I'm going to be getting a Saris rooftop rack, sometime around the middle of next month. While I haven't tried it on a Prius yet, I've used one with the Saturn we had previously. The thing I really liked about them is how quick/easy they are to mount and remove... a big plus, since I don't intend to leave the beastie on the car when not in use.
Other than carrying my bicycle in the back of the liftback for daily commutes, I use a Yakima roof mount. Round bars make for an aerodynamic easy and secure fit. Bicycles (skis, kayaks, canoes, etc.) carry well. Bicycles mount sans front wheel with a protective bra (protects against bugs and stones) from the forks to the seat. I purchased the bars and mounts through Recreational Equipment Inc. (www.rei.com) - specific to the Prius.
Because bicycles are very popular in The Netherlands, the Dutch Toyota importer has designed a bicycle carrier. A lot of people over here use those racks, which are attached to the hook which is normally used for pulling trailers. As you know, such a hook is not availlable for the Prius, reason for them to designa construction which replaces the hook.
One company (maybe coastaltech?) makes a 2" receiver hitch for the Prius. This is designed specifically for a bicycle hitch... but NOT for towing. In fact, it does not even have the rings that you would use to attach safety chains from a trailer. In any case... a 2" receiver mount would be better than a 1.25" reciver hitch. Does anyone have a picture of what such a hitch looks like when attached to the Prius? /Jim
Hey, I purchased a rack for my car recently, and the rack quality is soo good I purchased my rack from an online store if you want then you can visit the Hitch Bike Racks site they have a wide range of racks.
