Bike That Fits In A Car
There are many cases when you, as a cyclist, are faced with the problematic situation of transporting your bike in a car.
You may have a place where you need to bring your bike in one piece, but you’ve no way to mount a bike rack. If you have a bike that fits in a car, you’ve solved the problem.
Not every bike fits in a car. Foldable bikes are always a solution, but most cyclists have a regular bike or even an e-bike. Can you fit these into a vehicle?
Please read on to find out!
Contents
Can You Put a Bicycle in a Car?
You can certainly fit a bicycle into a car with a few tricks and precautions. However, it depends on two factors: the type of car and the type of bike. You should keep in mind that not all bikes fit in a vehicle in the same way.
Also, it’s essential to know how many bikes you want to fit in and how often you need to transport them in your car.
A few disassemblies of the bike and a few adjustments to the handlebars, saddle, and wheels – that’s how you can fit your bike into your car. A quick-release system can save the day if you need to remove one or both wheels.
Still, you’ve to be careful not to squeeze the bike into the car because that could damage both the bike and the vehicle.
How Can You Transport a Bike in a Car?
On The Back Seat
You can transport your bike on the back seat of your car. Whether you drive an SUV or a sedan, there’s enough room in the back seat of your vehicle to carry most bikes if you position and adjust it properly. However, you’ll need to clean your bike’s tires, cogs, and greasy chain before placing it on the seat.
It would be even better if you could put a replacement cover on the seat so that the seat doesn’t get dirty or damaged. An old beach towel or blanket will do the trick if you don’t feel like getting fancy. If you put your bike in the back seat, you can also use the footwell to position one of the wheels. Or you can put the wheel in the trunk.
With Back Seat Folded Down
Some cars have seats that can be folded down to create extra space.
Tip: If you have a large and heavy bike, it’s advisable to ask someone to help you safely get the bike in and out of the space created by folding the seat down.
In The Trunk
Another option is to simply put your bike in the trunk of your car. However, we’ve to stop you at this point because an unsecured cycle can cause damage to your bike and your vehicle. Therefore, you should secure your bike with bungee cords or cable ties.
Read more: How to Fit a Bike in a Car?
Bikes that Fit in a Car
Not all bikes fit in a car. Whether you want to carry it in the trunk or in the back seat, the bike you want to transport should have an easily removable front wheel. Also, adjustable saddles and handlebars add to the convenience.
The following bikes fit well into the category of bikes that fit in a car, thanks to their construction and design.
Folding Bikes
When you think of space-saving bikes, the thought of folding bikes is already buzzing in your head, right?
As the name suggests, these bikes are designed to transform into a compact size for easy transportation and storage. Since this bike folds up to a small size, you can carry more than one folding bike in the trunk of your car or in the back seat. This is perhaps the most significant advantage that folding bikes have over other types of bikes.
If you don’t have a folding bike yet, you can choose between a folding bike with one gear and one with multiple gears. The usual mechanism of a folding bike is that the rear wheel folds up to the middle frame while the front wheel overlaps the frame.
The saddle and handlebars are designed to fold down to a position where they can be used as carrying handles. You don’t have to remove the wheels, which saves you a lot of hassle and time. Plus, the folded bike can be positioned to fit in your car in just a few easy steps.
Related reading: How to Keep Bike Rack from Scratching Your Car?
Mountain Bikes
Fitting a mountain bike into a car isn’t as easy as putting a folding bike in a car. While we must warn you that it could get messy, there are a few viable ways to fit a mountain bike in your car, sedan, or SUV.
If you decide to fit the mountain bike in the back seat of your car, you’ll need to take a few precautions. First, clean your mountain bike with a damp cloth. Next, remove one or both wheels and turn the handlebars on their side.
Once you’ve done that, you can try putting the bike on the back seat. If you think there’s not enough room on the back seat, you can remove the pedals and fold drop down the saddle to make the bike more compact.
However, mountain bikes ride through dirt and mud and often have greasy chains that can damage the padding of your car seat.
To avoid a potential mess just because you’re transporting your bike in the car, you should bring an extra seat cover or large towel, as well as rags and paper towels. It’s also good to cover the oily parts like the gears to keep your car seat clean.
Since many mountain bikes are equipped with disk brakes, we definitely recommend using brake plugs. This way, you can make sure that the brake clamps don’t get crooked.
Fitting a mountain bike in the trunk, you can save yourself the extra work of cleaning it up, but you’ll still need to remove the front wheel and position the handlebars. If the trunk is big enough, you can leave the pedals attached.
Although mountain bikes come with a quick-release system that allows you to remove the front wheels, this could be an extra hassle for many.
Electric Bikes
Another bike that can fit in a car after applying some effort is an electric bike. Transporting your precious e-bike not only protects it from theft, but you can bring your e-bike to your desired destination without worrying about water or dust damage. Trying to fit an e-bike into a car is different and requires a few other tricks to get it right.
If you have an e-bike, it will probably fit in a hatchback or a car with fold-down rear seats. If you fold the seat down, you’ll have more room to fit your bike.
To avoid staining or scratching your car’s interior, you should put a cover or plastic wrap on it before you put the bike inside. Whether you want to transport your e-bike on the back seat, the trunk, or on a fold-down seat, you must ensure that the seat belts and cargo nets don’t interfere with the space.
The batteries in e-bikes make them heavy. If you remove the battery from the electric bike, it’s much lighter and easier to maneuver. If there’s a way to easily remove the front wheel, you should do it.
Since e-bikes are heavy, we recommend asking a friend to help you lift the bike into the car. It’s best to lift the bike by the front first and then push it through from the back while someone adjusts the position of the cycle from the opposite side of your car.
Next, you should make some adjustments. First, you should adjust the handlebars so that they’re turned sideways. Next, you could tilt and readjust the front wheel if you’re having trouble getting your e-bike in. It’s a good idea to put the bike down towards the footwell.
Are There Any Bikes that Fit in Small Cars?
However, if your car is too small and you need a bike that fits inside, the folding bike will work best. The main feature of folding bikes is the ability to turn them into a compact size, so they’re easier to transport and fit into tight spaces.
If you remove the wheels and pedals and lower the saddle, you can also pack a mountain bike into a small car.
Bikes that Fit in Car Trunk
Almost any bike that allows the front and rear wheels to be removed will fit in a trunk. Mountain bikes, foldable bikes, and electric bikes will all fit in the trunk if there’s enough room.
You should tie the bikes down with bungee cords and straps and secure them well. Even though most bikes fit in the trunk, the risk of damaging the frame and handlebars is higher, especially if you have an aggressive driving style.
Conclusion
Mountain bikes, electric bikes and folding bikes are the bikes that fit in a car. However, you’d have to remove the wheels and move the handlebars to a sideways position.
If you lower the bike’s saddle and remove the pedals, you create more space, whether you want to fold up the car seat or put the bike on the seat or in the trunk of your car.
You should use enough covers and plastic to protect the car seat or trunk bed as a precaution. Also, it’s important to clean the bike before you put it in the car.
