I noticed you guys put the HaulaDay upside down on a saris rack on the Prius. I have the same rack on my subaru but I am having trouble getting the bike to fit tight… any suggestions or modifications that you guys did? Thanks!
We're lucky that we don't have to drive very often but when we do, we love taking our bikes with us. It's great to be able to extend your biking range or to get your bike to a new location that might be too far to safely/reasonably bike to. It can be tricky to get a cargo bike on the back of a regular-sized car but it's not impossible. Here's what we've done.
My parents have a Prius that we sometimes borrow and we have a Saris 3-bike trunk rack, nothing fancy. We went with the 3-bike rack because it's nice to be able to bring as many bikes with us as possible, and I realized that if a rack is sturdy enough to carry three bikes, it's probably okay for one giant bike. The first time we tried to get a cargo bike on that rack, it was actually the Mundo, an 80ish pound cargo bike. I stripped off everything that could be removed to lighten the weight just slightly, then managed to hoist it up and strap it down with every tie-down I had.
We're lucky that we don't have to drive very often but when we do, we love taking our bikes with us. It's great to be able to extend your biking range or to get your bike to a new location that might be too far to safely/reasonably bike to. It can be tricky to get a cargo bike on the back of a regular-sized car but it's not impossible. Here's what we've done.
My parents have a Prius that we sometimes borrow and we have a Saris 3-bike trunk rack, nothing fancy. We went with the 3-bike rack because it's nice to be able to bring as many bikes with us as possible, and I realized that if a rack is sturdy enough to carry three bikes, it's probably okay for one giant bike. The first time we tried to get a cargo bike on that rack, it was actually the Mundo, an 80ish pound cargo bike. I stripped off everything that could be removed to lighten the weight just slightly, then managed to hoist it up and strap it down with every tie-down I had.
Notice how the bike sticks out on either side of the car and the tail end is raised due to the sloping top tube. Since most of the weight is in the back, I have the back of the cargo bike as close to the rack as possible. We made it all the way home, about 40 miles at about 50mph that day, without so much as a wobble.
The next time we tried it, there was more weight on the bike with the addition of the front basket and bags. There was a noticeable difference in the car's handling on the freeway. It was as if the bike was a giant sail. Removing the bags wouldn't have done much as there were wheel skirts underneath. Something to consider if you're going very far or trying to get there quickly.
Our next cargo bike-on-car experiences have involved the Haul-a-Day. This bike only weighs about 40 pounds and is shorter but has some unique tubing to deal with. I had originally bought a crossbar adapter for the bike so it could fit across like a "normal" bike but the adapter didn't fit and I didn't want to wait.
Our next cargo bike-on-car experiences have involved the Haul-a-Day. This bike only weighs about 40 pounds and is shorter but has some unique tubing to deal with. I had originally bought a crossbar adapter for the bike so it could fit across like a "normal" bike but the adapter didn't fit and I didn't want to wait.
My first attempt wasn't great. I realized quickly that all the weight was on the bottom of the bike and it was too heavy to have upright. Putting it on the rack upside-down made it more stable but the weight still wasn't balanced well. Notice how much the bike sticks out on the driver's side. The ride was only 3 miles across town on city streets but it was terrifying. I analyzed each bump and vibration trying to decide if it was swaying too much. One of the plastic snap-downs of the rack arms broke (this was an older rack and the parts had weakened in the sun). We barely made it home.
For my next attempt, I had had a little more time to decide how to set up the bike and I had to make sure it was secure as we were driving up to Eugene for the next 10 hours. We had a new rack (same one) and about 4 different types of tie downs.
This time, I placed the bike upside down again but with more of the rear weight closer to the rack. This meant that the part of the frame that was on the rack was right in front of the seatpost and the front of the deck. The bike was more balanced in weight and the additional tie downs held everything securely. We drove the whole way at (slow) freeway speeds and the bike didn't move once.
For my next attempt, I had had a little more time to decide how to set up the bike and I had to make sure it was secure as we were driving up to Eugene for the next 10 hours. We had a new rack (same one) and about 4 different types of tie downs.
This time, I placed the bike upside down again but with more of the rear weight closer to the rack. This meant that the part of the frame that was on the rack was right in front of the seatpost and the front of the deck. The bike was more balanced in weight and the additional tie downs held everything securely. We drove the whole way at (slow) freeway speeds and the bike didn't move once.
So now, we've got the system down! We've driven a handful of times with both Haul-a-Days. My tips:
1. Remove as much as you can, especially anything that could fall off if jiggled a lot and anything that catches the wind
2. Find the bike's true center of balance and try to hang it on the rack from there.
3. Use as many tie downs as possible. With the 3-bike rack, I can usually get the tubes of the rack to fit into the slots where two different bikes would go. The snap downs that would usually attach to a seat tube can hook to the seatpost instead. Get creative and then use extra bungee cords and cam straps as extra securing, to keep the front wheel/handlebars from bouncing into the car, and for peace of mind.
4. Unlike with the Mundo, I can actually do this all on my own but it is much easier to have a second set of hands to help.
1. Remove as much as you can, especially anything that could fall off if jiggled a lot and anything that catches the wind
2. Find the bike's true center of balance and try to hang it on the rack from there.
3. Use as many tie downs as possible. With the 3-bike rack, I can usually get the tubes of the rack to fit into the slots where two different bikes would go. The snap downs that would usually attach to a seat tube can hook to the seatpost instead. Get creative and then use extra bungee cords and cam straps as extra securing, to keep the front wheel/handlebars from bouncing into the car, and for peace of mind.
4. Unlike with the Mundo, I can actually do this all on my own but it is much easier to have a second set of hands to help.
Hi, Alan!!!
And if you don't have any passengers:
Or if you have this kind of rack (front wheel and disc brake removed, handlebars turned 180 degrees, no need to take off bags unless there's a wicked crosswind):
More adventures by bike!
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