any clever way to transport bike in the car.

Fian

I am heading off on a ferry to france on Saturday. I have no bike rack that will fit my (recently replaced) car. The car will be pretty full since my dad has just decided to come along with us, so we will be seven in a ford galaxy. We will have luggage in a roof box. I would love to be able to bring my bike with me for the two week holiday, but I am sadly coming to the conclusion that we may not have enough room.

I figure if i were going to bring it I would remove wheels, and flatten handlebars, maybe remove pedals too. I guess that would compact it down a bit. problem is if it is joining our luggage in teh roof box i guess the chain etc. would get oil on things, even if it degreased it before we left.

I suspect even if i took it apart like that I still won't have room, really just posting this in case someone who previously faced this dilemma has come up with some sort of genius solution i haven't thought of.

Before you suggest i leave one of my passengers at home: I have canvassed that possibility but it has been firmly over-ruled......

CatFromHue

Tie it properly to the roof box.

It'll also be a good game for the kids to spot if/when it falls off :P

iwillhtfu

If youre going to the one place why why not throw Helmet, shoes and bottles in the roof box and look up places to rent a bike.

I'd loan you mine for a couple of weeks if it fit but I don't think it would it's a Thule rack. Have any friends or family got a rack. Might be cheaper to buy one and bring your bike rather than renting now that I think of it.

Raam

Cover the chain with a plastic bag or something.

cdaly_

I offset the roofbox to one side of the roof and mount one (two actually) of these alongside.



I also modified the roofbox to move the securing points inwards so it could move further over to the side. Easy enough to do, just drill an extra set of holes...

Fian

iwillhtfu wrote: »

If youre going to the one place why why not throw Helmet, shoes and bottles in the roof box and look up places to rent a bike.

I'd loan you mine for a couple of weeks if it fit but I don't think it would it's a Thule rack. Have any friends or family got a rack. Might be cheaper to buy one and bring your bike rather than renting now that I think of it.

suspect this is what i will do, maybe hire one when I arrive. we will spend a week in one spot and then move to another for the second week.

I could perhaps look into getting a rack for the roof bars and place it beside the roof box, but i am not sure how safe that would be and anyway it might lead to being to "tall" for the ferry, though of course i could take it into teh car while we are actually on the ferry - you might be onto something here.

Does carrying a bike upright on the roof have a big impact on driving? We will be over seven hours on the road in france.

Anyway tbh i figure i am not going to be able to bring it really, posted mainly out of irritation with the realisation i wouldn't be able to bring it.

Rogue-Trooper

Eurocycles have the Saris Solo on sale at the moment for €49.99. It's small, compact, can be stashed away easily and you could sell it on here when you get back to recoup some of your money if you decide you didn't want to keep it!

cdaly_ wrote: »

I offset the roofbox to one side of the roof and mount one (two actually) of these alongside.

Mr Daly, didn't you find out the hard way that your vehicle & roof mounted bicycles wouldn't fit on the car deck of the ferry last year................??!! :rolleyes:

cdaly_

Fian wrote: »

I could perhaps look into getting a rack for the roof bars and place it beside the roof box, but i am not sure how safe that would be and anyway it might lead to being to "tall" for the ferry, though of course i could take it into teh car while we are actually on the ferry - you might be onto something here.

Does carrying a bike upright on the roof have a big impact on driving? We will be over seven hours on the road in france.

With a bike on top of a Galaxy, you would be too tall for the standard car deck so you would likely be put on a deck along with campers/caravans/trucks. If the ferry's tall deck is not full it should be just a matter of rolling up on the day. If it is, you'd have to dismount the bike for boarding. I always book the car as overheight at booking time, generally doesn't cost any more (length matters for the ferries, not height).

Regarding driving, with roof bars box you're already losing a fair bit of streamlining and adding noise. A bike won't add that much more (though it would have less impact hanging on the back). Bikes on the back of the car increase the length and therefore increase the suspension loading at the rear while a bike on the roof distributes the weight more evenly. Bikes on the back of the car obscure the number plate and lights so you need an extra number plate and maybe lights (you'll get away with the lights with just one bike on the back). The French police will happily fine you on the roadside for an obscured number plate/lights. This issue does not arise with a bike on the roof.

Enjoy the holidays...

Rogue-Trooper wrote: »

Mr Daly, didn't you find out the hard way that your vehicle & roof mounted bicycles wouldn't fit on the car deck of the ferry last year................??!! :rolleyes:

I think you'll find it was the ferry company who found that out!...

endacl

If you're not doing the driving, how about a tow rope? Would be a bit of craic for you, and would free up room in the car!

:pac:

Edit: Also, your Strava profile will become a thing of legend.

Fian

endacl wrote: »

If you're not doing the driving, how about a tow rope? Would be a bit of craic for you, and would free up room in the car!

:pac:

Edit: Also, your Strava profile will become a thing of legend.

Funny the same idea occurreed to me yesterday. I told my youngest (now 10) I needed him to drag out his old stabilisers for me. He went off to get them and then asked me what I wanted them for. I told him i was going to fit them to my bike so I could tow it behind us to france. For just a few secondsI could see he wondered if I was serious. which presumably just goes to show that he thinks his old man is pretty dumb....

Seaswimmer

What about putting it in a cardboard bike box and putting it beside the roof box either flat if you have room or on its edge if not.

tomasrojo

Renting seems a good option.

Do you know anyone with an Airnimal Chameleon? I've never met anyone with one, but they seem to be a pretty decent road bike and fold/dismantle down nice and small.

superlav

I prefer these as a neater roof top option.
You do have to put the front wheel in the car though

Even better price here especially if you use Parcel Motel

kenmc

Could your ould man fit into the roof box? Wouldn't put oil on anything. Failing that perhaps he could hold or be strapped onto the bars if you don't happen to have a bike mount for it.