I am in the process of waiting for my RX-8 to be delivered, and my wife has decided that she wants to sell her 4Runner and get a convertable. Since we do not have kids, this wouldn't normally be a problem, but I do use the 4Runner for transporting my road bicycle to various events. Typically I use a bike rack supported by the hitch, but I do put the bike in the truck from time to time.

Now for my question: Has anyone tried to transport a bike in/on their RX-8? Is there a roof rack for it that won't hurt the paint? Can a road bike fit in the back seats if you put a blanket down and take off the wheels?

I never thought I'd be asking this question, but here it is anyway.

Thanks

 

I believe some people have fitted their 8 with a trailor hitch...

 

Bicycle? What are you some sort of tree-hugging environmentalist? Listen, you're either for or against the environment. You can't have a 13 mpg RX-8 AND a bicycle -- just doesn't work.

Of course, I'm kidding. I'm fairly certain that none of what I said makes any coherent sense anyways...

 

I once tried to fit my bike in the back seat w/ just the front wheel taken off. No dice. About a foot too long. I think it would fit w/ both wheels off but I haven't tried. Before I even attempted it, I'd place several blankets down across the whole back area. Don't want the sprockets to scratch the center console or seats. I haven't looked into a rack either. Here's an early welcome to the fold. Good luck.

 

Buy a king sized duvet / comforter from the Salvation Army the frame will fit in the back and then the wheels will fit in the trunk. This would work for one bike only. I do this with my road bike but have not tried it yet with the mountain bike, too scary, too much mud.

 

BMW has a bike that folds three ways, about $1200.00, a friend had one and it fit into his Z3 truck with the front wheel removed.

...true story!

 

I'm against it. Rape the environment.

 

Thanks all. I thought of putting a trailer hitch on the car since it won't be hauling anything heavy, but I don't like the idea of messing up the rear end that way. I am hoping that the car my wife wants will be able to have a hitch put on it so I can just use her car when I want to transport the bike. It was good to see that Streetsville is able to transport his bike this way. Most of the rides that start within 10 miles of my house I just ride to anyway, so it won't be an every week thing. CBD, thanks for finding the other thread for me.

And as far as saturn's comment go, Although I fully support some of the minor environmental things such as air, water, gravity, etc - you'll never see a post on here from me bitching about gas mileage...

 

Haha, you're in the wrong forum then

But seriously, there is a weekly argument scheduled about mileage, power, manual vs. automatic, and, of course, who is the biggest car enthusiast. Involvement in these threads is mandatory.

 

On the contrary.

During the day you are required to bike exactly the number of miles you drove your RX-8 that day. That makes your 8 end up with an average of 30-34 mpg, which is better than most economy cars.

 

Yeah, most notably, where the hell are you leaving your 8?

 

I have used a Bones bikerack on my Pacifica and my dearly departed 2004 RX8 without any damage to paint.

Here is some info from a site that recommends racks based on your vehicle:

http://www.saris.com/fit/fitoverview.asp

2004 MAZDA RX-8
Here are the Saris racks and accessories that fit your vehicle and carrying needs. You can read an overview of the products below and then click on the product information to learn more. This fit search is meant as a guide. Please consult with a dealer before making your final decision.

Multiple racks will fit your vehicle, you may use any of the following racks:

Bones (2 Bike)
Simply the finest trunk rack on the market. Carries up to two bikes.
product information
Guardian 2
1045P Guardian 2: Like having a Guardian Angel. Hold-downs wrap over bike frame to prevent movement. Carries hard to fit bikes like women’s, juvenile and unique style frames.
product information
Sentinel (2 Bike)
product information
Sentinel (3 Bike)
product information
Click here to do a new fit search.


801 - Saris Bones 3-Bike Trunk Mount Rack ( 300801 )

The 801 Saris Bones 3 bike, trunk mounted rack is a very popular choice, and fits a wide range of vehicles.

Saris Fit Guide



3 bike capacity
4-1/2 stars (out of 5), Bicycling Magazine
Injection-molded arms and legs are the strongest on the market
Built with 100% recyclable, non-rusting materials
Ratcheting anti-sway straps secure and stabalize bikes
Arc-based design fits over most spoilers, and separates bikes on different levels

 

Buy a moving blanket from UHaul and fold it into a taco shape. Place it in the backseat keeping the "taco" open. Take both wheels off your road bike, then carefully slide the bike, chain rings towards the front of the car, in the backseat in between the two halves of the taco. You'll probably grasp the bike at the seat tube and the bars, keeping the fork turned towards the front of the car. You can do this from either the driver or passenger side. Be cafefull not to touch the ceiling with the seat as the bike goes in. It will fit.

After you get the bike in, if necessary, adjust the taco so no part of the bike will touch the interior when the doors are closed and during your drive to the ride. Put your two wheels in the trunk with the rear wheel cogs up in first then layer with a towel then stack front wheel. Gear bag goes in the passenger seat. Drive like hell to your ride and kick *ss all over those Subaru driving wimps with roof racks, or better yet, chumps in full size SUV's and P/U's with trailer hitch bike racks. You have your cake and you're eating it too.

After you dust those poseurs on the last hill sprint, non-chalantly put the bike back in the car and peel out of the parking lot leaving black marks, just to reinforce the fact that you kicked all their *sses and you can actually fit a bike inside a sports car. Honestly, the only cooler vehicle to show up in is a full tilt minivan with no back seats/ soccer ***** decals on the side, just a fork holder and cot where the back seat used to be. That's the ultimate bike hauler...

 

Haha, you used "taco" four times in that post. Nice work.

 

TJLack - thanks for the product info, i checked out the site and the racks look nice. I am still a little fearful about putting a rack on the paint, but I if I go that route, I'll probably get the Bones.

BasenjiGuy - Thanks for the detailed explaination. I actually already have two of those blankets - you have to love them! I will definitely try your taco method out. Thanks for going to all of the detail. I have a wheel carrier that I can carry both wheels in without scratching them. I have to admit that when i started thinking about this, there was a cool factor to showing up at the ride, throwing open the doors and taking the bike out of the back.

I'm going to check out some of the hitches that were mentioned in the link that Cool-Blue-Dad gave us. If I can get a truely "hidden" hitch, then I can use both methods and not have to worry about my mountain bike (actually the crap I get all over it when I ride it).

 

I've put my bikes inside my car lots of times. Let's see, I fit a 54mm fuji touring series 4, an atala racing bike, and 56mm specialized roubaix inside the car without trouble (at different times.You aren't getting more than one in at a time). I've done this by opening both passenger doors, lowering the back of the passenger seat as far as it will go (base car with cloth manual seats), remove front wheel, and slide the bike in front fork first up towards the rear corner of the rear window then throw the front wheel on top. You can't get anyone else in, but biking is at its best as a solitary activity. Be sure to put a blanket down first if you want to make sure not to scratch anything. I don't and haven't done very much damage over the last couple of years, but there is definitely a risk there. It can be done if you want to do it. Happy riding!

 

Thanks Haze. I am convinced that I can transport one bike inside of the car, so I am going to try that. I am still going to look at the hitch hoping that it can work and will be hidden when not in use so that I can transport 2 bikes at once (wifes and mine).

 

Buy some vinyl tape to put down on the trunk lid.

Where the contact is made between the rack and the trunk, just lay down som vinyl tape. That way any friction is rubbed on the tape, not the paint.

Make sure the tape is NOT UV resistant since you don't want to have discolored paint where the tape once was should you decide to take it off later.

 

Have you thought about a roof rack. Yakima and Thule are the best, a bit pricey, but they don't touch the paint. I race MTB and road bikes and have one on my Altima, but would not hesitate putting one on my wifes 8. She wouldn't like it, but I would do it if it were my car.

I have had trunk racks before, but much prefer the roof rack.

 

One day, an environmentalist from the Sierra Club came to my house asking for donations, I shut the door on him.

What I SHOULD have done was say, "Do you see that car in my driveway? It gets 14 mpg. Do you really think I care about the environment?"

 

I've never used one - how would it hook up on an RX-8?

Thanks

 

It hooks into the door frame at 4 spots. I was mistaken about not touching the paint though. There are 4 contact points that sit right above the door with soft rubber "gaskets" that keep the paint from being damaged. The rack locks to the car and the bike locks to the rack. I have had my Trek 5.9 Madone and my Trek Fuel 100 on my car, locked up and NEVER worried about having them stolen. Great system. It will decrease mileage a little, but that is for another thread that everyone here loves.

Oh...... you ALWAYS have to remember the bike is on the rack. Driving into drive-thrus, into the garage, etc. I drove into the garage last weekend with the bike still on te rack and did some damage to my car. I am such and idiot sometimes. Good thing it wasn't the 8.

You can see the Yakima system at yakima.com.

 

Buy a beater truck or beat the idea out of your wife.

Good luck.