Folks:
Suppose that I want to transport a road bike in a minivan without getting everything greasy. It would be good to have a big bag for the bike that keeps everything together, maybe with the front wheel removed and placed next to the bike so that the whole thing isn’t too long. A lot of companies make bike travel bags and cases but they seem to be designed for checking through the commercial airline system and require a lot of disassembly (wheels, pedals, skewers, etc.).
Does anyone have any ideas for something that would provide less protection and less compactness perhaps but much quicker packing/unpacking?
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Assuming you are removing the rearmost seat bench, you can insert the bikes standing up into the rear of the van. Then use twine to tie the top tubes to interior fixtures in the car (e.g. handles/coat hooks) so that the tension keeps the bikes in place, ideally not with their greasy parts resting on the seats.
With a roll of double-bubble (?) insulation material, used for metal roofs, you could likely duct tape the seams and create a large pita style pocket that you could push the bike into. It should be durable enough to last a trip and multiple load/unloads.
I’ve used a chain cover similar to this http://www.whitelightningco.com/accessories/index.htm with good results.
I just use a moving blanket which I wrap around my bike when I need to toss it in the back of my Outback. Works great, and also provides enough padding that I can toss a second bike on top the few times I’ve had to do that.
For everyday use, I use a folding bike. I recently got a Bike Friday Silk in a road configuration, and there is no grease to get on anything in my car due to the carbon drivetrain. The bike rides great, and I love it (although there is a compromise — you get less gear range than you would out of a traditional road gearing (so it is not perfect for big hills), and the drivetrain feels like it has a bit more friction than a chain drivetrain).
How about a couple of those big plastic contractor garbage bags and some duct tape? They also sell mattress bags at Home Depot (near the moving boxes) which you could fit the whole bike into.
If you are only worried about grease from your drive train you can use
http://www.chaincondom.com/
I have a similar bag for the house: http://www.bikemania.biz/b-w-biketub-bicycle-storage-bag.html.
This looks like a neater, sturdier solution: http://www.thebikebag.com/
Not an answer to your question, I hope it is an answer to your problem: get a Brompton. I love bicycles (I bike more than 4k miles a year). I have all kinds of bikes, a Bike Friday, a mountain bike, a recumbent, and a Brompton (actually three counting my wife’s and son’s). I love my Brompton so much that is basically the only bike I use now. I do think the Brompton design cannot be substantially improved. The only thing you cannot do with a Brompton is ride off-road.
I had this same problem when I was a teenager, hauling a bike around to races and such without wanting to deal with an external rack. The vehicle was a mid-80’s dodge minivan, similar to but perhaps a bit smaller than today’s models. The solution was that we (well, probably my dad) built a bike stand for inside-the-car use. You take the front wheel off and attach it to the stand. The stand is basically a 2×4 about 16-20 inches wide. On top of that, attach a piece of 2×4 just wide enough to fit between the fork legs. Drill a hole and then run a length of threaded rod through that. The rod serves as axle and secures the stand to the fork. Use whatever size rod your fork fits best around, maybe 5/16″ or 3/8″, with wing nuts on either side. Alternatively, if you have the parts lying around, in theory it would work to run a spare axle through the upper 2×4, and a quick release skewer through that.
2x of these stands can be used to store 2 bikes side by side, facing opposite directions. Then throw a blanket over the whole thing to keep bike grease and dirt off everything.
Try this: http://www.weanas.com/showproduct.asp?id=1926
You’re welcome.
> Suppose that I want to transport a road bike in a minivan without getting everything greasy.
Strip the grease off your chain and replace it with paraffin.
Problem solved.
Pedals really make the bike a 3D object. As a roadie, it’s best to get used to taking them on/off. Wipe the threads, put a bit of the green paste on and don’t tighten too much (remember the left-side pedal has left-hand threads). Seconds! Likewise, keeping the bike somewhat clean will stop it fouling up everything around.
Think of it in the same way as flossing, showering etc. Not a huge deal really, once you get used to it. And QR skewers? That’s as quick as unzipping the trousers.
There should be no exposed grease on a chain. After it’s oiled, use clean cloths to remove all exposed oil. The oil should only be inside, and anything on the outside is just there to attract dirt and get things dirty.
Of course, the oil inside will turn to abrasive scrub as it accumulates dirt, so apparently the better solution is what Barak suggested: use wax instead of oil.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lubricating-a-Bicycle-Chain-using-Paraffin/