Mountain Biking with the cobra...

[jcayer]

How does everyone else (that mountain bikes) deal with getting the bike in/on the car?? I HATE the idea of getting a trunk mount due to scratching the paint, and I can't see spending the $ to get a roof mount, plus that would be nasty to take the mud covered bike and putting it on my roof. I know I can get it in the back seat if I take the front and rear tires off, but not only is that a pain to do, but more importantly, I really don't think putting a muddy bike back there is the solution either.

I am leaning towards getting a hitch mounted bike rack, but really I hate the idea of putting a hitch on it... What does everyone else do?? The good trails are a driving distance away, so I need to figure out something, just wondering what everyone else does so I can make a decidion...:beer:

 

[jcayer]

btt

 

[Kobraah]

With any of the trunk-mounted hitches, you're just asking for it, IMO. A good (read expensive) roof rack will do the job, but is FUGLY beyond words.

I would probably end up removing both wheels, putting them both in separate bags/covers to contain the mud, grease, etc. - ditto the frameset. If your particular bike fits in the trunk, great, if not, the wheels go there and the frame slides in the back seat, again with everything covered or your interior is TOAST in two trips.

Good luck...seriously, I would never attempt it with a Cobra. Mabye somebody else has a clever solution.

 

[Juiced-03]

Sounds like too much hassle IMO. I would be worried about scratching the paint with any method. And it seems like too much work to have take the bike apart while bagging everything and caring for the interior.

 

[JDV]

I bought a beater pickup just for situations like this...

I know its prolly not a good solution for you, but, hey, it is a solution

Honestly, i could probably fit a bike with both wheels removed in the trunk after lining it with heavy guage visqueen. That might work for you.

 

[Scott P]

If you can find a hidden hitch, you could mount a bike rack to that. Just remove the hitch when you get home since no self-respecting Cobra owner would have a hitch on their car.

 

[Orange Poison]

Yup...get a truck.

 

[jcayer]

yeah, getting a second vehicle would be ideal, but unfortunately, the issue is actually space right now. I have a garage at my appartment complex, but that only allows for one car inside and one outside, and those are both used up right now btwn me and my wife. so I really woudlnt have anywhere to park another vehicle (or else I would have kept my jeep that I traded in on the cobra.) I do like the self contained bags though.. that is something I didn't think of... that just might work, just line the back seat with a blanket, get 3 seperate bags to keep the tires and frame sealed up...Thanks for the suggestion on that one

(idealy the easiest would be a hidden hitch and a reciever mounted bike rack, then its outside (clean) and not touching the car (saves paint) but then I would have to get a hitch installed...

(anyone heard of a removable hidden hitch? not looking for huge tpw copasity, but enough to hold 2 bikes...??)

 

[Vaelin]

Check the back of Mountain Bike Action or Bicycling magazine. You'll sometimes see ads for a license plate hitch mount.

Basically it mounts a stable frame BEHIND your rear license plate so that you can attach a hitchmount to your car w/o having to put in a permanent tow hitch. The load capability is only about 75 pounds, but that is more than enough to carry your bikes. I had this hitchmount until my wife bought a Sebring sedan (which now has a Yakima roof rack).

edit: This is assuming you don't have two Intense M1's with doublecrown Boxxers weighing 40+ pounds each. I had two Psyclewerks Wildhares with XTR/Marzocchi Z1s and the hitch worked fine.

 

[Vaelin]

Here it is..

http://www.bdiracks.com/bdiplate.html

Figured if they can put it on a Mercedes, Ferrari, Porshe and a Miata, it'll do fine on my Mustang.

 

[Vancouver83LTD]

First of all, YEEEEES!
Props to you for not making it a garage queen!
Personally I view the whole matter as if i spend $40 000 on a car, it damn well be able to do everything a regular v6 or gt will do, just much faster.

lol, anyways, why not get a trunk mount?
Try taking say a sponge, or a towel, or something else soft and unabrasive that will be pinned between the mount and the paiunt. No scratched paint. If it doesn't want to stay on, well you have your old friend ducttape to attach the spong/towel/cloth/whatever to the rack.

Just an idea... in terms of straps (again, not 100% on how these things work) again, do the same thing.
Another idea is rapping the towel around the rack at the points of paint contact and then taping the towel together at the top

 

[jcayer]

Wow.. I really like the license plate rack mount idea... thats def. a possibility there... the towel/sponge idea is not bad either, and I would do that as well if I got a trunk mounted one, my issue was the bikes swinging at the rear bumper and all as well...

(and for the garage queen, hells no, I bought this car to enjoy it, not to save it and keep the milage low so that the next owner can enjoy it.. f that.. used is used, this is not something that you invest in for a turn around, you buy it to use it... this is my daily driver, just sleeps in a garage, thats all!!)

 

[Vancouver83LTD]

again, props on it being a daily.
I see what you mean with the tires... I get it now -
you could always remove the tires, you do have quick release - then swing the fork - I doubt it's so tight that the fork will hit it -
if you don't want to do that, you could also use a bikelock to lock the tires together by the rim (provided you have more than one bike on the rack) and that would probably work, or again, simply take off the rear tire and put it in the trunk or whatever - go to a nursery (plants, not kids) and ask for a plastic trunkmat - they usually have them for people to use so they don't get dirt from plants into their carpeting in the trunk