you _`\(,_ | killed all of us?
From every corner of Europe, hundreds, (_)/ (_) | thousands would rise up to take our places.
Even Nazis can't kill that fast. -- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] (Todd

Strong) said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks to warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to be able to take our bikes
with us when we travel. She also doesn't really like riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking of the front wheels, and supporting the bikes
from the front forks, with some sort of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels
(plus regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station wagons
(e.g. Subaru Outback).

thanks, Todd

I have a 1983 Tercel 2-door hatchback. This is about as small as cars get before you head into
Suzuki Swift and microcar territory.

If I fold down the rear seat and pop the front wheels off, I can get two people and two bikes (laid
flat, stacked) into the car. Cardboard seems to work well as a divider). This might be a bit
cosmetically abusive for pretty-boy road bikes, but is not a problem for mountain bikes and my
commuter rig.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] sfu.ca~rcousineOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

A Standard Jeep Cherokee will hold two bikes upright in the back if you put the rear seat down. The
only trick is that to make the bikes fit, you will either want to take the rear seat out entirely,
or you will want to put the bikes in front-first, which is a bit awkward. There will be room for
luggage as well.

A Ford Explorer or Explorer Sport will hold three bikes and three people with the split-folding rear
seat. In these, you can put the bikes in rear-wheel first, which is more convenient than the Jeep.
On the other hand, you have to take the seats off the bikes, which is less convenient than the Jeep.
With three bikes and three people, there's not much room for luggage. Two bikes and two people leave
plenty of room for luggage. The full-size Explorer has significantly more room in back than the
Explorer Sport.

A Toyota RAV-4 will also hold two people and two bikes with some room for luggage if you take the
rear seat out entirely. You don't have to take the bike seats off.

I own the Cherokee, my Dad and brother own the Explorers, and a friend owns the RAV-4. Of these, I
think the most convenient one for bike hauling is the RAV-4. These vehicles have other advantages
and disadvantages, so this one point would not make the decision for me. If I were you, I would load
clean a bike up real good, put it in my car and go visit the dealers of the cars and trucks I was
interested in, and ask for permission to try putting the bike in the cars to see how they fit.
That's how my buddy chose the RAV-4, and I'll follow that plan the next time I go car-shopping.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dave

13 Jan 2003 18:29:59 -0800,

Quoted post said:

With the racks, we have successfully hauled the tandem, two singles, and a trail-a-bike, while
transporting 3 adults and two kids in relative comfort, with the trunk still available for gear,
lunches, etc.

That's cruel and unusual punishment. What would happen if you suddenly had to traverse a receding
glacier and cross a mudslide to save an otter! Clearly you need an SUV!
--
zk

"David L. Johnson >" <David L. Johnson <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A mini-van does a much better job of carrying bikes, to tell the truth. My wife has one of those,
and with one of the middle seats removed I can just roll in 2-3 bikes, no problem, standing
upright, bungeed to the handhold.

The decline of the minivan's popularity, given that it's probably the most all-around practical
vehicle design of them all, is a bone-chilling demonstration of the power of marketing, IMO.

The last leg of our recent vacation took us through several hundred miles of winter weather in
western Virginia, West Virginia, and PA (we were coming from Charlotte NC to Philadelphia). The
number of 4WD vehicles involved in accidents and littering the side of the road was ample
demonstration that there are few situations in modern real-world US driving where SUV's offer a real
advantage -- and the number of them we saw being driven dangerously was ample demonstration that a
stupid driver in a big, heavy vehicle is simply a more dangerous stupid driver.

For the things most families need to accomplish with their vehicles, SUV's are just uneconomical,
noisy, and relatively unsafe station wagons. Most of the larger ones seem to be fairly unreliable as
well. Our MPV, by contrast, carries more people and cargo, can tow a 5000 pound trailer, gets much
better gas mileage, includes airbags and traction control, was delivered in (and remains in) perfect
working order, and at $21k fully equipped was cheaper than most SUV's.

RichC

Pete said:

Quoted message said:

transporting bikes in various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

A minivan or a pickup with a cap.

Carried 9 bikes out to Iowa with me last summer for RAGBRAI in pickup with cap. Six inside (along
with all the camping gear and clothes) and three on a bike rack outside.

No exactly a small SUV or station wagon.

Station wagons are a vanishing breed. Toyota (still???), VW, Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, and Ford (Taurus)
come to mind (along with the Subaru).

Minivans would probably be the best balance of room and economy.

SMH

"Ken Steinhoff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Todd Strong) said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof racks

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

able to take our bikes with us when we travel. She also doesn't really

like

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from the front forks, with

some sort

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus regular travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

thanks, Todd

My Honda Odyssey is a lot like Rich's MPV: the rear seat folds into the floor, leaving room for up
to three bikes without taking the wheels off.

I second this vote. We also get 3 unassembled full size road bikes and a 4th with the front wheel
off in the Odyssey van . This leaves us 4 passenger seats for the adults. There is still room for
gear. The space is incredible and the time to load and unload and start riding is minimal.

jb

Zoot Katz <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

13 Jan 2003 18:29:59 -0800,

Quoted post said:

With the racks, we have successfully hauled the tandem, two singles, and a trail-a-bike, while
transporting 3 adults and two kids in relative comfort, with the trunk still available for gear,
lunches, etc.

That's cruel and unusual punishment. What would happen if you suddenly had to traverse a receding
glacier and cross a mudslide to save an otter! Clearly you need an SUV!

But the Legacy has AWD, so, according to their advertising, I should be able to traverse the
receding glacier (if not cross the mudslide) to save the otter.

What's the best part of the Legacy is that it has a stick shift. That way, when I'm transporting the
kids to their piano lessons in the family station wagon, I can feel like Maria Andretti, heh heh.

Warm regards,

Claire Petersky ([email hidden]) Home of the meditative cyclist at:
home.earthlink.netWelcome.htmOpen ↗

My Nissan Xterra holds two bikes inside with the Nissan expensive rack. with a build your your own,
angled(and cheap) rack it would hold three easily with room for gear.

--
mark Outside a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog it is too dark to read - Groucho
Marx xes out for mail "Rich Clark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Todd Strong" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This seems like enough of a shift from the recent thread about roof

racks

Quoted message said:

to

Quoted message said:

warrant a new thread.

My sweetie pie is planning on buy a new vehicle. She and I would like to

be

Quoted message said:

able to take our bikes with us when we travel. She also doesn't really

like

Quoted message said:

riding in my old pick-up.

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two

bicycles

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

inside? Ideally, I'd like them both to stand upright. I anticipate

taking

Quoted message said:

of

Quoted message said:

the front wheels, and supporting the bikes from the front forks, with

some

Quoted message said:

sort

Quoted message said:

of hardware. This means also having room for the two wheels (plus

regular

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

travel luggage).

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

transporting bikes in various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station

wagons

Quoted message said:

(e.g. Subaru Outback).

We recently bought a 2002 Mazda MPV, which is a marvelous vehicle. Seating for 7 with all the
seats deployed. Or you can fold the third seat into the floor, remove one of the middle-row seats,
and carry two or three bikes, upright with wheels on, while still keeping a seat for a third
passenger

and

Quoted message said:

plenty of room for luggage.

With its 200hp 6, 5-speed automatic, and carlike handling it's a blast to drive. Smaller footprint
than most minivans (or SUV's); on our recent vacation ours consistently turned in 26mpg in 70mph
Interstate driving. Quiet, comfortable, extremely high build quality.

RichC

Claire Petersky said:

[email hidden] (Todd Strong) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Would like to hear people's personal experiences in loading/unloading and transporting bikes in
various small SUVs (e.g. Toyota RAV4) or station wagons
(e.g. Subaru Outback).

We have a Subaru Legacy (not Outback).

The Outback and Legacy wagon are identical space-wise, inside and out.

I have an '01 Outback, and my inlaws have an '02 Legacy wagon.

Barry

Zoot Katz <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

13 Jan 2003 18:29:59 -0800,

Quoted post said:

With the racks, we have successfully hauled the tandem, two singles, and a trail-a-bike, while
transporting 3 adults and two kids in relative comfort, with the trunk still available for gear,
lunches, etc.

That's cruel and unusual punishment. What would happen if you suddenly had to traverse a receding
glacier and cross a mudslide to save an otter! Clearly you need an SUV!

It is a seal Zoot, a seal.

Tue, 14 Jan 2003 21:40:35 GMT, <[email hidden]>, Mike Latondresse

Quoted message said:

Zoot Katz <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

13 Jan 2003 18:29:59 -0800,

Quoted post said:

With the racks, we have successfully hauled the tandem, two singles, and a trail-a-bike, while
transporting 3 adults and two kids in relative comfort, with the trunk still available for gear,
lunches, etc.

That's cruel and unusual punishment. What would happen if you suddenly had to traverse a receding
glacier and cross a mudslide to save an otter! Clearly you need an SUV!

It is a seal Zoot, a seal.

In the text version it's an otter, but I did happen to catch that seal one while visiting a friend
with a TV.

I should have known Claire was prepared to meet the task. But, she couldn't have also stopped off on
the way home to pick up those materials for the deck project and two new ponies for the kids!

The latest GMC WWII one gagged me Sunday. I guess that now anything less than a Unimog is
for poseurs.

My former spouse's Suzuki Swift carried a standard 6-8 x 2-6 hollow-core door completely inside with
a passenger and the hatchback closed. Two bikes, two adults and their gear would have fit (after
delivering the door) by using the same method as Ryan's Tercel.
--
zk

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Any recommendations on which vehicles can fairly easily hold two bicycles inside? Ideally, I'd
like them both to stand upright. I anticipate taking of

In article said:

I have a 1983 Tercel 2-door hatchback. This is about as small as cars get before you head into
Suzuki Swift and microcar territory.

If I fold down the rear seat and pop the front wheels off, I can get two people and two bikes (laid
flat, stacked) into the car. Cardboard seems

The people and the bikes laid flat and stacked?

Quoted message said:

to work well as a divider). This might be a bit cosmetically abusive for pretty-boy road bikes, but
is not a problem for mountain bikes and my commuter rig.

I have a Corolla, no fold-down seat, no hatchback. I remove the wheels, and put one bike in the back
seat, and the other in the trunk. People sit in the front seats. Enough room for luggage as well. It
only takes 30 seconds to re-assemble the bikes.

I think that all this discussion shows that just about any car can cary 2 bicycles, so do your
car-choosing on other parameters.

-Pete
--
--
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Did you know that 90% of North Americans cannot taste the difference between
fried dog and fried cat?