seeking opinions on bike carrying gear

[mcewan13]

Hey all,
I'm planning on slowly outfitting the hundy for extended MTB camping trips and family car camping trips.

...last night, the princess kicked this into a higher gear when she announced a memorial day mtb/rafting trip. She wants to take 5 adults (w/ 5 bikes) and camping gear in our vehicle, so now I'm cruising the forums, classifieds, craigshelper, etc. for roof-mounted cargo boxes, roof-mounted bike racks and rear mounted hitch bike racks.

I realize that there are shortcomings with the stock roof rack - specifically weight limitations - but budget doesn't allow purchasing a new AO rack at the moment.

So, for those of you who already own bike racks (rear & top mounted styles) and rocket boxes, what do you like, dislike etc.

For ease of reply / tracking / conversion into a future sticky, please reply to the following:


1. rooftop cargo carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc:
b. I dislike the following bc:

2. rooftop bike carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc:
b. I dislike the following bc:

3. hitch mounted bike carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc:
b. I dislike the following bc:

4. add'l comments:



.matthew

 

[1loudLX]

I'm getting a Thule T2 when the summer comes around.
You could also look at the Yakima HoldUp. Both only hold 5 though. so you may want to look at Thule Roadway(Model # 915) it holds 5 and is cheap.

both are 2" hitch racks, I dont like roof ones, unless youre wheeling somewhere that also doesnt have anything low clearance.

 

[pman]

I have a Yakima......a Yakima something, it hold 4 bikes on the hitch. It keeps my bike on the car and it they don't flop around to much.

What kind of bikes are you taking on the trip? Do all of them have normal top tubes? I'm asking cause its very important when making your decision on a hitch mount rack.

From what I've heard, Thule makes better racks, but my Yakima has held fine over the past 5 years of so.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you will be going off road with rack on there, the rear approach/departure angle gets shot in the face when you put a rack on the back.

Sheesh....I wrote a book, my bad.

 

[CrusrDug]

Hitch mount Thule swing away is what I use. I like it because I own it . Plus you can swing away so you can get in the back without the hatch getting stuck on the bikes.

 

[1loudLX]

I sold my normal bike rack that holds the bikes by the top tube since I have a full suspension bike. I'm going to get the T2 soon so I can hold it without any adapters.

 

[yoter100]

Get a 4x4 labs rear bumper! Im pretty sure they have a bike rack adapter on one of the swing arms.... Not sure for how many bikes though? Im sure they could adapt to your preference.


On the rack part, Ive got a Yakima something as well. HOlds 4 bikes just fine. Flopps around a little. But does the job. Have a Kona Dawg full susp and holds the bike fine. Dont konw if your bikes will have FS or not?

But they the rack that loud is talking about is VERY nice and stout. On the pricey side though. Depends what you want to spend. I think they make those up to a 4 bike carrier.

 

[1loudLX]

The 4-biker of the ones I'm talking about sticks out like a mile behind the truck Not good for overland

 

[e9999]

we have a 4 bike rack for the 2". Thule I think. Supposedly it's folding down so we can open the rear gate. In reality, with 4 bikes on, it's really a pain to fold open and back. So you pretty much can't get fully into the rear. At least the top door opens up. The bike tires are pretty high up, I don't think they would drag on reasonable terrain.

 

[CrusrDug]

Yeah, the tube adapters kind of suck, but they work.

If the T2 sticks out far enough- I would go that route next time! I would rather mount the bikes by their wheels instead of bouncing around on the top tube.

 

[mtnracer]

For long camping / MTB trips I prefer a roof mounted solution so access to the rear of the truck is not blocked. For that I use my Yakima Mega Warrior with extension and Yakima Boa fork bike mounts. The Boas don't use long trays so they don't block access to the basket too much. With this setup you should be able to carry at least 4 bikes (not sure about 5) on the roof and carry some drybags and firewood in the basket.

For day to day mountain biking I use a Yakima Hookup 2 Bike hitch carrier and leave the basket at home.

Have fun.

 

[sacmaster]

I have run Yakima roof mounted crossbars and rear-wheel/fork mounts on 4 different vehicles (Volvo, Rodeo, Silverado, Landcruiser) and have never had any problems- most of my Yakima stuff is at least 10 years old. While they are a bit more difficult to load, its not a huge deal if you are in any kind of shape at all. I don't like having things hanging off my bumper for various reasons, and I like easy access to the rear hatch. FWIW I've always heard good things about Thule as well, but be aware they use square, as opposed to round crossbars. I also carry kayaks, and I don't think the square Thule bars would work well with them.

 

[dealmaker]

I just stole a Yakima Full Swing bike rack from BackcountryOutlet.com: Your Source for Skiing, Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking Gear from K2, Salomon, The North Face for $250 inc. shipping. It's last years model of the 2" hitch-mounted 4-bike carrier that swings out. I think there's even a five-bike version, but not sure. In any event, I would check out that site right now, as that is alomst 1/2 off of the new similar-style Yakima rack.

 

[mcewan13]

...seems like everything' a compromise of sorts.

I'll use the rear hitch rack most and like the idea of the tray style bc you don't have to remove the front wheel. I also tend to ride w/ people who have various double-boinger frame styles, so the tray would eliminate the fitment puzzle that occurs w/ the two-arm style. ...but with the low clearance and departure angle, I can see myself ripping the tray apart as I go ripping up the gravel logging rodes to get to the top of a shuttle ride. It would really suck to get to the top of Oakridge's Alpine trail and realize that the bikes fell off miles back. At least w/ the bikes dangling off of the arm mount style, they sit higher and will sway back and drag a bit if I climb anything that dumps the rear end.

dealmaker - thanks for the tip on the FullSwing 4. I checked prices around the web on QBike.com - road bike - mountain bikes - bike parts - bicycles - best bike prices -why isn't there a land cruiser version of qbike?? ...or is there?? - and can't beat it. I'll research reliability tonight on Mountain bike product reviews forums classifieds trails and pull the trigger as long as there's nothing glaring.

 

[Topoguide]

I have a fold down 4 bike rack (could be ordered in 5), and as was stated earlier it's kind of a pain to get access to the back when loaded with bikes. For that reason I think the Yakima Swing Daddy would work well, but I have only found 4 bike units.

Some said the hitch mount racks wobble. I have found that the locking pin allows mine to wobble, but the non-locking bolt style pin holds it just fine when tightened properly. Just use a cable lock to secure the rack (and bikes) to your Cruiser.

Good luck

 

[Topmounter]

I finally got tired of putting bikes on top of my cruisers and started carrying them inside whenever possible, much less aero drag, less chance of damage and less chance of theft. I have a board with a pick-up truck fork mounts attached to it and it is secured to the tie-down points by my tailgate. I still keep 2 Rocky Mounts on my Yakima bars up top if I need more capacity. I can transport 3 people inside, 1 bike inside and 2 bikes on top (In a pinch I can get 2 bikes in the back with one back seat down, but it can be a little hard on the upholstery).

At some point I'm going to pick up a Thule T2. I've always been a Yakima fan, but I have a friend with one of these and it is simply the best hitch mount bike rack on the market today. It does stick out quite a bit, but if I need the extra bike capacity, then I'm probably not going to be wheeling anyway.

I have a Yakima Skybox and the new double-sided hinge and latching mechanism is awesome. The only complaint I have about this box is the height, it seems to put me just over the limit for many (especially older) parking garages, so I don't leave it on unless I'm going to need it.


5 adults with 5 bikes and gear is going to get a little crazy in an LC... but if you must, I'd go with a T2+2, 1 Rocky Mount and the big Yakima Skybox mounted directly to the factory rack (personally, I'd just spring for the Yakima Towers and Bars to be safe, I'm not crazy about those factory cross-bars). That will leave the interior space behind the 2nd row seat for the rest of your gear (or you could put in a 3rd row seat for person #5). You could also probably do 78" bars and 5 bike mounts on top (alternating directions) and a receiver hitch mounted cargo box, but make sure you bring a step-ladder to get those bikes on and off the top. If you were going to haul that many people & bikes regularly I'd probably get a small flatbed trailer and put 5 fork pick-up truck bed mounts on it for the bikes.

I could be wrong, but I was thinking the T2 stuck out far enough that you could get the top half of the hatch on an LC open while it has the bikes on it... I know it sticks out far enough if you have a rear mounted spare tire carrier.

 

[mcewan13]

so many choices! it's much simpler when the trail is close by and I'm either by myself or only have one passenger.

 

[Abe Nitro]

Hi,

As an avid mountain biker and camper here is my input.

1. rooftop cargo carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc: Kanga COmpany Roof Pouch REI carries it, it is grey, securely attaches to the existing roof rack and holds lots of gear. I have the 10 cubic foot model, there is also a larger one. Mine is 15 years old and it is still used regularly.
b. I dislike the following bc:

2. rooftop bike carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc:
b. I dislike the following bc: Rooftop carriers are expensive and can be a real pain to get bikes on and off of.

3. hitch mounted bike carriers:
a. I like the following brands bc: Performance Bicycles sells a rack called the flatbed. IT comes in 2 or 4 bike models for 130-160 (i think). THis is an excellent rack that holds all sizes and types of bikes very securly and without scratching them. THis product is fairly lightweight and folds for easy removal and storage. Performance also guarantees everything they sell and stand behind their stuff.
b. I dislike the following bc:

4. add'l comments:

 

[uzj100]

dealmaker - Are you seeing any issues with the new rack? A couple of the reviews are a little scary.

 

[John Galt]

Rear hitch carriers are OK as long as you're on clean dry pavement. Any other road conditions and you're gonna plaster road dirt all over yer bike and into bearings unless you wrap it with a tarp or something.

 

[1loudLX]

Grill covers work well for bikes on bikeracks.