Is Carrying a Bicycle a Good Idea ?

[otherthan]

I saw a well designed car trunk...the boxy type with for suction cups you attach on the roof...a bicycle fits in them if you take the front wheel off...this trunk can be fixed to my transome as it is water tight...you can also float your bike to shore in it if you have a small tender...the trunk is available at canadian tire $49

[Nicholson58]

The problem with that Fabio thingy is you need hair. Also, I'm glad Lynn doesn't look the slightest like that guy. He does nothing for me.

Cool breeze is nice!

[Steve A]

I just spent two months sailing SF Bay and Delta with a bike on my aft deck. One stout bungee cord held it in place,even when beating through Suisun Bay. I do clean and oil it often. Really handy upriver so I could get to a "real" store, rather than have to buy everything @ resort prices.

[Hudson Force]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that we had two 26" Schwinns with quick release front wheels that we keep in our aft cabin. We replaced these in Newport with a new pair of lghtweight aluminum folding Dahons. These are much easier for me to transfer to the dinghy and store. We took a six mile round trip to a grocery and hardware store today with a great simplification and ease for use. The gearing on these new Dahons is superior to the older Dahons we had before the Schwinns and they are far lighter. We have not owned a car for the last eleven years and the bicycles are critical.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Sailing Mermaid

Good morning,

We are also shopping for bikes to carry on board and very interested in others methods and suggestions for bikes, maintenance, storage, and transporting. The thread has been interesting and helpful. Thanks to all of you who've contributed thus far.

Please, could someone show us photos of their engine rooms with bicycles stored within? This seems incredible. The possibility of storing multiple bikes even more so!

Thanks in advance for any assistance offered.

Sailing Mermaid

We certainly could cram a couple in the engine room except that when something goes wrong below deck it is probably in there. In that space we have the engine, transmission, prop pitch control, 12 kw generator, work bench, all diesel and water management systems, watermaker, three freon systems, 17 water pumps, main breakers.

I still vote for yard sale cast-offs that will inconvenience you if stolen or rusted beyond use. Add quick release for the wheels and buy an airline bike bag for below storage somewhere. Make it a mountain style bike with fat tires and small wheels if possible.

Has anyone considered roller skates and a back-pack? The Razor scooter sounds good too.l

[Hudson Force]

Hey, Nicholson 58, nice engine room photos, but certainly not a place for bicycles. I've found space for my two bicycles on my 41' below with easy transfer to the dinghy or dock. With 58' there must be some space for a couple of bicycles without resorting to the engine room.

[savoir]

If you have a cover bag you can always use a spare bunk. I use the engine room but I realise that most don't have one.

[Nicholson58]

Amazon.com: Nashbar Bike Transport Bag: Sports & Outdoors

here is a NOT waterproof bag to keep the dirt away from your cabin etc. Only 29 clams.

YOu could buy the THULE hard case for on-deck storage but you will pay more for the box than the bike is worth.

Here is a waterproof one - still expensive. Amazon.com: Voyager Bicycle Transport Bag - 720087-01: Sports & Outdoors

I think you could pack a pike in the cheap bag with some oil wipe-down prep and an oiled cotton inner sack like the interior of a gun case.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

.....I think you could pack a bike in the cheap bag with some oil wipe-down prep and an oiled cotton inner sack like the interior of a gun case.

We've recyled an old matress cover to wrap over our bikes at no cost and then placed a spare blanket over this to make it look nice. There's no need for a speciality bike bag if you keep your bikes out of the salt spray and weather below.

[savoir]

Keeping the bike clean and lubed is super important. You should clean and spray once a month with chainsaw lube oil. Even so, there doesn't seem to be a way to keep brake cables rust free.

[Khagan1227]

Can't imagine a reason not to have a bike on board.

At the local dock down in Florida there was a couple that kept two mountain bikes in a lazarette locker on a Contessa 33.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Microship

Given the space constraints on a boat, I think things should be multi-functional whenever possible. A folding bicycle could be integrated with the rudder control, yielding...

A Tiller DaHon

Steve

If you wore it on your head: A Tilley DaHon?

[SunDevil]

Yes, I would carry a bicycle or two. Both for exercise and quick transportation.

Originally Posted by savoir

Keeping the bike clean and lubed is super important. You should clean and spray once a month with chainsaw lube oil. Even so, there doesn't seem to be a way to keep brake cables rust free.

You might want to talk to a bike shop and have them replace the cables with stainless steel ones.

Amazon.com: Bike Cable - Jagwire - Teflon Coated Stainless Steel Brake Wire: Sports & Outdoors

[Dsanduril]

My current road bike has hydraulic brakes. Plastic hoses, cast (powder coated) fittings at both ends. Only has a year on it, so don't know about longevity, but less to rust than cables. I was skeptical at first, but so far pleased. Time will tell.

[S/V Alchemy]

Having pondered the point, I'll just leave this here:

The world encompassed: Two wheels good: To bring or borrow a boat bike