smallest vehicles to transport bents

"mike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

looking for a new car, was wondering what works well for
transporting swb and possible fold rush inside the
vehicle, best gas milage, and ease of use. looking at
honda element, suicide doors and fold down seat seem to
look easy to get stuff into, any other suggestions? wish i
could fit it into a mini..., dont want a huge gas guzzler
vehicle to transport a bicycle anymore.

Does it have to be a car? I use a Ford Ranger pickup

Quoted message said:

Does it have to be a car? I use a Ford Ranger pickup

yes need something to keep them out of the weather and out
of sight when parked on street.

I use a honda odyssey mini-van (not sure about the mini
part, though). It makes a great hauler, camper, etc.... gets
20 mpg. The bent stays inside unless I need it to haul r/c
airplanes, kayak stuff, etc., but a great all around
vehicle. They even get some respect.... sometimes.

I'm even thinking about a false economy dodge sprinter (big
$$ to buy, 25 mpg 4 cylinder diesel engine).... mainly for
more interior camping room.... but they are not quite on
shore, yet. . Arne, USA (member of the human tribe) . "mike"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Does it have to be a car? I use a Ford Ranger pickup

yes need something to keep them out of the weather and out
of sight when parked on street.

"mike" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

looking for a new car, was wondering what works well for
transporting swb and possible fold rush inside the
vehicle, best gas milage, and ease of use. looking at
honda element, suicide doors and fold down seat seem to
look easy to get stuff into, any other suggestions? wish i
could fit it into a mini..., dont want a huge gas guzzler
vehicle to transport a bicycle anymore.

I can get my V2 into my Hyundai Elantra GT by folding down
the back seats and removing the bike's front wheel. The
Elantra is considered a compact car or even a subcompact by
some. Its the hatchback that makes it possible so you should
consider looking at hatchback models. Some folks I ride with
have a Pontiac Aztec- another hatchback that has lots of
room when the seats are folded. Of course, you have to be
able to get past the, uh... unusual, looks of the Aztec.

Even though I can get my bike into my car, I eventually had
a receiver hitch installed and bought a receiver rack to
transport the bike.

rich

mike said:

looking for a new car, was wondering what works well for
transporting swb and possible fold rush inside the
vehicle, best gas milage, and ease of use. looking at
honda element, suicide doors and fold down seat seem to
look easy to get stuff into, any other suggestions? wish i
could fit it into a mini..., dont want a huge gas guzzler
vehicle to transport a bicycle anymore.

Wait until fall. I hear Ford is going to release a hybride
of their Escape. Up to 60mpg highway and 40mpg city. Of
course, those may change the closer we get to the release
date. BTW: Ford bought the hybride technology from Toyota.

I'm in the same boat, only my "boat" is a two man raft. I
am trying to fit my V2 into a Honda Insight(two seater
Hybrid). Right now, I am hauling the bent in a full size
cargo van at 15 MPG. Really bites. I can't mount a rack or
pull a trailer without voiding the extended warranty
because of the car's aluminum frame and body. Been trying
to think of a way to mount the fork in a carrier that would
be held in place by the closed rear hatch, with the rear
bike wheel (a travel wheel) on the road. I don't know about
the legalities of this, like if the bike would have to
carry a trailer license.

Right now, I'm at the point of installing quick release
connectors to the brake and shifter cables so I can remove
the tiller, pull the wheels and seat, and cover the drive
train in a "pygmy Pack" type shroud. But this is getting
into a lot of work. It also requires removing the car's
passenger seat. I am also open to any ideas.

Tom Balmer Goatbiker/V2

Quoted message said:

I can get my V2 into my Hyundai Elantra GT by folding down
the back seats and removing the bike's front wheel. The
Elantra is considered a compact car or even a subcompact
by some. Its the hatchback that makes it possible so you
should consider looking at hatchback models. Some folks I
ride with have a Pontiac Aztec- another hatchback that has
lots of room when the seats are folded. Of course, you
have to be able to get past the, uh... unusual, looks of
the Aztec.

Even though I can get my bike into my car, I eventually
had a receiver hitch installed and bought a receiver rack
to transport the bike.

rich

I carry my Rans Stratus in a Suzuki Swift hatchback by
removing both wheels and reclining the front seat all the
way down. Of course, if I want to bring a passenger, he/she
needs to sit on the folded rear seat(not sure if this is
quite legal or even safe). This car is about as small as it
gets, even smaller that the Toyota Echo hatchback I've been
seeing around lately.

Denis

[email hidden] (Thomas Balmer) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I'm in the same boat, only my "boat" is a two man raft. I
am trying to fit my V2 into a Honda Insight(two seater
Hybrid).

i would like to get a hybrid or a fuel efficent car. i guess
if i concentrate on a car i can fir a vrex into, a fold gold
rush should also fit, i have a van now, but it doesnt make
sence to use all that fuel to carry around a bicycle, plus i
need to replace
it. i wonder what type of stating wagon type cars, with
hatch backs , would be able to slide a bike in on its
side. the cars/vans that have the seats that fold into
the floor seem to be the best of both worlds

[email hidden] (mike) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Thomas Balmer) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I'm in the same boat, only my "boat" is a two man raft.
I am trying to fit my V2 into a Honda Insight(two seater
Hybrid).

i would like to get a hybrid or a fuel efficent car. i
guess if i concentrate on a car i can fir a vrex into, a
fold gold rush should also fit, i have a van now, but it
doesnt make sence to use all that fuel to carry around a
bicycle, plus i need to replace
it. i wonder what type of stating wagon type cars, with
hatch backs , would be able to slide a bike in on its
side. the cars/vans that have the seats that fold into
the floor seem to be the best of both worlds

I think the relevant question is whether you're planning on
carrying passengers now or in the future.

My Toyota Matrix would probably carry a Tour Easy with the
fairing removed, handlebars folded, and front wheel removed.
It's essentially a Corolla station wagon, so it's small,
somewhat economical, and paid for. Most of the time, though,
I carry the Tour Easy in my Aerostar van, which doesn't
require any disassembly and also carries my wife's Tour Easy
at the same time (and my wife, come to think of it).

Were we looking for a new car right now, we'd be taking a
serious look at the "new" Prius. It looks large enough to
carry a Fold Rush- I think. I haven't tried it.

Jeff

I use a lightweight trailer, www.sportsrig.com, that is
really a Yakima rack on motorcycle wheels with suspension
designed for lightweight loads and as a result it never
bounces around like a utility trailer, thus reducing the
stress on the bikes. When I ordered it, I had them add a
third bar, adjustable for distance from the other bars, so I
could use my existing Yakima fork mount gear plus a short
wheel tray on the third bar for the rear wheel of a LWB
recumbent. The wedgie bike racks still mount on the original
two bars so LWB and SWB can be carried at the same time. The
bars are at a very convenient height to handle the loading
without help and I have carried a Rans V2, Vrex, Stratus and
a Vision R42 LWB on it at the same time. Another good
feature is some of that some of aerodynamic drag is drafting
behind your car. The trailer weighs about 200lbs empty plus
about 120lbs for four bikes for a total of approximately
320lbs loaded, so ANY car with a hitch can pull it, even a
Mini. One of the features that sold me, due to my limited
storage space, was that it folds into a standing unit no
wider than a motorcycle and has a pair of tiny wheels bolted
to the end of the frame so it can be rolled around the
garage in the folded configuration.

This is a great trailer to haul up to 4 bikes using a small
tow vehicle, but the down side is that it is not enclosed
and it is a bit pricey.

I can put my GS trike completely assembled in my PT Cruiser
w/o removing any seats. 28-29 mpg w/ the 5-speed and it
makes me smile when I'm walking towards it. The front
passender seat also folds flat to allow lwb bents, I'd bet.

BentJay

PS To transport my Bikee E2 tandem I remove the front wheel
and hang it off a simple strap on trunk rack w/o any
problems...though one does have to be cognizant of the
foot of bike that sticks out of each side of the car.

[email hidden] (dipseair) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I use a lightweight trailer, www.sportsrig.com, that is
really a Yakima rack on motorcycle wheels with suspension
designed for lightweight loads and as a result it never
bounces around like a utility trailer,

Neat, but the OP specified that he wanted a way of
transporting the bike *inside* the vehicle.

Jeff

[email hidden] (Jeff Wills) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I think the relevant question is whether you're planning
on carrying passengers now or in the future.

My Toyota Matrix would probably carry a Tour Easy with the
fairing removed, handlebars folded, and front wheel
removed. It's essentially a Corolla station wagon, so it's
small, somewhat economical, and paid for. Most of the
time, though, I carry the Tour Easy in my Aerostar van,
which doesn't require any disassembly and also carries my
wife's Tour Easy at the same time (and my wife, come to
think of it). [...]

I agree about the Matrix/Vibe if you are traveling solo.
Routinely get 34 mpg (US) at 70 mph.

john riley 1 (at) rogers (dot) com

Quoted message said:

i would like to get a hybrid or a fuel efficent car. i
guess if i concentrate on a car i can fir a vrex into, a
fold gold rush should also fit, i have a van now, but it
doesnt make sence to use all that fuel to carry around a
bicycle, plus i need to replace
it. i wonder what type of stating wagon type cars, with
hatch backs , would be able to slide a bike in on its
side. the cars/vans that have the seats that fold into
the floor seem to be the best of both worlds

Experience suggests you can fit almost any kind of solo bike
into the smallest of hatchbacks, if you're not carrying
passengers. I can fit my Optima Baron in a Fiat Panda
(rather smaller than a Civic hatchback) by folding the rear
seat, reclining the passenger seat and placing the rear
wheel on the seat.

Mark van Gorkom.

[email hidden] (mike) wrote in message news:<-
[email hidden]>... [...]

Quoted message said:

looking at honda element...[...]

I like the Element, but note that the mileage is almost the
same as the _much_ larger Ody. Ody: 18/25 mpg(US), Element:
21/26 or 21/ 24
w/ AWD.

One other possible US market vehichle: the Scion xB. Boxy
as the box it came in and mileage of 30/34 mpg auto, 31/35
mpg manual.

[email hidden] (john riley) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

One other possible US market vehichle: the Scion xB. Boxy
as the box it came in and mileage of 30/34 mpg auto, 31/35
mpg manual.

yes trying to find a dealer that has them, i looked at the
gt crusier, i measured about 55 inches from rear of
passenger seat to lift gate, my vrex is about 72 inches, and
i am sure a fold rush is about the same, the front passenger
seat also comes out said the salesamn, so if riding solo it
would fit, and removal of fromt wheel may not give me enough
room, than gain it may work caddy corner. going to try and
find a scionxb to look at..

[email hidden] (mike) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (john riley) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

One other possible US market vehichle: the Scion xB.
Boxy as the box

finally looked at one today a scion xb, it didnt seem the
seat came out, and it was short, i have to remeber to bring
my tape measure with me, next time.. the honda element
seemed to have the best design as the rear seats will fold
against the bulkhead, or come out, caddy corner i got 70
inches, so i would think a fold rush would fit in there, 2
bikes side my side if front wheels are removed.. gas
mileage is not great 22mpg city, but i do more city
driving.. wish someone would take all the good features
into one vehicle, if the honda element had a removable
front passenger seat or fold down for cargo front passenger
seat like the pt cruizer and saturn vue, that would really
extend it cargo/lwb capacity when travelling solo

[email hidden] (john riley) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (mike) wrote in message news:<-
[email hidden]>... [...]

Quoted message said:

looking at honda element...[...]

I like the Element, but note that the mileage is almost
the same as the _much_ larger Ody. Ody: 18/25 mpg(US),
Element: 21/26 or 21/ 24
w/ AWD.

isn't the Odyssey a lot more money too? looking at front
wheel drive vehicles , do not need AWD anymore