need an easy to use bike rack

[bike]

I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
muddy.

I only have to carry 1 bike and I have a 2 inch hitch. Is a hitch
rack the way to go?

I don't have a garage so I can't leave the bike on the rack (now I
usually just leave it in the car). I usually have to get the bike in
the morning when I'm headed to work and in a hurry. If my carrier is
to much trouble I'm sure I'll just revert back to using the cargo
area.

I'm thinking I would like to store the carrier in cargo area when it's
not in use. When I'm ready to ride I'll just attach the rack and
throw the bike on it.
A lot of racks have to be screwed on and I'm sure this will take to
much time.

I jus bought a Yakima TerraFirma but it's way to complicated. The
rack must be screwed into the hitch but it does have a wrench
attached. I'm gonna take it back in the morning and look for
something easier.

Can anyone recommend a rack?

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 22:01:46 -0400, bike > wrote:

>I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
>taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
>but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
>muddy.

Isn't that why you bought a big-ass SUV? Cargo space for your rough
and tumble adventure gear? <G>

Get a rubber mat for the cargo area, they're about $100 from most any
auto accessory store.

Barry

[Stephen Baker]

>I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
>taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
>but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
>muddy.

Simple solution - ride bike to trail, leave gas-guzzler at home. No scratching
or dirt in precious car, less gas bill.

Steve

[bike]

I have the mat. It's the sides that get scratch up and it's looking
pretty bad now. That is the reason I bought the big-ass SUV but it's
still to small for my bike.


On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 11:01:46 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r .
> wrote:

>On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 22:01:46 -0400, bike > wrote:
>
>>I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
>>taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
>>but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
>>muddy.
>
>Isn't that why you bought a big-ass SUV? Cargo space for your rough
>and tumble adventure gear? <G>
>
>Get a rubber mat for the cargo area, they're about $100 from most any
>auto accessory store.
>
>Barry

[[email protected]]

bike > wrote in message >...
> I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
> taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
> but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
> muddy.
>
> I only have to carry 1 bike and I have a 2 inch hitch. Is a hitch
> rack the way to go?
>
> I don't have a garage so I can't leave the bike on the rack (now I
> usually just leave it in the car). I usually have to get the bike in
> the morning when I'm headed to work and in a hurry. If my carrier is
> to much trouble I'm sure I'll just revert back to using the cargo
> area.
>
> I'm thinking I would like to store the carrier in cargo area when it's
> not in use. When I'm ready to ride I'll just attach the rack and
> throw the bike on it.
> A lot of racks have to be screwed on and I'm sure this will take to
> much time.
>
> I jus bought a Yakima TerraFirma but it's way to complicated. The
> rack must be screwed into the hitch but it does have a wrench
> attached. I'm gonna take it back in the morning and look for
> something easier.
>
> Can anyone recommend a rack?


If you are interested, I have a brand new, never been used, Yakima
Roc 2 hitch rack that will fit a 2 inch receiver. I put on an extra
cradle to hold 3 bikes. I never got around to getting a hitch on.
Like you, I have a Honda Passport SUV, and I put the seats down and
lay the bike down in the back. Yep, it gets muddy and scratched
inside, but it's an SUV, and that's what they are truly made for.
Clean up the mud and put the seats back up and you don't see a thing.

I am asking 200 for the entire thing, and if I need to ship it out,
that is included in the price.

Let me know

[Corvus Corvax]

bike > wrote
>
> I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
> taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
> but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
> muddy.

Aw, wouldn't want to get the inside of your truck muddy or anything.
Don't you feel dumb driving a huge stupid POS like that back and forth
to work every day?

CC

[Gary Schmitt]

"bike" > wrote in message
...
> I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
> taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
> but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
> muddy.
>
> I only have to carry 1 bike and I have a 2 inch hitch. Is a hitch
> rack the way to go?
>
> I don't have a garage so I can't leave the bike on the rack (now I
> usually just leave it in the car). I usually have to get the bike in
> the morning when I'm headed to work and in a hurry. If my carrier is
> to much trouble I'm sure I'll just revert back to using the cargo
> area.
>
> I'm thinking I would like to store the carrier in cargo area when it's
> not in use. When I'm ready to ride I'll just attach the rack and
> throw the bike on it.
> A lot of racks have to be screwed on and I'm sure this will take to
> much time.
>
> I jus bought a Yakima TerraFirma but it's way to complicated. The
> rack must be screwed into the hitch but it does have a wrench
> attached. I'm gonna take it back in the morning and look for
> something easier.
>
> Can anyone recommend a rack?
>



The sportworks (http://www.bicycleracks.com/) hitch mounts are great. Fold
up when not in use (but you have to fold it down to use tailgate/hatch; if
you have a hatch with a window that opens then you needn't fold it down).
They are quick and easy. No need to remove the wheel, and they fit all
frames and sizes (I often have my kids 10" bike on right behind mine). I
leave mine on the vehicle all the time. It wouldn't be the kind you'd want
to take off an on for every ride though.
Good luck.

[BB]

On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 12:01:36 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 07:42:47 -0400, bike > wrote:
>
>>I have the mat. It's the sides that get scratch up and it's looking
>>pretty bad now.
>
> You could put a fork mount on a 2x6, knock 1/2 the rear seat down, and
> stand the bike up inside. A second rubber mat can protect the back of
> the folded seat from mud.

You can get the fork mounts from Performance for $10 each. I've known a
few people that have used these, mounted on a 2x6 or something like that.
It seems pretty nice to be able to keep the bike inside the vehicle from a
security perspective, even if it is kind of a mess.

--
-BB-
To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

[Jon Bond]

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." > wrote
in message ...
> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 07:42:47 -0400, bike > wrote:
>
> >I have the mat. It's the sides that get scratch up and it's looking
> >pretty bad now.
>
> You could put a fork mount on a 2x6, knock 1/2 the rear seat down, and
> stand the bike up inside. A second rubber mat can protect the back of
> the folded seat from mud.
>
> OTOH, the more expensive hitch mount racks, like the better Yakima,
> Sportworks, or Hollywoods, fold up when not in use. Some fold down
> when the bike is on, allowing access to the rear gate. Some even
> accept ski mounts, etc... for other seasons. Be prepared to spend
> $200-250 or so for a really good model.
>
> I prefer roof racks, but large SUV's are a bear to load. I rule out
> roof racks on anything I can't load from the ground, because along
> with being a PITA to load, clearance problems often result.
>
> I had a company-provided Yukon for a while, and I was very
> disappointed in the "utility" of the vehicle. While it was truly a
> king of towing, a nice interior and all the easily scratched plastic
> inside left me under whelmed for a $35-40k vehicle. Great for
> transporting a few folks in luxury, but the "sport" aspect was also
> lost on me.
>
> Barry

Cargo hold mount I built for my jeep... scrap of plywood that was just big
enough, some sawing, two mounts from performance ($20 for the pair), and
some very cheap hardware to attach the mounts to the wood.

http://www.pbase.com/image/19404790

Jon Bond

[Westie]

"bike" > wrote in message
...
> I have a 2002 Tahoe and I ride 3 or 4 times a week. I have been
> taking off the front-wheel and putting the bike in the rear cargo area
> but this is starting to scratch up the interior and it gets my car
> muddy.
>
> I only have to carry 1 bike and I have a 2 inch hitch. Is a hitch
> rack the way to go?
<snip>

"Oh goodness! My big arse rugged manly 4WD recreational/utility vehicle
with the large cargo area is getting dirty! What should I do?!"
Why did you buy it? For the groceries I guess... <much rolling of eyes> I
must admit that over the years I've had a lot of guys like you in vehicles
like yours **** me off so I am completely biased.

But seriously, if the bike is worth anything, you're stupid to leave it in
the vehicle. You'll likely end up with missing bike AND a smashed window
one day.
And if you want cheap and easy, get a towbar rack. You'll be hard pressed
to get better value if nothingelse. A basic towbar/hitch rack costs about
$25 or less and is attached and removed from the towball/hitch with a
(supplied usually) hex key in about 30-40 seconds. You need another 20-30
seconds to throw and secure bike onto rack.
It's what I do when I don't want to carry two muddy bikes with the wheels
off in my tiny arse two door rice sportsmobile and have the back seat folded
down.
--
Westie

[M&M]

BB > wrote in message >...
> On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 12:01:36 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r . wrote:
> > On Sat, 02 Aug 2003 07:42:47 -0400, bike > wrote:
> >
> >>I have the mat. It's the sides that get scratch up and it's looking
> >>pretty bad now.
> >
> > You could put a fork mount on a 2x6, knock 1/2 the rear seat down, and
> > stand the bike up inside. A second rubber mat can protect the back of
> > the folded seat from mud.
>
> You can get the fork mounts from Performance for $10 each. I've known a
> few people that have used these, mounted on a 2x6 or something like that.
> It seems pretty nice to be able to keep the bike inside the vehicle from a
> security perspective, even if it is kind of a mess.

I've been shopping around for a pickup truck and the sales woman at
my local Dodge dealer showed me a very interesting feature in the bed
of the Ram pickup . 2 plastic tabs that can be pryed off (near the
back of the cab ) revealing locations where fork mounts can be
attached . Also in the Ram Quad cab , you can lift the rear seats an 2
metal plates fold out so you can place your bike behind the front
seats ( the rear doors open to 90 degrees ), which I thought to be a
nice touch . Some of the engineers must be mountain bikers .

M&M

[Pete]

"bike" > wrote in message
...
> I have the mat. It's the sides that get scratch up and it's looking
> pretty bad now. That is the reason I bought the big-ass SUV but it's
> still to small for my bike.

Ayup. If only prospective SUV buyers would actually evaluate the storage
space in the back of those things. The 4WD mech takes up so much space, the
floor is higher. Badly reducing interior storage space.

Trade it in and get a minivan. Cheaper, better ride, better gas mileage, far
more useful storage space.

hehe...but it's not as *cool*, is it?

Pete

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 03:28:44 GMT, "Pete" > wrote:

>
>Me? I have a $0 2x4 rack in the bed of my (non extended cab) pickup. Having
>to remove the wheels to haul it in a pickup is a serious disconnect.

When I had a truck, I didn't need ANY rack to haul my bike in the
back. <G>

Barry

[Jon Bond]

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." > wrote
in message ...
> On Mon, 04 Aug 2003 03:28:44 GMT, "Pete" > wrote:
>
> >
> >Me? I have a $0 2x4 rack in the bed of my (non extended cab) pickup.
Having
> >to remove the wheels to haul it in a pickup is a serious disconnect.
>
> When I had a truck, I didn't need ANY rack to haul my bike in the
> back. <G>
>
> Barry

4 bungie cords seem to work pretty well, even in a small bed like in the
Baja (right Blaine?)

Although for longer trips with more cargo, I'd prefer a few fork mounts -
gives you more room for race bags in the bed.

Jon Bond