Has anyone out there figured out a way to carry a bicycle on the outside of the Insight? I both work at a bike shop and I own an Insight and am an avid cyclist/racer. I have been brainstorming about a way to carry atleast 2 bicycles on the back of my Insight for the past year. There are, to date, no Car Rack company's that make anything for the Insight; Roof, Trunk, or receiver rack. I mainly want to put a receiver rack on for ease of mobility, taking it off when I don't need it. I tried to use a trunk rack that used a special glass "hatch" adapter as to not pull on the glass so hard, not recommended by them, but I tried it with an absolute resounding NO! Way too much glass distortion, with just about 15 lbs of force on the rack.
I went to a receiver hitch specialty company, and after a good 25 minutes of looking all around under neath the car, they said no way! A friend of mine used to work for Boeing, and thinks that there is a possibility by drilling into both sides of frame joists that are in front of the gas tank and before the front seats, and coming around and up next to the gas tank, and then meet back together and form a 1 1/4" square. Made of aluminum, and strong enough to hold up approximately 40lbs of bikes, and a rack that might way 35lbs, or I'll make one of Aluminum too.
Has Anyone thought of this and if so what have you come up with? Any other suggestions, please feel free to clue me in?
By the way, I can fit two bikes inside with padding and all wheels off. Keeps the better aerodynamics I know, but for keeping my insight clean(free of grease) and just a quick run to a group ride or to the nearest trail, it would be nice to have a rack.
I went to a receiver hitch specialty company, and after a good 25 minutes of looking all around under neath the car, they said no way! A friend of mine used to work for Boeing, and thinks that there is a possibility by drilling into both sides of frame joists that are in front of the gas tank and before the front seats, and coming around and up next to the gas tank, and then meet back together and form a 1 1/4" square. Made of aluminum, and strong enough to hold up approximately 40lbs of bikes, and a rack that might way 35lbs, or I'll make one of Aluminum too.
Has Anyone thought of this and if so what have you come up with? Any other suggestions, please feel free to clue me in?
By the way, I can fit two bikes inside with padding and all wheels off. Keeps the better aerodynamics I know, but for keeping my insight clean(free of grease) and just a quick run to a group ride or to the nearest trail, it would be nice to have a rack.
