New bicycle to minimize short trips

It won't damage your solar roof as long as you install properly. I have seen on forum, some people installed roof rack on their solar roof package...
We should ride together,Daniel but i couldn't ride in the weekend at least till June. Im eager to ride again. I've done ride San Diego-Orange County few times...

 

For Sure that would be fun, I've been trying to get back in shape! My Australia Trip I balloon up a bit.

 

My wife and I bike a lot; we normally bike to work except when it's raining. About 4 miles for me, 9 for her. Well, she bikes in the rain sometimes, and I take the Prius. Other times, she and the car will be long gone by the time I wake up, so I work from home instead. I definitely get better MPGs than her on the same trip, but she does much better on her trip to work than I do on mine; it's a challenge to get it up to 50 mpg by the time I get to work, usually dependent on the lights and the weather.

Both our bikes fit pretty easily in the back, just have to take off the front wheel. We have huge frames, though; I'm 6'1", she's 6' even, but has a 37" inseam.

We just got a tandem; we got one with couplers, so we can take it apart (it actually packs into a large suitcase; barely small enough to fly). Haven't done that yet, but I'm guessing we will soon. For driving trips, I imagine we'll just break it in half, and not completely take it apart.

 

This is a picture I found on priuschat when I was shopping for a bike rack. I think it is john170 to give credit where it is due.
Saris bones "3" bike rack if I remember right.
Bought mine used for $90.
It works fine, you just have to periodically tighten the straps. I don't notice much mpg drop with it on my car (bikeless)
If I have a bike or 2 on it,I think I got about 2 mpg less.

 

Woops,
I tried editing my original post and thought I deleted John's picture,
the Grey Prius picture is mine.
I use bungee chords to keep my wheels from spinning or flapping and to keep the pedals from bumping or scraping against the rear bumper.
My bike barely will fit into the back of the Prius with both wheels on and seats folded down.
With my front wheel off, it fits inside easily:rockon:

 

Here is another picture of the "Bones" 3 bike rack with a granny tricycle on it on the back of my old Corolla.
DON'T try this at home.
I drove a few miles with the tricycle on the Prius and I gave up that idea. It is too big.

 

I got a folder last year (Dahon Speed D7) for such purposes...I don't have to leave it outdoors for any would-be thieves, can go right along with me in the shopping cart.

 

I want a Dahon!
I just don't really have a use for one.

 

The sidewall won't wear out. I've put thousands of miles on a bike and only replaced pads.
But that said, disc brakes have great stopping power! Better in wet than rim brakes too.

 

I need to put a receiver-hitch on my Prius to use my current rack, which is VERY heavy iron. The other option would be to get a different rack, but I'm trying to transport a VERY large heavy bike. I might have to go with a small single-axle trailer.

Any suggestions? And don't say "new bike"

 

New bike! :rockon:

 

Just curious, but has anybody out there use a roof rack, and if so, how does it effect the performance of the car? I had a Toyota pickup with a 4 cylinder engine and a cab high fiberglass shell. I bought a roof rack, and I found the top speed of the truck with one mountain bike on top was 74 MPH....the roof rack went back to the store. This is one consideration, not yet discussed, that makes me think of the hitch rack.

 

I have one on my Audi and top speed isn't effected (anywhere near legal limits anyway) but mileage most definitely is. I lose at least 2-3mpg with the Thule rack and fairing. And that's just the rack. When the bike is up there it's much much worse.

I'm getting a hitch rack this time.

 

My 58cm road bike fits in the back with the seats down without even removing a wheel. That was one of the major selling points of the Prius for me. Throw a blanket over it and it's far less likely to be damaged or stolen than it would be sitting on a rack (even a locked one). Plus no aerodynamic hit in mileage. Of course this doesn't work with more than two passengers.

 

That is correct. I have a Yakima rack on my SRP, and the rack itself doesn't mount on the solar panels. The Q towers are mounted along the metal door rails. You just have to be careful when loading items off and on to the rack itself as any heavy item that falls on the panels will probably crack it. At the shop where I had the rack installed, the owner said that one of his customers with a SRP dropped his bike onto the solar panel. Cost $3,000 to repair.

 

Thule Helium receiver bike rack. Expensive, but light, mostly aluminum. Wouldn't use it for a group of heavy bikes. There's a 2 and a 3 bike model.

Need to order a hitch for the Prius. Wish the Gen II would fit, but I know it doesn't.

There is a very cool, nearly totally hidden hitch (not the brand Hidden Hitch) called 2011+ Toyota Prius EcoHitch Stealth Trailer Hitch -Torklift Central Welding... an outfit in Kent, Washington. Expensive, but take a look at their design. Someone put some thought into it.

Not too impressed with roof racks for bikes. Too easy to damage on low parking garage ceilings, openings and such. Plus they really sap a lot of MPGs.

Like to seeing all the bikes on this thread! I just ride an old aluminum Specialized Allez Comp that I bought about 7 years ago to replace an indestructible antique 1977 Peugeot OU-8 (I think), 10 speed. Have a "battle tank" '92 Trek hardtail mountain bike for the trails and for those years when local roads heave badly from frost after a cold Winter.

Pics of Thule Helium 3 and Allez Comp. Love to ride.

 

I need a hitch rack that uses the trays the wheels sit in, rather than the top tube hanger like in the pics above. I looked at Swagman and I like the price, but I've seen a lot of review of poor quality issues. Yakima has a couple offerings, and Saris actually has what looks like a good option. Normally I love Thule but I wasn't that impressed with what i saw in this category. I need to be able to haul my recumbent that has a 47.25" wheelbase. Both that and my mountain bike hav sloped tubes and I hate when the bikes are hanging all cockeyed, and I don't want to have to use bungie cords or other methods to keep them from moving around. The hitch racks that se the trays seem a lot more stable. Any other recommendations?