Bike Racks

[Monkey]

Evening. Just found this forum, so "Hi" and here's a question...

Has anybody got any cunning ideas about how to carry a mountain bike on an IS200? I can't use a roof-mounted carrier as a lot of the places I go to have height restrictors at the entrance. Anyone used a rack that does the job without scratching everything?

Cheers!

[UltraViolet]

Get a Monkey bike - fit it in the boot!

Sos.... not helpful - but your username made me do it ....... :shutit:

[Fidgits]

Hi and welcome to the club...

Halfords do a range of carriers designed for both hatchback and saloon cars, I would reccomend talking to someone there about them. I'm sure you will be able to find something suitable.

Ian.

[dark_is200]

welcome to the club. not very helpful but you can get a mountain bike in the boot if you take both wheels of. i've done it quite a few times.

[ricky_is200]

I was chatting to TonyGoose about this earlier today. If you take both wheels off and the saddle off it should fit in. You have lower it into the boot at a certain angle but mine went in fine.

[dark_is200]

I was chatting to TonyGoose about this earlier today. If you take both wheels off and the saddle off it should fit in. You have lower it into the boot at a certain angle but mine went in fine.

good point - saddle has to come off as well

[Monkey]

Hello chaps. Thanks for the responses.

UltraViolet - I'm 6ft 4; I don't think a monkey bike is an option. :P

Getting some kind of Halfords-esque boot rack was my first thought, too, but I seem to know too many people who've had their racks fall off or drop bikes on the boot lid. That would make Monkey angry.

But I hadn't thought too much about taking wheels/saddle off and stuffing it in the boot. My current mtb doesn't really agree with the term 'quick-release' but I'd certainly rather change my bike than change my IS.

Anyone here used a boot rack? Or got any other ideas? (but if it involves sticky-back plastic and empty washing-up liquid bottles, I'm leaving.... )

[Whitebeam]

I've seen bike racks which fit onto a towbar - don't know makes / models.

Possible problems are :

1. You have to fit a towbar.

2. Bike(s) will probably block number plate / tail lights - have to fit a 'trailer board' etc.

May be worth a look however.

Whitebeam

[Cutex]

I've got a bike rack that fits on the boot of my IS - no washing up liquid bottles or sticky tape required.

I've used it at least 3 times to transport 2 MB's to Centerparcs with no scratches on the car (that I'm aware of) - need to be careful to 'stack' the bikes carefully tho as we've melted two bike tyres by placing them to close to the exhaust :duh:

Not sure of the make - I'll see if I can peek in the garage to find out later - but it works with 'J' shaped clips that slot over the boot

We don't think it ideal tho - seems a lot of weight/pressure on those 4 clips so interested in other recommendations

[RX-Men-8]

Hi,

Every other Dutchman with a car and a bicycle has one of these:

The brand is Twinny Load and is available in various models at Halfords and other Car/Bike accessory shops. For mountain-bikes you need the one shown that can handle bikes with curved cranks (this is where a screw-clamp holds the bike to the carrier). Cost (in Holland) about €100-150. There are also models that can be tilted backwards so you can access the trunk/boot while bikes are mounted.

It rests on the towball and is held in place with the 2-pipe fixture you can bolt on. There is another wing-bolt that locks the thing just underneath the ball. Very sturdy, it holds 2 bikes and 100mph plus is not a problem.

The standard removable hitch for an IS is a little bit taller, so I had to buy a longer 2-pipe fixture accessory and cut that to size. Working around the release mechanism of the removable towbar takes some adjusting.

By the way, there are other vendors that make a similar product. I've seen ones that can hold up to 4 bikes.

There is also a "click-on" type that just clamps around the towball. This is just to get 1 bike home on a short stretch. Costs about €20.

I've got one, so I can make a demo pic.

[RX-Men-8]

Here's the simple one. It works by a strong leverage of the vertical beams to clamp very tightly on the towball. Nothing else is needed. It's very small, you can just fold it up. More care is needed in preventing the bicycle from touching the car, I added the electical wire to bind the bike to the carrier, and to keep the front wheel from flopping around. It will cover your license plate, so it's better to use it in bad weather. (To pick up a cyclist from the train station or so... the cops won't bother to come out of their car anyway). Of course you can add lights and a plate, but then it wouldn't be simple anymore....

[Monkey]

RX-Men-8, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks!

So now my mind is full of questions. Like... is that the standard Lexus tow bar? Do you happen to have any more pictures, particularly of where the rack attaches to the tow bar? It's difficult to see from the photos, but what stops the bike from falling over and off the rack?

Excellent! Thanks again. That deserves one of these... :D

[RX-Men-8]

Yes, it's the standard IS200 towbar (You can see the Toyota badge somewhere in the pics)

The thing works by the sheer clamping pressure on the towball, which is leveraged when pusing the vertical arms apart from the top. The horizontal bar then folds flat-out and it has a latch to lock it. See the left pic and top pic for folded and mounted position. The part clamping on the towball are just 2 steel 2" pipe-ends that squeeze together very tightly (they are on the short arm of the "lever")

What keeps the bike from falling off the rack? The thick 1.75 sq mm electical wire! The bike just hangs with its frame on the two arms. You hang it like a coat, and then wrap the wires around the frame tightly (sorry I haven't shot a pic with the bike securely tightened). I don't know how you would call them, but one of these elastic ropes with a hook on each end could help securing the bike at the bottom. I've always got 2 of these in the trunk for securing luggage.

The thing is cheap, but mounting a towbar is pricey. I think they are €600 without fitting. No problem fitting them yourself, though. Takes an afternoon. For me it was a case of finding a second-hand Lexus with a towbar. And - ISes with automatic gearboxes usually don't have one, for an extra oil-cooler needs to be installed (presumably for towing trailers, not bikes).

[Monkey]

Sorry - my bad. I meant to say I was talking about the first of the two carriers, the Twinny Load thing. Sorry.

[RX-Men-8]

Textwise it's probably of little use, but try clicking around on

http://www.twinnyload.nl

It has more accessories and better pics than I can ever make.

Cheers

[Monkey]

RX-Men-8, thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

(Hmm... that RX-8 is nice....)