johnnvinktown

Hello all

My first post here, long time lurker.

I am looking into replacing my car with a Honda crv. I currently transport my bike on the roof and would like to start transporting it inside the vehicle. The thought is to build some type of interior bike rack that would secure the bike standing upright, front wheel off. The head room in the CRV is low enough that I would need to remove the saddle post for this to work.

Should I have any concerns related to doing this?
I would be transporting the bike about 20 - 30 times per season, and am wondering if repeatedly re-torquing the saddle post 30 plus times per season is a bad idea.

Thanks,
John

Litespud

I wouldn't be wild about it, although I have nothing concrete to back up this opinion. I guess the first question would be what are the frame/post made of? If they're metal, I'd be less concerned than if they're carbon. In your shoes, I'd continue to use the roof, just lay the bike on its side in the back, or look for something like a Honda Element, in which I have seen several people transport bikes as you propose.

Kontact

You could also take the rear wheel out instead.

johnnvinktown

Litespud

Thanks for the reply.
I should have mentioned in my post, the bike is a 2014 giant TCR composite, so yes carbon frame and post.

I also have concerns about the idea, I am not sure if the carbon frame can handle what I am proposing.

Thanks,
John

johnnvinktown

Kontact

I have considered the idea but figure it becomes too much of a hassle.

thanks,
John

Kontact

That's up to you, but if we are talking about a road bike with sidepull rim calipers, taking the real wheel off and on should be faster and easier than messing with the seat post. It is designed to be a fast change item.

Dean V

Isn't that the previous generation TCR that had an aluminium ring which clamps the frame to seat post?
If it is I think it would be ok to take in and out repeatedly.
The current model with the internal wedge/clamp seems more fiddly and not as robust so wouldn't be so keen with that one.

Dean V

Another option would be to make the internal bike rack capable of holding the bike at 45 degrees or so. Then you wouldn't need to remove the saddle and the floor would still be clear for storing other luggage.

vinuneuro

Carbon itself should be fine, but I wouldn't do it that many times without a torque wrench that I fully trust, ie. torque wrench that's been calibrated.

Carbonfiberboy 

I wouldn't worry about it at all. At least you'll know it's not stuck!

topflightpro

I'm particular about my saddle height, so I would not want to remove the post over and over again.

I agree that removing the rear wheel makes the most sense. You can get a Butt'r tool to hold the chain in place, so it isn't dragging in the car. And you can create a small cradle out of 2x4s or rigid foam for under the BB to keep the chainring off the car.

Sy Reene

I would think repeated removal and reinstallation would significantly cosmetically alter the post, especially if you typically use a carbon paste/assembly compound.

johnnvinktown

Thanks for all of the replies.

Not sure how I am going to handle this yet, I suspect a compromise.
Bike on the roof for short distance travel and bike inside for longer drives. My main concern is driving with the bike on the roof while travelling down the 401(Interstate type high way). Partly because I am not comfortable driving at 120 km/hr with the bike secured down by just the front fork, not completely rational as people do it all the time. But also to protect the bike from road debris.

I will have to look into bike inside with rear wheel removed.

Thanks,
John

surak

People have mentioned in past threads about transporting bikes in cars that lying them down on their sides had pretty much no negative impact even in the long run, as long as you have at least some blankets/padding around the bike. You could remove one pedal so the bike is flat on its side. The CR-V is a big car, plenty of space to fit a bike without removing any wheels unless you have passengers using up the back row.

rm -rf

Some people have a wooden board secured in the car, with a roof rack's front fork holder. So the bike is standing up, just like on the roof.
This is good if you are transporting more than one bike. You'd still need to remove the seatpost if it's too tall to fit.

Rear wheel removed: The derailleur hangs down below the frame. A front fork roof clamp is too narrow. You could make a short stand out of a cheap quick release and a discarded rear hub from the LBS junk bin, strapped to a block of wood to raise it high enough to keep the derailleur off the floor.


Laying it down
My bike lays on the left side with both wheels on. So there's no setup needed when I arrive. I've already pumped the tires, so I just pull out the bike and go.

The bike rests on the end of the handlebar and the bottom of the front wheel, the saddle, the left pedal, and the rear quick release. The frame never touches.

I have a couple of squares of that grippy shelf liner that I fold and put under the pedal and quick release, mostly to keep the bike from sliding around.

deapee

I used to set it in my ford edge on its side with the back seats folded down. There’s no way I’d remove my seat post every time I was putting my bike in my vehicle. Zero chance.

kbarch

I thought this was going to be about removing the saddle for theft deterrence....
If it doesn't have a quick release, the way Citibikes have an easily adjustable seatpost, I wouldn't think it was such a good idea, or less of a hassle than removing a wheel.
Meanwhile, here's another reason not to drive on the highway with your bike on top: bugs.