I ride my bike all over, right now I got a Eclipse hatchback and the bike just fits with the cover closed if you get it positioned just right, but a royal pain. So while way down on my lists of considerations for getting a Pirus was wondering if I'd have better luck. Don't think the dealer would appreciate me trying to stuff a bike in when I take a test drive, so was wondering if anybody does this?
Here's a 27-inch with the front wheel off and the front seat still up... A bigger photo is on album page #58.
i toss my trail bike in the hatch all the time. or at least, i do when it's not obscenely hot out. you have to position the handlebars carefully but it's completely doable. i've put both of our bikes in the hatch at the same time before.
I haven't had much trouble putting in a 26" Schwinn mountain bike without taking any tires off and leaving the front seats upright (although moved up a little to protect against black marks. I usually will take the seat off (quick release seat post) to make it easier to put it in, but the bike does fit with it all on.
I can put my Trek roadbike in without taking off the wheels and can put 2 road bikes with the front wheels taken off with room for some small luggage and other things. Great car for cyclists!
My wife and I take front wheels off our 26 inch Schwinn mtn bikes and both fit in back nicely with no obstruction in looking out the back while driving. I am including a very unusual picture from last summer. My wife and I drove in about a dozen states during a full month and mountain biked in eight of the states. The picture shows our two bikes with all the luggage we took for the month, food, shopping items etc and note we could eaily see out back. It is easy for us just to take off and put on front wheels. Also note the front windshield. Each September we join the Mickelson Mountain Bike Trek in South Dakota and the windshield was covered in ice that morning. For this inconvenience we have never used an outside bike rack. Tarps and some towells are used when it rains/snows to clean the bikes.
You can leave up the "40" side of the 60/40 rear seats thus accomodating 1 backseat passenger, if you take the front wheel off. I've done it with a full suspension mtn bike and a road bike w/ aerobars. The biggest problem is trying to keep the tires and grease from the bike from making a mess on the interior.
Make sure you cover the carpet and sides if you carry a bicycle in the Prius. The carpet damages easily and the plastic scratches at the first contact with anything hard.
I keep a cloth tarp in the bin under the floor, I lay it out before putting my Cannondale road bike in. I pop the front tire off, plenty of room. I was pleasantly surprised. I think I like putting the bike inside rather than on the roof as I've done with other vehicles, it's protected from the elements and from would-be thieves.
With two baby car seats I will have to put mine on a rack. I got a permanent rack system like Darell's just installed. It rocks. I just throw the bike up top with no problems. Granted the rack system cost me about $475 (incluing installaiton and bike holder) after everything was said and done and I can fit cargo boxes on there now also. The only down side is I am almost too short to put my bike up there.
I've had two 26" bikes in mine at once. made the people jealous who had them on the car carrier, told them in an accident where you're rear ended you loose your bikes! They stopped laughing at putting them inside and were instantly curious about it. I should mention my bike is a 2004 Giant boulder SE and my sister had her insanely expensive road bike with her that day.
My "comfort" 26" won't fit well. The handlebars are too high, and I don't have quick release front brakes (even though the wheel is). Not a road bike, definitely a comfort townie. It fits well on the bus bike racks here though, so I'm not too worried. I need to have an external carrier anyway, since I sometimes would like to carry 3 bikes. Still researching that, though.
Well, I tried my Specialized Stumjumper FSR Com p07 and it did not fit. even with the front wheel off it was a very tight fit. I finally just threw it on the rack.
I haven't tried yet but intend to. I found that it is much better when I can put my Klein roadbike in the car and don't have to look through both the rack and the bike to see. To coin a phrase - biking and driving my Prius - these are a few of my favorite things.
I can put my 19" 29er in the back (front wheel off the bike but inside the car) of my Prius with the rear seats folded down the front seats up. Actually there's considerable room for other stuff in addition to the bike. Recently went to a mtn bike race with my 29er, tent, screen tent, medium sized cooler, small duffle bag and a 5 gal water container all in the back of the Prius.
I've had two fat-tired bikes in my Prius, no problem. I use a tarp on the bottom, and remove the front wheels. I put another tarp, and a few strategically placed pieces of cardboard and soft luggage, between them to eliminate any rubbing. Usually, I just take the bike for a ride and leave the car home. If I'm going really far, I make sure to pack a tent and sleeping bag.
