bike rack

[rakster]

I am looking for a bike mount that will attach to the roof rack.The factory kit seems a bit pricy and ungainly (ugly) for what itis. Any suggestions? I was thinking about making my own but I am not sure how stable I could make it considering the sizeof my bike--27"wheels-27" frame.

[NSimkins]

Go over to Yakima's website... here:http://www.yakima.com/choose_my_rack/index.aspAfter you enter the Vehicle, click Next about 2 times. Click on the Lowrider top mounted rack. Looks nice, decent price.

[Bdaz1]

Unless you're set on a roof mount style, you can try:http://www.etrailer.comYou could install a Draw-tite trailer hitch on your Vibe (six bolts to install) and then get the bike rack that you want that fits into the hitch receiver. This gives you some added versatility if you want to use a trailer or cargo carrier later on. They will also give you a discount for mentioning the GenVibe Forum! Check out the other thread here:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=784

[ShotInTheDark]

the company BareCrafters also makes a universal rack that will mount to any type of bars on a roof rack. If you have problems contacting them I work for a Bicycle store and would be more then glad to ship you one.

[rakster]

Thanks for all the responses to my bike rack post. I will check them all out. Does bare crafters have a web site?

[NSimkins]

How's this? http://www.barrecrafters.com/

[rakster]

Thanks for the response and the correct spelling. I will check it out.

[yooper_bob]

I have installed a rear hitch (Drawtite) with a Sportworks (www.sportworks.com) rear bike rack on my GT. Very easy to load and unload the bikes - do not have to take off the front wheel. Rack will fold up out of the way when not in use, and can fold down to allow to open the rear hatch. Since the bikes are at the rear, I haven't seen any mileage loss and don't get blown around in crosswinds. will post a picture soon. BobMono Shadow GT

[Bdaz1]

yooper_bob,Did you buy your Draw-Tite hitch from etrailer? If you ordered through them and mentioned this Forum, they were giving a discount.If you didn't see it already, check this thread from earlier dates.

[yooper_bob]

actually I got it from 1-800-hitchit.com.about $80 including shipping. A buddy of mine picked the same hitch up from a local shop and paid about $125 w/o installation.

[cds22]

I purchased a couple of adapters from Yakima that allow me to mount my yakima bike trays directly on the factory rack. It took quite a few tries to come to that solution but now it works well. The only problem is that the factor cross bars are very close to the roof surface so I have to push down on the roof in order to be able to turn the screws on for the bike tray. But once they are on they look great!Here's a thought... have you tried mounting the bikes inside the Vibe? I purchased a couple of fork clamps from Yakima that I simply screw onto the factor track on the back of the folded down seats. Then I remove the front wheel, lower the seat and clamp my bike in the back standing up! With one bike in the back I can still carry three people, or I can have two people and two bikes. It's much nicer than laying the bikes down flat and is more convenient than leaving them on the roof as they are then locked inside the car. I only use my roof rack when I have the Vibe full of other stuff or need to carry more than 2 or 3 people.

[NSimkins]

quote:Here's a thought... have you tried mounting the bikes inside the Vibe?That reminded me of something I saw recently.. pretty cool if your bike is the type that has the removable front wheel:More info: http://www.nashbar.com/profile_moreimag ... &brand=The Matrix owner that did this modified the bracket so it bolts onto the factory tie-downs:Proper credit: http://www.matrixowners.com/modules.php ... =bike+rack

[cds22]

Yup, that's exactly what mine looks like! It works well as long as you don't have fenders or carriers on the bike as it can be a tight squeeze between the front seats and the rear window. Might also be a problem if you have a bike with a large frame. A quick release on the seat is nice too as you'll need to lower it right down. I found with my fork mount that sometimes the bike sways a bit side to side (I use tied downs to minimize this) since the mounting bracket is only screwed down on one side. Thinking about mounting the bracket onto a piece of wood with a screw hole in the middle, that might make it more stable and reduce the side to side motion. Then it would be similar to the one you have pictured. Thanks for the picture, I think it will be of interested to some others!

[NSimkins]

Did you buy the same brand (if not, which brand/where), and did you have to drill the hole as the person did in my previous post?A nice thing about this is the bike will be protected from outside elements (other than the elements the bike gets from being ridden)... plus added theft protection from being inside the vehicle.

[cds22]

The fork mounts that I use must be a different brand than the one pictured (I think they are called 'Lock Jaw' or something like that). Mine have a hole on each end rather than one in the middle. When I put them in the car only one end can be screwed into the track, that's why the bike sways a bit. I think this will be improved if I mount it onto a piece of wood with a single hole in the middle. Mine don't have a plate that runs all the way across so I can't just drill a new hole in the middle. Hope that's clear! These types of fork mounts are pretty easy to find, there are usually lots of them available at any store selling roof racks and accessories.

[snowbeast]

newbie here, de-lurking to say that my 3-week search for bike rack-related issues (ie. hitch- or roof-mount) ended with reading posts by csd22 and Nsimkins (thank you so much)! i celebrated my one-month anniversary as a vibe owner today by installing 1 fork mount bike hitch in each track of my frosty vibe! what's even better, the whole thing cost less than $42! as mentioned above, i ordered two hitches from http://www.nashbar.com (delta bike hitch pro. $16.95 each), then spent a total of $7.88 at my local home depot where i bought 2 wingnuts (#10-32 x 3/4"), 2 nylon lock nuts, and a couple locking washers for both hitches. also got a cobalt drill bit (7/32; 5.56 mm) for drilling through metal.the entire operation took about 15 minutes, with the most time spent drilling a central hole in the bike hitch, and adjusting the positioning of the hitch within the track. the wingnut spans the width of the track and locks quite snugly (no rattling or mvmt) when the locknut is tightened (used pliers), yet the hitch can be removed if necessary (turning hitch with some muscle will change the alignment of the wingnuts). overall, very easy operation and the hitches are a very subtle addition!hope that simplifies anyone else's search the way the previous posts helped me! thanks guys.

[m4VibeGT]

Just a heads up to those who may be thinking of getting interior bike mounts for their vibe/matrix. I saw this link from one of the other vibe/matrix forum which shows interior bike mounts for $5.99 each :http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Pro ... =14641Also saw this listing on ebay for the exact same product listed for $30 for 2, touting them as, "The long awaited interior bike racks for the Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe" http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... ry=22692So if you're thinking of getting one, you now have a choice, i.e. 2 for $11.98 or 2 for $30 (or more based on the final bid). The choice is yours. I'm not against people making money on eBay, but I believe that you need to do some basic internet research before bidding on an item in eBay. To paraphrase Sy Syms, "A genvibe member is an educated consumer."

[snowbeast]

update on my interior bike rack:don't do what i did in the post above...too much trouble! the much easier way is to go with what m4VibeGT suggested- get 2 truck shuttle "pods" ($5.99 ea) from rhode gear. (the link above shows the truck shuttle with the fork mounted racks, the racks are offered separate from the actual trunk shuttle, which runs about $89). they have a rubber backing which prevents the metal from scratching the plastic backing on the seats. the only mod you'll need is to purchase a longer bolt with a diameter that fits into the preexisting "bolt receivers" (what one would screw the seatback storage/first aid kits into) in the seatback tracks (6mm x 25mm works well). this will replace that yellow knob shown in the pictures for the product.rhode gear's fork mount rack is pretty substantial (wider base than traditional fork mounts) and less likely to damage the plastic backing. i'm glad i switched to using this rack...MUCH easier and more aesthetically pleasing!

[bellwilliam]

I am selling the a pair of new rhode gear bike mount on the "for sale" forum. $40 including shipping. I hope the pricing is reasonable.

[benjamin]

Where did you get the truck shuttle "pods"? The link above (performance bike) has them for $20. Where did you get them for $6?

[snowbeast]

Bi just checked out that link again (performance.com), and it looks like their sale is over! sorry. if you still want to carry your bike(s) inside the car, going with another style of fork-mounted hitch will be fine also. nashbar.com has the type that mount in a truck bed (drill holes into the bed and attach the fork hitch with screws) for an economical price (refer to my first post on this thread where i did things the hard way). rei and their online counterpart (rei.com) will have them available also. you can adapt that style of hitch also by just purchasing a screw of the same diameter as the tie downs in the tracks of the vibe. should be just as good! if you want, try adding an adhesive backing if you're concerned about scratches.

[millster]

You can always do it like I've done too. I just bought a Yakima fork mount ($15 at a local shop), a piece of 14 Ga steel plate (freebie), a few screws (~$1), and a rubber sink mat ($1 at the Dollar Store). It's far from pretty, but it gets the job done. I had to place the forkmount at an angle on the steel since my bike is a little long and needs to sit at an angle in the car. It also keeps the bar ends away from the window. The only other thing to be aware of is that the cargo tracks use a metric thread. #6 as I recall.Here are some pics of the setup.http://homepage.mac.com/wmill/ShadowVib ... lbum8.html

[millster]

Thanks! We'll see for sure once I get the thing done and installed. I need to find some shorter bolts to mount it to the cargo tracks. The #6x25's I bought are a little too long.

[millster]

I know, but finding metric threads in a Montana hardware store... 'nuff said.

[millster]

Very much. Home Depot has no selection whatsoever and Lowes only had 10 and 25 lengths. I'm going to check out Hardware Hank next time I'm out.

[millster]

No doubt. I wanted to get wing head screws so I didn't need tools to put it in, but I definitely can't find them in metric. I suppose if I can't find 20 or 15 length, I'll just cut the 25's. I'll get the thing done this weekend one way or the other.

[millster]

I'm sure there is, just with the shipping and everything I'm not sure it would be worth it. I'll probably just cut the ones I have.