MX Poofs (again)

Have any of you Fellow Poofs ever managed to fit a cycle rack to your
car ?

 

As in one of those things that goes on the boot to carry pushbikes?

Yes.

 

Yes, that's what I mean. Was is a particular one for a convertible?, I
have one that I used on my Mazda 6/ Passat/ Mondeo estates but can't
seee how it would fit on the small boot of the Eunos.

 

They're designed for estates and hatchbacks, so I'm not sure you'd be
able to get it on an MX5.

 

I've seen an MX5 with a bike rack on it - so it's obviously possible.

Might be best looking at /asking on the MX5Nutz forum.

This apparently fits:

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=4382&categoryID
=782

Although I suspect any rack designed for a small saloon will fit,
though.

Just remember that an MX5 boot lid is aluminium, so more easily dented
/damaged than on most cars.

 

I've got a Saris Bones 2 and it's exceptionally good. Nick, if you're
anywhere near Solihull or Worcester, you're welcome to try it on your
MX5.

 

I read this and thought "a cycle rack isn't going to support the
weight of an MX bike".

 

You made the same mistake as me then - assuming something in the post
might be vaguely motorcycle related.

This is a car and phone group now, don't you know?

 

the **** didn't even have the grace to mark the subject as OT:

well, it's always been full of sad fucking geeks, eh?

 

Me too. Oi Speedgazebo, an MX5 is an MX5, not an MX.

 

That question came up on another forum a few months ago - someone had the
idea of transporting their small trailbike on a tow-hitch style rack
attached to the back of the car.

I think the consensus was that the rack would fall apart. But I see no
reason why it couldn't be done if you could build something sturdy enough
- even if the bike weighs 150kg that's only two people's weight, isn't it?

 

Racks for that have been around for donkey's years. Mine must be 30
years old at least.

The car's max trailer nose-wheel weight is the limit, if you want to
stay vaguely legal. I used to carry my DR400 (old one, not DRZ) with
the sump guard resting on the towball on my Alfa. That was probably a
good 50% over the nose-wheel weight, but never caused any problems.

 

There's a recent thread in the Guardian about bike racks. The
overwhelming opinion was it's worth shelling out for a decent tow-bar
mounted one.

 

I have this one ..

http://www.autowbars.co.uk/motorcyclerack.htm

and can confirm it's great. carried everything from a Fantic Trials
(very light) to a CB550 (relatively heavy) on the back of my discovery.

It's also useful for stupidly long or awkward stuff, that can't fit
inside, with strap-ons or bungees ..

 

There's a lot to be said for them. I used to do a bit of off-road
cycling and have used a couple of racks: the hatch-mounted one was a
serious PITA to get bikes on and off, not to mention the (car) paintwork
damage incurred. The boot-mounted one was easier to use, but again,
even after pre-taping the strap-hook areas, I lost paint down to the
steel.

The towbar-mount rack I borrowed for a lengthy road trip was the easiest
to load/unload, most stable and most secure from a wobble POV of the lot
- and it didn't interfere with opening the boot, thus obviating the back
seat dropping and scrambling that the other racks mandated.

Not only that, but if you've got a towbar, you might well have an
electrical socket and a short trailerboard will save potential words of
wisdom from those tall chaps in blue suits re: rear vison, obscured
lights and numberplate.

 

The ones on top of the car are alright: mountain bikes are quite light so
it's not that big a deal to lift it up there. The main issue is that all
the dirt falls on top of your car as you drive along. And don't do what a
mate of mine did and drive into a multistorey car park - it ripped the
rack straight out of the roof rails.

I generally just throw the bike in the boot on a sheet of plastic. Which
is fine if you don't have much else to carry.

 

AOL
Mostly heavy beasts though. Mine (via Gumtree) is a Toyota OEM 2/3 bike
carrier. A small female would struggle to lift it on.
The Thule 970 is a lovely bit of kit though, light and easy to stow away
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJmNx7TEjVs
I'd change but the Toyota rack gets used mostly as a surrogate trailer for
everything (except cycles)

 

I cannot disagree with that.

 

Two ways - either use a crossways rack as described, or hook the front
wheel spindle into an adapter which bolts onto the tow bar and the bike
trails behind the car, like a one-wheeled trailer.
Both work, I've tried them.

 

Shit, I wouldn't trust that without a securing strap/device to the car.