Bike Rack

[localmotion]

What kind of bike racks do you all use to haul your bikes from one destination to another? I have yakima bars and a bike set for it, but am weary to carry my bike on top of my car going 80...just doesnt seem safe.

[garrett]

i have a yakima kingpin 2. ordered it from www.rackattack.com

i was skeptical about having a bike on top of the roof also....

[localmotion]

thats not a bad idea....maybe ill look for a used one...haha

[Rathead]

Nothing wrong with them on top just don't flip a U-ie going 80, ha. You could always mount them inside with a simple clutch also, Rockymounts.com makes a nice one for $20.

[cooldry]

I use Yakima and I think they are pretty solid. I put my whole weight into trying to get my bike lose to see how it holds. Very sturdy. I don't know if I'd try that with a OEM rack. I gone over 100mph many times and never had a problem. Checked them at 90 with the sunroof open to see how sturdy they were. They were solid. These tests may not have been the smartest way to do it. This is only for the racks where you take the front wheel off. I don't know how sturdy the full bike racks are.

[scottiac]

We just drove out to Utah with a Yakima hitch rack with two bikes on it, and two Yakima copperhead racks on the roof with two more bikes. And yes, we regularly exceeded 80 for approximately 2,000 miles. :-)

I really like the hitch rack; the 4runner blocks most of the junk from hitting the bikes, and they are easy enough to throw on there.

[4runnerchevy]

I use Yakima and I think they are pretty solid. I put my whole weight into trying to get my bike lose to see how it holds. Very sturdy. I don't know if I'd try that with a OEM rack. I gone over 100mph many times and never had a problem. Checked them at 90 with the sunroof open to see how sturdy they were. They were solid. These tests may not have been the smartest way to do it. This is only for the racks where you take the front wheel off. I don't know how sturdy the full bike racks are.


Great rack, I more amazed at the speed of your Yota.

[habanero]

Sportworks modular hitch rack for 3 bikes and a bones hatch rack for the tandem and/or wheeling though it's heck on the paint with all that bouncing.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/178-7858_IMG.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/smcr/137-3789_IMG.jpg

[cooldry]

A friend of mine used to have a rear hitch rack. They had 3 bikes on there, total cost was $12000 worth of bikes. Got rear ended. The auto insurance didn't want to pay for the bikes, only the damage to the car. Had to go after the other driver through arbitration.

[4x4mike]

My wife and I have Yakima racks on the roofs of both of our cars. Fork mounted steelheads are the way to go if you ask me. I've had our Subaru at about 120 with 2 bikes up there. Honestly I forgo they were even up there. Later my wife said, "I hope the bikes are alright." Had I remembered I don't think I would have even gone that fast. We also have a hitch mounted rack. It's alright but I wouldn't put my road bike in it. I made a holder thingy to mount 2 bikes and their front wheel while in the car. It works in our Subaru and 4runner. I'll see if I can dig up a picture. It's nice because it holds the bikes secure and it's completely removable.

[2ndGen]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w38/tonniechengca/RUNNER/P1000533.jpg

[Henrythewound]

Revive thread....back to liiiife

I made my own interior rack with a piece of wood and 2 fork mounts but depending on the bikes I get rubbing on handlebars or the top roof of the 4Runner. I angled the mounts to avoid handlebar interference but this results in other issues. I saw some roof rack mounts on my local CL and was tempted but I don't relish the balancing act of climbing up to mount the bikes nor the loss of mpg. I had a hitch rack (Thule) that sucked pretty bad. Bike would shimmy and rub against each other while you drove resulting in pretty serious paint and frame wear.

Right now I'm thinking I should hold out for a Yakima Swing Daddy although I have yet to see it on a decent sale. Other than that another Yakima hitch model might be the solution I am looking for. One of the tray versions that holds bikes by the wheels and not the top tube would be a plus. I have a 29er mtn bike which is a problem for some of these type of racks.

Anyone come up with a better or different solution than the ones mentioned above? I can keep my own bike inside with my DIY rack but the tire just flops around and I would like to be able to carry at least 2 bikes easily.

[4x4mike]

Here is what I use inside the vehicle.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC05784.jpg

It's main purpose was to hold 2 road bikes inside of our Subaru. The interior isn't huge and our 2 bikes fit perfectly. Mountain bikes (depending on the height of the fork ad width of the bars) don't do well inside of that car. There is much more room in the 4runner though and I have had 2 road bikes as well as 2 mountain bikes on it with no problem. The bottom is a metal threashold from home depot and I mounted 2 fork mounts and Yakima tire holders on it. The tire holders are nice because without them you tend to stack other stuff on top of the wheels.

The swing out hitch racks are expensive. So are the ones that hold the bike by the wheels. The wheeling holding ones are nice if you are carrying all kinds of bikes but they have too much plastic on them for my liking.

I have one of these cargo baskets (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34313) that I have also mounted fork mounts to. It's solid and I have extra room to hold gear. For short trips I don't mind using the roof (typical use is 2-3 times a week)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/DSC05786.jpg

but for long trips I put them inside or on the back.

[Henrythewound]

Thx for your reply (and pics!) Is your interior metal bar mounted in any way to the floor? My wooden beam shifts around big time unless I secure it with webbing through the 4 tie down loops. The problem is my bike takes up all the available front to back room and has wide handlebars, I think I could fit 2 road bikes in w/o issue. 2 mountain bikes have not played nice for me so far.

I like the interior option b/c it's relatively cheap and I can keep the bikes locked up in there should I go for lunch after a ride or decide to keep the bike in there for the following day etc.

Mountain bike handlebars don't clash with your current setup? Mine must be really wide

[4x4mike]

The bottom isn't attached in anyway. The threshold I bought came with rubber ribbing that seems to hold on the carpet. I've never had a problem with it although it's used in the car more. In the car there isn't any room for the bikes to move around. My normal mountain bike is a single speed with wide bars and stubby bar ends. The nice thing about it is the TALAS fork that can be adjusted height wise. I would suggest stagering the fork mounts so the handlebars don't hit.

[RunnerUp]

i use a thule 2 bike hitch mounted rack... super quick and easy to load two bikes onto it. only thing i didnt like is how the front handles and wheel will flop around when you corner, so i take a bungie cord and wrap it around the front tire and clip it to the pedal or water bottle holder. this is for MTBs though

[Henrythewound]

If I get a good internal setup I'll post some pics. There was a thread on one of these Toyota forums where a guy mounted fork mounts to the back of his seats at an angle to help with the handlebars hitting etc. I find it harder to put the bike in front-first but thats how he did it.

I think a decent hitch rack would fit the bill nicely although I would have to find a decent deal. Another thing is if you drive muddy roads the bikes get super muddy and are exposed to whatever weather is out there.

Thx for the feedback

[4x4mike]

Finally got some pictures of my rear mount. I have a Yakima 2 bike carrier but I don't like how it holds on to the top tube. I use this instead. The nice thing is that it's useful for other stuff as well.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Hitch%20Basket/DSC06810.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Hitch%20Basket/DSC06806.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Hitch%20Basket/DSC06813.jpg