Precious Cargo: Securing bike inside vs. out

[SisOne]

I am an avid cyclist and every vehicle we own has a bike rack, however, I am reluctant to add hardware to the roof of my new MS. I have a custom Ti Seven road bike and a carbon Argon18 gravel bike, which means that a cargo solution would help keep these sweet wheels more secure.

I have purchased a protective mat for the trunk and anticipate that I will have no trouble laying a bike down on top of the mat. I am curious if anyone else transports their bike as cargo and if you have come up with a creative method to secure It so it is less likely to shift around. I am willing to remove the front wheel if needed. Would love to see photos of any creative solutions.

I may ultimately decide to mount a rooftop bike rack (I don’t like the look of a heavy rack on the back), but want to fully explore my options first

Loving this community for sharing things like this!

 

[Ostrichsak]

If you're primary concern is security I think the best option is a roof mount w/locking mechanisms for the bikes. I have the OEM roof rack that we move between cars and then I have some Yakima Frontloaders attached to those. I like the fact that I can have one key lock everything and that the lock that passes around the bike frame is secured easily when not in use and, once again, able to be keyed the same as the lock that locks the Frontloader to the rack. It's the easiest and simplest solution for securing a bike to a Model S. Bonus for us is that we can get in and out of the hatch easily w/o them being in the way on a hitch mount. I realize that this last point may not be as important to some but for us it was a priority. I also think that, by nature of how they are to get to, the roof rack solutions are more secure than a hitch mount system.

 

[JohnQ]

My cargo isn't as precious, a '94 Cannondale T700 touring bike, and I just lay the bike on its side in the hatch. Haven't had any issue with it moving around. Sorry, no creative solutions here.

 

[SisOne]

My cargo isn't as precious, a '94 Cannondale T700 touring bike, and I just lay the bike on its side in the hatch. Haven't had any issue with it moving around. Sorry, no creative solutions here.

I love Cannondale. My first carbon was a Synapse 3. Now it's on my trainer

 

[S-ALSET]

I MTB bike twice a week and the best solution for me was to add a hitch and use a 1up rack (which is pretty light to add and remove regularly). I ended up installing a small 1.25" hitch to avoid the huge square hole being so noticeable when no rack is on. The benefits for me of a rear mounting rack is to have an empty trunk for helmets, gear etc. Since the rack folds down, you can access the trunk with your bike on. Not to mention that I drove into a low tree branch a few years back with 2 Precious Carbon Cargoes on top of a roof rack! (uggh I still remember the sound of cracking frames...)

 

[SisOne]

Ohhh nooooooo! My husband keeps whispering into my ear the same fear of a on-top rack. We recently made sure all our $$$ bikes were covered under our homeowners insurance policy. I hope you have some coverage too. And thanks for the 1-up reccomendation. I'm familiar with the brand and know they are well liked. We've also been shopping for our Sprinter and that one was high on the list of possibilities.

 

[Deanm0000]

I've got the trailer hitch style bike holder. The only issue is that the receiver sometimes scrapes certain driveways. The receiver is removeable with one bolt so mostly that's just me being lazy and leaving it on when I don't need it.

 

[airborne spoon]

Just throw it in the back of you want it more secure. The trailer hitch ones look tacky and also have constant warnings for someone close to the car that are annoying.
Also since you're a bicyclist I hope you're not one of the majority out there that are assholes. Share the road means bicycles need to share the road with cars by not riding in the middle of the Lane or riding 2-3 abreast.

This is my 440cc dirt bike in the back of my car, taking it up to a better riding location and I can store it there too.

 

[domodan]

I’m an avid cyclist with a fleet of expensive bikes. The answer is simple - don’t store the bike with the car. I use a Seasucker roof rack (see pic of my gravel bike, XC bike and one of my boys bikes) for transport but take the bikes inside when I get where I’m going.

I too have a 1UP USA rack, which is hands down the best hitch rack you can buy. I have no interest in putting a hitch on my car though. I’d encourage you to check out Seasucker. If you MUST leave the bike with the car outside of your garage, fold the rear seats down and put it inside. It’s just going to me your window gets smashed out when they take it.

 

[LostWages]

I put a hitch on my car, and use the 1UP rack. I use a cable lock to secure bikes to the rack if I'm stepping away from the car. My 100D has approximately 200 miles of range with multiple bikes on the 1UP rack.

 

[serpico007]

Started looking into this as well. My wife wants us to get new bikes and thought it might just fit in the back. Tesla's roof rack is another option. Nice to read everyone's options here.

 

[GlenF]

Carrying one bike, I just fold down the seats and put it in the back. I'm 6'4" and one of my requirements in a new car was to be able to put a bike in it without taking off the front wheel. I did get a neoprene bumper mat to protect the car while loading/unloading. It also makes a nice seat while putting on my shoes. I got this one but there are other makes available.
Carrying 2 bikes, I use a SeaSucker. I mount it so the rear wheel is on the trunk rather than have everything on the roof. I don't worry about the bikes being stolen as I'm never that far away from the car. If anything, I'd worry about the rack itself being stolen as it goes on/off so easily. I'll sometimes take it off the car if it's not an organized event where everyone has bikes, but so far no one has messed with it.

 

[gingerbeer]

I put a hitch on my car, and use the 1UP rack. I use a cable lock to secure bikes to the rack if I'm stepping away from the car. My 100D has approximately 200 miles of range with multiple bikes on the 1UP rack.

View attachment 594194

Which hitch did you install?

 

[LostWages]

I installed the Torklift eco-hitch:
Torklift Central | Tesla - EcoHitch - Rear Mounted Receiver Hitches - Trailer Hitches

I was able to install it in the garage, car on ramps. I asked my brother-in-law to help me reinstall the bumper to make sure I didn't scratch any paint. Drilling the bottom of the bumper was probably the most difficult part, for me at any rate.

Based on a couple highway trips, with bikes I'd estimate 2/3 available range.

I've been curious about the SeaSucker design for a long time (since my previous car) but I prefer the hitch mount for a few reasons. Never worry about bikes hitting the garage, don't have to remove bike wheels, I thought it was more efficient that roof-mount ... but I'd love to see some road-trip comparisons.