MissyBissy

I'm trying to figure out if getting a bike rack for my car is a possibility. My bike is a heavy red beach cruiser - there's no way I'm lifting that on top of a car and the wheels don't come off. I think I would need the type of rack that is attached to a tow hitch - but I don't think I've ever seen a Lexus with a bike rack....

Just wondering if anyone has a bike rack - what it looks like - if it's easy to put on and take off and what kind of gas mileage you get with it attached and if carrying the bike around has caused any damage to the car. Right now my best choice seems to be to keep my minivan just for trips to the beach.

MissyBissy

(because the color of my bike really matters??????)

Kansas

There are probably 100+ photos on ClubLexus showing bike racks on Lexus vehicles including mine.

I've used all types of racks and the easiest to use by far are hitch mounted racks. You can buy a trailer hitch for your ES from www.etrailer.com which is where I bought the one I have on my LS400. They also sell bike racks but you can also buy them elsewhere online or at a bike shop.

Maybe the best thing about a hitch bike rack is that you can't hear any wind noise from them. Roof bike racks can make a horrible amount of noise.

MissyBissy

Yeah I've searched for bike racks and have gotten hundreds of threads - I'm hoping to see how it looks with the body style I have - would be even more interested to know what it does to the mileage with a hybrid. I've been drooling over the one my friend has on her Mazda but I don't think it would work with mine at all.

Kansas

It will look fine. It's just a bike rack. Who cares if it dings your mpg a bit. You need to transport your bike, don't you? A roof rack would REALLY affect you mpg.

atoyota

The key is to find a compatible tow hitch that can be installed onto the car. After that you can use any bike rack that you like that fits the tow hitch. I am curious how a tow hitch can be installed on the hybrid with the cowling underneath that hides the exhaust pipe.

Tpcorr

There are a bunch of trunk racks on the market, like this one:
They are inexpensive and convenient, and fold up when not in use. They can be stored in your trunk. Care must be taken to avoid scratching the paint on your car. Judicious placement of rags can help with that. They are not one size fits all, so take care to choose one that will work on your car.

Tom

Kansas

Information on the etrailer.com website says, regarding the 2014 ES300h, that: "Underbody panel(s) or fascia must be temporarily loosened or removed".

I can't tell you how that would work since the fascia under the rear bumper extends quite far down. I suggest calling etrailer to ask. I had some technical questions when I bought my hitch from etrailer and I was amazed at the level of assistance I got. I wish all companies treated their customers like they treated me.

The instructions for the trailer hitch I bought for my first Lexus LS400 24 years ago said to remove and discard the under-bumper fascia but I instead cut a notch in it for my bike rack bar and tow bar to pass through. Notching the under-bumper fascia has been standard procedure for trailer hitches sold for sedans by Lexus dealers in Europe. The instructions have come with a template to make it easy to precisely cut a notch..

OK, I know that trunk lid mounted bike racks must have improved since early 1970's when I last used one but I sure had a horrible experience with mine. It put dents in my trunk lid and that really pissed me off. IMO, trunk lid racks are only for those desperate or too poor to obtain something decent. Even roof racks are far superior to trunk lid racks.

It's not on an ES but here is a photo of the hitch rack I've used on several cars since I bought it 24 years ago when I bought my first Lexus and used it on it. Unlike with a roof or trunk lid bike rack, I can lock bikes and their wheels to my trailer hitch with cables in a way that would require a really motivated and equipped thief to steal.

MissyBissy

I'll look around - I am very picky about how my car looks so I want to make sure I'm happy with the look. My best friend has one of the folding racks that she can keep in her trunk but I can already see where her bike has nicked the finish of her Corolla. My beach cruiser and my car are my two favorite things in the world, but if they are not meant to go down the highway together, then I will continue to keep another vehicle for the sole purpose of transporting my bike to the beach.

MissyBissy

I've turned off my AC and I am slugging around in ECO mode trying to get my car to 40 MPG. I'm reading tips on hypermiling and planning routes around gas mileage. I bought the vehicle to save money on gas. I'm also contemplating wrapping my kids in saran wrap when they enter my car to keep it clean. So gas mileage and how the car looks are up there on my list of priorities.

My questions may not make sense to you but I'm contemplating keeping an extra vehicle for the sole purpose of transporting my bike back and forth. If I get a bike rack for my car, I think I would need one of the ones that has a platform. A roof rack is absolutely impossible since there's no way I can lift my cruiser that high. I have another friend who has a rack with platforms on her SUV but it stays attached at all times because it's too heavy for her to put on and take off. If it is that heavy I wonder if driving with it on will lower my gas mileage. If I have to keep it on, will I like how it looks attached all the time?

Overall I'm weighing the cost and benefit of adding a hitch and a bike rack against the cost of keeping an extra vehicle to haul a couple of bikes back and forth to the beach. Ideally I would be able to do everything with one vehicle but as an analyst - I over analyze everything. I figured if I needed to do research to make my decision - this would be the place to go to find out the answers the crazy stream of questions in my head.

mcomer

It works out mathmatically...after you ride 10 miles on the Red Cruiser using zero gallons of gas you then can drive the ES and come out ahead!

mrBillFL

I thought putting a trailer hitch on the hybrid would void the warranty, no?

(how are you going to prove you only put bikes on it)

there was a long thread on this, IIRC.

someone makes a hitch for the es350, I -forget the vendor.

please correct me if I'm wrong

-I think it would be cheaper to get a lighter bike... Yakima and tule both make roof racks.

mcomer

Now you have gone full circle, Kansas was correct, roof mounted is not the way to go. MPG will take a dramatic hit as will your garage door header! Tough to hoist up there. The trailer hitch set up can be removed as a complete unit, rack, bike and locking cables by pulling the clevis pin and dropping it less than 2 feet down.

MissyBissy

Voiding the warranty is a deal breaker. My beach cruiser weighs about 40 pounds. Getting a different bike is out of the question. If I didn't want to get my cruiser to the beach, I wouldn't be looking at transportation choices. The only other option is that I keep my minivan for hauling my bikes around.

Arty101

I still like the idea of biking to the beach with your cruiser so you wouldn't need a rack at all .