The ultimate MTB transport

There seem to be a few car/van threads floating about at the moment so what’s your strategy for MTB transport?

Currently I have a Passat estate with roof bars and a tow bar rack. It’s a decent family car, if a bit dull, does 50 odd mpg and gets our family of 4 with 2 dogs around well enough.

Roof bars are on all the time so great for short trips with 1 or 2 bikes, works well for night rides as it takes about 30 seconds to load a muddy bike. Tow bar rack for long trips or trips with the family bikes, solo long trips or where I ride from work the bike goes in the back with the seats down and front wheel off. Overnight trips tend to involve a Premier Inn or an Airbnb with bike storage.

The above works well enough for me but I am tempted with a Tourneo or similar so I can remove seats depending on who I have in the car and how many bikes I am taking.

So STW, what is your strategy?

😁

So this is my current set up. Big estate (Skoda Superb) with a factory towbar and boot rack. Leather, cruise, nice stereo, Android auto etc which makes 10 hour drives up to Scotland a breeze.

I will say, the rack barely affects fuel economy and it’s perfect for moving 2 large, muddy bikes about. But it takes a while to get the rack on and bikes loaded.

I rarely, if ever put a bike in the boot, as it’s difficult to have other stuff in there alongside a muddy bike and trying to wrestle 2x bikes in the boot really isn’t fun.

Trips away normally consist of trying to find places with bike storage.

Like you, very tempted by a tourneo type van, 8 seats for normal use them remove a few/all the seats when needed and you’ve got yourself a van. I’d get a folding bed thing for the van and camp in it.

A large portion of my driving is for riding, so I don’t think any transport would be “ultimate” for me if I couldn’t get my bike out of sight.

Which basically means a van, for me. So I currently have a crew cab medium van and my next vehicle is likely to be a simple medium panel van, and I’ll insulate the back a bit for occasional sleeping. Don’t think I need much else TBH.

Big estate for me – bike goes in the back if there’s no more than two passengers, on the towbar if there is. It’s brilliant to drive too.

Depends on what you mean by “ultimate”. Me and some mates across Europe? From a purely practical POV I’d be tempted to take the van with bikes inside. Family trip? The bikes go on the back of the van on a strada then (after bitter experience in Germany) get removed at night and brought into the hotel.

But where’s the fun in all that? Driving a totally unsuitable vehicle is half the adventure. So for every big road trip with mates we’ve left the vans at home and brought something better:

mpv for us at the moment, as the transport doubles up for family transport and I don’t want to lug a noisy, thirsty, slow van around wherever I go.

Everythings a compromise, the question is simply what things you’re more willing to compromise on.

Good work on the fiat 500, and the Elise! I don’t want to ask where you’ve put your helmets! 😮

Big wafty estate for me – bike(s) goes on the towbar rack; it’s far too nice to stuff dirty bikes in the boot and the aperture is quite small and the lip high to make it easy to do. It’s brilliant to drive, if rather thirsty, too.

the rack barely affects fuel economy

The rack knocks about 20% off the fuel economy of mine!

I had the space/money I’d have a Merc van for simplicity.

I fancy a van, long-wheelbase Caddy/Connect etc for MTBing but buggered if I’m going to drive around the rest of the time…

I have a rusty, leaky, battered t5. That’s not the ultimate though because you often get wet inside the thing.
I would like an electric combi with a decent enough range like the current new PSA ones…but that won’t happen until they are old enough to be cheap used vans…… then no doubt they will be rusty, leaky and battered.

The 500 swallowed two big bikes (alpine 160 and a rallon), 4 wheels and 4 bloke’s worth of kit! Helmets were probably the only thing you could fit in the Elise’s boot.

Rack on the van (t6 caravelle) has no effect at all on economy. It varies between crippling and laughable purely based on the tide. Oddly enough a roof box also makes no difference at all either. Its what my old Aero lecturer would describe as “aerodynamically neutral” which we later found out to mean: “the system is totally abysmal, whatever you do can’t make it worse.”

Big estates previously. Have tried roof rack, tow bar rack, boot rack and inside car. All have advantages and disadvantages

T6 Kombi at the moment, works great, is the main family car. If carrying bikes rarely have more than 3 people in there, although family of 5 and a dog. Main benefit is ability to get me inside on a bed plus the bike, great for bike events further afield

Caddy is our option as a bike hauler/mini camper. Rear seats out all the time and bikes go in. Alternatively, a camping box think inside for sleeping and stuff, bikes on the back. Remapped to 200bhp so its not so bad to drive and distances are not an issue. Quite comfy, aircon, cruise etc etc

IMG_20200809_085028 by Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr

Untitled by Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr

^^ I have looked at the caddy/tourneo connect but they’re almost as much as a stellantis transit sized MPV/van for the same year/miles, and far less practical/configurable inside. More basic too…

@ta11pau1 this is the people version not the van so its trimmed out inside and insulated as is but yep, there is a bit of scene tax in the mix. This is 2011 and newer ones are plusherer, I grant you.

I’m always surprised to see bikes *on* vehicles mentioned when talking about the *ultimate* MTB vehicle. For anything longer than driving to the local spot, what a faff – stop at a services? Oh you go in first, I’ll wait with the car, then we can swap… **** that!

Car sized? Caddy or similar

We’ve got a LWB T6 Kombi – its awesome. 4 people & 5 bikes to the alps, all in comfort, no worries about bikes being stolen etc. 40+ mpg average.

I’m yet to see a better way to secure bikes inside a van than the rockymount driveshaft – yes they are quite pricey but they are solid, and way easier to drop the bike into than the ones where you have to fiddle to get the axle through whilst the bike is in position. I’ve seen a few systems where bikes go in complete, but they never seem very efficient on space compared to the front wheel off solutions.

Stopping at services I have no issues leaving bikes on the rack (locked, obviously) for 10 minutes – there’s enough people about.

Overnight in a hotel car part on the other hand, nope.

I’m always surprised to see bikes *on* vehicles mentioned when talking about the *ultimate* MTB vehicle

they never seem very efficient on space compared to the front wheel off solutions.

I’m always surprised to see bikes that you don’t have to dismantle when talking about the *ultimate* MTB vehicle.

I had a mk1 mondeo estate that would easily swallow whole DH bikes with no dismantling. I’m not claiming thats the ultimate vehicle, but neithers a van if you’re faffing around taking wheels off

SWB Caddy here, Use it mainly for work but the LLS bikes fit in fine corner to corner if I clear some work stuff out first. Had it for 6 years or so. Ideally I want a LWB (maxi), but refuse to pay the silly van prices of recent times. The good thing with Caddy’s is they’re quite ‘car-like’ to drive TBH, just like a taller mk5/6 Golf. Mine’s an old shed TBH but still fairly refined by 14 year old 170k van standards!

Golf GTI mk7 performance pack with the seats permanently down and front wheel out to put the bike inside. Have a great time getting to the trails and no issues with security or drawing attention to being a mtber

No-one has mentioned fuel economy yet. An estate with bikes in is going to be much better on fuel than a van.

Ultimate MTB you say?……

May I present the Rusty Nissan Prairie, Stanza turbo engine, ripped out interior. Sadly RIP (rusted into pieces).

TBH I’ve always had a Smart cabrio 450(and laterally 451)with the smart bike rack system.

I’m currently on my second and tbh it’s just been way more practical than I could have imagined and a giggle fest to drive as it’s the 1L turbo.

Mrs DoD nabbed it at the moment as Brexit/visa fun means I can’t rip around in it so I may have to dig up one of the last petrol ones one day.

That Nissan looks ace reminds me of the STW sierra.

I have a Nissan Elgrand with a tow bar rack for 4 bikes. Works great. Needs a better stereo because I can only get Radio 2:(

I’ve got extra long wheel base Merc Viano, I still have the bike on a tow bar rack when we go on a big holiday!

If we are talking a no compromise purely for bikes transport – then it has to be a mid size van doesn’t it?

Having had estates and racks in the past, then a small van and now mid size. The mid size van wins hands down. No wheels off, no faffing, just in and out.

If we are talking a no compromise purely for bikes transport – then it has to be a mid size van doesn’t it?

Having had estates and racks in the past, then a small van and now mid size. The mid size van wins hands down. No wheels off, no faffing, just in and out.

Yep. My post about my estate was to point out that although many see a big estate as a perfect MTB car, it’s got its flaws.

40mpg Vs 50mpg means £30 a month extra in fuel over 8000 miles which isn’t that much.

Vans are better, and if you get a van based MPV you get all the practicality of a van with the people carrying capacity of a minibus. It’s just, well… They aren’t cheap.

I’ve had my estate 5 up, 2x bikes on the back, 4x wheels in the boot plus bags/helmets. I reckon a Peugeot Traveller MWB with a boot rack would fit 2x bikes on the boot, 6x people inside plus another 2 or 3 bikes inside with ease.

Estate with roof rack here. Bikes on top. 406, Focus, CRV, Passat and lately an Insignia. One slightly odd one out in there but you may sense a theme.

Hotels have to be bike friendly.

Hit to mpg.

There’s always a compromise.

Not a van fan, though. Vans aren’t so good at daily driver routine.

Ultimate trail centre **** vehicle – the T5. Seats 6, sleeps 4 for camping/biking trips and takes loads of bikes in it plus option for the towbar rack if I needed even more capacity.

First test of the Forty Winks rack… Saves the bikes rattling around in the back.

Camping mode. Single seat tilted forward means room for a couple of bikes fully built to be kept inside.

Would love a van for the carrying capacity and flexibility but the fuel economy, premium price, expensive insurance, expensive road tax and shitty spec not so much.

A people carrier would be the best of both worlds I reckon, shame they’re so unfashionable these days so choice is not as good as it once was.

fuel economy, premium price, expensive insurance, expensive road tax and shitty spec not so much

I’ll easily get 600+ miles from a tank with mine although current diesel prices, a tank is about 130 quid. Don’t do that much mileage annually so it only gets filled up maybe once ever 6/8 weeks. Price, yeh, Transporters especially aren’t cheap. I could sell mine and get into a similar age/mileage e-class for half the money. Insurance is dirt cheap, tax no different to many cars and mines a reasonably high spec.

They are expensive but after loads of to and fro, decided it’s worth keeping Vs an estate or people carrier etc.

I’ll easily get 600+ miles from a tank

I have no idea why people quote miles per tank, when tanks are all different sizes! 600+ miles tells us nothing at all.

Vans are significantly less efficient than cars because of physics, it’s unavoidable because they are larger.

40mpg Vs 50mpg

50mpg is rubbish for fuel, be honest – a good estate will be doing at least 60mpg if not more, on a long trip. Even mine does at least 55 on a long run and that’s rubbish on fuel. So you’re looking at at least 50% more on fuel in a van if 40 is what you get. I mean yeah they are handy, but you don’t need to massage the figures. Vans are more convenient, cars are better to drive and more fuel efficient, take your pick. But also remember to consider the environment.

T5 tank is 80 litres so 600 miles is 34mpg. About the same as my Merc… 😢

At least mine is comfortable, quiet and fun to drive. 😜

Hardly the ‘ultimate’, but it will get most places a van might not and you could sleep in the back of it if you really wanted to. Normal bike goes on the roof. 52.3 mpg was the best I got over a 50 mile trip – not too bad for a twin turbo 3l 6cyl 300bhp 2.5t brick

IMG_20220701_153107~3 by davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

IMG_20220701_153319~4 by davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

And inside the other Disco with my tools, both wheels off though

2023-01-22_08-51-43~2 by davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

I think it depends on your MTBing and wider lifestyle. I do a lot more not biking miles than biking miles so I’m not buying a whole car around biking considerations.

I have an SMax that I really like for biking and family duties. It’s brilliant for ease of changing in the back (loads of leg and headroom), can take a large 29r slung in wheels on and has good towing capacity and manners and works great with a tow ball rack.

BUT the roof is high and the roof rack fitting far too annoying for anything but special occasion use with bikes, it’s thirsty, it’s a big heavy beast round town with some awkward sight lines due to the extra and fat pillars, it’s overkill for travelling on my own any distance and you get a fair bit of wind noise and it can be tiring in strong cross winds and rain. Did I mention it’s thirsty?

We bought an MPV to make camping packing possible then bought a trailer as the packing Jenga pissed us off so much and then we added a dog so arguably we don’t need anything this big anymore as it mostly goes in the trailer. I wouldn’t get rid currently because it’s a solid and known quantity and it has many good points in a crazy car market but it’s overkill for 75% of its use, which brings me back to the OP who basically has my last car.

As a balance of bike, towing and daily life duties the moved on Passat was arguably a much better tool for the job or rather I think it achieved a better balance between factors and an extra 15mpg.

For biking the roof bar convenience for bringing a muddy bike home from a ride after work is something I really miss. Hiding a clean bike in car in the day then on the roof to get it home after a night ride. Also handy if taking dog + bikes as leaves boot access without a tilting rack.

Vans are probably ace if you’re not bashing out work miles or doing 400mile round trips to relatives etc regularly. Basically if they’re predominantly for biking/outdoor adventures. Otherwise imo they are a long way into the compromise too far.

Small bed for 4 people @DaveyBoyWonder

it will get most places a van might not

Where are you driving to go MTBing that you can’t take a van? The point is to drive on the roads and MTB on the tracks, no?

50mpg is rubbish for fuel, be honest – a good estate will be doing at least 60mpg if not more, on a long trip. Even mine does at least 55 on a long run and that’s rubbish on fuel.

Well I’m directly comparing it to my superb which it would be replacing – I can get 55mpg on a long motorway run if I sit at 65mph. More realistic is 52mpg. The 10 mile commute to work is around 45-48mpg depending on traffic/temperature. Long term I think I’m at about 52mpg overall.

Honest John real mpg figures give 50mpg for my car and 37mpg for the 2.0 bluehdi auto in the traveller/Spacetourer etc. 13mpg difference.

I’ve never, ever, even in my wildest dreams gotten 60mpg out of my car so I don’t know how I’m ‘massaging the figures’. It’s still only 35 quid extra a month if I’m doing 8k miles a year.

Peugeot Expert is the answer, small on the outside but big enough on the inside. 2 litre engine is quite fast.

This is our approach, about to head off on two week’s camping and several thousand miles driving. Room for one more bike, but it worked brilliantly and saved heaps on fuel and was far more comfortable and spacious than using our old ute/pickup (Mitsubishi L200).