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So covid allowing I'm headed away with my bike next summer and I'll be needing a car.
The plan is to take my suction rack with me in luggage for once I'm there but, when I first land and to head home I'm going to have a bike in a bag. I don't really want a big car - it's not ideal for a few reasons but for simplicity we'll go with the fact its a lot more expensive to hire one which will take the bike bag.
My thought is to buy an inflatable roof rack which will allow me to simply strap the bag to the roof on arrival then unpack and assemble once I get to my first stop.
Has anyone got any experience with these at all? Does it sound like a disaster waiting to happen or a stroke of genius? Advice anecdotes and predictions of disaster welcome.
every one I’ve seen has been shite, and let rain into car if it’s wet.
Build bike enough to put on the other rack. Doesn’t need to be perfect/complete.
I think some of the hire places now hire roof bike racks with cars.
Any car can take a bike and a bikebag with few minutes of effort. Certainly easier than attaching an inflatable roof rack.
Inflatable roofracks trap insects, moisture and dirt between themselves and the roof, wrecking the paint.
and let rain into car if it’s wet.
I live in the UK, why would I go somewhere this would be a problem? 😉
I thought about quickly building it up but don't rightly fancy trying to do any assembly in an airport car park. I'm bad enough putting things down and forgetting where I put them in the garage. I'd end up leaving my wheel behind or something.
I think some of the hire places now hire roof bike racks with cars.
That's probably not a bad call.
The Handirack is the best of them. I've carried a 35kg double kayak on one.
https://www.brighton-canoes.co.uk/productpages/equipment/handirack.htm
Used to surf a lot with people who used inflatable roof racks. They scratch the roof and doors terribly. Any form of grit and it's like an orbital sander. Personally I wouldn't put anything I cared about on them as they move about quite a bit. But for bulky stuff they seem ok.
I've used a lidl inflatable rack to stick four pairs of skis on the roof on a hire car. It was pretty good, we were careful about rubbing paintwork but everything was fine. Probably did about 8 hours driving with them on the roof, motorway speeds. The skis worked well on it as they are basically flat, I would be a bit concerned about a bike, even in a bag, as I think it's inevitable some part of the bike would be touching the roof when you tie it down. A bike box would work ok though I reckon, if it's stiff enough.
^
As Vader says, my experience exactly
even in a bag, as I think it’s inevitable some part of the bike would be touching the roof when you tie it down. A bike box would work ok though I reckon, if it’s stiff enough.
That hadn't occurred to me, though stiffness isn't likely to be a problem, it's clearance that might be the issue.
It's only likely to do an hour or maybe 2 in the bag when I arrive. Probably a half an hour or less on the return leg as I'll likely stay nearer the airport the night before.
They scratch the roof and doors terribly. Any form of grit and it’s like an orbital sander
Sounds prefect for surfing!
I've used non-inflatable padded straps to carry boards on rental cars plenty of times, covering thousands of miles, no issue at all. Just tie it on tight.
a bike bag will go in nearly any car golf-sized and above though (max 1 passenger). I've had my bag and 4 passengers in an xc60 (1 rear seat down). cars that size are normally barely any more costly than a city car - I wouldn't even bother taking the suction rack.
i wouldn't be confident in mounting a bike (properly) to the roof of a car at rental pickup - quite a few of them have low ceilings, and a sure fire way to ruin the start of a holiday is to rip your bike off the roof on day 1 😀
Used one of those handiracks to carry 2 kayaks around the alps one year. Worked OK but folk we were were there with completely panned the roof of their hire car in with one. Also high risk of damaging the car and they're sensitive to changes in the weather / direct sunlight / altitude changes. Wouldn't do it again.
If you have one of those Evoc bags, could you not take the bike out the bag and fold the bag down to make it easier to fit in a small car?
cars that size are normally barely any more costly than a city car – I wouldn’t even bother taking the suction rack.
Prices I'm currently being quoted are around 50 a day for a kia picanto and 100 a day for a Renault duster, and up from there.
Ideally I'd like something like a jimny or a panda 4x4 but they're unlikely to materialise! A jeep renegade* is looking possible though.
fold the bag down to make it easier to fit in a small car?
There's a lot of prep and planning to do yet (visas, invites vaccinations etc) but trying to fit the bag, bike and other kit in our panda is on that list, if I can manage that it'll go in anything. It's going to need hinges adding to some of the bag I think or ditching the sides, but I'm not sure I'd get the bike in any how - my smaller one barely went in without the bag and not obstructing the gear stick and or handbrake.
*I'm expecting something much older in practice.
If you're anywhere near Oxfordshire I've got a handirack that has been in the loft for a few years that you're welcome to try/have. Used it for kayaks on a temporary company car and didn't trash it.