Bike Storage

Steve36

Steve36

Member
May 17, 2007
177
Lake Ontario
Boat Info
2010 540DA
Engines
Cummins 8.3L Zeus Drives
Has anyone out there found a good way to transport bicycles on board?. I am planning a trip in July and would like to take the family bicycles. I have three bikes that need to be stored. The boat is a 420 sundancer.
Let me know your suggestions.
 
We travel with 2 folding bikes and they fit perfectly in the engine room at the bottom of the stairs. They come with a canvas bag and fold up to a nice small size.
 
Steve

My suggestion is to rent them at your destination. In Hilton Head I paid 25.00 for a weeks use of 1 brand new bike. They dropped them off and picked them up at the marine.

Dont you have enough stuff on the boat? :smt101
 
The folding bikes are nice, although I am not a huge fan of them. The better half is convinced that we need to take the bikes with us. If it was up to me ........... that said, I am just looking at suggestions. I have a four year old as well as an eight year old that need to do everything with us. Boating is a FAMILY hobby.
Keep the suggestions coming.

Thanks for everyones help.
 
a couple of weeks ago I just bungee'd them on the swim platform. got a little wet so they should be good and rusty in a few months.
 
Thanks for the info Turtle. I plan to do the same thing. Wondering if the bikes scratched any of the gel coat? Also, did the tires leave any marks on the swim platform?
Let me know.

Thanks.
 
Crusing with Bikes

We're aboad Asureyez is in the Abacos this week and we see everything. Mostly people have the bikes bungied to something substaintial on deck or the swim platform.

On a SR 42, it would be the swim platform for you. The ones carried there leave rust stains and that just isn't going to be avoided in salt water at least.

Perhaps, buy used "throw down" bikes for your crusing, keep the sprockes and chains greased up and give the kids some brass wool to keep the bikes polished at the dock?

At the end of the year give them to a charity.
 
Steve36 said:
Thanks for the info Turtle. I plan to do the same thing. Wondering if the bikes scratched any of the gel coat? Also, did the tires leave any marks on the swim platform?
Let me know.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I wrapped some small towels around the peddels and what ever else was touching the fiberglass so no scratches. I also stuck some plastic bags under the tires incase they moved around so they wouldn't leave marks. But like Asureyez said, don't use nice bikes cause they will be trashed by the saltwater.
 
I only boat in fresh water, so rust should not be a problem.
The whole issue is that the better half wants to ride her own bike and not some crappy rental.
Not my idea........I am just the captain.
 
Salt water means MORE rust, fresh water means LESS rust. Your best bet is to just get a couple of cheapies from target or some other low-end sporting goods place. By the time you figure out effective ways to safely and securely store a decent bike you'll have paid for a half-dozen throwaways. And the fold-ups? Oy, you could probably buy an actual DOZEN cheapies for the price of a decent Dahon foldable bike.

Just get a spare wrench for removing the pedals and one for turning the handlebars. Then just stow it in a soft-sided bike bag. This way you're not faced with getting things like gelcoat and shins gouged on the multitude of rough edges on a bike.

When I vacation in Mexico, rather than renting, it'scheaper to just buy a new bike from a local WalMart and give it to a local kid at the week's end. Granted, a rental might cover something breaking or a tire going flat, but then again maybe not.
 
Not sure what boat you have, but on a previous boat I had, it had a good size rail forward. I carried two bikes in the bow pulpit, one port, one sboard and tied them to the rail. Never had a problem. The front wheels were in the pulpit, and the bikes were leaning against the rails. See photo.

Esteban
 
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Put some foam pipe insulation around your bow rails and bungey cord them to the rails and stanchions. We see this all the time on Lake Michigan cruisers.
 
I have a Sea Lift on the boat that I use for the dinghy. I figure I can lean the bikes against the dinghy and bunge cord them to it. I will see how it works this weekend. Sounds like a huge PITA to me. If I didnt have young kids, me and the wife would just slap on some roller blades and call it a day.
The things we do for our children......
 
We use 20" aluminum Dahon folding bikes that fit nicely under the aft seat. When collapsed and in their nylon cases, rust and corrosion isn't an issue.

If you are a serious bike fanatic; they won't be adequate for you, but if all you need to do is haul your bones from a marina to town for groceries or a restaurant, Dahons work very well.
 
Hey Frank thanks for the info. I just checked out their web site and it looks like a real good product. Who did you buy the bike from?
 
I am the original tightwad and could not bear to pay retail for new Dahons......here is another example of you get what you pay for. Dahons ride and handle like big bikes and are extremely well made.

Our boat is in a coastal area with lots of military retirees. I shop local pawn shops for stuff like this. Sometimes a couple will get out of boating or RV's and take the odds and ends to the pawn shops to just get rid of it. I got my Dahons in the winter several years ago at one of the pawn shops. They were new, still had original packaging/manuals/etc with them, had the optional travel bag and lights and I paid $150 for the pair.

You might try ebay.....I missed several there before I found mine.
 
wow, $150 is a great price. they go new for like $450. let me know when you want to sell them. :lol:
 
We have used this ........ holds up to 3 full size bikes.....and it works great.

craigslist018.jpg



We just don't use it anymore.
 
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