Best Bike Rack for 135 coupe

[The Transporter]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Drove into an old work parking garage with a bike on the roof, checked the clearance, had plenty. Drove up to the next floor, kept hearing a strange noise, realized the second floor of the garage didn't have the same clearance and I'd removed the leather from my saddle, fortunately nothing else.

ROFL. I once "scalped" my saddle on a low-clearance sign at a drive-thru years ago. I cleared the awning and even the overhead beam to which the sign was affixed, but not the low-mounted sign itself.

I was so happy to find I could get my 63cm road bike to fit in the truck on my 1er by only needing to swap in a QR seatpost binder. Wheels off and seat off, it stays clean, clear of garages, out of sight, etc. I highly recommend this route if at all possible. I use my other rack (aka the bed of a 2000 F-150) for my mtb though.

[gio]

I opted for a Thule Raceway 3 Bike Mount (trunk mounted rack) for now. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but it looks like it is far higher quality than the cheap rack i was using before. I think it should be good enough for me for now but I might upgrade to something better in the future if I go on more long trips w/bicycles.

[igzekyativ]

hitch mounted ftw.. never a clearance issue and easily removed..

[Section147]

Obviously the best solution...but I'd have to be loading bikes at least weekly to even think about installing a hitch.
What are the aesthetics minus the rack?

[JimD]

Post #7 gives a picture of the hitch installed (pictures up to that point are of the installation process).

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274124

Looks OK to me. Installation is a bit involved but it is also a one time thing.

Jim

[Section147]

Hmmmm...not too obtrusive. Looks perfect for the ardent bikers out there.

[Stubbie Blue]

I know this is a 12 year old thread, but I just got a Kuat Transfer V2 hitch bike rack and a Curt 11184 hitch with 1.25" receiver.

Installation of the hitch was pretty easy and you only have to trim one under-bumper panel or you can just leave it off entirely.
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show...&postcount=187

The Kuat bike rack is very stable and doesn't wobble in the hitch when you tighten down the built-in ball cam. I've taken it on the Interstate at 80 mph with no problems.

Also I got the Kuat bike rack used on Craigslist to save a bit of money.



The Kuat bike racks for 1.25" receivers are a bit strange in that the hitch pin hole is placed in between where a 1.25" or 2" hole would normally be so that it can be used with either sized receiver. However, this means the holes don't line up and a standard 1/2" hitch pin won't fit! You have to use their included 3/8" hitch pin, but it's really long so it can slide from side to side, the retaining clip only clips on the end and not through a hole, and you can't use a standard 1/2" locking hitch pin.

Luckily this MaxxHaul 50563 Threaded Hitch Locking Pin is thin enough to fit through the misaligned holes, and is also cheaper than the Kuat locking pin. You can just ignore the threaded part, or I put an M12 nylon lock nut on to stop the pin from sliding side to side, as shown in the photo. The other side is held by the retaining clip.



When I'm not using the bike rack, I hang it on the garage wall so it doesn't take up much space. It weighs 35 lb.