GlennR

And everyone removes them when not in use so they don't block the plate number and lights.

Cause I recently saw a SUV with a 4 bike rack folded up and it block the tail light to the point that I kept a few car length back.

Mojo31

Nah, 4 is nothing!

GlennR

Yes, they don't get stopped, but some racks to reduce tail light visibility and is a safety issue.

Yes, if you're transporting a number of bikes, you don't have other options.

GlennR

Maybe for the bike owner, but don't assume the driver behind feels the same when driving in the rain and the folded up rack blocks the lights.

mstateglfr 

The odds of being rear ended are insanely low. The odds of being rear ended while carrying a bike are even lower than insanely low.
I dont base my purchasing or life decisions on odds that are so low it most likely will not happen in my life.


And you very much changed what you were saying about 'marked up.
I'm loving this thread.

GlennR

Ask me how i know you're wrong.... I was sitting at a red light.

Bmach

Accidents happen and that is why you should have insurance. Hitch rack and hit from behind, yea new bike(s).

GlennR

1,000,000:1 sounds great unless you're the "1".

GlennR

Go ahead... i'm waiting. (actually not)

mstateglfr 

Good lord. Just because you were rear ended doesn't mean the odds aren't low. I mean, you do understand that, right?
Also, you are in the most densely populated part of our country. More rear end accidents will happen by you as a result, but even then, the odds are low.
Furthermore, we are talking about being rear ended with a bike on the back(remember the argument change that you made?) so you have to consider how rare a rear end accident is for all of driving and then account for how insignificant the drive time is where you have a bike on the back.

Anecdotal all day long for you.

GlennR

"According to a report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring type of collision. About 29 percent of all car crashes are rear-end collisions"

GlennR

So you remove the rack when not in use? My issue is that racks folded up do block the tail lights many times. And that might contribute to getting rear ended.

Koyote

Well, if we wanna go with anecdotes, I'll see yours and raise you a hundred. If a bike had been IN this car, it still would've been wrecked - and it probably would've done some real damage to me and my wife when it came flying forward at us:

GlennR

But mine would of survived.

Most rear ends are not this extreme but a simple tap can damage a bike.... even a steel bike.

mstateglfr 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybu.../#7f3ccd524e62

Insurance companies estimated that a driver files for an accident claim once every 18 years.
And based on your stat, in that incident each 18 years, there is a 29% chance it's a rear end collision. So basically, a driver should expect to be rear ended once in their lifetime, based on stats.

And then you have to consider how rare it is to carry a bike in/on the car. That accounts for what, like 1% of a cyclists drive time each year?

So out of all the miles of driving in a lifetime, we should expect to be rear ended once. And you are concerned that a bike will be damaged when that happens?


Like i said further up thread, I don't base my life decisions(like whether to put a bike in the car or use a rack) on odds that are so low I most likely won't experience the event.


You aren't doing well here. Stop digging the hole.

Koyote

So, your anecdote is valid, but you discount mine? Hmm.

By the way, in almost all rear-end collisions, fault (and liability) lies with the rear-ender. In other words, you get a new bike. (And a new bike rack.) You've built a faulty argument here.

Koyote

True. Mine is designed like any other tray-mounted rack, and a "tap" would have no effect at all on the bikes, nor on the rack. Ask me how I know.

GlennR

How can you see past these and they do block the lights In most states this is illegal... for a reason.

mstateglfr 

primov8

As already mentioned, most of the top brands have platform hitch racks that only makes contact with the wheels when locked down. With your injury, some of these platform racks can get heavy and you don't want to further injure your shoulder when wanting to remove/install the rack. For the hitch, I have a Kuat Sherpa 2.0; its aluminum and weighs only 32 lbs so having to move it around is no issue.


Since everyone in our family rides now, that's how I roll... in NYC.

Koyote

On my vehicle, the brake lights are up high, well above the rack. Though the rack does obstruct my license plate - and in my state, we run only rear plates. Hmm. Now that I think of it -- since buying that rack, I haven't gotten a single bill in the mail after driving through the camera toll booths on the turnpike. SCORE!!!

NoWhammies

Kuat Sherpa. Had the bike rack for two seasons now. No complaints.

Kapusta

I think you are far more likely to bang up your bike and mess up the interior of you car doing that than getting rear-ended. Not to mention it is more of a PITA if you need to be folding seats down and throw down blankets.

Kapusta

If you only carry one bike, than a single tray 1Up does not obscure anything when folded up (I mention this sinse you had concerns about the legality of it blocking the lights or plates.

Kapusta

So are you suggesting sticking all those inside your impressa?