I've never had a problem with it but you can buy a stretchable spandex like cover for the front of the bike that hangs from the fork to over the handlebars to keep the bike clean.
I always wondered....with a roof-mounted rack, doesn't your bike end-up with all sorts of bugs and other crap on it after a long-ish drive? Seems like a trunk-mounted or bumper-mounted would protect it a lot more.
I think I am going to get one of these, if I do get one:
According to the internet, towing anything with my honda civic is not recommended in the manual. It says the limit is also 1000lbs. I don't see myself towing even half of that. (Try to get a really light trailer)
I don't know why they don't recommend it. It'll just be me in my car. I'll have had more people in my car with more sh*t in the trunk in weight than what I'll be towing. (4 people besides myself totaling about 800lbs+75lbs in cargo)
well, you might have to worry about lights on the trailer, and more stress on the brakes and transmission. but, furniture and such is relatively light usually so I can't imagine a few hundred pounds would be too much.
The main problem I have with trailers is that they have to be stored somewhere.
http://www.amazon.com/Swagman-Cross-...gman+bike+rack
One of the guys I ride with has that and I just rode with him to the trails this weekend using it. It ain't fancy but it gets the job done and is still way better than the style that hang the bike from the top tube. If you aren't in a hurry watch craigslist and wait for a platform rack to pop up. As for security don't leave the bike on the rack when you can't keep an eye on it.. Really that is the only good solution.
Do you think I could get a hitch adapter that lowers the bike rack mounting point a bit? I was hoping I could make it more aero to reduce drag, but maybe this is just inevitable.
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Slight derailment, but the role of aerodynamics is really undervalued. Going in the opposite direction, I added a bellypan to my car and gained 6MPG on the highway for $30 in materials:
The bumper looked like a parachute before. Goes to show how far manufacturers actually go to improve economy.
A hitch mounted bike rack or cargo box is going to be your best bet. Some cargo boxes can actually increase gas mileage.
Impressive, what did you do around the exhaust? Where'd you get the materials?
Slight derailment, but the role of aerodynamics is really undervalued. Going in the opposite direction, I added a bellypan to my car and gained 6MPG on the highway for $30 in materials:
The bumper looked like a parachute before. Goes to show how far manufacturers actually go to improve economy.
A hitch mounted bike rack or cargo box is going to be your best bet. Some cargo boxes can actually increase gas mileage.
Just curious, do you know how much the hitch affected your mpg before and after install of the hitch? I'm a bit worried that a hitch will do some damage to my mpg.
That's just a tow hook actually. ^^
I don't expect it will be a lot though.
Hope Depot, they had 3'x6' sheets of corrugated plastic for $12 each and I got a thin aluminum bar to run across the middle of the car to support it. I cut out around the muffler, but where the pipe ran I held the board away from the pipe about a quarter of an inch, sprayed in some flame retardant foam, and let it dry. No issues with warping and I drive it hard. So far I've tested it up to 100MPH and it hasn't come loose so I don't expect any normal highway driving to pose a threat.
What are you going to do when that plastic catches on fire?
The added weight is less than an adult human. The added drag won't amount to much with either a roof or trunk rack.
Unless you are doing mostly highway driving, I don't think you will notice a difference at all. Maybe 1-2 MPG at the worst, but that is just a wild ass guess.