We're getting our still very new 4Runner ready for summer adventures. This involves getting a trailer so we can tow our Miata to some far-flung autocrosses. Those who do these big events say you really need a bicycle to get from pit to grid to support vehicle as sometimes none of those are really near each other. So we need bikes, and a bike rack. But first I have to ask, how easy can it be to lift a couple bikes waaaaaaaaaaay up onto the roof of a 4Runner in the first place? Looks darn near impossible to me. Anyone done it?

All depends on what kind of bikes you have! A heavy mountain bike... good luck. Light road bikes then you stand a better chance. You'll pretty much need a running board to lift any bike up. I just got my top bike rack but haven't had a chance to use it yet. I have road bikes and no running board but I plan on getting one soon.

I put it up just to see how easy it was and it wasn't easy...

Mount the bikes on the trailer you are getting. BTW my mountain bike weighs 26 lbs. Yes I ride. A lot.

A friend of mine has roof bike mount on Jeep Liberty. He is carrrying a step stool like this: Blue Planet 2-Step Stool | Canadian Tire
4Runner shouldn't be much higher so I think that with a stepstool it's not as hard to put bikes up on the roof. I wouldn't use running board though - you can't really stand on it secure enough to lift a bike to the roof.

+1. I bet you could mount a hitch mount style rack on the front of your car trailer. you could just mount a receiver tube and slide it in, it would be removable then.

Agree with 1Engineer... I used to have roof-mounted bike racks and it was such a pita that I changed to a hitch-mounted rack. You've got to literally be able to lift the bike over your head and lift it to the top of the truck.

Or, buy those little foldable bikes and carry them in the truck.

I agree with most that lifting any bike over your head to put upright on SUV roof is a PITA. Put the bike on your trailer, on a hitch rack or take off the front bike wheel and load the bike into the cargo area.

thread jack....autocross!! very cool, which of your many miatas do you bring to the track?

This year our primary autocrosser is the '93. It was a box-stock base model when we got it a couple years ago. Now it has the basic bolt-ons to run in SCCA Street Touring Sports class (street tires).

Last year I won a club's STS class championship and the last local SCCA event with my '90 Miata, so I think I'm getting halfway decent at this. I'm hoping that the '93 will turn out to be a better car and we can run well enough to do some National Tour events and the SCCA Solo National championships in August. We'll get our first hint at whether we're pointed in the right direction this weekend at our first local event. We're optimistic but realistic - in our region there are a couple-three National-level drivers in our class alone.

Last year all four Miatas got autocross time. The 99 isn't a terribly competitive STR car (mostly stock). I ran the Mazdaspeed with the local BMW club and got 2nd in points in my class.

nice! well if you ever get videos (go-pro!!) please post a link. I'm dying to get into autocrossing one day. Hard to justify an autocross car when we just bought the 4runner!

If you decide to go with a roof rack, stand on the back tire to put the bike on. It makes it a lot easier than trying to lift over your head and into the mount.

I put bikes on the roof of my lifted 4runner and I am 5.7 I just use a cheap fold up step stool I also put my 29lb Santa Cruz Nomad up there along with my 40lb Kona Stinky up there as well

I have a Yakima Fork Lift on my 4Runner. It mounts directly to the factory crossbars and its about $120. I just have one but you'd need one for each bike you wish to transport.

Its nice for putting my 15lb road bike up there. Its a little bit more of a challenge putting my 40lb Downhill bike up there but it can be done. I find it easiest to have the rear door open to stand on the door sill and also standing on the rear wheel.

I still have a hitch rack which is what I use primarily but I bought the roof one for when I'm towing our boat up to vermont and don't have space for the bike in the vehicle.

Our videos are here: YouTube - aclaffie's Channel

This one was the highlight of the season. It was a local PCA event so not a big deal high pressure autocross but at this point me and a guy in a 911 were trading FTD with each run. This was my last one and obviously the guy on the PA was impressed. Then the 911 beat me by an eyelash, and guys running in the afternoon went faster than both of us. But finishing a run and hearing the announcer say WOW was enough to get me through the winter.

YouTube - PCA Autocross Bowie 11/13/2010

It's an easy sport to get into, and you don't have to jump in with both feet like we seemed to have done. You can just stick with low-key local clubs or go whole hog and buy things like trailers and 4Runners so you can tow a $1500 Miata halfway across the country for six minutes of 'track' time. Hey, everybody needs a hobby.

I'm currently getting a roof rack for the bikes..

First, the load bars.. ordered here:
Roof Racks PT278-89100

Still waiting on em..

The racks.. it boiled down to 3:
Thule Domestique:
http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/...omestique.aspx

Yakima Forklift:
Yakima › Shop › Bike › Top › ForkLift

RockyMt Tierod:
TieRod- RockyMounts bike racks, rooftop mounts, bike carriers, fits yakima and thule base racks

The Thule has a recall that I found. Here: Thule - Consumer Safety Recall Notice

Based on everything / price / etc.. the Rocky is probably the one I'll go with.. its on a few sites for under $100. I'm thinking of getting the green or the red one.. not sure how that would look on a white 4r..


Update, here it is: