Date:         Mon, 27 Oct 1997 11:47:56 -0800
Reply-To:     Redwood <redwood@SPEEDLINK.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         Redwood <redwood@SPEEDLINK.COM>
Subject:      Re: OK one more thing on bike racks....
Comments: To: Sean Bartnik <sbart7kb@WWW.MWC.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 04:11 PM 10/26/97 EST, you wrote:

>In the local bike store they have a rack by a company called Hollywood
>for about $60.  It's made for the backs of vans and sport-utes, and
>straps on w/ a 4-point harness.  There are foam pads on contact points
>and the tubing is covered by vinyl or a similar substance :-)

This sounds like a rack i have, and used to use on the back of a Mazda MPV.
I added foam pipe insulation in a couple of places.  It works pretty well
for 2 bikes, tho the folding and unfolding can be a pain, because of the
adjustability.  Haven't used it in a couple of years, but it was OK.

                -- snip --
>The obvious answer is bungees, which I've checked out and would probably
>work fine.  Wal-Mart has an amazing selection of bungees in the
>automotive section.  Of course, I would lock the bike to the rack with a
>u-lock.  But that wouldn't keep it right in place on the rack, and I
>obviously don't want the bike bouncing around back there.

I used bungees, and 2 U-locks.  I locked one bike by a bike frame tube, thru
a wheel, to a horizontal tube on the rack  Then, the other bike, thru its
own frame and wheel, to the frame of the other bike.  the idea was to make
it as cumbersome as possible, if someone tried to swipe the whole thing.
Then, to at least slow that possibility down, I ran a thick cable thru both
bikes and the rack, and thru some hole thru a structural bar under the van,
in front of the bumper.
>
>Also, I will need something to tie up the front wheel so that it doesn't
>turn side-to-side and bash the rear hatch, etc.  Bungees may also work
>here.

I put the 2 bikes back-to-front, because of the handlebars.  Then there
really wasn't a problem, but i'm sure bungees would be fine.

>
>But, what I've also seen at Wal-Mart are those spiffy ratcheting
>tie-down thingys.  They work sorta like a rear seatbelt.  You put the
>webbing over whatever you want to tie down, then click the latch
>together and yank on the leftover to tighten the thing.

those do sound good.  will have to check 'em out.

Happy biking,

Gail
__________________________
Gail Fitzpatrick
'87 GL Westi, 121k   [Twiga]
Sacramento, CA
<redwood@speedlink.com>