Bike Rack for SUV *and* sedan?

Can anyone recommend a bike rack that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, versatile enough for use
with a SUV as well as a sedan? TIA John

 

"Mr. Toad" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> Can anyone recommend a bike rack that can be moved from
vehicle to
> vehicle, versatile enough for use with a SUV as well as a
sedan?

Thule or Yakima.

There are plenty of other good racks, but these have the best support -- you can get parts and
accessories everywhere. They also have good resale value if you don't need them anymore. You may or
may not need different feet for each vehicle. The load bars have to be long enough to fit the wider
of the two vehicles.

If you happen to have trailer hitches on both vehicles, a trailer hitch rack is a no-brainer.

Matt O.

 

I have a smallish honda CRV and with the big side of the of the split rear seat side folded over I
put 2 mountain bikes mounted on fork mounts mounted on a strip of plywood that runs across the floor
in the back of the car. The only trick to this is to turn the handlebars about 150 degrees.

Joseph

 

I've been happy with a Thule that I swap between an SUV (Jeep Grand Cherokee) and a "sedan" (Volvo).
But, I'm sure Yakima and even some of the "private label" racks (Performance Bikes) are decent. "Mr.
Toad" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone recommend a bike rack that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, versatile enough for
> use with a SUV as well as a sedan? TIA John

 

"Mr. Toad" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone recommend a bike rack that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, versatile enough for
> use with a SUV as well as a sedan? TIA John

Check www.thuleracks.com and use their wizard thing to determine which parts are needed to put a
rack on each of your vehicles. If you're lucky, you'll find that the "foot packs", or whatever they
call the clips that hold onto the top of the car, are the same. If not, you'll need different sets
for each vehicle. But, the crossbars and bike holders can remain the same.

This doesn't mean that you're going to swap the rack back and forth 14 times a week. The bars fit
into the holes on the brackets very tightly, and are held in place by set screws (if I recall
correctly). You'll need 1/2 hour to an hour to make the swap.

Yakima probably has a similar arrangement. Both companies offer bike carriers that fit into hitch
receivers. Not a bad idea, but I don't know if they swing out of the way so you can open the
tailgate of the SUV. On the other hand, getting bikes off the roof of the SUV could be interesting,
depending on your mood, fatigue level, and height of vehicle.

 

"Doug Kanter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Check www.thuleracks.com and use their wizard thing to
determine which parts
> are needed to put a rack on each of your vehicles. If
you're lucky, you'll
> find that the "foot packs", or whatever they call the
clips that hold onto
> the top of the car, are the same. If not, you'll need
different sets for
> each vehicle. But, the crossbars and bike holders can
remain the same.
>
> This doesn't mean that you're going to swap the rack back
and forth 14 times
> a week. The bars fit into the holes on the brackets very
tightly, and are
> held in place by set screws (if I recall correctly).
You'll need 1/2 hour to
> an hour to make the swap.

Huh? Even if you have to swap bars, feet, and accessories, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
I've used Thule racks for over 15 years, sometimes taking them on and off every day. It usually
takes about a minute. The newer feet don't have the set screw anymore. They just slip on the bar and
clamp down as they settle into a final angle. The only fiddliness is getting the bar perfectly
centered, and even that's only for the most anal-retentive drivers.

> Yakima probably has a similar arrangement. Both companies
offer bike
> carriers that fit into hitch receivers. Not a bad idea,
but I don't know if
> they swing out of the way so you can open the tailgate of
the SUV.

Nope, or at least I've never seen one that does. However, these racks pull out in about 1 second,
once you get the bikes off. Also, they don't block the rear window if it opens, or the trunk of a
car -- so you still have access.

> On the other hand, getting bikes off the roof of the SUV could be
interesting,
> depending on your mood, fatigue level, and height of
vehicle.

That's one reason I prefer a car to a truck. I've watched people struggle with this at the
trailhead. It's especially bad after a ride when they're tired and shaky. I've seen more than one
bike get dropped on the roof of an SUV, ruining the paint.

Matt O.

 

> > Yakima probably has a similar arrangement. Both companies
> offer bike
> > carriers that fit into hitch receivers. Not a bad idea,
> but I don't know if
> > they swing out of the way so you can open the tailgate of
> the SUV.
>
> Nope, or at least I've never seen one that does. However, these racks pull out in about 1 second,
> once you get the bikes off. Also, they don't block the rear window if it opens, or the trunk of a
> car -- so you still have access.
I have a Yakima reciever hitch rack and it is hinged. All you have to do is remove a cotter pin from
the larger pin running through the rack bracket and it folds down. Mine folds down far enough to be
out of the way of a station wagon door-I think an SUV would have even more clearance.

> > On the other hand, getting bikes off the roof of the SUV could be
> interesting,
> > depending on your mood, fatigue level, and height of
> vehicle.
>
> That's one reason I prefer a car to a truck. I've watched people struggle with this at the
> trailhead. It's especially bad after a ride when they're tired and shaky. I've seen more than one
> bike get dropped on the roof of an SUV, ruining the paint.
Also why I like the receiver hitch rack, I can put a tandem on it by myself, even when tired. The
roof of my car would be a bit of a stretch. Paul <Matt O.

 

Mr. Toad wrote:

> Can anyone recommend a bike rack that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle, versatile enough for
> use with a SUV as well as a sedan?

Oh. You want a rack that will work on both an SUV and sedan. I thought you wanted a rack for your
SUV that would hold a bike *and* a sedan.

--
Jerry Gardner [email protected]

 

>. Not a bad idea,
> > but I don't know if
> > > they swing out of the way so you can open the tailgate of
> > the SUV.
> >

The Yakima Terragate and the Thule Trailblazer will both swing away. The Yakima model listed carries
two bikes, while th Thule carries 4. Yakima also has a 4-bike model . Look at their wevbsites or at
a reseller's such as www.rackwarehouse.com

Mark

 

"Matt O'Toole" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Doug Kanter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
> >
> > This doesn't mean that you're going to swap the rack back
> and forth 14 times
> > a week. The bars fit into the holes on the brackets very
> tightly, and are
> > held in place by set screws (if I recall correctly).
> You'll need 1/2 hour to
> > an hour to make the swap.
>
> Huh? Even if you have to swap bars, feet, and accessories, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.
> I've used Thule racks for over 15 years, sometimes taking them on and off every day. It usually
> takes about a minute. The newer feet don't have the set screw anymore. They just slip on the bar
> and clamp down as they settle into a final angle. The only fiddliness is getting the bar perfectly
> centered, and even that's only for the most anal-retentive drivers.

OK....my bar/footpack combo is old. Even with the set screws removed completely, the bars fit
EXTREMELY tight in the rectangular opening of the bracket, and this is when they're clean.