Sorry. I forgot to report on that.

They told me that they do not support (approve) any kind of harness that can be easily converted for towing. Instead, they will even sell the trunk mounted bike carriers but not the Hitch mounted ones.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

mwashbu... Sorry I didn't reply sooner... I was away on a bike trip!!!

Yes, as the photo from my post

https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...ght=bike+trunk

shows, it is possible to put up to TWO bikes in the HCHII's trunk. Not convenient, mind you, but it can be done.

The two bikes in that photo are a large Giant FCR-1 and a small frame cannondale R400 (with 650 wheels). I removed the trunk bottom liner and the styrofoam jack holder to add some room. Everything fit okay, but I needed a little sketch diagram to keep track of where everything goes.

We did this for a trip up to Seattle (from So. Cal) in July for STP. I pulled the bikes three times during the trip... once for a ride in central Oregon, once in Seattle for STP, once for a ride on the Oregon coast. It took about 20 minutes to break down and load... and about 15 minutes to set the bikes back up.

The smaller bike fit with no alteration (other than removal of front and rear wheels). The Giant required seatpost removal. Not a big issue, since I had marked the proper height with a reflector mount.

Once put in the trunk, there was plenty of open space for water bottles, helmets, duffle bags (with Gu, Clifbars, tools, spare parts, etc.). Our luggage for the trip went in half the back seat with no trouble (three persons went on the trip).

For a long trip, this works fine... no worries of air drag on MPG, bike theft, bike damage or dirt from road debris, etc. For short trips (the weekend trip cross-town to that bike trail), I'd recommend a rack of some sort. Trunk storage isn't very convenient.

We have an SUV and I have a Thule rack on there that we love. We're thinking of dumping the SUV and getting another small car... but that leaves us with the delemma of what to haul bikes with on short trips. Thinking about that Saros (sp?) trunk mount rack. They say it can hold up to three bikes... but that seems like a lot of weight and stress on that little trunk lid... and then there's the air deflector issue (some have reported that their air deflectors are cutting into the trunk lid paint). Putting mounting straps over that area could cause trouble!

If you have any questions regarding bikes in the trunk, just let me know. I can scan and email the sketches I have... of course, each bike is different, but it might help!

 

Jeff-

Thanks for the detailed info. I made the plunge last night and picked up my silver 2007 HCH II. I haven't tried fitting a bike in the trunk yet but a posting of your earlier photos convinced me that it's do-able. It looks like the bottom bike in your photo is oriented drive-side down. Is the any risk of the cranks or derailleur getting banged up on the spare tire/tools or does your padding prevent that? I'll only have a single bike (58 cm) in the trunk so I'm hoping that I can somehow do it with the drive-side facing up. Thanks.

 

Yes, as I recall, it is drive-side down... but no problems. I used two padded mover's blankets (cheap purchase at harbor freight tools!)... but any padding would work.

With only one bike, you could probably get away with not removing the trunk floor and styrofoam jack holder, but I found that the bike's rear wheel nests nicely in there (cassette side down into the spare).

For your information, I have several times transported my bike (the giant) in the back seat. For this, you only need to remove the front wheel. Pull the passenger front seat as far forward as possible, and tilt it forward. put a blanket over the rear seat and a towel over the back of the center console. CAREFULLY load the bike in. I've had a few scuff marks here and there, but nothing terrible. It works in a pinch, but a rack would really be best!