Am contemplating buying a Prius Prime this week and get rid of my 2016 RAV 4 Limited Hybrid. Has anyone tried to be a 56cm road bicycle in the back of the Prime? Just curious if I will have to buy a roof rack .. don't really want to have to do that. I had one on my 2015 Model Five Prius and hated it. Thank you!
Get a receiver hitch and buy a bike carrier. You'll be very pleased. In my case, I use a 2" adapter to carry my wife's wheel chair which works perfectly. Check out this thread: Trailer hitch? | PriusChat Bob Wilson
No rack needed. My 52cm road bikes fits in back and I don't even have to take the front wheel off, which I did have to do in my Camry. I am sure 56cm would fit as well. I posted a picture in another thread.
My 56 fits in the back of my Gen 4 with the front tire off. I also have a trailer hitch bike rack which I prefer.
FYI, Torklift Central now lists a 2 inch hitch for the Prius Prime on their website, "Stealth Eco Hitch", Part Number 7369. http://torkliftcentral.com/2017-toyota-prius-prime-stealth-ecohitch The hitch is pricey, at $339.99 USD, plus tax and shipping! But it has a 2 inch receiver, and based on the pictures in post #59 of "Cyclists - Roof Rack or Install a Hitch & Thule Rack?", it is designed specifically for the longer bumper of the Prime. It extends to the edge of the bumper, instead of being recessed about 3 inches like the hitches made for a regular 2017 Gen 4 Prius that "also fit the Prime". Alas, my bike carrier that I used with my '05 Prius is 1-1/4 inch, not 2 inch. I called Torklift Central in Kent, Washington and asked in they also made an 1-1/4" hitch for the Prime. They do not, but said they could custom make one for an additional $210 to $250. Ouch! I also asked what they would charge to install the hitch at the company's home site in Kent, and was quoted $281. This hitch and installation is way out of my price range, but thought others might want to know it is available.
My 56cm road bike fits in prime ok .. but old Prius a 2006 I could put two bikes in back also without removing wheels
I have a Draw-Tite hitch. The Torklift hitch wasn't available at the time, plus unless your rack is 2", you're better off with a 1-1/4" hitch. The Draw-Tite has relatively cheap but you may need a hitch extender, depending on your bike rack. The Draw-Tite sticks back about 1" further (I think) than the Curt hitch. That gave me just enough clearance for my 1Up rack so I didn't have to use an extender. Bikes on the back really cut the gas mileage. I had two bikes on the back last week and got 39 mpg highway mileage. One bike is considerably better put close to the car. I'm not convinced that roof racks would give any worse mileage.
My 56cm road bike fits in fine. Not, however, my city/mountain bike. The handlebars are too wide so I have to take the front wheel off in order to angle them to fit. Annoying.
My 56 gravel bike needs the front wheel taken off before it can fit in the Prime whereas it would fit just fine in my old gen 2 Prius.
For what it's worth, I use a neat rack called Seasucker. I have their Bomber 3 bike rack that attaches to the roof with the strongest suction cups I've ever seen. I'm not a fan of any rear mounted bike racks and have always owned roof racks, but on my Prime I did not like the idea of a constant hit to my mileage/range when leaving a roof rack on the vehicle. This rack allows me to (easily) take off my rack when not in use, and reap the benefits of our amazingly efficient car.
Does a 2" to 1-1/4" adapter work OK? About $40. A 6" long 1-1/4" receiver tube costs about $30. Any local welding shop can crop off the original 2" receiver tube and weld on the 1-1/4" tube for a reasonable cost before the receiver assembly is installed on the car. is 6" long enough?
