seeking opinions on bike carrying gear

[EdsCruisin]

For that combination of people and gear, I recommend the bikes on the roof and a hitch tray. But be sure your exhaust is not pointed at anything flammable!

I put 5 bikes on the roof with Thule load bars and carriers (the full upright style). We have a 4 bike hitch rack too, but as stated above, the differences in top tubes makes it a pain for anything more than short trips. They are also notably short and it is easy to forget that the bikes are another 3+ feet behind you, which changes departure angles considerably. I modified mine to be a foot taller for piece of mind (after I replaced a couple expensive rims once). However the other piece of equipment I keep for the roof mount is a short step ladder. Don't do this option unless you can safely pick up a bike over your head and climb a ladder at the same time.

Good luck!

 

[Topmounter]

Now I understand the 5 people / 5 bikes / 1 vehicle rule

 

[dealmaker]

I just got it last Friday, assembled it yesterday, and have yet to put it to work. Yakima instructions have a disclaimer "No Offroading with the rack on" which seems like common sense to me, but then again I never even considered going offroad with the rack on, much less a fully-loaded one, as I'm not MTBing. Will be used mostly for hauling the family bikes short distances on pavement. It is a huge thing to have hanging off the back, but it was my only option and as such had to have the swing feature.

I only read one review, where the mast started bending, which doesn't surprise me if offroading with a full load. Of course, once it starts bending, its gonna keep going. The rest seemed generally positive, especially compared to other products & price ranges I saw.

Another great rack is made by Hollywood Racks.

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

 

[mcewan13]

I didn't used to ever leave sight of pavement with the bikes on the truck. ...'offroading' was the purpose of bringing bikes in the first place. But, as the years have ticked by and the PacNW beer belly keeps growing, I find myself hitching rides to the top quite often.

The gravel roads and double track used to access any trailhead that I've been to can't really be referred to as offroad per-se. You're just bouncing around a bit and should keep the speeds down when you've got a fully loaded rack of expensive gear playing moment arm out back.

One idea I like is Edscruisin's 12" lift. I could always have LT chop the yak rak and sleeve on another 12" ...but that would certainly interfere w/ the rear hatch. ...and would definitely void the Yak warranty!

Loud - have you tried out the grill cover idea? Any specfic brans/size work better than another? I think I'll just have to give that one a go. Road grime on rainy cross-country trips trash bikes hanging off the back.

 

[2mbb]

My usual bike transport vehicle is a car (station wagon) not my Land Cruiser. For that car I use a Yakima roof top rack. I prefer the roof top rack, as long as I can remember not to drive into any parking garages with the bike on top.

I have an AO rack on my 60 series. I purchased some bolt on fork mounts and I can easily fit four bikes on top, with the front wheels, with room to spare. I would seriously consider seeing if you can make the AO rack work budget wise.

Another thought is to consider bringing two vehicles, even if one is a car. You don't say how long your trip is (miles or days out) but five adults plus gear even in a Land Cruiser is going to be tight.

Good Luck.

 

[1loudLX]

If you get one for one of the larger weber types, it should fit over. When I was younger and we'd take my mountain bike places, I used a grill cover when it was raining, kept it clean and pretty much dry.

 

[Topmounter]

My usual bike transport vehicle is a car (station wagon) not my Land Cruiser. For that car I use a Yakima roof top rack. I prefer the roof top rack, as long as I can remember not to drive into any parking garages with the bike on top.

I have an AO rack on my 60 series. I purchased some bolt on fork mounts and I can easily fit four bikes on top, with the front wheels, with room to spare. I would seriously consider seeing if you can make the AO rack work budget wise.

Another thought is to consider bringing two vehicles, even if one is a car. You don't say how long your trip is (miles or days out) but five adults plus gear even in a Land Cruiser is going to be tight.

Good Luck.

I'm assuming this is for a White Rim reservation... Maximum of 15 people in 3 vehicles.

 

[Altaf]

I just bought a Saris Bones RS rack. Only 2 straps, quick on and off, very secure mount, fits most cars out there.

 

[mcewan13]

kuat?

Anybody have any experience w/ Kuat racks? THey seem new. ...not much in the way of reviews around the web on them

kuat

 

[Mr. Toad]

Get a lightweight trailer and bolt some fork mounts to it. Room for gear and bikes. Many cost less than a rack system. Plus you don't have to park next to a ledge (or bring a ladder) to unload the roof gear.

 

[mcewan13]

i've thought about that few times. I had a chincy 4x8 folding trailed (harbor freight special) that I hauled from KC to Boston w/ the FJ40 a few years ago. ...not something that I would repeat or recommend.

the problem most of us have w/ trailers and gear is that we wouldn't be able to keep them simple - and therefore inexpensive. ...i know i'd end up here a few thousand dollars later!

 

[bquinn]

Kuat does make a really nice rack! I just got away from the top tub holder rack i had due to the bouncing. I went with the yakima holdup. Its comparible to thule t2. So far I love it. The hitch mount tray system is the way to go in my opinion.

 

[skaha]

Check out the hitch mount racks from north shore racks. They are overbuilt and they do a good job of protecting the bikes.

North Shore Bike Racks

 

[mcewan13]

Thx Skaha, the North Shore Racks look interesting. ...maybe a bit diy w/ the rope pulls, but I like the simple concept that allows them to squeeze more bikes together.

 

[brwnj60]

i've thought about that few times. I had a chincy 4x8 folding trailed (harbor freight special) that I hauled from KC to Boston w/ the FJ40 a few years ago. ...not something that I would repeat or recommend.

the problem most of us have w/ trailers and gear is that we wouldn't be able to keep them simple - and therefore inexpensive. ...i know i'd end up here a few thousand dollars later!

 

[Fast Eddy]

Saris CycleOn can be expanded to hold four bikes. I've got a two-bike version of this and it's great.

http://www.saris.com/p-303-cycleon.aspx

It's super easy to load and unload. Sportsworks racks are similar and tip down nicely if you're putting it on an suv and you need to get to the back door when bikes are loaded.

 

[mcewan13]

Just in case peeps stumble across this thread in the future, my opinion just became heavily biased.
As of last week, I am now the Pac NW rep for Kuat Racks. If you're interested, please contact me direct or keep an eye on the vendor threads for MUD discounts.
.matthew