Thanks for any input…
Long distance travel?
Preference (for protection - rocks, sand, debris, weather, vandalism, etc.):
- Inside vehicle.
- Hitch mount.
- Roof rack.
I would feel safer putting my bike on the roof just because then I wouldn’t have to worry about it sticking out of parking spaces or someone rear ending me.
You would probably get better gas milage with a hitch rack but I would rather have the peace of mind, unless you drive an suv or something tall because then I would be worried about low tree branches or driving into my garage.
I put mine inside my car.
Would love to put them in my SUV, but my dog would not appreciate the lack of space during a 1000 mile drive. Unfortunately stuck between roof and hitch. When its windy, I always find myself looking up through the sunroof at my roof rack, watching bike(s) seemingly sway, and get a little nervous!
I use a 34 inch wide Thule rooftop carrier to hold my race wheels and other stuff. I put my Cannondale Slice frame into an old soft bike case/carrier and then into the back of my Ford Escape Hybrid. My 65 lb Standard Poddle gets 2/3 of the back seat to sit/lay down on. I don’t know if two bicycle frames would fit and still allow my dog enough room for a long drive like to my mothers home 834 miles one way.
If one has some free funds, they could construction this bike hitch carrier that was shown on this forum within the past several months:
I would feel safer putting my bike on the roof just because then I wouldn’t have to worry about it sticking out of parking spaces or someone rear ending me.
You would probably get better gas milage with a hitch rack
I put mine inside my car.
I agree on roof rack with a “bra” on bike.
I disagree about hitch rack. It is like putting on a giant xlab bottle holder on the back of your bike seat.
Would love to put them in my SUV, but my dog would not appreciate the lack of space during a 1000 mile drive. Unfortunately stuck between roof and hitch. When its windy, I always find myself looking up through the sunroof at my roof rack, watching bike(s) seemingly sway, and get a little nervous!
I’ve had two bikes on my Yakima roof rack and haven’t had any problems in four 1500 mile journeys from MI to CO, including the winds of 'braska and wyoming. If that offers you any piece of mind.
I agree on roof rack with a “bra” on bike.
I’ve heard that bike “bras” will KILL your gas mileage. While I’ve not actually experienced this, it makes sense, and I think that would really add up on long trips. Now clean/protected bike vs better gas mileage?? Your call. But on my trips I haven’t had any problems.
I’ve heard that bike “bras” will KILL your gas mileage. While I’ve not actually experienced this, it makes sense, and I think that would really add up on long trips. Now clean/protected bike vs better gas mileage?? Your call. But on my trips I haven’t had any problems.
There’s a very simple trick to keep the bike clean without using a bra. Wrap the bike in saran wrap. You don’t have to use a whole lot - just enough to wrap around the forks, the head tube, the handlebars, etc… Keep the wrap tight to the bike frame. Don’t do the Xmas present wrap, really wrap everything individually.
Then, when you get where you’re going, peel off the wrap and your bike will be road gunk and dead bug free.
clean/protected bike vs better gas mileage?? Your call.
If the question was clean / protected bike vs death of first born then it would be open for debate!!! 
I just purchased a Thule Low Rider for $35. It is a skewer / front fork holder that helps putting your bike inside the car. Very quick and easy to use.
Thule Low Rider Link
I just screwed it to a long-ish piece of wood. One thing to be wary of is your seat height; I can only just get mine in a Jeep Wrangler and can not get it in most vehicles (my seat height is approx 82cms) without removing the seatpost (or lowering the seat if that is an option for you)
I just could not bear the thought of sticking it on the back of the car or roof unless I could guarantee perfect weather.
If one has some free funds, they could construct this bike hitch carrier that was shown on this forum within the past several months:
Impressive carrier. Got a link to the thread that details the construction?
I do not have this carrier. I do not have the construction plans. I believe one could take this to a welder and have it constructed out of non-rusting material. My only question would deal with tail lights on this hitch carrier.
Long distance travel?
Preference (for protection - rocks, sand, debris, weather, vandalism, etc.):
- Inside vehicle.
- Hitch mount.
- Roof rack.
I prefer…
2.
1.
3.
I used to carry my race bike to races, inside my car )and still do so with my commuter bike) but after several instances where the deraillieur has been bumped out of alignment (I remove the rear wheel to get it into my car) I now just use the hitch mount rack.
I’ve had several mechanics say that damage (mainly rear deraillieurs) happens more often when the bike is inside the car.
Every method has it’s drawbacks, but ya really just have to go with statistics.
A roof mount is just plain retarded IMHO (are we still allowed to use that word?) as it’s A) harder to lift the bike up there, B) the wind resistence really kills gas mileage (ever see the Top Gear episode about a bike on a roof rack?) C) Gets covered in bugs and other debris. There are two kinds of people with roof racks. Those who have trashed their bikes on the garage etc, and those that are going to!
A hitch mount is easier to load is protected from wind and bugs and gets way better fuel mileage. and if someone wants your bike, a hitch rack (with lock of course) is no worse than a roof rack.
Inside the car, the bike is susceptible to damage from other stuff being loaded around it, and also from load shift, but it does stay cleaner.
I’m in the market for a new hitch rack as my current car is a 5 door sport hatch. The trunk on my old sedan would *just *allow the trunk to open, with my fixed hitch mount rack. My new car doesn’t quite allow trunk access so I am getting a hinged hitch mount rack soon.
I just completed a 2200 mile/6 day drive from Washington DC to Boulder (not by the shortest route), and the 4 bikes on the hitch rack fared great, and didn’t appear to pick up dirt. For a multi-day drive I really appreciated having a Thule Revolver, which allows you to swing out the rack and open the trunk without doing anything to the bikes. It’s not cheap, but very nice.
Never had a hitch rack but have driven cross-country 3x with bikes on a roof rack. Sometimes at high speeds. Other than bug splatter, no problems.
Just a word of caution about the hitch rack: I once melted my mtb front tire because it was too close to the tail pipe. (My bike is pretty big so the wheel hung lower than most would.) However, we otherwise successfully ferried two bikes across half of North America and back over a two week period with that rack (which, incidentally, was later recalled!). The only other downside was accessing the trunk to our hatchback, which required removing the bikes each time.
When not laden with other luggage, I preferred to keep our bikes in the car. However now that we have a child and no longer have the space, I am constructing a roof-mounted carrier. I’ll post an update once it’s done and tested.