Has anybody put one of those bike carriers on the new Honda Civic.The ones that sit high on a taigate or boot lid.
I tried last night and decided to take it off again as everywhere is just made of plastic. Even the top hooks are sitting on the rear window glass.

To mount a strap-type carrier on a plastic or glass-edged tailgate you need a set of dumbells (the strap loops around them and they sit inside the car with the tailgate closed) to replace the clips – they'll normally be sold as accessories by the retailer that sold you the rack.

Be careful with them when fitting, though – I once accidentally closed a tailgate with one of the dumbells caught in the hinge. That suddenly became quite an expensive bike rack 🙂

roof bars on my FN2 type R.

Halfords sell the dumbells, used them on my last car as it had a fibreglass boot. (Citroen ZX, not a sports car!)

I would always use the dumbells over the little metal hooks even on a metal boot, much more secure as its impossible for them to fall out. Similarly, I dumped the metal hooks for the lower straps and used to pass the strap through the bumper supports and then through its buckle before pulling tight and attaching to rack.

Got one and bought a tow-bar set up. Have a look on http://www.civinfo.com about any ideas.

We don't recommend a strap on rack for the Civic because that curved glass with the built in spoiler type bit doesn't seem safe for attaching a rack to. You'd be a lot safer with a towbar or roof rack.

I've got a towbar and thule rideon rack.
easier than a car mounted one, safer, and no scratched paint

also as above, attaching too glass doesn't seem right!

I've got a high mount rack from my old car (with the dumbell things), but I've been told Honda do not advise you use them on the civic. Civinfo threads pretty much say the same and a number of the websites selling racks show compatibility and the Civic is shown as incompatible.

The stress on the glass and the spoiler is one thing and also the straps would be difficult to thread up past the rubber seal. Not sure where the bottom straps would mount to either.

At the moment the bike just goes in the back of the car with a sheet (front wheel off). Still means the car gets dirty. I might look into a bike bag.

Don't really want a roof rack. Don't want the hassle of removing/fitting the rack all the time or leaving it on and having wind noise when driving, plus down country lanes the bike can clip overhanging trees.

Other option is a tow bar fitting. I don't have a tow bar and don't really want one, but it's an option I may look into. Though having the bike in the boot is handy for just keeping it in there ready for jumping out for a ride whenever I want.

I bought a 2nd hand Civic with a tow-bar attached, but it's one that you can remove the tow-bar end (the curved bit with the ball on the end). You can still see the socket but it's otherwise neater than most tow-bars and it is a doddle fitting the tow-ball and then the rack. I have a 3 bike Thule rack I bought from Halfords for £130 or so. 3 adults inside and 3 bikes on the back 😀

(fuel economy suffers a lot with 3 bikes on!)

May have to look into that. Just don't want a tow bar sticking out when I'm not using it but that sounds like a good option. If it can look as neat as the exhaust holes on the new Civs that would be great. Might ask the Honda dudes when it's in for a service.

Honda also do an in-car mount that fits in the under floor bit in the boot. Still means having a bike in the car though and it's expensive, plus you lose the extra space (or if you have the spare wheel, it's not an option or you lose the spare wheel).

Most cars are available with detachable towbars nowadays. They are a little more expensive than Swan necks but well worth it if you don't want the ugliness of a fixed towbar.

I know someone with a 5 Door Civic and they can fold up the bases of the rear seats and fit a bike in the rear passenger footwells. Always seemed like a good idea to me.

Yeah, forgot about that, but that's the other option in the Civic.

However I tried that and found I had to take both front and rear wheels off to fit the bike in, and then there's the problem of how to secure the bike else it will fall back and forward as you accelerate and brake. I ended up with the rear mech scratching one of the door armrests 🙁 . Could stick it in a bike bag and then in the footwell. I don't like removing the back wheel often though as it takes an age to get the damn Juicy aligned.

Honda don't approve any kind of rack for the back – as you say, the tailgate is all plastic.

Bars (Atera have much nicer fixings that Thule or the Honda OE ones), or a towbar are the way to go. But I just fold the seats down, and put it in with the front wheel off.

Looks like i am going to be hireing a bike then in Devon next week when on holiday. Can,t get the bike in the car because of 4 people and luggage.