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Time to change estate car, currently have skoda octavia.Need to fit a 29er in with wheels on.Been put off the E class as, at my budget it wont have a warranty on the ad blue system which fails sometimes and is a big money fix and the petrols are a bit thirsty.I have outgrown the need for speed!Don't fancy a BMW, so a V60 or an audi are main contenders.What recommendations from owners who can fit 29er in wheels on ?
Go up to a Superb?
Or give in and get a van
V60 isn't a very big boot by all accounts. I think if both wheels on you are looking at V70, 5 Series and A6 size but you will need to check. C-Class wouldn't get a 27.5" er with wheels on
I have a Passat estate which will take my gravel bike without removing a wheel. However my Scott Genius ebike has to have its front wheel off because the handlebars catch on the top of the tailgate.
But if I remove the front passenger headrest and wind the seatback fully down before releasing the rear seatback I've got about 2.5 metres of space to get 2 windsurf boards plus masts booms and 6 rolled up sails and still see out of the windows.
my large FS 29er goes in whole/flat in my Mondeo estate. Back seats down, obvs.
+1 for Why?
I can get a large 29er hard tail in my V40 hatch with the front wheel off & I'd much rather do that & have a car that is a 300mm shorter for the rest of the time
Cos it's ace if you can. Just roll the bike out of the back and ride. Or arrive back, muddy, in the rain, it's getting dark, just change then throw it in. No fannying about, no losing axles (no I have never done this) or little spacers (this neither) or forgetting a wheel (yeah OK I've done this one).
Plus, it's a good general metric, a car that can swallow a whole bike will have a generally excellent boot, you've most probably got proper non-shit fold flat seats, a proper non-shit boot entrance, not too encroached with arches, or random doors and bits of plastic that do nothing but cost you space. Sometimes I carry 2 bikes and it's one wheel off but it also goes easier than it would do in a car that can't carry a bike whole. It's like the Untouchables. "Carry a bike? Carry a fridge"
Sorry OP, my solution is a 20 year old Subaru which isn't totally helpful.
I had a Mondeo at it was perfect for this. And I fully subscribed to Northwinds comments above.
When that got too old I replaced it with a 5 series on the basis I could easily get my fatbike in. Turned out that my fatty was the easiest bike to get in, but my 29ers and road bike needed the front wheel taken off.
But it did teach me that removing/replacing the wheel takes about 2 minutes and there is no reason to loose anything if you have a systemic approach to it.
TLDR: I have to take the front wheels off some of my bikes but it doesn’t really matter at all.
S-Max an option?
The real answer is buy a van or take your front wheel off like a normal car driver.
If you must squeeze it whole into a car I'm struggling to think of anything big enough. Dacia Jogger? Rifter/Berlingo?
V70 takes a 29er with ease but beware re bar width!
no, but at least you have answered the why question for me !!!
S max no good needs to be 4wd
Anyone got an A6 ??
Depends on your handle bar width.
I've 800s on my 29r and even my Superb struggles because of the depth.
The SMax I had before was the best biking (and sailing trip) car I've had bar none.
The Superb is a nicer daily driver and I wanted an auto and better economy for non bike/boat stuff so had to compromise the bike eating ability.
The Superb boot is loads bigger than the Passat if that matters.
Anyone got an A6 ??
Rear boot opening is narrow, sides are pinched in and rear screen slopes heavily.
Lovely car inside, good looking, pants for large 29rs and big dogs.
Took me about a minute to rule it out once I'd opened the boot. I do, however, want a square boot and a dog+luggage capable boot. YMMV. 😂
V70 takes a 29er with ease but beware re bar width!
True this! The march of progress in general means my medium bikes just barely fit into my car now, I think probably if I liked 800mm bars they wouldn't. Things got long and wide.
Berlingo or Unimog obviously.
V70 takes a 29er with ease but beware re bar width!
True this! The march of progress in general means my medium bikes just barely fit into my car now, I think probably if I liked 800mm bars they wouldn't. Things got long and wide.
Which gen? A mate has a 2005 R and needs to take the wheel off with a large Privateer 141. My Kia Optima would take my old Stanton Slackline whole but needs a wheel out to fit in my ML Aether 9. Road/gravel bikes are no bother but they also fit in easily whole in the i30.
In my case, a subaru legacy but it's getting to that point with a lot of estates rather than mpvs or soft roaders, car boots just aren't usually all that tall.
TBH, V60 is a fairly small trunk TBH. Couple of bikes, wheels off and it's starting to look crowded. Can get a fridge in there, seat down, though.
V70 i took four road bikes (wheels off) four people and all the kit for a weekends racing, across the country. So a lot bigger!
(and i'm another one who doesn't see the issue with taking wheels off!)
S max no good needs to be 4wd
Why?
Why?
Rock in the carpark in a 2 wheel drive and you look like a rank amateur 😉
V60 needs a wheel off to get a l/XL orange 29er in the back (with rear seats down).
Large road bike goes straight in with wheel on.
18" 456 with 800mm bars and 140mm travel is a git to get in with the wheel on.