quixoft Posted July 11, 2023 Share Posted July 11, 2023 I have a Thule hitch rack for 2 bikes and would like to pick up a cover for longer trips. Anyone have any recommendations? I'm on a large frame slacked out enduro bike with 790mm bars and my wife's is a small frame trail bike with 740mm bars. Found this one on Amazon that I'm looking at but curious if anyone has any suggestions. Amazon.com: Formosa Covers Travel Bike Cover for Rear Hitch Mount Rack on Car, Truck, RV, SUV - Fully Encloses Bike for Safe Transport on Road Trip - Heavy Duty 600D Material Protection - Transparent Tail Light Reflectors (Dual (1-2 Bikes)) : Sports & Outdoors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 It’s a mountain bike - what are you thinking might happen to them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamsloan Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Please don’t do this. You are going to create a sail for your vehicle constructed from your beloved bicycle. This will add to the unsupported load of your hitch with the added drag and strain the parts of your bike rack not designed for a load in this vector. Even if it doesn’t break anything, it will at best reduce your gas mileage. Your bike doesn’t need this at all. It can handle wind, rain, and even bug guts. I have traveled to CO, AZ, AR, and PA with my precious Ripmo and it’s been fine. Save the money and invest in a proper chain lock to secure the bike from theft which it is way more susceptible to. 🙂 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 A possible benefit gained from having a cover when traveling would be to only use it when stopped to eat or shop or some such. Covering the bikes makes it challenging for thieves to determine whether the bikes are valuable, and, complicates their theft by increasing the time needed to take them. This might be enough for them to keep looking elsewhere for an easier target. This would mean installing the cover when you stop, then remembering to remove it before hitting the road again. (Likely more hassle that it is worth, but something to consider) Exceptions for being able to use a cover while underway would be if the rack were on an RV or any vehicle with a shape that blocks the wind from "filling the sail" the cover creates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Also, a cover like that will slap and rub the bike over the many areas of contact possibly damaging the finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Back when I lived in NY and got into snow/fat biking, I figured this was a good way to protect the bikes from road salt. It might have been this exact one...and it didn't work at all for me. It added obvious drag to a V8 Grand Cherokee, and no amount to cinching up the ties, kept the thing tight. It was a mess. I abandoned it after 2 attempts and just kept bikes in the SUV if there was road salt about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I might as well pile on with everyone else. The other problem is that it will somewhat block your view when backing up. I have an amazon bike cover that I use when parking out bikes outside the hotel where we used to stay. But now that we are no longer traveling with the cheap bikes, we keep them in the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRider3141 Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I thought @ATXZJ had a Rotor/Wheel cover that was meant to help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, RedRider3141 said: I thought @ATXZJ had a Rotor/Wheel cover that was meant to help. Yep, the muc-off ones are good for preventing brake squeal when you're dragging your bike behind you in the elements. https://www.amazon.com/Muc-Off-Brake-Cover-Color/dp/B07MZF7WLD/ref=asc_df_B07MZF7WLD/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=319126375561&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2409496034766346900&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=2840&hvtargid=pla-654814408721&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=65119988153&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=319126375561&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2409496034766346900&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=2840&hvtargid=pla-654814408721 Edited July 12, 2023 by ATXZJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quixoft Posted July 17, 2023 Author Share Posted July 17, 2023 The idea was mostly to keep grime out of the brake pads/rotors but it sounds like a bad idea. Thanks for the tips! I'll forgo the cover. We're driving to Bentonville to ride there for a week in early August and then on to Duluth to get some rides there and go fishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) In the event that money and weight doesn't matter none too much, I've long been fascinated with the concept of the Black Box. Back before I committed to the toy hauler, I always thought a Sprinter camper van with a Black Box would be the way to go--it seems like a totally secure and safe option. But it's $4K, and you might struggle to get a couple of modern mountain bike in it, but I'm not certain. https://www.letsgoaero.com/products/blackbox-slideout-cargo-carrier This blog goes into detail on the box, showing how to turn the handlebars to mount modern MTBs. https://www.letsgoaero.com/blogs/stories-tips-guides/how-to-transport-29in-mountain-bikes-in-the-blackbox-cargo-bicycle-carrier Edited July 19, 2023 by Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridenfool Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 (edited) Well heck, if money and weight aren't a concern, another alternative is the "White Box" which offers significantly more storage area. 😏 Though the initial price was 4.5 times that of the Black Box, the White Box includes expanded utility and the flexibility to add additional features. Edited July 20, 2023 by Ridenfool 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 On 7/17/2023 at 4:21 PM, quixoft said: The idea was mostly to keep grime out of the brake pads/rotors but it sounds like a bad idea. Thanks for the tips! I'll forgo the cover. We're driving to Bentonville to ride there for a week in early August and then on to Duluth to get some rides there and go fishing. Get the muc-off then. That's exactly what they're good for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Oh yeah? Amateurs… Here’s my orange box (I wish) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 My Black Box is full of wine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tip Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 31 minutes ago, AustinBike said: My Black Box is full of wine. cardboardeaux Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 Cardmalbec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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