Bike Rack or stuff it in the trunk ? (Recommend a trunk rack)

grosso27

What are you all doing for traveling?  Driving to races, driving to a good training ride, etc...

I'm getting tired of stuffing my bike in the trunk to go to races.  Now that weekend rides are getting longer, I need to get out of the city to some good training ground, so will need to drive a bit with the bike.

I've been looking at the Saris bones or Bones RS.  We don't own a car, but often rent, borrow, etc.  So something portable that fits many cars is a must.  No roof racks, no hitch racks...trunk only.  Are they sturdy?  Do bikes stay safe & undamaged?  Easy to assemble?  Any brand or model preferences?

Thanks for your thoughts.

jwpicciotto

All the trunk mount racks that I have owned have been a pain in the ass to put on and take off. You have to position them, attach the straps, tighten, etc... If you just had to do this for races, probably not a big deal, but I got sick of having to do it every Saturday and Sunday. I had to keep putting the rack on and off the car because, once the rack is on the car, the trunk is not accessible. I have one of the Saris Bones racks and it works well. Holds the bike securely. I think that depending on the make of the car, you can also attach it so the trunk is accessible. The one issue is that the fastener that holds the seat tube can rub the finish on the bike. You have to put something between the fastener and the bike frame. Also, depending on the shape of the frame tubes, the fasteners might not be shaped correctly.

We moved to a hitch mounted rack and while having a trailer hitch on a BMW Z3 looks ridiculous, it definitely makes loading the bikes easier.

Docmartin

This one works for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Saris-Solo-1-...amp;sr=8-4

mgraffeo

I hate the idea of using my bike as a bumper. If I didn't have a roof rack, it would be in the trunk or back seat.

Scott Alexander

Just some feedback from a former roof rack guy...no matter how good the pads (between the rack and the paint), my paint job was constantly getting scratched. For someone that likes their car as much as me, it sure was frustrating to have it always in less-than-top shape. GRRR..

I solved it by buying an old bronco, and using that as my sole transportation for the bike. Then got my mustang paint job all fixed up and stuffed the roof rack under my bed.

MattAaronson

I use a Saris Bones. When I first got a carbon bike I'd take off the wheels and put it in the trunk. But to be honest that is a PITA. Now I use a Saris Bones rack with a few old scraps of cut-up towels as padding so the straps don't scratch the paint on the top tube. What convinced me was someone reminding me of the forces the bike experiences when you go over a bump without absorbing any of the shock...really nothing compared with being on the rack. And depending on the shape of your car, the bike may not get all that much wind exposure.

Dave Campbell

I used to haul my bike on a trunk rack on a BMW 325. The bike was longer than the car was wide, so the rear wheel stuck out beyond the side of the car. I usually was sitting on about 80 going down the Interstate. One day, after about 10,000 miles on the rear wheel, I got to a ride to find the rim had cracked and was so bent it rubbed the frame. I think wheel aren't designed for that much side load from the wind. So, I'd consider sticking the wheels inside the trunk. The rack will leave marks on your car and your bike if that bothers you at contact points. If your cables run under the top tube and the rack pinches them against the top tube, major scratching and damage will occur. Learned that the hard way. Some racks have relief cutouts in the cradles for this, not all do. I'm not a huge fan of trunk racks, but understand your issue. Just think about what can go wrong when using one and prevent that if you can.

William Jenks

Suck it up and by a not very sexy minivan. Lots of room in there. :-)

A bit more seriously, we have a hitch-mount from Saris. Pretty $$, but it works great. goes on and off very quickly, though it is heavy. I do understand the "don't use my bike as a bumper" remark, but as far as the travel itself goes, this is very secure and easy.

zildgen

I have a Saris Bones trunk rack and it works great for me. I have an 11 year old Sonata and a 5 year old Toyota Mini-van. I only use the rack every 2-3 months mostly for races or travel with family. The rack is easy to install though a little time consuming especially initially but it will fit a variety of autos. The trunk and rear hatch can be accessed with the rack in position you just have to take off the lower clips. The straps do not fitr my Tri bike (Felt B-12) well but I just use soft towels to fill in the empty space and protect the bike frame.

penlynwilson

John and I have this one: http://thule.com/en/US/Products/BikeCarriers/Hitch/916XTR T2.aspx

Love it. Rack does not touch the frames. Very secure. Locks to hitch and bikes. Easy on and off the car and bikes on and off the rack.

William Jenks

The design of Penny's is very similar to the Saris I have.

jetskr

Ed and I are in similar situations with the bike rack. Neither of us have cars (don't really need one in the city) and rely on a car sharing company called Zip Car. Most cars don't have trailer hitches and since we don't own them we can't leave the rack on. Typically I'll take the front tire off and fit the bike in the back seat/trunk but that's not always the best solution. Especially if you have a friend going to ride with you.

Just curious if anyone has come across a trunk mounted rack that was easy to install/remove.

zildgen

@ Jeff the Saris Bones rack that I have took a little while the first time I used it but after that it was fairly straight forward and easy to instal and removal is a snap. The only time consuming part is switching from the car to the mini van but it is not difficult.