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We’re taking the car to the Alps in the summer with 2 29ers in it.
Does anyone have any great packing tips to get them in and luggage?
I’m wondering if I can get them upright with the fork sitting in the rear footwells? Otherwise it’ll just be piling them on top of each other with some old duvets inbetween.
I’ll have a practice pack at some point but someone here must’ve done it 🙂
To stand them up you might need to take the bars off and zip tie them to the down or top tube.
I took 3 (smaller wheeled) bikes down to the Alps 20 years ago in a MkV golf and we got two in with bars and the bike's seats removed with the 60% split side of the car seat folded down. We then packed wheels and 3 people's gear around them and in a roof box. The third bike was small and got dismantled and went in the roof box along with the rest of the luggage.
Take the forks off. Zip tie the frames together with packing where necessaryin whatever orientation gets them smallest.. Ziptie the forks to the frames same witht he handlebars.
Basically ziptie everything together to make the most compact package that can be placed upright against the back of the seats or along one side.
Tieing them together makes the whole lot easier to handle and makes them as small as possible and if packed out where necessary there won't be any rubbing. Upright gives you the most space for other stuff.
Not a solution for day to day carrying obviously but thats what i do when they are getting loaded in for a duration.
It sounds like faff. But its easier than farting about in the car.
I’d vote for the duvet option. I was in the car park at Chatel last year and saw two women rock up in a Clio with uk plates, and two bikes inside. All they did was remove the wheels.
Maybe get some bags in bottom of boot to flatten the rear space a bit, fill rear foot well with kit as well. Bikes in on top of each other, more luggage then wheels.
I use to get two bikes and camping gear in a Fiat 500 with just the wheels off. Just need to think carefully about how the bikes lay on top of each other without them scratching each other. Folded up towels work well. Also, pipe lagging and straps to stop the chain slapping about.
Rear seats can be removed to create extra space.
Would you consider putting them on your roof?
I use a Rockbros suction roof rack for mine and it's been faultless. I'm not going to lie, the first couple of times I used it I had images of my bike bouncing down the dual carriageway behind me but it really is secure. I even got an extra suction mount and put my front wheel on the roof and strap it to the top tube for additional rigidity.
The only downside is the bikes are not locked so you can't leave the car alone.
Octavia here, so a bit bigger than a Golf. One XL 29er hardtail and one large 27.5 FS. Both relatively new geometry. We go for front wheels off and lay them down so the handlebars are in the gap behind the front seats. Rear seats folded obviously. We just go for duvet/blankets between frames to stop noise and vibration.
Luggage in soft bags can easily fit in. You may need to take your rear wheels off in a Golf. But we prefer that option as it's pretty easy than some crazy complicated tessellation.
I had a golf and used a yoga mat to separate two bikes.
Back seat half down, tarp to keep mud and oil off car both wheels off. Bike, yoga mat, bike then wheels on top and luggage stacked mostly on the upright in the passenger seat with the tarp keeping chains off the luggage.
Don't forget, or skimp on locks for when you get there. Twice the place I've stayed had most of the bikes stolen. Except the ones that were locked to some thing solid and noisy to cut through
Take the pedals off, makes everything fit much better. Wheels out and pedals off, everything will stack nicely
Got an insane amount of stuff in an older A3 with the seats down. Pedals off, wheels out then stacked them flat on the top of everything else using rugs as padding.
Well I didn't subscribe to this and hadn't really remembered I'd posted it!
I was going to try some different ways to fit the bikes in when I was going riding last Monday but I didn't ride in the end so didn't get around to it.
I'll have a play about with stacking and standing upright. I had thought about taking the seat out too, but might be more faff than worth it.
Would you consider putting them on your roof?
Not for this trip, it's a long way and it's a lot of not being able to leave the car. Wouldn't be able to leave it out of sight unless they're inside.
Take the rear seats out. Bench should pop out quite easily and seat-backs should only be a few bolts. Miles more room. Have been doing this in my RenaultSport Clio and it makes such a difference. Bikes can then just be chucked in on top of eachother
I used to carry two bikes in my Golf. XL FS 29’er - I needed to take both wheels off. 27.5 M hardtail - just the front wheel off and in an old Duff bike bag. Old blanket between the 29’er and it’s wheels. Didn’t have to remove my aftermarket 10” Audison sub. Plenty of room for luggage in soft bags and a tool box. Certainly enough room for enough luggage for 4 days away riding.
I'd also say wheels off, you'd be surprised how efficiently you can pack just by doing that, both upside down and one fork first, one rear first solves the pedal issue.
Just make sure you put the skewer back into the fork/frame ! 🙂
It probably helped that despite having a 34” inside leg - I sit quite close to the wheel.
Used the footwells for luggage and the top of the transmission tunnel - up to the height of folded rear seat backrest. No luggage in the front of the car.
I usually just do mine flat with wheels off. 2 like that was OK with blankets between, under and on top. Leon Mk1 rather than Golf, so basically identical.
I did see some people that had theirs in vertical with only front wheel removed, bike in backwards with bars turned 90 degrees, and then 2 bikes bungeed together and to the rear passenger door. Only needed 1 half of the split fold down. Dropper seat right down and pedals off obviously, and probably a towel under the chainrings.
Never tried it that way myself. I'd be concerned about the bar ends being close to the rear screen.
Had a practice pack today. Turns out it takes less than 10 minutes to take the rear seats out of a Golf.
Piece of wood across front of what was the seat base, 2 fork mounts screwed to it and 2 bikes fit nicely with the rear wheels off too. I'll post some pics when they're in there properly 🙂
Pedals off as was said earlier. Big difference, and less scratchy.
I'd also say wheels off, you'd be surprised how efficiently you can pack just by doing that, both upside down and one fork first, one rear first solves the pedal issue.
I tried this… turns out a Golf roof is too low for a 160mm 29er fork.
It probably doesn’t help either that I’ve got the raised boot floor that can’t be dropped to its lower level
Tidy job.
I hate those fork mount thingies, but they work well there TBF
The fork mounts usually live in the back of the camper 🙂 which is easy to load the bikes in to.
Just a bit more tedious to drive all the way to the Alps if we’re not living in it.