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Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

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Satsuma
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Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64867

Postby Satsuma » July 5th, 2017, 10:34 am

I need to transport a bike on a semi regular basis. Bike currently has a fixed/non-QR wheel (not a fixie bike, just a wheel tightened by spanner)

I currently have a hatchback, so need to take the front wheel off to fit it in the back. But in a few months this problem should go away with a larger car.

- Solution 1: Swap the whole wheel for a new one with QR/convert just the hub to QR skewer/some variant of, and put in the boot.
- Solution 2: Buy a car rack (e.g. Saris Solo, ~£40). I would also probably need to buy a top-tube adapter for transit as well, as this bike has a step-through one that doesn't look like it'll work on the Saris (as well as possibly an extra numberplate). Not fixed on that rack especially BTW, just looks like a good reliable buy. Should be easily able to resell in future too.
- Solution 3: ?

Issues:
* Don't want to spend ages fannying round each end of the ride. Not sure what the lesser evil is: spannering a wheel on, QRing a wheel on, unstrapping from rack?
* Leaving a rack unattended on the car while I am away - of course I can remove it, but that is just extra time and hassle when I don't want it! I am leaving the car somewhere "nice", but it will just be in a public car park or street.
* Will be driving on motorways part of the journey. Is speed a concern with strap-mounted racks?

Any opinions or things I have missed from my considerations?

MTIA
Sats

Ashfordian
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64878

Postby Ashfordian » July 5th, 2017, 10:50 am

Satsuma wrote:I need to transport a bike on a semi regular basis. Bike currently has a fixed/non-QR wheel (not a fixie bike, just a wheel tightened by spanner)

I currently have a hatchback, so need to take the front wheel off to fit it in the back. But in a few months this problem should go away with a larger car.

Any opinions or things I have missed from my considerations?

MTIA
Sats


What car do you have?

Could you put the back seats down and thus allow the bike to go in without taking the front wheel off?

This works for all my bike in my Honda Civic

Satsuma
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64887

Postby Satsuma » July 5th, 2017, 11:23 am

Ashfordian wrote:What car do you have?

Could you put the back seats down and thus allow the bike to go in without taking the front wheel off?


Sorry should have been clear: "in the back" means with the seats down. Wheel has to come off if it's going in the car! Believe me, we have tried every which way over the years, and have the grazed knuckles for it! :lol:

Sats

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64933

Postby moorfield » July 5th, 2017, 2:14 pm

Maybe trawl ebay or (local) gumtree for a second hand 2/3 bike rack? A good longer term investment too if cycling with friends/family etc. in the future.

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64935

Postby Satsuma » July 5th, 2017, 2:19 pm

ap8889 wrote:+1 new QR skewer. Cheap and easy.


So you are +1 for the QR solution overall, I gather?!

I was looking online and it seems that I need to 'convert' the axle too, but is that just fancy talk for remove existing and replace with something like this (quick google search, no idea if this is the right size etc): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quick-Release ... 0608393799.

I did also see a few comments abut the relative lack of strength of hollow axles verses fixed, but given my other bike has QR, can't see why it's called out as an issue here? (Am I missing something?)


ap8889 wrote:Ultimately when funds allow, a Brompton folding bike solves this problem really well for 90% of use cases. Wouldnt take one downhill, or expect to race Chris Boardman or Migual Indurain on one, but for hasslefree multimode transport they rock.


Probably not great for the partly offroad/gravel/up/downhill tracks I'll be on then... :D
(Also v expensive for the use it would get)

Satsuma
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64936

Postby Satsuma » July 5th, 2017, 2:20 pm

moorfield wrote:Maybe trawl ebay or (local) gumtree for a second hand 2/3 bike rack? A good longer term investment too if cycling with friends/family etc. in the future.


Thanks, but we won't need that with the bigger car, that will fit us and 2 bikes in easily :D

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64945

Postby cjs7969 » July 5th, 2017, 2:35 pm

[quote="Satsuma"]I need to transport a bike on a semi regular basis. Bike currently has a fixed/non-QR wheel (not a fixie bike, just a wheel tightened by spanner)

I have several bikes, but the one I commute on has a front wheel held in place by standard 15mm nuts. I carry a ratchet spanner; with this, I can undo and re-tighten these nuts in literally seconds. I opted against QR skewers when I built this bike because they make the wheel so much easier to steal.

Chris

Satsuma
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64951

Postby Satsuma » July 5th, 2017, 2:43 pm

cjs7969 wrote:
Satsuma wrote:I need to transport a bike on a semi regular basis. Bike currently has a fixed/non-QR wheel (not a fixie bike, just a wheel tightened by spanner)

I have several bikes, but the one I commute on has a front wheel held in place by standard 15mm nuts. I carry a ratchet spanner; with this, I can undo and re-tighten these nuts in literally seconds. I opted against QR skewers when I built this bike because they make the wheel so much easier to steal.

Chris



Ooh a left-field option 3 of "keep the fixed wheel"!
Having quickly googled ratchet spanners they seem like a handy item!

So this may indeed by viable too. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#64989

Postby didds » July 5th, 2017, 5:26 pm

+1s for morfield and ap889's suggestions.

keep it cheap and easy.

check out freecycle and freegle groups too for the bike rack. Stick up a wanted ad. then you can offer it again when you've a bigger car



didds

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#65008

Postby 9873210 » July 5th, 2017, 8:02 pm

This is not strictly a short term issue. Unless your future vehicle will be tall enough to hold the bike vertically, investing in quickly removing at least the front wheel will not be wasted. Even with a large car (mine fits a tandem, with care) it's quicker and easier to remove the QR wheels than to load the bike intact. With the front wheel (or both wheels) removed I can pick up the bike by the rear triangle and extend it horizontally into the car. Placing it in one careful step. If I leave the front wheel on -- it flops. I need a second person to guide it or have to inch the bike in, continually stopping to adjust the front wheel, lest it gouge the handlebars into the headliner.

So I'd get a QR or learn how to remove and replace the nuts quickly. The latter depends on the quality of the bike. With cheap bikes replacing the wheel and tightening the nuts can be fiddly.

I also find it useful to have a second set of wheels. It gives me a choice of tyres and a quick fix when I find a slow leak just before a ride.
If that appeals to you and you have a place to store them you could get a second set with a QR now.

Satsuma
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#65101

Postby Satsuma » July 6th, 2017, 11:01 am

Thanks all, I appreciate the comments.

I am definitely veering towards the QR or ratchet spanner options now. Will look at the options and pick one from there.

Thanks!
Sats

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#65365

Postby jofc » July 7th, 2017, 10:20 am

A quick review how the parents transport bikes & their tales of transporting bikes from my son's bike club:

Most popular bike racks are those that fit on the car towbar & hold up to 4 bikes.

A couple of us drive small multispace vans, so bikes go in the back fully assembled. I can fit 2 bikes with just 1 back seat folded down
I think best option if your car doesn't need to keep up an image and/or you value your bikes highly

Some pull the front Quick release wheel out & put the bikes in the boot.
But have had problems where no biking parent brings them & doesn't re-fit wheel properly

Roof mounted racks are used - but due to height restriction on car park, we have had at least one expensive disaster where the bikes have been wiped out by the height barrier.

Hatchback mounted bike carrier (frame with lots of straps - popular at halfords). Hardly any of these & a reasonable number of us having seen other cars with them shed bikes on the motorway. You would need to be very careful in how you attach them.

didds
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#65574

Postby didds » July 7th, 2017, 11:26 pm

jofc wrote:f straps - popular at halfords). Hardly any of these & a reasonable number of us having seen other cars with them shed bikes on the motorway. You would need to be very careful in how you attach them.


lots of bungee straps and string has always done the job I've found :-)

But QR is a definite boon!

didds

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#68443

Postby colin » July 19th, 2017, 6:02 pm

I have not tried this myself but it might work, fit a roof rack , put tubular foam insulation across the bars of the rack, immobilize front wheel of bike with some kind of strap/ reusable cable tie locking front wheel to bike frame, then strap the bike flat in the roof bars, pad out the bars as necessary so the bike is held high enough that the peddle does not contact the car roof.

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#68922

Postby bombat » July 21st, 2017, 10:32 pm

As you've discovered, you can't retrofit a QR to a solid axle (well, technically you can, but it's far from a simple task and not really worth it).

I don't get why you can't just undo the wheel nuts with a spanner - it only takes a few seconds longer than a QR. A rack will cost you money, is a faff to take on and off the back each time you use it and the time you spend strapping bikes on to it is going to be far longer than taking a wheel off with a couple of 15mm spanners and bunging the bike in the back of the car.

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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#69868

Postby colin » July 26th, 2017, 11:09 pm

my experience has been that taking wheels off and bunging bike in back is never that simple, brakes have to be undone to allow the wheel to be removed which invariably messes with the brake adjustments when refitting, then mudguard stays can easily be bent by the weight of the bike without supporting wheels resulting in tires rubbing against the mudguard when refitted. If I really wanted to put a bike in the back of a car on a regular basis a folding bike might be a better solution.

Satsuma
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Re: Best solution (time and cost wise) to bike transport issue

#70974

Postby Satsuma » July 31st, 2017, 2:58 pm

Thanks to all for the varied responses.

As is the very nature of sod's law, things changed entirely so I ended up only needing to separately transport two different bikes in my car a couple of times anyway (one was the original heavy fixed one; the other a QR lighter model [with disc brakes, so that wasn't a problem either]). Both were a PITA to manouevre in and out by myself, but they each did the job they were needed for very well.

Buying a folding bike was never an option (cost-wise, terrain-wise, duration of requirement-wise), and similarly with more expensive mounting options that would only be needed temporarily.

So all my careful prior planning and research was really for naught, but no harm done! Maybe a fellow Lemon will chance upon this one day and reap the benefits of my dilemma! :D

Sats


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