Bicycle carry

[SpaceShot]

For mine, I have a hitch mount basket that I added a 3 bike adapter to. The basket and adapter are both available on Amazon. This way I can carry a recumbent bike or my wife's sidewalk cruiser more easily than a regular hitch rack.
Having the basket is also good for coolers or other items on long trips.

If I am going by myself, I will take the front wheel off and simply put the bike inside the hatchback.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

hitch racks and a hitch is the way to go. really, it opens up a lot. you can rent a trailer if you want to haul a crapload of stuff. if you end up in a ditch in the snow, a tow truck has something to pull on...worth it.

[Kaykogi]

I've never really liked the look of a car with a hitch. A hatchback is a bit better, but it still just looks weird. My friend has a hitch rack on his Nissan Xterra, however, and it is pretty great. If I had a bigger vehicle, I would definitely go for the hitch rack.

[toad]

^why not buy one that hides the hitch? yesterday i received a draw-tite invisi-hitch model #28502

http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower...ar=1&carId=001

once installed it COMPLETELY hides all parts of the hitch(including receiver)! you do have to purchase a special receiver mount for accessories that goes under and around the rear bumper and - of course - it's more expensive. i just like the fact that nobody will confront me in parking lots and say 'where does it say in the owners manual you can tow? is your car the canadian version?' :lol:

i will post up pics this weekend after i do the install. if you decide to get the one i linked above you should know it's for the SEDAN ONLY! in fact, i got mine used for super-cheap($34) because somebody purchased it thinking it would fit the 3-door and returned it(not really their fault because the site still doesn't specify). i contacted the manufacturer with the model# to confirm it would work. AND the manual in the box does say it's designed for the sedan!

[Brianr4]

My friend has a roof rack on his car, but the only problem is to put the bike on the roof, you have to have the door open and stand on the door sill.
Twice when we were loading up to head home, it was raining very hard and we couldn't put the bikes up becasue the inside his car would have been soaked from the rain.
So when it came time for me to get a rack, I went with the hitch style.
I also don't like that if you are loading up on a roof rack and you drop something, it will fall on the roof of the car.

[Kaykogi]

Originally Posted by Brianr4

My friend has a roof rack on his car, but the only problem is to put the bike on the roof, you have to have the door open and stand on the door sill.
Twice when we were loading up to head home, it was raining very hard and we couldn't put the bikes up becasue the inside his car would have been soaked from the rain.
So when it came time for me to get a rack, I went with the hitch style.
I also don't like that if you are loading up on a roof rack and you drop something, it will fall on the roof of the car.

It's easier on a sedan. I can load anything from the ground. I've never had to stand on the door sill.

[Kaykogi]

Originally Posted by toad

^why not buy one that hides the hitch? yesterday i received a draw-tite invisi-hitch model #28502

http://www.amazon.com/Reese-Towpower...ar=1&carId=001

once installed it COMPLETELY hides all parts of the hitch(including receiver)! you do have to purchase a special receiver mount for accessories that goes under and around the rear bumper and - of course - it's more expensive. i just like the fact that nobody will confront me in parking lots and say 'where does it say in the owners manual you can tow? is your car the canadian version?' :lol:

i will post up pics this weekend after i do the install. if you decide to get the one i linked above you should know it's for the SEDAN ONLY! in fact, i got mine used for super-cheap($34) because somebody purchased it thinking it would fit the 3-door and returned it(not really their fault because the site still doesn't specify). i contacted the manufacturer with the model# to confirm it would work. AND the manual in the box does say it's designed for the sedan!

I didn't know such a thing existed. If I were to get a hitch, this is the one I would buy.

[Brianr4]

Actually my friend's car is not a yaris, Subaru.
Not easy to reach up there.

Also when my rack is not on, the only part of my hitch you see is the receiver tube, and I usually have one of those foam antenna things stuffed in there, doesnt look like a hitch at all.

[Hamster]

Anpther option you might want to look into is buying a folding bike, such as the ones from Dahon. I'm looking into buying one, so that I don't have to worry about messing up my Yaris.

[Revsson]

I saw a three wheel recumbent at a garage sale...though out of my price range,
I wondered how I could fit that on a bike rack, let alone a Yaris bike rack.

[toad]

as promised - here's a couple pics of my new hitch installed!

looking up from garage floor with bumper off(more on that in a second):


view from behind at ground level:


install was VERY easy! there were four bolts that needed to be removed and replaced with four longer, heavy-duty bolts and washers supplied in the kit. i removed the rear bumper as it looked like it would take forever with only the socket set i have(a set of racheting wrenches would be ideal). this gave me a better angle from above to tighten everything down. piece of cake - maybe 20 minutes from start to finish!

the bar itself is very solid and the welds are nice. being a class I it's rated for up to 2000 lbs, but i don't plan on using it for anything except a hitch-mounted bike rack and maybe a small utility trailer(400 lbs). again, although i realize the AMERICAN version of the yaris is not rated to tow at all(guess i should have bought it in CANADA) i'm just planning on using it for very light usage. now i just gotta save-up for the ball mount and accessory attachment.

and yes, my garage floor is very colorful - the kid likes to use it as her canvas!

[Idahotom]

I just unloaded my Montague full sized folding mountain bike from my HB. I've had two different Montagues for years now, and use them a lot. Unlike most other folding bikes, you can't tell these fold when riding, they are "real" bike.

This won't help you who already have regular bikes, but for those looking check out the Montague. Though my plane use strictly dictated a folder, I am always pleased when some other use comes up, and throwing it inside the Yaris with room to spare including Ted the dog is pretty cool. Less then a minute, a lot less to unfold.http://www.montaguebikes.com/

[tk1971]

Hitch + Rack gets my vote:





Drawtite hitch, Swagman XC2 rack carrying two 39 lbs Giant Reign bikes.

[swidd]

I run a Thule roof rack with the short roof adapter, and the "big hook" bicycle rack. It holds it perfectly steady, and it's about 10-20 seconds to put it up there and take it off - so much, I use it as my outside storage/bike lock place.

[wispaintstyle]

I take the wheels off and throw it inside.

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

Originally Posted by wispaintstyle

I take the wheels off and throw it inside.

And get grease, mud, dirt, and crap all over the interior. No thanks, bro.

[Kaykogi]

Originally Posted by wispaintstyle

I take the wheels off and throw it inside.

And then you have to reassemble everything at the trailhead. No thanks, bro.

[Viperoni]

Would the trailer hitch act as a subframe brace? :D