Bike rack rental in NYC?

May 14, 2012 7:47 AM

Where can I rent a car that seats 4 people as well as a bike rack for their bikes...in NYC?

I am finding that most car rental places claim they have bike racks, but then when you call them, they do not.

Who actually has a rack, AskMefi?

posted by whimsicalnymph to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 answers total)

Not a bike rack per se, but ZipCar rents minivans for about $100/day. It's not bad considering (a) NYC rental rates are already ridiculous, (b) you don't pay for gas, and (c) there's probably one within walking distance to you.
posted by mkultra at 8:15 AM on May 14, 2012

Would renting car with a trailer hitch + purchasing a hitch-mounted bike rack and then selling the rack on craigslist when the trip is over work as an alternative?

Hitch mounted bike rack = little possibility of paint/body damage to rental car.
posted by de void at 8:16 AM on May 14, 2012

Could you borrow a bike rack? It's one of those things that often lives in the garage 98% of the time.
posted by COD at 8:47 AM on May 14, 2012

Yeah, you might want to just buy (and later sell?) a bike rack on Craigslist. Last time I needed one in the city I paid $20. I see some for $40 and I didn't look too hard.
posted by zvs at 10:45 AM on May 14, 2012

Just ask around, people that have these things probably have it shoved in a closet somewhere and are more than willing to let it get some use. Every once in a while I rent a car in SF and bring a couple of bikes and never have any problem borrowing one even though no one I know personally owns one.

Contact your local bike coalition, or post something on your local bike forum. The coalition here has free ones for members to borrow, and if I offer a case of beer to borrow a rack, tool, or anything else on any of the local bike forums my inbox gets filled with strangers offering their stuff.
posted by bradbane at 2:33 PM on May 14, 2012