Can anyone recommend a smallish car that can carry 2 bikes inside?
Thanks.
Carrying bikes inside car
Smart car with a recumbent and a brompton!
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/images/video/index.htm
Perhaps not exactly what you wanted but it shows what can be done if you try!
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/images/video/index.htm
Perhaps not exactly what you wanted but it shows what can be done if you try!
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I have a Citroën Berlingo which I bought new in December 2002 mainly to be able to shove a bike in the back and extend the range of my geriatric legs.
As the Berlingo is just a light van with rear seats and windows, it has plenty of carrying capacity although a lot of this is in height, rather than length. Around the time I bought mine there was a some publicity about a Berlingo being able to take two bikes upright with their wheels still in. One motoring journalist who I challenged about this (incorrect) assertion claimed that the manufacturers had published a photo of it being done. Check the handbook measurements and it is not possible. If you want to do that you need some sort of estate car.
If you take the bike front wheels out and then pile the bikes up, I should have thought one would swallow half a dozen bikes.
These vehicles, in both car and van form are very common - I presume that a lot of common market money is channeled into subsidising the French motor industry in the way the UK govt would not. They are certainly cheap.
I do not do a big mileage, mine is still under 20,000 after 4+ years and I really am a steady driver. Mine has been very unreliable and has suffered a range of problems. It came scratched and with part of the dash missing. The garage removed the scratch under warranty and when I collected it, some bits and pieces from under the clutch pedal had dropped off. Three more days off the road for replacements which immediately dropped off again. Since then, it started laying a smoke screen, the anti-roll bar was replaced, the cylinder head gasket was replaced, all under warranty etc etc. I have had all sorts of oil leaks (although these may have been due to the repair standards of the main dealer who replaced the head gasket.) Most recently, the clutch cable (which is self adjusting) began to jump. Not only cheap but nasty.
A big advantage I have found is that if you use a car in this way, you have to leave it all day in some dodgy locations. IMO a Citroën Berlingo is so undesirable that you do not worry all day that somebody might nick it to impress their girlfriend.
As the Berlingo is just a light van with rear seats and windows, it has plenty of carrying capacity although a lot of this is in height, rather than length. Around the time I bought mine there was a some publicity about a Berlingo being able to take two bikes upright with their wheels still in. One motoring journalist who I challenged about this (incorrect) assertion claimed that the manufacturers had published a photo of it being done. Check the handbook measurements and it is not possible. If you want to do that you need some sort of estate car.
If you take the bike front wheels out and then pile the bikes up, I should have thought one would swallow half a dozen bikes.
These vehicles, in both car and van form are very common - I presume that a lot of common market money is channeled into subsidising the French motor industry in the way the UK govt would not. They are certainly cheap.
I do not do a big mileage, mine is still under 20,000 after 4+ years and I really am a steady driver. Mine has been very unreliable and has suffered a range of problems. It came scratched and with part of the dash missing. The garage removed the scratch under warranty and when I collected it, some bits and pieces from under the clutch pedal had dropped off. Three more days off the road for replacements which immediately dropped off again. Since then, it started laying a smoke screen, the anti-roll bar was replaced, the cylinder head gasket was replaced, all under warranty etc etc. I have had all sorts of oil leaks (although these may have been due to the repair standards of the main dealer who replaced the head gasket.) Most recently, the clutch cable (which is self adjusting) began to jump. Not only cheap but nasty.
A big advantage I have found is that if you use a car in this way, you have to leave it all day in some dodgy locations. IMO a Citroën Berlingo is so undesirable that you do not worry all day that somebody might nick it to impress their girlfriend.
Don't be put off. My Berlingo has done nearly 90K miles without major problems and it certainly does hold 2 bikes upright in the back with both wheels on.
It's not a luxury vehicle but that's reflected in the price! The 1.9 diesel does about 40mpg, although the 2.0 litre HDI diesel supposedly does 50mpg with extra power.
You could also look at the Renault Kango or there is a Fiat similar.
It's not a luxury vehicle but that's reflected in the price! The 1.9 diesel does about 40mpg, although the 2.0 litre HDI diesel supposedly does 50mpg with extra power.
You could also look at the Renault Kango or there is a Fiat similar.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
dodger
I am glad your experience has been so much better than mine.
I should be really interested to see how the two bikes upright with the wheels in works. Before I bought mine I checked. With the back seat folded down one bike standing up just fits diagonally, but then there is no way to support it.
Have you a pic so I can see where I am going wrong?
I am glad your experience has been so much better than mine.
I should be really interested to see how the two bikes upright with the wheels in works. Before I bought mine I checked. With the back seat folded down one bike standing up just fits diagonally, but then there is no way to support it.
Have you a pic so I can see where I am going wrong?
Hi Thirdcrank.
The bikes are diagonal with the wheels turned 45 degrees+. Some bikes are best put in head to toe. Maybe it all depends on the size of bike. I usually have a Dawes Sonoran and either another Sonoran or a friend's Raleigh. If you leave the single back seat up, a single bike can rest against it with a cloth or foam piece as seat protector, and I have also used the tie down floor brackets to hold it (too much trouble) and an old foam block between bikes.
The bikes are diagonal with the wheels turned 45 degrees+. Some bikes are best put in head to toe. Maybe it all depends on the size of bike. I usually have a Dawes Sonoran and either another Sonoran or a friend's Raleigh. If you leave the single back seat up, a single bike can rest against it with a cloth or foam piece as seat protector, and I have also used the tie down floor brackets to hold it (too much trouble) and an old foam block between bikes.
I've had a full size mountain bike and a childs bike in our Berlingo without removing the wheels, and still had two of the rear seats up for my kids to use. It took a bit of fiddling though 
Sorry to hear you've had so much trouble Thirdcrank. Citroen don't have a great reliability record, but we are on our second Berlingo. We had the first 5 years, and the only problem we had was a corroded fuel filter, and that cost me £3 to fix
Sorry to hear you've had so much trouble Thirdcrank. Citroen don't have a great reliability record, but we are on our second Berlingo. We had the first 5 years, and the only problem we had was a corroded fuel filter, and that cost me £3 to fix
Honda Jazz
I have a Honda Jazz. It fits two bikes in easily with the front wheels off. The rear seats fold flat and the roof is quite high. Once two bikes are in there is room for substantial luggage as well. Its very economical as well. Easily gets 50mg+ on the open road.
Honda Jazz
Should have said that we can fit two full size bikes in (either audax + mtb or 2x mtb)
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
I am going to have to have a look again - I have an ordinary road bike (with mudguards which obviously adds a bit at the back) and I have never risked anything which would damage either bike or car interior. I cannot imagine how it might go behind the back seat if it was still up. I will have a go.
It is not a big deal to get the back seats out altogether - they are only held in with a few torcx fasteners.
I have never had any trouble achieving and surpassing the manufacturer's fuel consumption figure. I have the 1.9 diesel. No doubt the HDI is better but if anybody wanted to spend that sort of money for a Citroën they might as well go for a Picasso through a broker - they are nearly buy one, get one free.
It is not a big deal to get the back seats out altogether - they are only held in with a few torcx fasteners.
I have never had any trouble achieving and surpassing the manufacturer's fuel consumption figure. I have the 1.9 diesel. No doubt the HDI is better but if anybody wanted to spend that sort of money for a Citroën they might as well go for a Picasso through a broker - they are nearly buy one, get one free.
One up from the Berlingo, but my Citroen Dispatch 2.0 HDi has three seats in front, returns 40 mpg, and can carry up to four bikes in the back with both wheels on and without turning the front wheel to shorten the effective length. It will also take a folded trailer with those four bikes. I regularly take two bikes and a trailer on standard racks that you'd normally put on roof bars. You can see how I've done the racking here.
That said, my Dispatch is a van rather than a car - but I suspect the Dispatch Combi would do the same job.
HTH,
Geoff
That said, my Dispatch is a van rather than a car - but I suspect the Dispatch Combi would do the same job.
HTH,
Geoff
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Kentish Man
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36780
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Cyclepath
To get back to your original post, I think that most small hatchbacks of the Honda Jazz size recommended by somebody above with the back seats folded, will take a bike or two with the front wheel out, lying down. For something like that, I suggest all you need to do is pick your car on its own merits then make sure there is bike room. Mudguards are a particular nuisance, since they need room and are relatively fragile. (I do not think that something as small as the Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 1007/Citroën C1 fits in this category.)
The Berlingo etc., are not small. If you want something of that light van format such as a Berlingo then I would say that before I made my ill-fated choice I looked into it and decided the Berlingo was the best for me. (So if you got a more reliable one than mine you would be OK.) For some reason, the Renault Kangoo car,which is a similar type of thing (i.e. gasboard van with seats and windows) seems to be regarded in the motor mags (or it was in 2002) as eccentric and unlikely to resell well. Merely from a visual examination, I would say there is more room in the Berlingo than the Kangoo.
As mentioned by somebody else, the Peugeot Partner and Citroën (I do like putting the little dots in) Berlingo are virtually the same thing. Peugeot is positioned a bit more upmarket (more cosmetic options) and they seem to go more for subsidised finance than subsidised price.
The Fiat Doblo is on the same lines but is almost a couple of grand dearer, presumably because the Italian govt., has other drains to pour the subsidies down.
The Berlingo and Partner have effectively got even cheaper in the last few years because their price has been virtually frozen but all sorts of extra safety features such as more air-bags and ABS are now standard. The 1.9D engine is well tried technology but it is noisy as are most diesels of that type. The HDI engine is more modern, quieter, more economical, faster, but a lot dearer. I think it would pay for itself only if you were doing a big mileage.
They also have quite a big load capacity if that is what you want - my son and his partner moved house using mine with the back seats out, then moved the stuff of the person who was buying their house.
Often cars based on vans are not long-lasted because vans are designed to be flogged to death for a couple of years and then scrapped before the rot sets in. I have noticed that older Berlingos and Partners seem remarkably free from the rust and corrosion.
I have tried to be as even-handed as poss. My Berlingo would have been perfect for my needs had it not been slung together by a bunch of slap happy half wits. Perhaps Bernard will tell us if there is a French equivalent for Friday afternoon car. Possibly Bagnole de vendredi l'après-midi?
To get back to your original post, I think that most small hatchbacks of the Honda Jazz size recommended by somebody above with the back seats folded, will take a bike or two with the front wheel out, lying down. For something like that, I suggest all you need to do is pick your car on its own merits then make sure there is bike room. Mudguards are a particular nuisance, since they need room and are relatively fragile. (I do not think that something as small as the Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 1007/Citroën C1 fits in this category.)
The Berlingo etc., are not small. If you want something of that light van format such as a Berlingo then I would say that before I made my ill-fated choice I looked into it and decided the Berlingo was the best for me. (So if you got a more reliable one than mine you would be OK.) For some reason, the Renault Kangoo car,which is a similar type of thing (i.e. gasboard van with seats and windows) seems to be regarded in the motor mags (or it was in 2002) as eccentric and unlikely to resell well. Merely from a visual examination, I would say there is more room in the Berlingo than the Kangoo.
As mentioned by somebody else, the Peugeot Partner and Citroën (I do like putting the little dots in) Berlingo are virtually the same thing. Peugeot is positioned a bit more upmarket (more cosmetic options) and they seem to go more for subsidised finance than subsidised price.
The Fiat Doblo is on the same lines but is almost a couple of grand dearer, presumably because the Italian govt., has other drains to pour the subsidies down.
The Berlingo and Partner have effectively got even cheaper in the last few years because their price has been virtually frozen but all sorts of extra safety features such as more air-bags and ABS are now standard. The 1.9D engine is well tried technology but it is noisy as are most diesels of that type. The HDI engine is more modern, quieter, more economical, faster, but a lot dearer. I think it would pay for itself only if you were doing a big mileage.
They also have quite a big load capacity if that is what you want - my son and his partner moved house using mine with the back seats out, then moved the stuff of the person who was buying their house.
Often cars based on vans are not long-lasted because vans are designed to be flogged to death for a couple of years and then scrapped before the rot sets in. I have noticed that older Berlingos and Partners seem remarkably free from the rust and corrosion.
I have tried to be as even-handed as poss. My Berlingo would have been perfect for my needs had it not been slung together by a bunch of slap happy half wits. Perhaps Bernard will tell us if there is a French equivalent for Friday afternoon car. Possibly Bagnole de vendredi l'après-midi?