Hey everyone, I just got a 2012 Prius 2 in January and I went to this place called the Bike Loft ( I figured they would be the experts rather than say Walmart or Target), and I asked them if they had any bike racks that could mount to the back of my car. The guy said because of the spoiler and windshield wiper he would advise against putting a bike rack on it as to not damage the car and because it is better to have a rack centered. Is that true? I want a bike rack for my Prius, but I now question if it is a good idea. Any thoughts or tips are appreciated. Thank you in advance!
I have a Saris Bones rack for 3 bikes. Got it for my previous car, an '07 Corolla S. Fit great on the Corolla with its spoiler. The fit on the Prius is not awesome. Thinking about selling the Bones rack and getting a hitch or roof rack. Pic of the Saris Bones:
I adjusted mine so the lower legs to rest on the bumper, rather than push on the hatch door. Try that instead. It fits better that way.
Haha. Actually did that on the way home. Didn't care for that fit either. The straps rubbed the spoiler too much and the hard plastic from the bottom legs were pressed up against the hatch. Guess it'll work for short trips but think I'll still change to something else. Plus I want to upgrade to a 4 bike carrier anyway.
Actually, the hard plastic won't press. To have them further out (no contact at all), you have to adjust both the upper & lower legs... basically remove everything and reassemble from scratch. It's time-consuming, but the flexibility is why so many people like the Saris racks. The straps do barely touch, but I always have leftover pipe-isolation from grille-blocking each year. Placing a strip under each works fantastic for long trips. I've done many +200 mile drives with bikes on back that way, without any problem or rubbing. It's a nice affordable option. To carry more bike and/or be totally contact free, the only choice is a hitch-rack. I did that for many, many years with my Taurus and my Classic Prius.
I only need a 2 bike carrier, so would the Saris rack work on my car? I just don't want to injure the car.
No marks on my car. The rubber feet are really nice. Though, make sure they and the car itself are clean first. Also, it's nice knowing how stable the rack is with a load too, even in the rain.
Well I guess my last question is where did you purchase it and for how much? I will obviously look online and then shop around for it too.
Hitch mount racks don't touch the car at all. Cost though is much higher overall than trunk mounted racks. here's a few photos. Done deal, got my Blizzard White Persona! | Page 2 | PriusChat
I bought mine a whole decade ago, back when I upgraded from a Classic to an Iconic model Prius. And still to this day, I'm using that same rack. We routinely take trips from south of the cities in Minnesota to the northern vacation lakes area, with 2 bikes on back and 1 large 3-wheel recumbant inside. We've had 3 bikes on back sometimes too. It has always worked out really well. I'm sure you'll be able to find a good deal either in-store (now's a good time for sales) or online.
