I'd like to be able to carry two mountain bikes in the back of a car \ van.
The bikes in question are a Stooge with 29" wheels and Jones handlebars, and a large-ish old MTB with 26" wheels.
I currently have a Defender 90, and am able to carry the Stooge with the front wheel out. Admittedly, I haven't tried also carrying the second bike, and it might be possible if I were to make some sort of platform which sits above the first bike. However, I think it will be a tight squeeze fitting it through the rear door when the first bike is in place.
I initially started considering an old Nissan e-NV200 van of all things, but am now wondering about other options. For example, an old estate car, or even an old Honda Jazz. Ideally, the bikes would be easy to load\unload, and could be secured and packed without loads of packing material. I don't mind removing front wheels, but ideally, I wouldn't have to dismantle the bikes any further than that.
Would any particular type of car make this possible, or does it really need a van?
A bike should stand up in the back of an estate car with the front wheel off and the dropper pushed down. In a van of the NV200 size you wouldn't even have to take the wheel off*, just roll straight in and pop a strap around them.
*Unless they've got weirdly low headroom and the handlebars are too high.
A bike should stand up in the back of an estate car with the front wheel off and the dropper pushed down.
None of my estates(V40, V70, Saab 95) have been able to do that with a modern 29er
My P3 (2008) V70 Will happily swallow a long 170mm 29er on its side with just the rear seats down, both wheels on.
Take the front wheels off and, even with a mudguard, it's easy to get 2 in, 3 with no front guard.
Thanks. I did look at estate cars a few years ago, and remember them having a lower floor to roof height than I thought they would, so I wasn't sure if the bikes could be stood upright. My bikes don't have dropper posts, and the saddles are set about 780mm from the BB.
Submarined, when you load two bikes into your V70 do they have to be stacked on top of each other?
I reckon most estates would take two bikes, laid sideways with front wheels off - if the rear seats were folded forward obvs.
I could probably fit your two bikes in my non-estate Octavia like that.
I have a mk4 caddy SWB, get 3 bikes in the back with the front wheels off and space for tools and bags.
mazda 5 mpv / ford smax
i have the Mazda, fork mount fixed at the back, and one on the back of the middle arm rest, two bikes in, plus space for 1 rear passenger and 1 up front still
you need a tall vehicle internally, a standard car height estate wont' cut it without angling bikes, then you need to pack crap around them etc
I own a jazz. You’ll get 2 bikes in on their side wheels off. But stacking bikes on their side is horrible
I also have a tepee partner (berlingo)
I usually take the front wheels off but it’s so much better with the bikes upright. It’ll do 3 bikes and 3 adults and kit. Ideally leaving 2 seats at home
A bike should stand up in the back of an estate car
my Passat estate will only take the one bike on its side.
Caddy, SWB, Maxi, wheels stay on
Sharan or Galaxy with front wheel off
Touran as above
Ford Connect
All the above are car based so car speed limits apply, not van ones.
Thanks, everyone.
I'll see if it's possible to somehow fit the two bikes in the back of my 90, but may end up with a van as it would be convenient to be able to roll both bikes in.
I looked at a few options of larger estates or smaller 4x4's (Nissan X-Trail seemed favourite for boot height and squareness, or Subaru Forester) but in the end I caved and bought a cheap Mk3 (I think? 2008 model) Caddy instead for £1500 and it's saved me so much hassle and damage/muckiness compared to putting the muddy bikes on/in a car I'm very much converted.
Mine is a SWB so mountain bikes have to go slightly diagonal if leaving both wheels on, gravel/road bikes go straight in. I bolted a couple of fork mounts to the floor near the rear doors so normally if I have lots of kit in the van too I take the front wheel off and bolt the bikes down to keep them a bit more solid.
I managed to stand a 27.5 vertical in my V50 front wheek off. The only way it would work is on an angle with the front forks between the seat and door and event then it was tight. Also it was a PITA to get it in position without getting the rooflining filthy. It would actually go in easier upside down back wheel first.
Found the pic of when we had to abandon the car in France and I took a pic showing the bikes were in there.
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