SeanNelson
Well-known member
I'd like to think that the engineers anticipated this kind of use when they designed the car. Still, I'd want someone else to try it before I did... :shock:Zoomit said:
Bike racks
- Thread starter cperlin
- Start date
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GetOffYourGas
Well-known member
Jmosquera said:
I take it you either don't do actual mountain biking, or don't care about keeping your interior clean. I have put my mountain bike inside of multiple cars (including a '97 civic hatchback). But I wouldn't do it on a car as new as the Bolt (the oldest Bolt on the road is only 7 months old!).
BrianAnderson
Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2017
- Messages
- 5
Agree about design; though the official position is likely that this is a use not covered under warranty. When I take delivery in August, I'll assess the strength and if it seems capable, will buy the rack, hook it on and report back.SeanNelson said:
SeanNelson
Well-known member
And Torklift now has a Bolt-compatible hitch which is rated at 200 pounds tongue weight. I use their similar hitch with a bike rack on my Prius C and I've never had to deal with straps.tk1971 said:
oilerlord
Well-known member
I recommend the Thule T2 "classic". We've made several 1900 mile trips to Phoenix & back with two 50+ pound electric bikes on this rack. It's not cheap but it's well made, secure, and easy to mount & dismount the bikes. Works great.
https://www.thule.com/en-us/ca/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks/thule-t2-classic-_-1689772
https://www.thule.com/en-us/ca/bike-rack/hitch-bike-racks/thule-t2-classic-_-1689772
BrianAnderson
Member
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- Jul 16, 2017
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- 5
tk1971 said:
Simple, I'm leasing the car and won't have a hitch.
nealnorton
New member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2017
- Messages
- 2
I just brought a bike home using the Sea Sucker bike rack up top.
No problems, worked fine.
No problems, worked fine.
nealnorton
New member
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- Jul 26, 2017
- Messages
- 2
Hi TK:
They are Easton bars.
Setting up the bike for touring off road.
They are Easton bars.
Setting up the bike for touring off road.
globecanvas
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2017
- Messages
- 27
nealnorton said:
Advice:
1- don't pull into the garage
2 - cut the steerer tube
Yes, I purchased a Thule bike rack from the dealer and had them install it it for "surety" purposes. It has the 11/4 inch receptacle, which I mated with the Kuat Sherpa 2.0 tray bike rack. The Kuatt Sherpa holds two road or mountain bikes very well and weighs 28 pounds. Maximium weight for the Bolt hitch as I understand is 100 pounds, so rack plus two 30 lb. Mtn. bikes should be ok. I have used it extensively in Colorado with road bikes. With one bike there is no issue. With two bikes I get some bounce if I hit a road bump. I am looking for a strap with a plastic clip to attach to the rear hatch seam to keep it under tension for two bikes. I had the dealer install the hitch to avoid any warranty concern. Installation requires cutting a four inch slot in the center of the plastic underbody guard beneath the rear bumper. Works and looks great but still fine tuning the "bounce". Any suggestions from others would be appreciated. Btw, I did try a Saris tray mount "Freedom" reck before the the Thule. It was $250 retail compared to $400 for the Thule. To be fair, a great rack at a much lower price point ($160 on sale), but no locking cam in the hitch, so very unstable.
I put my road bike inside the car, it goes in easily with the front wheel removed. The seats fold down easily, and although they don't fold completely flat, there's plenty of room for the bike. It takes about 10 seconds to remove or install the front wheel, like most road bikes my wheels use quick-release skewers, and I've filed-off the lawyer tabs on the front fork so the quick-release actually releases quickly.
The "bounce" appears to be the characteristics of the rear suspension. As soon as I get some free $$ I want to look in to some sort of dampening for it - be it new shocks/struts or otherwise. If you find a good resolution I'm sure we all will love to investigate it.
Hard to rest your head on the headrest...
Hard to rest your head on the headrest...
tk1971
Active member
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2016
- Messages
- 36
gbobman said:
It’s the bottom end design of the rear suspension and the short wheelbase. I doubt it can be improved in any meaningful way.
But in the bright side it’s a simpler design so it should be reliable.
On the other hand adjustments for alignment may be limited.
So I did find vinyl clad bike strap clips on Amazon and attached them to the upper seam of the Bolt Hatcback. They then tie to my bikes on the Kuat Sherpa 2, attaching to the seat mount or posts. Pulling the straps taught removes any play in the bike rack. Bikes ride solidly behind car even when hitting bumps and there is zero bounce. The tensioning ball in the Kuatt rack keeps sway to a minimum. The Kuatt rack folds down with the bikes off so access to the back of the car is easy.
A few weeks ago I had U-haul install a 1.25-inch hitch receiver on our 2017 Chevy Bolt EV to mount a bike rack.
We sold our Chevy Volt, scaling down to a one-car, and, hence, a one EV family. In doing so, I needed another bike rack.
The previous rack I'd used on the Volt, Thule's Raceway Pro, isn't advised for the Bolt. Sure, you can mount it on the back of the Bolt, but don't try to use the windshield wiper! Since the car is leased, I didn't want to inadvertently damage the wiper.
This led to a search of the message boards and what others found as the best combination of hitch and rack. Message boards are powerful tools. Many posters now include photos and even some videos. In the end though, you have to find what works for you where you live.
U-haul installed the Cequent hitch # 24956 for $191.19, including California sales tax. The hitch requires cutting a small portion of the fascia, but the cut is not visible when standing behind the car.
I installed a Thule Vertex 2 bike rack myself once I got the vehicle home. The Vertex has a lever activated arm that you can raise to carry two bikes and then lower when it's no longer needed. The Vertex also has a lever to lower the rack toward the ground so you can open the lift gate. I wasn't sure how well this was going to work, but so far it's been trouble free. (I haven't tripped over it and it's easy to lift and lower.)
The display model bike rack that I bought from U-haul didn't come with the washers between the mounting bolt and the hitch receiver. I mounted the rack anyway and took a test drive. The rack bounced around in the receiver more than I was comfortable with.
I went back to the message boards and sure enough there was a discussion of play between the "stinger" of the Thule bike rack and the receiver. Thule and others said that if you use the washers that came with the rack there shouldn't be any play.
Fortunately, I found a thick washer suitable for the bike rack bolt. The simple addition of the washer allowed me to fully snug up the stinger inside the receiver. I haven't had any movement since.
I've been using the rack for the past two weeks to carry my bike for daily rides and haven't had any problems with the rack or using the Bolt EV with the rack in place.
We sold our Chevy Volt, scaling down to a one-car, and, hence, a one EV family. In doing so, I needed another bike rack.
The previous rack I'd used on the Volt, Thule's Raceway Pro, isn't advised for the Bolt. Sure, you can mount it on the back of the Bolt, but don't try to use the windshield wiper! Since the car is leased, I didn't want to inadvertently damage the wiper.
This led to a search of the message boards and what others found as the best combination of hitch and rack. Message boards are powerful tools. Many posters now include photos and even some videos. In the end though, you have to find what works for you where you live.
U-haul installed the Cequent hitch # 24956 for $191.19, including California sales tax. The hitch requires cutting a small portion of the fascia, but the cut is not visible when standing behind the car.
I installed a Thule Vertex 2 bike rack myself once I got the vehicle home. The Vertex has a lever activated arm that you can raise to carry two bikes and then lower when it's no longer needed. The Vertex also has a lever to lower the rack toward the ground so you can open the lift gate. I wasn't sure how well this was going to work, but so far it's been trouble free. (I haven't tripped over it and it's easy to lift and lower.)
The display model bike rack that I bought from U-haul didn't come with the washers between the mounting bolt and the hitch receiver. I mounted the rack anyway and took a test drive. The rack bounced around in the receiver more than I was comfortable with.
I went back to the message boards and sure enough there was a discussion of play between the "stinger" of the Thule bike rack and the receiver. Thule and others said that if you use the washers that came with the rack there shouldn't be any play.
Fortunately, I found a thick washer suitable for the bike rack bolt. The simple addition of the washer allowed me to fully snug up the stinger inside the receiver. I haven't had any movement since.
I've been using the rack for the past two weeks to carry my bike for daily rides and haven't had any problems with the rack or using the Bolt EV with the rack in place.
plj
Active member
The Curt rack (11457, and sold by GM) is rated for 100 pounds tongue weight, 1000 pounds trailer weight. The Draw-Tite (aka Cequent) 24956 is rated for 200 pounds, 2000 pounds trailer weight.
In addition, the Curt installation manual has this note (in red):
WARNING:
WE RECOMMEND THE USE OF 18050 STABILIZING STRAPS FOR ALL NON-TRAILER
(WHEEL-LESS) LOADS. PLEASE SEE THE CURT CATALOG OR VISIT US ONLINE AT
http://WWW.CURTMFG.COM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
I don't see an equivalent note in the Draw-Tite manual.
In addition, the Curt installation manual has this note (in red):
WARNING:
WE RECOMMEND THE USE OF 18050 STABILIZING STRAPS FOR ALL NON-TRAILER
(WHEEL-LESS) LOADS. PLEASE SEE THE CURT CATALOG OR VISIT US ONLINE AT
http://WWW.CURTMFG.COM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
I don't see an equivalent note in the Draw-Tite manual.
plj
Active member
I bought a Highland SportWing. The design has changed, and it's no longer possible to get the riser shank. It's too bad, as the bike rides low -- the tires on my road bike (700) were 5" off level ground (with the hitch being 9 1/2" off the ground). Hence, it can no longer be recommended for a Bolt.
