Mountain Bikers, what kind of a setup do you have?

[DNAhilux]

I plan on going for a ride tonight after work, so Ill snap some pics of the setup plus the actual bolting/mounting.
EDITO: Too tired today after work so i didnt go, im going tomorrow though, so pics will be up tomorrow night.

[DNAhilux]

OK, so heres going to be a series of pics:
First I unclipped the carpet, and accessed the seat cross member (be careful as the edges of this is right sharp, you get big papercuts!) So i put the bike on the fork mount and figured out where it should go to allow it to fit length wise and width wise for the doors. marked the holes. Drilled through it. Now it is a good idea to put a solid piece of metal underneath the crossmember when drilling so when you get through the drill does not puncture the seat. Once drilled pass the bolt up and then use nylock nuts to secure it. I then added a piece of aluminum to add stability which i covered in hockey tape to ensure no noise (I have self-diagnosed OCD) With that done get some thick grease and dab it on the bolt heads. Then take the seat back and align with clip holes and press down on the bolts and you will be left with grease marks on the seat back cardboard so you know where to drill through.

[DNAhilux]

So then you just pass it through and then put on the fork mount.

[DNAhilux]

For the rear tire I just use a bungee to the stock tie down. Your bike will not move at all..i tuck my front tire between the bike and the side panel,If you move the pedal back the tire fits nice and snug. Also the headrest makes a perfect helmet holder.

[DNAhilux]

So I staggered the two mounts to allow two bikes to go in without having to worry about the bars coming into conflict. So far I have had a 17 and an 18 frame in together and no problems anywhere, especially since there are variations between bikes. It also works out great that the cross member is diagonal for when you shift the bike to secure the rear tire.
Now for my long term goal I am goin to get a piece of metal and bore holes and tack weld on nuts. I will then slip this under the cross member and bolt this to the crossmember and therefore I can quick release the quick release setup without having bolts sticking up. But I just wanted to get this done asap so i could ride.

[xcmountain80]

I use the Yakima bighorn 4 and various yakima roof trays.

Aaron

[paddlenbike]

For day-to-day use, a setup like DNA's is best. (Speaking of which, his write-up and photos were very helpful.) DNA's setup is secure. I often stop and have grab lunch after long rides, which means the bike is unattended in a parking lot somewhere. His setup is always there--no need to install the proper roof attachment or dig the hitch rack out of the garage.

I was using a Yakima Viper roof attachment until I lifted the 4Runner and getting the bike up there became a major PITA. But, I still use the roof rack when the interior is full of camping gear and people. So basically, I prefer keeping the bike inside, but then use the roof rack when space is at a premium.

[TroysToy]

I agree with paddlenbike, if you can keep your bike inside that is the best. When the two dogs, the 6 year old, and wife want to go that is when the roof is nice. I totally dig DNA's set-up, and with a quick way to remove it, it would be even better.

[xcmountain80]

I agree with paddlenbike, if you can keep your bike inside that is the best. When the two dogs, the 6 year old, and wife want to go that is when the roof is nice. I totally dig DNA's set-up, and with a quick way to remove it, it would be even better.

Yeah you guys must not get very dirty when riding. My bike is usually covered in God knows what, and Im certainly not putting it in my nice clean leather clad 4Runner.

[TroysToy]

Yea I've been on some of those trips. I don't mind mine on top cuz I am tall and don't have a huge problem getting my bike up there. My problem is I can't have my sprocketrockets on and park in the garage. It would be nice to have all of the rack setups for different trips.