 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Pug 306 estate to be precise. Not downhill bikes, I would say a total load of 120lbs. Anyone done it and with what equipment.?
what is the weight limit - in the handbook
[img] 
[/img]
You'd have to check your load capacity etc, presumably with 5 passengers and kit too?
But I used to carry 3 with roof bars. Upside-down, alternating which end the bars were tied down at. You would then have two spaces inbetween for two further bikes and then strap the hell out of them...
However, it's asking quite a lot of your roofbars and mounts so....hmmm..
The picture above is roadbikes with narrow bars and weighing about the same as a crisp packet. It'll be different with wide-bars on mountainbikes obviously..
I reckon you'd struggle tbh. I have a fairly wide car (Honda FRV- seats 3 across the front) and have had four trail bikes on mine but couldn't see 5 going on.
I would be worrying about the weight limits on the bars and roof to be honest. You could get the bikes on one way or another (stacking them on their sides?) but I think they would be too heavy and unsafe.
3 on the roof, 2 on the towball carrier. You'd be seriously overloaded if you have all 5 riders in the car too though
I've had 4 on a 320d estate, 5 would be a push but might be doable. As above though, load might be a concern. Plus you'd have to hope it doesn't get too windy - 5 bikes on the top would be like a massive sail with a sidewind, plus lots of strain on the roof bars. Decent headwind and you'd be crawling.
We've had 5 on a Mazda 6 before - but only for a short distance as a shuttle. Took pedals & saddles off and turned bars. Have no idea if this was within any weight limits, if I remember it was a calmish day... was thule roof bars (wide) and various thule / halfords racks.
As above, mush easier to borrow a rear carrier and split the load.
I regularly have 4 bikes on the roof, and it's a fairly big car. The bars are Thule aero bars, so T tracks (can be loaded right up to the edge). I reckon I could squeeze another rack on there if I turned the bars sideways.
However, the limit on my roof is 100kgs (yours may be different), and I reckon 5 bikes with racks and bars would be pretty close to that. I'd be reluctant to load it that heavily, especially with 5 people and luggage.
4 bikes on my Laguna estate is pretty easy - recon I could do 5 at a push with pedals and sadles off & first facing forwards, second backwards and so on).
Not sure I'd want to though.
As above you'd need to check the carrying capacity & even if all was "within spec" I'd still be looking at alternatives as im always a bit paranoid of stresses & strains of wind, corners and just about everything really when they're all sat on top.
I never go above 60 anyway with the bikes on so can make for a slower journey, but at least I feel safer.
Is it possible to disassemble the smallest & put inside the car ?
Chris
Alternatively hire/borrow a van.