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Fitting two bikes upright in 3rd gen Prius Hatchback

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Bri, Jun 3, 2012.

  1. Bri

    Bri New Member

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    Hi all,

    My partner and I are relatively new Prius owner (2 months now). I would like to fit to bikes upright inside my 3rd gen Prius Hatchback. I've seen this done with a Honda Fit, which we also own. (There a few companies that make internal rack systems that can handle two bikes, such as VeloBoy and BikeInside.) I measured the internals of the Prius to see if I could do the same thing as with our fit. It looks like the rear hatch isn't tall enough for the bike to fit inside using a vertical orientation. Has anyone been able to fit bikes inside of a Prius Hatchback using a vertical orientation?

    Thanks!
     
  2. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    How tall are your bikes?
     
  3. jaymac

    jaymac membore

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    Our family has 2 2007 Honda Fits in addition to our Prius. I just don't see 2 bikes going in a Prius that way. Maybe horizontally but that would not be pretty. A receiver hitch or a roof rack will be more appropriate.

    John
     
  4. SmellyTofu

    SmellyTofu Average punter

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    For those that harp on about towbar mounts, does the police in your area worry about your bikes obstructing the view of the number plate and/or tail lights? It's quite strict down this way so having an auxilliary light board for the tail lights is a must. Obviously roof mount doesn't require it except a good head to remind yourself you have bikes up above. Wearing lycra helps me remember as it's not exactly an attire I choose to wear normally whilst driving.
     
  5. p00kienrayray

    p00kienrayray Active Member

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    There's no way I can fit any of my bikes vertically in my gen III hatch. I have a road bike, comfort bike, and beach cruiser. Now if u have a small bmx bike, then yes.
     
  6. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    No way, I'd recommend that you get a proper tow hitch and bike rack. See below for a picture of my set-up.

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. p00kienrayray

    p00kienrayray Active Member

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    That is a way cool setup. What rack is that?

    Galaxy Nexus ? 2
     
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  8. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    It is a Raxter Thorax.


    iPhone ?
     
  9. d2mini

    d2mini Active Member

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    Ya, i also recommend a hitch rack. It's so easy to load/unload the bikes and there are lots of options to choose from.
    Mine (Yakima Holdup) is very small loaded up. I currently only have one bike carrier attached to it but it comes with two carriers.
    Tilts out of the way of the hatch when bikes are mounted, comes with a cable lock to prevent theft, even has a bottle opener! ;)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. B. Roberts

    B. Roberts Hypah Milah! Ayuh.

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    One bike, on its side front wheel off is about what you can expect to get into a Prius with the rear seat backs down. If you don't like your bikes, you can stack them on top of each other on their sides. If you like your bikes a little, you can put something between them to keep the scratches and rattles down a bit.

    If you like your bikes a lot, a proper rack system, or getting a custom roof job (I'm sure you've seen vans with the taller fiberglass roofs added for increased head room) will be the ticket. There are some light duty trailers that can be adapted to carry bicycles... if you want to keep them out of the weather during transport.

    An old used short wheel base Caravan, a Honda Element or first gen Saturn Vue are other good alternatives for properly lugging bicycles around standing up inside a vehicle. There are others. Even Ford's new upcoming C-Max Hybrid or Energi might make dandy and efficient bicycle transport.

    So many ways... but I do prefer hitch racks... like my Thule Helium.
     
  11. BornPriiOrDie

    BornPriiOrDie Junior Member

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    Dennis, that's a nice bike rack.

    I tried putting my bike in the back of my Prius (on its side, no way it would fit upright), but crimped the front brake casing. I have a Yakima rack and hitch and it works well.
     
  12. Bri

    Bri New Member

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    Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions.

    To answer the question about bike height, my bike is 24 inches tall using the front fork, stem, and handle bars. (I have a Bianchi road bike.) My partner's Lemond is a few inches taller. I realized after my initial post that I may be able to take advantage of the space between the trunk floor and te to of the spare tire compartment to get a little more vertical space. I'm going to give it a try. Hopefully it fits with enough room to that the bottom bracket doesn't become a limiting factor.
     
  13. Bri

    Bri New Member

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    FWIW, I did manage to fit both bikes inside our Prius. It's not the prettiest thing, but an internal rack (DIY or manufactured) would make it better. Glad we figured this out.
     

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  14. Sfcyclist

    Sfcyclist Senior Member

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    Other option is at an angle. I store my 1 bike with seatpost like this. I'm sure you can angle 2 bikes if you get creative.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Sfcyclist

    Sfcyclist Senior Member

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    My preferred method for 2 bikes.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    You guys with new cars and a trailer hitch....you sure you aren't voiding the warranty by installing a hitch? A dealership might see it and assume you are towing stuff which I believe would void the warranty.
     
  17. p00kienrayray

    p00kienrayray Active Member

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    I don't have pics of my rig, but here's the set up I have. Allen 3-bike hitch rack. Wanted a hitch rack so I can load more than 2 bikes conveniently. Cost about $70-80 when I bought it last year. Combined with the Curt 1.25" hitch (that was super easy to install), it cost me $200. I know some don't wanna pay for it, but I got real tired of wrestling just to get my bike in the car.
     

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  18. p00kienrayray

    p00kienrayray Active Member

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    No I just traded in my two with the hitch still bolted on. No warranties void. However if its welded on that may be a different story.
     
  19. Sfcyclist

    Sfcyclist Senior Member

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    oh jeez.. read up on Magnuson-Moss.
     
  20. Sfcyclist

    Sfcyclist Senior Member

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    BTW, the hitch bolts up to the tow rings not welded.