Getting a bike into a small car

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Jclm
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Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Jclm »

I've bought a Pendleton Brooke bike on eBay. I need to pick it up and transport it in my small car. Does anyone knoe if I can get it in the car without taking the front wheel off? I'm a bit nervous about doing this as I've never done it before.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

Depends how small your car is: I was always impressed by how much we could fit in our old Citroen Pluriel, but getting even two folding bikes in our current Fiat 500c is a struggle!

Don't be afraid of taking the front wheel off, though. Much better to have to reassemble it afterwards than to bend, strain or break something trying to fit a bike into a space where it won't go. Learned that one the hard way years ago.
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gaz
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by gaz »

Welcome to the forum.

In my opinion you'll need to remove the front wheel to fit it into a small car. The Pendleton Brooke appears to have a quick release front wheel and V-brakes. Don't worry, just understand how simple it is to do and don't rush it.

Watch this, it decribes V-brakes as cantilever but otherwise it's good: https://www.liv-cycling.com/global/camp ... port/19059

Take your time, don't rush and be sure to secure the quick release correctly when you re-install the wheel.

Enjoy your new bike.
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Mick F
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Mick F »

I can get my Mercian into our Fiat500 ok even with mudguards on.
Drop the back seats and remove the parcel shelf. Front wheel off, and in it goes.
Mick F. Cornwall
Stevek76
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Stevek76 »

You'll probably have to take the front wheel off for a small car. Depends on what your small car actually is mind and the frame size.

If you've got a really small car (eg aygo\c1\10* style) then you might find it easier with both wheels off, front only will do but you'll likely find parts of the fork or handlebars poking through between the front seats.

Wheel removal is not tricky though, you need to do the rear it's the same procedure but you have to pull the rear derailleur cage back when lifting the wheel out.

Also with v brakes there often isn't a lever to open the pads up, instead you need to squeeze the brake arms together and unhook the metal noodle the cable is threaded through.
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Vorpal
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Vorpal »

In some small cars, you can take the rear seat cushions out and the head reasts off so that the rear seats can fold down flat.

If your car does that, you have a reasonable chance of getting it in without removing the front wheel. You might also be able to make a little more room by folding the front seat forward &/or moving it all the way forward.

Good luck :)
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PH
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by PH »

It's likely the person you've bought it off will know how to remove it, I'd ask before collecting, it's sometimes easier to be shown.
tyreon
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by tyreon »

Mick F: You can get your bike into a Fiat 500!! Any pictures please? Do I have your measure: 4' 8",16" frameset? (Just joshin!)

I have Hyandai i10. I'd like to get in x2 bikes with mudguards: 22" and 19"... Have put the question to Stephen Hawking with car measurements,but he had a nervous breakdown. He can explain Blackholes but not this mathematical conundrum.

Can this be done? Easy? I have the car,x2 bikes,a covering rug...but struggle with the concept.

I want to be proved wrong.
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by rjb »

tyreon wrote:Mick F: You can get your bike into a Fiat 500!! Any pictures please? Do I have your measure: 4' 8",16" frameset? (Just joshin!)

I have Hyandai i10. I'd like to get in x2 bikes with mudguards: 22" and 19"... Have put the question to Stephen Hawking with car measurements,but he had a nervous breakdown. He can explain Blackholes but not this mathematical conundrum.

Can this be done? Easy? I have the car,x2 bikes,a covering rug...but struggle with the concept.

I want to be proved wrong.


You could strap a bike rack onto the back. I used to carry my Dawes Supergalaxy Tandem on the back of my i10 using one. The wheels were left on as the mudguards still stuck out, so you would only gain a few extra inches by removing the front wheel.
You had to be a careful not to drive too close to the hedge. :shock:
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TrevA
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by TrevA »

We can get two road bikes without mudguards in the back of our Vauxhall Corsa, with the rear seats down and the front wheels removed, but there's not much room for anything else. I can get my wife's Dawes Horizon in the back of our Focus estate without taking the front wheel out, but I have to take the wheel off my Ridgeback Panorama to get it in.

I had 4 road bikes in the back of my old Fiat Punto with both wheels out and the rear seats folded down.
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Mick F
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Mick F »

tyreon wrote:Mick F: You can get your bike into a Fiat 500!! Any pictures please?
Your wish is my command. :D

Just fitted him in and took these photographs.
He doesn't have mudguards on at the moment, but he fits in with them, but better without. I've left the rear wheel on for these shots, but with it off, the 'bars don't poke through between the front seats.

He's been in a few times over the the last couple of years since we've had the 500 and transported here and there.
Mercian500-1.jpeg
Mercian500-2.jpeg
Mick F. Cornwall
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

Neatly done. The 500 is of course a full hatchback whereas the 500c only has a half-size boot - to get bikes into our car like that would probably involve lowering them in through the roof!
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Samuel D »

I have a 2009 Citroën C1, and the problem is not getting the bicycle in but making sure it doesn’t get damaged or damage/dirty the car while bumping down the road.

With a larger car, you can throw the bicycle in any old way and cover every contact point with a rag, without worrying about whether the boot will close, etc.
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by gloomyandy »

I can fit any one of my bikes (Timetrial bike with tri-bars, Cervelo road bike, or Croix de Fer based touring bike) in the boot of my Fiat Panda. Needs the seats down and remove the front wheel. Touring bike is a bit tricky because of the front mudguard (easy to get it caught on things). I possibly could get two bikes in there, but if I'm doing that it is much easier to use the roof bar mounted racks. So for weekend TT events I usually just pop the bike inside with spare wheels etc. But for holidays etc. we use the roof rack for both bikes. I really like by Panda 4x4 it has been great for carrying stuff. I've just driven Leeds to Ullapool with two bikes on the roof rack, two people and loads of camping, biking, walking stuff packed in the back and we still averaged 68mpg!
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Re: Getting a bike into a small car

Post by Vorpal »

I used to regularly put two bikes in the back of a Punto with the front wheels (only) removed.

I usually carry an old blanket around in my car just for things like that. It has enabled to me to spontaneously offer lifts to other cyclists on a few occasions. Old sheets or funiture moving pads do just as well; soemthing that can be washed in hot now and again, as needed.
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