What sort of car rack would I need for our bikes?
April 1, 2021 7:49 AM Subscribe
What sort of car rack would I need for our bikes?
Our car is a 2015 Kia Soul, my wife has a step-through similar to this and I have an old Bontrager mountain bike.
It would have to be a trailer hitch mounted rack (as opposed to a rooftoop); I watched some videos online and it seems like if we bought something like this it would require some sort of extension rod for my wife's bike? We live in Toronto, so it would have to be available here (I'd prefer to not have it shipped here).
Our car is a 2015 Kia Soul, my wife has a step-through similar to this and I have an old Bontrager mountain bike.
It would have to be a trailer hitch mounted rack (as opposed to a rooftoop); I watched some videos online and it seems like if we bought something like this it would require some sort of extension rod for my wife's bike? We live in Toronto, so it would have to be available here (I'd prefer to not have it shipped here).
I have a Saris Bones rack, which similar to the Thule one works without a trailer hitch. The rack works well for me, but I think it is really appropriate for just occasional use, which is how I use it. The main concern is that if it is left on all of the time it can rub the paint in the locations where the pad rests against the car.
posted by Quonab at 8:47 AM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Quonab at 8:47 AM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Does the step-through have fenders on it? If not, these style bike racks are so easy to load and low-fuss. I've always found them more secure than the classic top tube bike racks, and would eliminate the need to install and remove the horizontal bar for the step-through each time you take the bikes out. Seems Rocky Mounts has a dealer in Toronto too.
posted by blueberrypuffin at 9:16 AM on April 1, 2021
posted by blueberrypuffin at 9:16 AM on April 1, 2021
My favourite's are Buzzrack products. They're well designed and well built. There are a few different options for carrying 2 bikes. Tow ball mounted ones are easiest to take on and off in my experience, so maybe this one. They fold up to make them easier to stow away.
posted by pipeski at 9:38 AM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by pipeski at 9:38 AM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: The step-through does have fenders. Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:45 AM on April 1, 2021
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:45 AM on April 1, 2021
We have a 2012 Kia Soul and two similar bikes. We have a Saris bike rack - it looks like this one. We needed to have a trailer hitch installed, we got a good deal at UHaul. Make sure to get the 'sport hitch', not the regular towing hitch. Kia Souls shouldn't be towing anything that big anyway :^)
To access the hatchback, the bike rack folds down at the hitch so that it is parallel with the ground. That means it sticks out about 3 feet behind the car (kind of a pain if you're moving stuff into the back in a small space). And I put the rack back up before closing the hatchback, like, 50% of the time. This year will be the year that I learn to close the door first!!!
posted by Gray Duck at 12:13 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
To access the hatchback, the bike rack folds down at the hitch so that it is parallel with the ground. That means it sticks out about 3 feet behind the car (kind of a pain if you're moving stuff into the back in a small space). And I put the rack back up before closing the hatchback, like, 50% of the time. This year will be the year that I learn to close the door first!!!
posted by Gray Duck at 12:13 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
One of my bikes has a low step-through and fenders as well. Those adapter bars work but they feel precarious to me and they rub the bike frame. After researching the hell out of bike racks, I ended up springing for the Kuat NV Base 2.0, a platform rack. I found many reviewers online who said it works fine on their fendered bike. The real selling point for me, as a tiny person with a crap shoulder and back, is that they sell an optional ramp accessory, so I don’t have to lift the bike. I just put it together the night before last so I haven’t used it yet, but it seems beautifully well made. Reviews are very positive too.
posted by HotToddy at 12:34 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 12:34 PM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]
We have a tow-ball mounted Thule Euroway platform rack, which doesn't need a horizontal bar to secure the bikes. Can't find it on Thule's Canadian website, but the Thule Easyfold looks similar.
posted by indecision at 5:13 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by indecision at 5:13 PM on April 1, 2021
I recently bought a Thule T2 Pro XTR 2 along with the 2-bike add-on to carry my family's bikes. My wife's bike is an Achielle Craighton Omafets so very similar to your wife's. It fits on the rack but I feel that between the fenders and the light, the arm that comes down on the front wheel isn't as secure as it's supposed to be. I haven't transported her bike on it yet, and I've only taken mine on it twice and was looking in the rear-view mirror more than I should have to make sure that it was still secure so maybe it's just general nervousness on my part and it'll be fine.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:49 PM on April 1, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 6:49 PM on April 1, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
Yes, you'll need a horizontal bar for your wife's bike. Something like this.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:08 AM on April 1, 2021 [1 favorite]