dheniges
08-17-2009, 08:55 PM
As a new MP5 owner as of several weeks ago, my first mission was to figure out how the hell to haul a tandem road bike on the car. It certainly wasn't going to fit in the car! Fortunately the bike only weighs about 37lbs, but it's long and awkward. My previous 94 Volvo 850 sedan had a hitch rack which worked alright with the tandem mounted, as long as both tires were removed. The hitch rack was crappy though and the bike would sway unless I really tied it down which was quite a hassle.
With the P5 I considered installing a hitch and upgrading my hitch rack, thinking it wouldn't be too expensive, but local shops were estimating $350+ just to put on a hitch. This was not ideal anyway due to the loss of clearance. I wound up going with the Saris Bones 3 trunk rack, which straps on thanks to some helpful advice from i12drivemyMP5 who I found on these forums. I hadn't considered this option at first because it does require two straps to go over the spoiler, but it actually works quite nicely. The rack is incredibly adjustable, so I rigged it up such that the majority of weight sits on the bumper and side straps and not the spoiler, so pushing down on the rack when mounted produces zero flex in the spoiler. I might add that pulling the spoiler with a light to moderate amount of force causes it to flex, so the rack really isn't putting hardly any weight on it. I haven't done any long distance hauls yet, but driving around locally it worked great with the tandem on.
The only issue I ran into was the rack feet on the rear window would shift slightly if I hit a speed bump at ~25mph, which I would try to avoid anyway for the sake of the car--this was in the name of science though! Under normal driving conditions, and on a moderately smooth gravel road, there was no movement at all. I'm quite pleased with the setup for hauling the tandem. However, I do hesitate to put anything else but another single road bike on the back, because it would put the weight out further (the tandem is mounted in the bracket closest to the car) and thus pull the top legs out from the car more. The rack has brackets for up to 3 bikes.
Since I also will be hauling mountain bikes at times, I decided to order the Thule 515 kit, which comes with their adapter bar for factory racks and two fork mount bike racks with locks. I haven't gotten this rack, but others seemed to like it a lot. Oh, I forgot to mention the Yakima and Thule tandem roof racks run at ~$400, so I had to rule the roof out for the tandem.
I managed to spend just over $350 total for both the Saris Bones 3 and the Thule 515 kit, which was about the same cost at getting a hitch (sans hitch rack). I'm already much happier with the setup, as I can ditch the trunk rack of the tandem isn't needed. I'll try to post some pictures as soon as I get the roof rack and install it.
Just thought I'd share in case there are any other tandem riding P5 owners out there looking for a relatively affordable solution for hauling a tandem! I'll be hauling some bikes on a road trip in September, which will really test out the setup. The only downside so far is not being able to access the rear hatch with the bones rack on, but I prefer this to losing clearance with a hitch.
Cheers,
Dirk
With the P5 I considered installing a hitch and upgrading my hitch rack, thinking it wouldn't be too expensive, but local shops were estimating $350+ just to put on a hitch. This was not ideal anyway due to the loss of clearance. I wound up going with the Saris Bones 3 trunk rack, which straps on thanks to some helpful advice from i12drivemyMP5 who I found on these forums. I hadn't considered this option at first because it does require two straps to go over the spoiler, but it actually works quite nicely. The rack is incredibly adjustable, so I rigged it up such that the majority of weight sits on the bumper and side straps and not the spoiler, so pushing down on the rack when mounted produces zero flex in the spoiler. I might add that pulling the spoiler with a light to moderate amount of force causes it to flex, so the rack really isn't putting hardly any weight on it. I haven't done any long distance hauls yet, but driving around locally it worked great with the tandem on.
The only issue I ran into was the rack feet on the rear window would shift slightly if I hit a speed bump at ~25mph, which I would try to avoid anyway for the sake of the car--this was in the name of science though! Under normal driving conditions, and on a moderately smooth gravel road, there was no movement at all. I'm quite pleased with the setup for hauling the tandem. However, I do hesitate to put anything else but another single road bike on the back, because it would put the weight out further (the tandem is mounted in the bracket closest to the car) and thus pull the top legs out from the car more. The rack has brackets for up to 3 bikes.
Since I also will be hauling mountain bikes at times, I decided to order the Thule 515 kit, which comes with their adapter bar for factory racks and two fork mount bike racks with locks. I haven't gotten this rack, but others seemed to like it a lot. Oh, I forgot to mention the Yakima and Thule tandem roof racks run at ~$400, so I had to rule the roof out for the tandem.
I managed to spend just over $350 total for both the Saris Bones 3 and the Thule 515 kit, which was about the same cost at getting a hitch (sans hitch rack). I'm already much happier with the setup, as I can ditch the trunk rack of the tandem isn't needed. I'll try to post some pictures as soon as I get the roof rack and install it.
Just thought I'd share in case there are any other tandem riding P5 owners out there looking for a relatively affordable solution for hauling a tandem! I'll be hauling some bikes on a road trip in September, which will really test out the setup. The only downside so far is not being able to access the rear hatch with the bones rack on, but I prefer this to losing clearance with a hitch.
Cheers,
Dirk