Kell

A few months back, we had the idea of taking all our bikes down to my in-laws - a 400 mile round trip. Anyway, I got my old cycle carrier out and went to fit it to the rear of the car. It's one of those ones with the straps that have hooks to go over the top of the tailgate as well as under.

It all looked good when I put it on, but when I added the bikes I could see that where it fitted at the top, the spoiler was flexing. I'd assumed there was metal under there somewhere, but it looks like I was about to hang three bikes off some bendy plastic.

So I took them all off and decided against it.

The question is, was I doing something wrong, or is this type of carrier just not suited to the E61? I've looked at getting some cycle carriers for the roof instead, but wondered if there is a way to fix these rear ones on or not.

A quick look at the Thule site says that they have rear-mounted systems for the E61, but they show them on most other cars and not a BMW.

narvselius

No wonder it was flexing; it isn't constructed for that. What you need is to have the towbar to use as an anchor point so that it can receive most of the weight.

kErb

If you have roof bars for a top box etc, it may be worth looking at roof mounted bike carrier(s). I went down this route as I wanted to keep access to the boot area free for the dog. Not sure I would want bikes on the tailgate any way as you say the roof spoiler is not sturdy enough plus the bikes interfere with rear vision and the back lights etc etc

dieseltouring

I used a rear carrier on my E39, but the strap hooks damaged the paint and caused rust problems on the tailgate. So, on my E61 I now use a Thule roof mounted bike rack which is far better. Gives easy access to the boot, better rear visibility and doesn't damage the car. Only two downsides are worse fuel consumption and risk of forgetting they are there entering service stations with height restriction bars. Before you ask, yes I have!

Kell

I heard on (IIRC) Top Gear, that a journey to Scotland with a bike on the roof would use so much extra fuel, it would be cheaper to courier the bikes to where you want them.

SteveD518

I've seen bras for the bikes that make them more aerodynamic. I had a Thule on the roof of my Pathfinder which worked great, very secure and no serious issues with gas mileage.
Steve

norsecarnut

Your mpg didn't change much because it is a larger frontal area vehicle to begin with. I.e., the bikes are a small % increase in drag. The more aerodynamically efficient the vehicle, the more change bikes on the roof will make. Speed is also very important in the equation, the slower the speed the less aerodynamics will matter relative to engine efficiency.

norsecarnut

Courier has inherent problems and risks, some being damage, loss, delays and zero flexibility (you don't have the flexibility to ride before the bikes arrive if desired) Another thing is packaging, to protect nice bikes especially, you need a very good transport and these are not cheap either, nor are they easy to store with you while on a road trip.

The only way shipping a bike makes sense is for when you are not driving to the location, and/or you only have limited locations.

Another way to carry bikes besides the obvious roof mount is on a hitch rack (our E61 can have a oem hitch installed which is perfect for a swing-away style bike carrier allowing 2-4+ bikes and up to 200lbs)

You can also put bikes INSIDE a roof cargo BOX very easily and quickly. I have done all of the above:

-shipped (not for a trip but to my fiance when I got her a bike in another state)
-airplane transfer (taking many chances! but depends mostly on quality of container)
-roof racks (the simplest for going to regional bike races, etc, easy on / off, looks cool etc)
-hitch mounts Swing-away is the best as they move out of the way and are normally built stronger to deal with the force out far from the mount when opened out (drop down hitch designs are ridiculous in my opinion because they are in your way and drag on the ground. They are just stupid designs)

Inside the cargo box - this provides a number of bonuses.
1-your bike is out of the elements (rain/grime from other cars, snow/salt, bugs, rock chips, etc)
2-out of the wind, an aerodynamic box is by far better for mpg
3-security (it's out of site in a locked box but could still be locked additionally from within to the bars below with a little ingenuity)
*4-versatility/cost - the cost of the box can be about the same as a nice pair of fork mount trays or full bike holders or hitch rack - however, the box is useful for other items on other trips whereas the bike mounts are not usable for anything else.

I use the Thule 2100xt. It's large enough for 2 bikes (road bike 57cm, and mtn bike) with room left for additional wheels, tires, air pumps, shoes, helmets, and general camping gear. In other words, plenty of room in the 2100.

I simply removed the front wheel and seat post. To make replacing the seat post worry-free, wrap electrical tape around the post at the set line. I don't like quick release but a hex bolt is quick to remove and tighten it before transport so it doesn't vibrate out.

Lay cheapo blue foam camping pad material between bikes/wheels to protect finishes.

I did this on a 7000 miles road trip and it worked great. I actually left 2 fork mounts on the rack for days when riding multiple locations (it's quicker) or if the bike became super muddy, I could go to wash it before enclosing in the box for a longer driving segment.

The big pros for a hitch style to me are:
1-also out of the wind
2- away from some elements, like bugs, but it's in spray of raining
3-very easy to use, allows almost any size bike/tires/shape whereas fork mounts are limiting for DH bikes
4-when the trip brings too many toys, and some are like kayaks on the roof, along with a cargo box, there may not be enough room for bikes too.
5-weight is overall lower, but it's also far behind the rear axle which can adversely affect handling if you have 100+ lbs back there wagging about.
6-it's the nicest location for nasty dirty mtn bikes and you can wash them right there when the time is right
7-the hitch rack is only good for bikes but the hitch is good for towing if needed

norsecarnut

Two bikes and more gear than you might imagine are in that cargo box. All out of the weather, wind drag, etc.

Tested to 145 mph sustained

SteveD518

Are you saying I'm a slow driver?
Steve