Will a full size mountain bike fit inside?

[4FL]

I know, strange question, but It looks like it will, but also it seems I can be fooled by something. I do not have one, hardly ever been around them (so I do not have a true size in my head), but do want to purchase my first bicycle sometime soon.

I am wondering if a full size, for adults, mountain bike can fit inside with the seats obviously folded down. If one can fit, I assume two can also.

I do not want to get a bike rack or anything, just toss the bikes inside. I want to make sure they fit ahead of time so when I go to buy one, I am not in that awkward situation of having no way to transport it home.

And yes, I searched but came across good info only about bike racks, and one thread someone said they hauled two bikes inside their 4th gen (front tire off), not sure if that translate to the 5th gen though.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Hutch4r]

Yes, In fact I've had two full size (medium) full suspension mtn bikes in the back of my 2018 ORP.

I know, strange question, but It looks like it will, but also it seems I can be fooled by something. I do not have one, hardly ever been around them (so I do not have a true size in my head), but do want to purchase my first bicycle sometime soon.

I am wondering if a full size, for adults, mountain bike can fit inside with the seats obviously folded down. If one can fit, I assume two can also.

I do not want to get a bike rack or anything, just toss the bikes inside. I want to make sure they fit ahead of time so when I go to buy one, I am not in that awkward situation of having no way to transport it home.

And yes, I searched but came across good info only about bike racks, and one thread someone said they hauled two bikes inside their 4th gen (front tire off), not sure if that translate to the 5th gen though.

Thank you in advance.

 

[MyanRagahis]

Just screw a fork mount on a piece of wood and you're good. Too much of a hassle for me getting the whole bike in there and taking it out.

 

[mteolus]

I am sure you can but would be a big pain in the arse especially with 2. They'll move around in transport and you'll end up scratching up a lot of things. What reason do you not want to get a bike rack?

 

[SoAZ4Runner]

I know, strange question, but It looks like it will, but also it seems I can be fooled by something. I do not have one, hardly ever been around them (so I do not have a true size in my head), but do want to purchase my first bicycle sometime soon.

I am wondering if a full size, for adults, mountain bike can fit inside with the seats obviously folded down. If one can fit, I assume two can also.

I do not want to get a bike rack or anything, just toss the bikes inside. I want to make sure they fit ahead of time so when I go to buy one, I am not in that awkward situation of having no way to transport it home.

And yes, I searched but came across good info only about bike racks, and one thread someone said they hauled two bikes inside their 4th gen (front tire off), not sure if that translate to the 5th gen though.

Thank you in advance.

I don't have a picture of it, but my cousin installed a fork mount on the back of the middle seat. He then installs it going forward giving him more rear storage, it would be a nuisance for kids or adults in the back, but his wee ones are too small to be bothered by the handlebar.

 

[HoldMyBeer]

I used to cram my Fuel Ex 8 into the trunk of my wife's Sonata. Taking wheels off gets old real quick.

 

[TEN613RPro]

Getting a clean bike in before riding it is one thing, getting the dirty version back in is another. There are great bike racks out there now, why the aversion? I have an older 26" Nomad, couldn't imagine wrestling a 29'er in there.

 

[Agent3056]

Not the best picture but I'd hate to stuff my XXL 29er inside every time I went riding. A rack is the way to go as long as you don't have to leave it unattended.

 

[4FL]

Lol you all...

Ok, it seems there is a very strong recommendation for getting a bike rack. I probably will do that then since everyone is recommending it.

Thank you all for the information, and also for confirming that it will physically fit if needed.

Now to figure out which bike and rack, lots of info on this forum it seems about racks, and need to hit the Internet for the bikes (zero clue, medium, 26, 29, suspension, what in the world?? lol).

 

[shrub1]

Yep..get a rack.

 

[GearJunkie88]

I put bikes inside vs outside for 2 reasons:
1. The bike is locked up inside and I don’t have to worry about it. I can put my bike in my 4R, drive to work, then go ride after work.

2. I have 2 friends who had bikes on hitch racks and were rear-ended... and destroyed some very expensive bikes. Put bike inside and don’t worry about that.

I can fit 2 bikes inside and still have room for 3 passengers. I can fit a max of 4 bikes inside. Like when going on a biking vacation, my wife and I can pack our road AND mountain bikes inside.

Bikes are secured in a Saris Triple Track with fork mounts (like the idea above with board). The saris option is easily adjustable, unlike the board option. With the board option, if you want to reconfigure the way bikes are loaded, you have to drill new holes in your board. With the saris, you just loosen a couple of bolts and slide the fork mount to the new locations. The fork mounts keep the bikes from rubbing and scratching up everything.

As for putting a dirty bike inside - I have a Weather Tech mat that covers most of the area. For the part that’s not covered, I bought some cheap rubber floor mats at O’Reilly and just slide those under the rear tire to keep the seat back clean (when it’s folded down).

Here’s the catch, of the 6 bikes I have, 1 won’t fit unless I lower the seat a couple inches. If you’re really tall, you may have a similar problem. Then you’re lowering seats and removing front tires to get bikes inside, which could be a pain.

Lol you all...



Ok, it seems there is a very strong recommendation for getting a bike rack. I probably will do that then since everyone is recommending it.



Thank you all for the information, and also for confirming that it will physically fit if needed.



Now to figure out which bike and rack, lots of info on this forum it seems about racks, and need to hit the Internet for the bikes (zero clue, medium, 26, 29, suspension, what in the world?? lol).

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[pDubs]

I run the 1up heavy duty double bike rack on my hitch. When I purchased my latest FS bike I didn't have the rack on and it fit just fine with seats folded down (I removed front wheel), 2 bikes could have easily fit. Another option is add a towel or something over tailgate or get a pickup tailgate pad and have the fork and wheel hang out!

 

[myT4R-TE&me]

I put bikes inside vs outside for 2 reasons:
1. The bike is locked up inside and I don’t have to worry about it. I can put my bike in my 4R, drive to work, then go ride after work.

2. I have 2 friends who had bikes on hitch racks and were rear-ended... and destroyed some very expensive bikes. Put bike inside and don’t worry about that.

I can fit 2 bikes inside and still have room for 3 passengers. I can fit a max of 4 bikes inside. Like when going on a biking vacation, my wife and I can pack our road AND mountain bikes inside.

Bikes are secured in a Saris Triple Track with fork mounts (like the idea above with board). The saris option is easily adjustable, unlike the board option. With the board option, if you want to reconfigure the way bikes are loaded, you have to drill new holes in your board. With the saris, you just loosen a couple of bolts and slide the fork mount to the new locations. The fork mounts keep the bikes from rubbing and scratching up everything.

As for putting a dirty bike inside - I have a Weather Tech mat that covers most of the area. For the part that’s not covered, I bought some cheap rubber floor mats at O’Reilly and just slide those under the rear tire to keep the seat back clean (when it’s folded down).

Here’s the catch, of the 6 bikes I have, 1 won’t fit unless I lower the seat a couple inches. If you’re really tall, you may have a similar problem. Then you’re lowering seats and removing front tires to get bikes inside, which could be a pain.

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[MENTION=147757]GearJunkie88[/MENTION], did you go with the 35” or 47” triple track? The rear cargo sliding tray is only 43” wide so the 47 would overhang the edges a bit but am still considering going this route for flexibility for more bikes as my son gets older. The concern is if its best for bike weight distribution to be towards the center of the track, bc then the 35 could be better when using the 60/40 seat split

Whats your experience with track size, and do you have pics with the mount in your rig? If you went with the 35, do you find it a plenty big?



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[GearJunkie88]

I have the 47” and it fit perfectly in my 4th gen. The 5th gen is a little narrower, so I took a hacksaw to the triple track to make it fit perfectly in the 5th gen. I can easily slide the fork mounts around for any combo of 60/40/100 rear seat configuration.

[MENTION=147757]GearJunkie88[/MENTION], did you go with the 35” or 47” triple track? The rear cargo sliding tray is only 43” wide so the 47 would overhang the edges a bit but am still considering going this route for flexibility for more bikes as my son gets older. The concern is if its best for bike weight distribution to be towards the center of the track, bc then the 35 could be better when using the 60/40 seat split

Whats your experience with track size, and do you have pics with the mount in your rig? If you went with the 35, do you find it a plenty big?



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[IanB]

I'm willing to bet that a mountain bike wouldn't fit upright in a 5th gen w/ 3rd row seats, as the cargo floor is ~4-6" taller than without.

 

[scottiac]

A little late since you're already thinking racks now, but a 29'er does fit, albeit it takes ALL of the space to the front seat. If you wanted two, throw in a moving blanket or some such to throw on the first bike before adding the second. It'd be an awkward fit though.

I have to admit I was surprised how much bigger the 29's are over my old 26. Darn sight bigger than my road bikes, that's for sure.

 

[GearJunkie88]

Correct. My mountain bike will not fit upright unless I lower the seat an inch. My bike is size medium with 27.5” wheels. I had a 29er and also had to lower the seat to fit it standing upright. This is with front wheel removed and fork in the fork mount on a saris triple track. My road and gravel bikes fit without moving the seats.

I'm willing to bet that a mountain bike wouldn't fit upright in a 5th gen w/ 3rd row seats, as the cargo floor is ~4-6" taller than without.

 

[4Xplorer]

Hauling mountain bikes inside and protected is exactly why I traded my ZR2 for a 4R. I am not a fan of bike racks, especially off road bouncing. I also like the idea of not worrying about the bikes when going in a restaurant. I hauled mine and my wife’s bikes in the bed of my truck with the board fork mount.

I ordered the Saris 47” triple track to go in my 4R. I want to mount it to the sliding cargo rack but have not figured that part out yet. Any input on a good way to mount that would be appreciated.

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[Quentin]

My MTBs fit, but it is way more annoying to play Tetris getting them in there and adjusting saddle position when they come out than just adding additional cables to keep them secure. If someone crushes my bikes with their car, I get new bikes from their insurance company.


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[ryan87]

i just bolted my fork mount to my sliding tray with wing nuts so its easily removable. pull the front wheel, slide the rear tray out, bolt it up and slide the tray/bike inside. also its is a medium frame 29er