UKC

So I'm a mountain biking noob and I'm looking into how best to transport 2 bikes around the country.

Got 2 new bikes with quick release wheels I just assumed taking both wheels off and sticking it in the back of the car would be the easiest way. I did this last night and when putting it back on, it took me half an hour of fiddling with the QR tension to get the wheel seated perfectly again where its not rubbing on the brake pads (hydraulic discs). I thought 'B*gger doing that every time!'

Anyone got any words of wisdom? Bike Rack a better (if not costlier) option?

For info, I used a pad spacer and didnt touch the brake lever when changing the wheel.

In reply to craig1983:

Bike Rack. If you happen to have a tow bar fitted, racks that fit to it are very easy to attach and save you having to worry about scratching/denting you car. If you don't have a tow bar, you will doubtless get lots of suggestions about which rack is best in a minute or two

In reply to wilkesley:
If I didn't have a towbar, (which I don't), I'd go for a roof carrier over a rack on the back. Doesn't obstruct lights and number plate and don't have to hook it to the tailgate with consequent scratches.

In reply to craig1983:

I've always just put them in the car and not had the problem you mention with the brakes? Don't have to worry about getting the bikes nicked, they get kept dry and out of the rain, don't cause wind resistance, don't fall off, or damage your car.

In reply to craig1983:

always in the back of the car - maybe its practice but it should take about 2 minutes to put the front wheel back on and set the bike up again.

In reply to tlm:

Could it be that because the brakes are brand new, that there is minimal clearance between pads and disc and the rubbing will go away after a bit of use?

In reply to craig1983:

What are you frames made of? If they are carbon, then you don't want to clamp the frames... so get a fork mounted roof carrier or a towbar job that supports the wheeels.

Seasucker look like quite a good new option, but I use Thule roof carriers which I would recommend... they are pricey, but the piece of mind is worth it with £6k of bikes on top of my car

In reply to craig1983:

Another vote for in the car, whenever possible.

I drive an estate - take front wheel and seatpost off and stack vertically with one back seat down. Bungee cords on to the seat lock hasps to stop them falling over.

When absolutely necessary, fork-mounted roof carriers - but beware car park height restrictions!

In reply to craig1983:

I just turn the bike upside down to put the wheel back on and make sure that it really is seated properly, rather than being a little bit out on one or both sides. If the brakes have been adjusted with the wheel right in, then they should always be OK like that...

I've had a problem in the past where I haven't turned the bike and have accidentally left the wheel a teeny bit out of the forks...

But who knows?

In reply to craig1983:

As the pads wear, the pistons should adjust so the distance between the pads should stay the same. I'd be starting with the calliper mounting bolts adjustment if the brakes are rubbing (Park Tools website is great for instructions on this but it is dead simple). If that fails, I'd be getting a trusty tyre lever and pushing the pistons apart (probably doesn't work like this on all bikes, I know it does on mine), doing a few squeezes of the brakes (always with the bike upright) and seeing if that resolves it.

In reply to craig1983:


Something's not right here. The QR tension should not make any difference to the alignment of the wheel. With the bike upside down, the wheels should sit nicely in the dropouts and the disks rotate smoothly in the calipers. The QR basically clamps this position: the distance between the dropouts (the Over-Locknut-Distance) should be exactly the same for both hub and frame - down to the millimetre. If the QR tension is changing disk alignment by even a mm then something is wrong somewhere.

The alternative is that the pads moved when the wheels were off, but you said that you put the spacers in, so I don't know...

Anyway, IMO most bike racks are a faff - the only ones I've ever used which aren't are the towbar mounted ones. But if you have a small car they make life easier, and they also save the car upholstery after a muddy ride.

In reply to Alun:


so does a tarp...

In reply to tlm:




The interior roof of my car suggests otherwise