Cyclists - Roof Rack or Install a Hitch & Thule Rack?

I have a 2" hitch on my PiP with a 4-bike rack, and I'll bet they are available for the Prime too. That's the best way to go since it's easier to mount the bikes, and much more aerodynamic. Also, no chance of forgetting the bikes on the roof as you enter a garage.

Roof mounted racks are going away in favor of hitch mounts. Their only drawback is hindering access to the hatch while bikes are mounted. Many hitch mounted racks allow bikes to be tilted out of the way to access the rear of the vehicle.

 

I do not believe that at the moment there is any mount points for a hitch in the Prime. And given that a fair portion of the back is carbon fiber (although I believe this is only the hatch so it shouldn't affect a mount point) you may want to be cautious of a hitch. The torsion that can be put on the rear end of the car can have negative impacts on the vehicle if it doesn't have the proper support structure to handle a hitch. I intend to get a roof mounted bike setup, although not my preference I am paranoid about messing up this car since it has to live 10 years and I really hate going to the body shop.

 

We have always carried our bikes inside the car. This has often involved removing the wheels. But the MPG hit of carrying them externally was enormous, and so worth the extra effort to avoid.

 

There isn't a hitch available for the Prime yet. The gen4 one should fit since they are the same chassis, but it isn't known how the larger Prime bumper will affect access and extension needs.

 

I have the stock rack from Toyota and a Thule bike carrier. So far they have worked very well together. I will say that as mentioned above the MPG hit is big, like 20%, but I think it's worth it given that it allows me to carry more than just my bike in my car.


iPhone ?

 

I have a 2 bike 1 Up rack on the back of my Gen 3 liftback. Very convenient. I estimate with bike(s) on it, there's a 3-5 mpg hit. Folded up against the rear bumper, it partly obscures the license plate with no detectable mpg hit. Haven't been pulled over by a cop yet, but I have friends that have. I don't have a camera or any sensors on the back of this car, but I would surmise that they would also be blocked. There's no wind noise from the rack. I'm waiting for a hitch to come out for the Prime so I can use my rack. Until then the bike goes inside.

 

Bikes travel in comfort, inside (wheels off, pedals always off until just before the ride) Wife & Ma-In-Law travel in style, up out of the way, gagged & tied to the Thule roof-rack! (…it's the only way! )

 

The problem with having the bikes outside is that they're subjected to all the weather, road crud, damage and other hazards found on the outside!

 

I had to cut 2 slits in the undertray plastic to mount my hitch, but that modification was minor and doesn't affect the overall aerodynamic efficiency.

I'd be more worried about body damage from a roof-mounted rack than a hitch mounted one. It's way more awkward to work on things that are above, and away from your body. Then again, I don't worry about cosmetic damage. I treat my car as an appliance, and that includes occasionally pushing through brush on overgrown logging roads. Buying used with cosmetic blemishes already there helps to ease the frustration of that first paint scratch.

Subjected to the same weather I'll be riding in. I'm confident my crashing in the mud is harder on the bike than a rack-mounted rain washing.

If I've only got 2 bikes and 1 passenger, then I usually put the bikes inside, since that's the least effort. Sometimes I'll use the rack when I don't want to deal with muddy bikes inside the car.

I got my bike rack to carry 4 bikes for weekly rides with friends to bars in Portland. It was becoming popular enough with my friends that we were having to take multiple vehicles to transport the bikes. The hitch I already had to pull around my 4 x 8 trailer.

 

I see that you live in Portland and I am trying to locate a receiver hitch I can mount on my 2017 Prius Prime.
Where were you able to find the right hitch and where did you get it mounted.
Definitely need to find it because my bikes are not going inside or on top.
Thank you for any assistance you can give me.

 

That is interesting because I was just down at Uhaul this last weekend and the manager spent 20 minutes searching on his computer and said there was not one available yet. I will check on their website and see. Thanks for the info.

Just checked and Uhaull is saying if you come to Tempe Arizona they will build one for you.
Where did you see that they actually had one for?

 

When I went to U-Haul online it said to go into my local U-Haul but nothing about the hitch being custom-built (though I bet it will have to be). But has anyone received one from U-Haul, or any place else for that matter? I really really need a hitch for a bike rack on my Prime.

 

I don't have a Prime, and I got my hitch from Torklift. They are way overpriced, but I like that the hitch hides behind the bumper. The only visible part is the square receiver. Talk to those guys in Kent, WA and they might be interested in making a hitch for the Prime.

 

U-Haul sells a relabeled Cequent hitch...Draw-Tite, Reese, Hidden Hitch are some of Cequent's brands.

Here's Cequent's instruction for their hitch for the 2017 Prius. You can see if your Prime can take this hitch:
draw-tite.com/support/installation/N24944.pdf

 

Easier, absolutely. As for much more aerodynamic, I'm not so sure. On my 2012 Liftback, the car's slipstream is much smaller than the bikes, so the bikes are still mostly exposed to uninterrupted, full force air drag. MPG loss percentage is no better than the roof racks on my previous cars.

Because of the hatch's shallow mount angle, I can easily open my 2012 hatch with plenty of clearance to the bike rack, no rack tilting necessary. The rack is actually set back a fairly significant distance, more than necessary for this setup. A non-tilting rack model could be lighter and stronger, and could still be set closer to the car without hatch interference.

The very same rack and hitch series on my Subaru Forester produces a very different result. With the Forester's nearly vertical hatch opening, the tilting rack is essential.

 

Just wanted to clarify... there are no available hitch for PRIME as of now, correct? I'd love to order one ASAP so that I can actually mount my bike instead of shoving it inside the car.

 

This seems to be the case. There MIGHT be an option that someone has ordered and I am waiting to hear the results of the install prior to taking the leap.