Bikes inside SUV

[Flashsteve]

I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport two
bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone carried two bikes upright
inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you used? Are
there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the front wheel. Also, I do
not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.

Thanks, in advance,

Steve Scarich

 

[H. M. Leary]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (FlashSteve) wrote:

> I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport
> two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone carried two bikes
> upright inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you
> used? Are there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the front
> wheel. Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.
>
> Thanks, in advance,
>
> Steve Scarich

Look at some of the racks for pick up trucks. I have seen some compression floor mounts that will
fit between the sidewalls and will fork mount bikes.

You can also make your own which you may have to do since you posted ³mid-size².

Good luck

--
³Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness³

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution

 

[Buck]

"FlashSteve" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the
best
> way to transport two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep
them
> inside. Has anyone carried two bikes upright inside their SUV and what
types
> of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you used? Are there commercially-avaiIable
> mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the
front
> wheel. Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if
possible.

Buy two Bike Tight fork clamps (www.biketight.com) and mount them to a 2x6 cut to fit inside your
SUV. To keep it from sliding around, glue a bit of rubberized shelf liner (get a roll at Wal-Mart)
to the bottom.

-Buck

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 15:57:39 +0000, FlashSteve wrote:

> I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport
> two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone carried two bikes
> upright inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you
> used? Are there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the front
> wheel. Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.

I use a fork clamp (meant for trucks, I guess) attached to a piece of plywood, which is covered in
fabric so it won't look like plywood. I just put that on top of the folded-over back seat. Depending
on your car and the size of your bike, you may have to talke the seat off. Most SUV's don't have a
lot of cargo height, considering their size.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Deserves death! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve _`\(,_ | death. And some that die
deserve life. Can you give it to (_)/ (_) | them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in
judgement. -- J. R. R. Tolkien

 

[Joe]

On 15 Sep 2003 15:57:39 GMT, [email protected] (FlashSteve) wrote:

>I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport
>two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone carried two bikes
>upright inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you
>used? Are there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the front wheel.
>Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.
>
>Thanks, in advance,
>
>Steve Scarich

I have a mid size SUV (Durango) and before that I had a GMC Blazer. I made a rack that fits inside
and holds 2 bikes and I used it in both vehicles and am still using it. I did it as follows: Got a
1" X 7" piece of wood. Cut it's length to fit the width of vehicle. Purchased two "Xport" bike
mounts (just a quick release block that locks the fork). I believe I got them on-line from
Performance. I then routed a 5/8 wide groove down the center of the board and overlapped the groove
with flat metal bars on each side. I slide square headed screws into the groove (2 for each mount)
then place the Xport onto the screws and tighten them down with wing nuts. I used a groove so I can
slide the mounts from side to side in order to accommodate different size bikes and/or luggage.

I attached 4 nylon straps to the board (2 towards the front, 2 towards the rear) which I use to
secure it to the hold down loops which are in the vehicle (both vehicles had them).

This design can also be simplified: Instead of using a router to cut a center groove and using
the metal bars. You could simply drill extra holes in the board using the Xport as a template for
the spacing of the holes. Then you would be able to change the spacing of the mounts as needed.
The disadvantage is you will probably have to lift the board up in order to move the screws. If
you use this method make sure you counter sink the screw heads into the board so it lies flat in
the vehicle.

The advantages of this rack is that I can easily take it out of the vehicle by simply un-cliping the
straps. I have no holes drilled in my SUV. I can move it from one vehicle to another.

I originally mounted wheel holders as well, but found that they take more room and effort then there
worth. I now place the wheel between the side of the vehicle and the bike and secure it with an
elastic chord.

I have used this system for about 5 years and have taken numerous trips with bikes loaded and I am
very pleased with it. It's great to have the bikes inside out of weather conditions and when staying
overnight in a motel the bikes are a lot safer inside the vehicle.

 

[Matt O'Toole]

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

> I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the
best
> way to transport two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone
> carried two bikes upright inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork
> clamps, etc. have you used? Are there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will
> remove the front wheel. Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.

Just throw 'em in there, with a couple of old beach towels to keep them from getting scratched up.

I have roof racks for the car, but I hardly ever use 'em...

Matt O.

 

[John Everett]

On 15 Sep 2003 15:57:39 GMT, [email protected] (FlashSteve) wrote:

>I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport
>two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep them inside. Has anyone carried two bikes
>upright inside their SUV and what types of attachments, wheel holders, fork clamps, etc. have you
>used? Are there commercially-avaiIable mounts manufactured? I expect I will remove the front wheel.
>Also, I do not want to do major drilling on the vehicle, if possible.

I secure two bikes (sometimes even one road and one MTB) inside my Mercedes ML 320 on a Bike-Tight
Glider Board. I bought mine from Colorado Cyclist, but I haven't seen them in the catalog for a
couple of years now. Perhaps they're no longer made. A google search didn't locate a source (except
for someone selling a used one).

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

 

[Flashsteve]

Thanks for all the helpful replies to my query. Most of your advice was to use a board with attached
fork clamps. The ability to slide the clamps side-to-side was an added suggestion. Fortuitously, I
checked on the Performance web-site and they have a Rhode Gear truck shuttle with four fork mounts
on sale for $59.99 and it appears to meet all the criteria, without requiring me to actually build
anything (I don't have all the tools required, anyway). So, I ordered one. We'll see how it works.

Again, thanks for the help folks.

Steve

 

[Rick Onanian]

On 15 Sep 2003 15:57:39 GMT, FlashSteve <[email protected]> wrote:
> I just bought an older, used, mid-size SUV and am trying to figure out the best way to transport
> two bicycles (one road, one MTB). I would rather keep

The easiest and cheapest way is like this:

MTB: Lay it down on it's side.

Road bike: Don't lay it down if you're worried about the bar tape. Instead, find a hook near the
ceiling of the vehicle, and use a bungee cord hooked to the hook and the bike's stem, or both ends
on the hook and looped down to the stem.

In fact, the road bike might fit sideways. In my pickup, road bikes fit nicely sideways, standing
up, and I hook a strap to the stem and to my Trac Rack.

> Thanks, in advance,
>
> Steve Scarich
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Chris Neary]

>I secure two bikes (sometimes even one road and one MTB) inside my Mercedes ML 320 on a Bike-Tight
>Glider Board. I bought mine from Colorado Cyclist, but I haven't seen them in the catalog for a
>couple of years now. Perhaps they're no longer made. A google search didn't locate a source (except
>for someone selling a used one).

Bike-Tight is DOA, but a number of equally good alternatives exist (and are a big reason why
Bike-Tight is DOA...)

Chris Neary [email protected]

"Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could you ask of life? Bicycling combined all the
elements I loved" - Adapted from a quotation by Charles Lindbergh

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:37:20 GMT, Buck" u n k m a i l g a l a x y c o r p . c o m <@> wrote:
> cut to fit inside your SUV. To keep it from sliding around, glue a bit of rubberized shelf liner
> (get a roll at Wal-Mart) to the bottom.

Or the scratchy side of adhesive-backed velcro, if the SUV is carpeted.

> -Buck
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Buck]

"Chris Neary" <[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >I secure two bikes (sometimes even one road and one MTB) inside my Mercedes ML 320 on a
> >Bike-Tight Glider Board. I bought mine from Colorado Cyclist, but I haven't seen them in the
> >catalog for a couple of years now. Perhaps they're no longer made. A google search didn't locate
> >a source (except for someone selling a used one).
>
> Bike-Tight is DOA, but a number of equally good alternatives exist (and
are
> a big reason why Bike-Tight is DOA...)

Huh. Could have fooled me. www.biketight.com

They no longer make the slider-board, but the original bike-tight is still available.

-Buck

 

[jitteringjr]

Originally posted by Matt O'Toole


Just throw 'em in there, with a couple of old beach towels to keep them from getting scratched up.

Thats what I'm talking about. The rest of you guys must have a lot of time of your hands

I transport my MTB and road bike in my Cherokee all the time with nothing more than towels and I have never had a sratch.

 

[mary]

Originally posted by jitteringjr
Thats what I'm talking about. The rest of you guys must have a lot of time of your hands

I transport my MTB and road bike in my Cherokee all the time with nothing more than towels and I have never had a sratch.

i have a 98 nissan pathfinder - we just lay the bikes down. instead of towels, i separate the bikes with a moving blanket - it's quilted!