555-Shaggy

Just after some quick advice re carrying you bikes on the car. Do you use roof bars / cycle carriers or the rear mount mount ones for a classic saloon?

What do you recommend to carry a pair of mountain bikes? prefer a quite cheap solution because its not gonna be used that often.

aggs

After having used most systems I would reccommend fitting a tow bar with removable towing eye and then getting a tow bar mounting bike rack.

I have a classic with large Prodrive spoiler, and can can carry up to 3 bikes with a Thule Bike carrier.

When arrived at cycling at destination,the rack can fit into car boot and be locked away for security.

Advantages.
1/It is very quick to use and one man operation, and you can still open the boot with bikes on back of car.
2/Muddy mountain bikes do not drop crap on car.
3/Easily "high" cruising speeds straight line.
This weekend been to Scotland and easily drove at 80/90 mph on Scottish A roads with dips and crests and bends,so can still enjoy the car
4/The easier/quicker it is the more you use it.
5/Can use car parks with bars over top of barrier and mutii storey car parks
6/ Easy to chain up bikes together when parked.

Disadvantages
1/Not cheap
2/Cannot tear round tight corners rally style,need to drive smoothly.(The rack can swing a bit if too violent)

I found roof mounts very secure but a bit of a fiddle to do quickly,plus unless very specilised kit can only carry 2 bikes the good ones not that much cheaper than tow bar mount kits either.(not including tow bar cost)

Hope this helps.

Halfords do good range

PS Thule rack includes no. plate and lights a legal requirement.

speedking

Have a read here and here

trails

iTrader: (41)

i have a classic wagon with sti spoilers, i use the halfrauds rack that sits on the tow bar and is supported by two straps on each side of the top of the tail gate. deals with three bmx's no problem and thats with eibach springs fitted.

ian

B0DSKI

iTrader: (17)

Could'nt fit either my road bike or mountain bike in my STi so they go in the girlfriends Punto

Franx2

Can't fit 'em in? I used to get mine into a Justy I had a while ago That was a hatchback though Can easily get 2 or more bikes in the back of a scooby wagon though. I did that quite often - in fact, I'm just thinking about another one.....

B0DSKI

iTrader: (17)

Thats the problem M8 in my CTR i could get 2 bikes in easily, being a hatchback it was no problem, the STi having a boot and hinges which close down inside the boot space and rear seats which don't fold down there's no way fit them in. I don't mind thought cause it's the girlfriends petrol then

HOWY

Roll on the 2007 WRX hatchback

andythejock01wrx

Hey,

I'm a mountain biker and a Newage WRX owner. Use a boot rack from a decent bike shop. However, use 3 or 4 elastic "bungy" cords to secure bike downtube to vertical strut of rack - one time I was going doing 80mph on motorway and looked in the mirror to see that my bike was lifting to a near horizontal position on the rack !

Andy

seanks

Wagon.. rear seats down... two bikes plus gear no probs

555-Shaggy

Yeah, I can get the 2 bikes and gear and in the saloon no probs, just don't want all the noise from the exhaust for 2.5 hours.

So general concensus then is for a boot rack then. Do they clear STi 6 spoilers though? (forgot to mention that bit earlier).

andythejock01wrx

you'd need to take the car to the shop and ask if you can try out the rack there and then.

The bike rack frame is normally painted steel. I found it necessary to protect the spoiler by attaching foam to the relevant section of the frame - I used foam lagging from B&Q designed to lag water pipes !

Andy

GraemeN

Front and rear wheels off, seat down on bike and it fits in the boot with the seats still in the up position. Is quite fidly, but it fits and no-one knows it's ib there.

555-Shaggy

But carrying a pair of bikes, plus weekend luggage..

Also looks like we'll be away for a week too in September now so inside is not really an option.

AlanS

I have a JDM sti v7 bugeye saloon and I use it to transport my mtb every other weekend. I bought the official roof bars from Subaru for about £100 about 2 years ago. Although branded as Subaru they are actually made by Mount Blanc. If you look in the roof gutters of all scoob's there are four mounts to fit the hooks for roof bars. I can post photo's if anyone needs them.
I leave my hooks on all the time as they are securely screwed in place.