MK1 Bike Rack - Page 3

stu4u3 · 08-10-2009, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 328FTW

Bike rack amidoinitrite?

http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/res...Civico_494.jpg

HAHA! That is the most jimmie rigged thing I have ever seen. What a loser!

efx · 08-10-2009, 06:13 PM

Well for the purpose of testing, I move/shake the rack before I drive to make sure nothing moves. The tire is tied with the strap if you look at it closer. So for our testing, I decided to drive like mad on the turns just to see how this bike held this time. Actually this bike held much better than the mountain back, which is heavier and looks weird when mounted since it doesn't have a straight frame like this one does. All in all, I think people thought I was nuts driving like I was with the bike on the back, but I had to prove that it worked. The bike didn't even flinched, so this bike is lighter, but it also depends on your mounting. If you get lazy, yeah, you will have problems. I like to make sure everything is on there nice and tight so I can drive as if it wasn't there.

All in all, no problems other than me being sore and out of shape. Oh yeah and the only thing touching is the tire rubber which doesn' t hurt anything since I tied it. I also move the mounts a bit more away from the car to make sure the fram doesn't touch the car. Although I still would like to have a roof rack, I got this one so it's no big deal. The only down side here is that you have to keep mounting/dismounting it. Take your time and drive like a normal person and you should be fine. I gone on the freeway with my mountain bike before so far it holds up pretty good. There are some others that are pretty cheaply made so you should also take that into consideration. Mine is pretty sturdy, then they came out with a crappy one after mine. If anyone else is looking for one, I just saw a Thule that also looks pretty sturdy at a bike shop like two days ago. So you may also want to check those out. I have no idea what Yakima has now since I bought this one a few years back but have only used it like four or five times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stu4u3

^^^ Man... doesn't that front wheel flop around when driving - hacking up your bumper or spoiler? You need a top mount rack.

bassman54 · 08-11-2009, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by efx

Here are the pictures of my rack as promised. I usually use it for the mountain bike but since I'm way out of shape I thought I start locally again on regular roads. I started putting this one together last summer but didn't ride it. It was one of my older brothers bike. Interestingly enough, you don't get the same drag you get with the mountain bike. I don't feel anything with this bike on it which is really nice. Stays put nicely too. So the more I use the rack the better I get at installing it and taking it off the car.

Oh yeah, I bought this one a while back and this is for 3 bikes. I think I've only had two on it, but three would be pushing it on the weight I think. It's usually just mine so it works well for me. And this was taken when I got there so my straps stay where I put them. I don't let them fly all over the place. The first ride is brutal when you haven't gone out for way too long. Other than me losing my breath a few times, the bike worked great without any problems after cleaning and lubing a few things on it.

http://www.mr2.com/forums/images/smilies/rolleyes2.gif

Nice! That's about as good as it gets on a small coupe like ours. The key like you said is tight straps, then make sure there's no movement when you wiggle it, and strap the front wheel. I used a similar rack on my '82 Supra for years with no problems.

Efx, when I lived in L.A., I did group rides with the L.A. Wheelmen, a great club. Marriage and moving east changed all that, so now I ride when I can, and I'm always trying to get BACK in shape

efx · 08-12-2009, 05:21 PM

I hear you...thanks for the info. I'm way out of shape to ride with anyone. I can barely make it around a few long blocks, but I didn't know about the wheelmen. Sounds like fun.I finally figured out how my derailer works. I took off the rear wheel to clean everything, but the cable housing was gone so I had to get something back on there. Everyone told me that if I opened the cassette it would be useless after that since all the bearings would fall out. I took them all out carefully and cleaned and oiled the whole thing back up, works fine. The more they told me it couldn't be done, the more curious I got, so bought the tool to take it off. The guys at one store tried to help me take it off, but they were not able to, finally figured it out and it was the easiest thing ever.

Someone gave me a piece of brake housing which I know is different (5mm for brakes and 4mm for derailer for those who don't know), but I also got the metal caps there now which I like better and so I had to figure out how to adjust that thing. People told me it wouldn't shift right, and on and on, but it works great now. Took me forever, but got it shifting on all gears now so that was brutal learning it, but it's easy once you figure it out. I just sat there for over an hour or two and played with each screw to see what it did. Unfortunately I think the axle may be a little bent on the wheel, you can see the thing wobble a bit once it's on the bike. Rides fine, but I don't like that. Since I'm on a budget I'll leave it like that for now and change it later since I'm not riding that much anyway. Not sure how easy it is to change that since I didn't take that out. Then again it's just that and then the hub holding everything so I don't think it's much more after taking out the cassette.

como · 05-29-2010, 07:51 AM

Bringing this one back up from the dead;
what ever became of this project? I still want one.

bassman54 · 07-16-2010, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by como

Bringing this one back up from the dead;
what ever became of this project? I still want one.

me too. thought we'd have pics of a prototype last year. i broke down and bought a cheap trunk mount to bring the bike i bought home. may have to design my own...

stu4u3 · 08-18-2010, 06:02 PM

I have a t-bar mr2 and I'm thinking of making a fiberglass mold that will attached to the back on the ttop opening on the roof with a bike skewer attached to it. This way it’s not permanent and can be removed when I'm not transporting the bike around. The fork of the bike would mount to the skewer obviously.

Next, I would attach the rear of the bike via a strap similar to what you would find on a Yakima roof rack. This too would be attached to a fiberglass mechanism that attaches to the spoiler. Again, this set up would be removable so as not to make any permanent changes to the spoiler. When I get time, I'm going to try to make this set up. Look close and you can see the front bike wheel riding shotgun with me

fugalster · 03-11-2011, 05:21 PM

sorry guys. i kinda fell off the face of the planet for a long while. but i did learn this: if you don't want any semblance of a life, go through engineering school while trying to work full time.

as for the roof rack, i did make finish a prototype by the end of last summer. i'll post some pictures this weekend. it takes the place of the sunroof (even fits under the hood when not in use) and fits two bikes and has room for the two front wheels also. takes just as much time to install as it does to install the sunroof. it's solid. i grab hold of the rack and shake with all i've got and the car jiggles on the suspension, but the rack doesn't budge.

bassman54 · 03-11-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fugalster

sorry guys. i kinda fell off the face of the planet for a long while. but i did learn this: if you don't want any semblance of a life, go through engineering school while trying to work full time.

as for the roof rack, i did make finish a prototype by the end of last summer. i'll post some pictures this weekend. it takes the place of the sunroof (even fits under the hood when not in use) and fits two bikes and has room for the two front wheels also. takes just as much time to install as it does to install the sunroof. it's solid. i grab hold of the rack and shake with all i've got and the car jiggles on the suspension, but the rack doesn't budge.

welcome back! my schooling days are long past, but i know what you mean.

sounds like a great design. looking forward to the pics.

ag86IL · 03-11-2011, 08:09 PM

Put this together over the winter, still need a fairing. Spent about $115. The cargo basket is a coca cola plastic bottle crate, fit perfect and holds the single tray system together.

rapeface17 · 03-11-2011, 08:46 PM

i see honda kids drivin around with bike racks n most of them dont even ride...gay fad,,, if you ride i understand but if not ur reall gay

fugalster · 03-12-2011, 03:03 PM

pictures as promised here.

the frame is made from extruded aluminum tubing i had lying around, cut, drilled and welded. the two tangs on the front and the handle on the back are from a salvaged sun roof from the local junk yard ($15). the two fork mounts were purchased and modified ($20 each). the two front wheel mounts were made from aluminum bar ($9), cut, bent and drilled. on the inside of the frame where things mount to it there are custom mounting blocks to take the load (9 blocks total including the 2 spacers for the front tangs). to finish it off there are two rubber mounts ($4) to keep the load off of the weather stripping.

all in all, this rack took me a _long_ time to build. probably 40-60 hours worth. of course, i was figuring it out as i went along, designing parts, machining them, figuring out they didn't work, designing new parts, etc. if i were to build a second one, it'd take _much_ less time.

unfortunately, because of the limited number of sunroofs available locally, if any of you want one of these it'd probably have to be a dyi project. i would consider making kits of all the parts necessary minus the sunroof parts if there's an interest in that. or even just a set of plans with all measurements and assembly instructions. let me know what you guys think.

TomsMR2 · 03-12-2011, 03:10 PM

pretty neat! looks good too.. i dont think id want to lose the ability to close my roof, but neat none the less.

RuggishBone · 03-12-2011, 10:26 PM

not very aerodynamic

fugalster · 03-13-2011, 01:14 AM

aerodynamics go out the window the moment you decide to put a bike on a car. besides, the mr2 has about the worst aerodynamics possible for a car it's size.

as for the sunroof, i did get caught in a rain storm coming home from a biking trip last summer. if you go fast enough, only the back window and your head get wet

it does need a better solution.

bassman54 · 03-14-2011, 09:32 PM

very nice! it may have some shortcomings, but i think it's a great idea. i'd prefer a better way to locate the rear tires, and i don't think my road bike tires will fit under the bars like your mountain bike.

i appreciate good engineering and i may try to come up with something based on your concept.

by some strange coincidence i ride a specialized too:

TomsMR2 · 03-14-2011, 09:56 PM

road bikes and mountain bikes have pretty similar overall diameters. about an inch different.

fugalster · 03-14-2011, 10:14 PM

true, once you take into account that the tire is so much narrower on a road bike. but the handle bars do sit quite a bit lower.

View Poll Results: How do you feel about a MR2 roof rack?
I want one now!	4	13.79%
I'd concider getting one.	3	10.34%
It would be cool, but not for me.	7	24.14%
I don't see the point.	15	51.72%
Voters: 29. You may not vote on this poll

08-12-2009, 05:21 PM	#44 (permalink)
efx Cage Fighter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 215 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I hear you...thanks for the info. I'm way out of shape to ride with anyone. I can barely make it around a few long blocks, but I didn't know about the wheelmen. Sounds like fun.I finally figured out how my derailer works. I took off the rear wheel to clean everything, but the cable housing was gone so I had to get something back on there. Everyone told me that if I opened the cassette it would be useless after that since all the bearings would fall out. I took them all out carefully and cleaned and oiled the whole thing back up, works fine. The more they told me it couldn't be done, the more curious I got, so bought the tool to take it off. The guys at one store tried to help me take it off, but they were not able to, finally figured it out and it was the easiest thing ever. Someone gave me a piece of brake housing which I know is different (5mm for brakes and 4mm for derailer for those who don't know), but I also got the metal caps there now which I like better and so I had to figure out how to adjust that thing. People told me it wouldn't shift right, and on and on, but it works great now. Took me forever, but got it shifting on all gears now so that was brutal learning it, but it's easy once you figure it out. I just sat there for over an hour or two and played with each screw to see what it did. Unfortunately I think the axle may be a little bent on the wheel, you can see the thing wobble a bit once it's on the bike. Rides fine, but I don't like that. Since I'm on a budget I'll leave it like that for now and change it later since I'm not riding that much anyway. Not sure how easy it is to change that since I didn't take that out. Then again it's just that and then the hub holding everything so I don't think it's much more after taking out the cassette. Last edited by efx; 08-14-2009 at 11:37 AM..

03-12-2011, 03:10 PM	#53 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,909 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	pretty neat! looks good too.. i dont think id want to lose the ability to close my roof, but neat none the less. __________________ Science fact: If you took all the veins from your body and laid them end to end, you would die.

03-14-2011, 09:32 PM	#56 (permalink)
bassman54 Ol' School Skills Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: So Cal Posts: 184 Thanks: 15 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	very nice! it may have some shortcomings, but i think it's a great idea. i'd prefer a better way to locate the rear tires, and i don't think my road bike tires will fit under the bars like your mountain bike. i appreciate good engineering and i may try to come up with something based on your concept. by some strange coincidence i ride a specialized too: Attached Thumbnails

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05-29-2010, 07:51 AM	#45 (permalink)
como Road Warrior Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern Maine Posts: 652 Thanks: 13 Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Bringing this one back up from the dead; what ever became of this project? I still want one.

08-18-2010, 06:02 PM	#47 (permalink)
stu4u3 Fixing up a 1989 MR2 MK1 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Posts: 341 Thanks: 11 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	I have a t-bar mr2 and I'm thinking of making a fiberglass mold that will attached to the back on the ttop opening on the roof with a bike skewer attached to it. This way it’s not permanent and can be removed when I'm not transporting the bike around. The fork of the bike would mount to the skewer obviously. Next, I would attach the rear of the bike via a strap similar to what you would find on a Yakima roof rack. This too would be attached to a fiberglass mechanism that attaches to the spoiler. Again, this set up would be removable so as not to make any permanent changes to the spoiler. When I get time, I'm going to try to make this set up. Look close and you can see the front bike wheel riding shotgun with me

03-11-2011, 05:21 PM	#48 (permalink)
fugalster mad skills Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	sorry guys. i kinda fell off the face of the planet for a long while. but i did learn this: if you don't want any semblance of a life, go through engineering school while trying to work full time. as for the roof rack, i did make finish a prototype by the end of last summer. i'll post some pictures this weekend. it takes the place of the sunroof (even fits under the hood when not in use) and fits two bikes and has room for the two front wheels also. takes just as much time to install as it does to install the sunroof. it's solid. i grab hold of the rack and shake with all i've got and the car jiggles on the suspension, but the rack doesn't budge.

03-11-2011, 08:09 PM	#50 (permalink)
ag86IL Cage Fighter Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 129 Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	Put this together over the winter, still need a fairing. Spent about $115. The cargo basket is a coca cola plastic bottle crate, fit perfect and holds the single tray system together.

03-11-2011, 08:46 PM	#51 (permalink)
rapeface17 Some Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: ft lauderdale Posts: 76 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	i see honda kids drivin around with bike racks n most of them dont even ride...gay fad,,, if you ride i understand but if not ur reall gay

03-12-2011, 03:03 PM	#52 (permalink)
fugalster mad skills Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	pictures as promised here. the frame is made from extruded aluminum tubing i had lying around, cut, drilled and welded. the two tangs on the front and the handle on the back are from a salvaged sun roof from the local junk yard ($15). the two fork mounts were purchased and modified ($20 each). the two front wheel mounts were made from aluminum bar ($9), cut, bent and drilled. on the inside of the frame where things mount to it there are custom mounting blocks to take the load (9 blocks total including the 2 spacers for the front tangs). to finish it off there are two rubber mounts ($4) to keep the load off of the weather stripping. all in all, this rack took me a _long_ time to build. probably 40-60 hours worth. of course, i was figuring it out as i went along, designing parts, machining them, figuring out they didn't work, designing new parts, etc. if i were to build a second one, it'd take _much_ less time. unfortunately, because of the limited number of sunroofs available locally, if any of you want one of these it'd probably have to be a dyi project. i would consider making kits of all the parts necessary minus the sunroof parts if there's an interest in that. or even just a set of plans with all measurements and assembly instructions. let me know what you guys think.

03-12-2011, 10:26 PM	#54 (permalink)
RuggishBone t(.t) Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ontario Cali Posts: 780 Thanks: 28 Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	not very aerodynamic

03-13-2011, 01:14 AM	#55 (permalink)
fugalster mad skills Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	aerodynamics go out the window the moment you decide to put a bike on a car. besides, the mr2 has about the worst aerodynamics possible for a car it's size. as for the sunroof, i did get caught in a rain storm coming home from a biking trip last summer. if you go fast enough, only the back window and your head get wet it does need a better solution.

03-14-2011, 09:56 PM	#57 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,909 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	road bikes and mountain bikes have pretty similar overall diameters. about an inch different.

03-14-2011, 10:14 PM	#58 (permalink)
fugalster mad skills Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	true, once you take into account that the tire is so much narrower on a road bike. but the handle bars do sit quite a bit lower.