Bike racks kill gas mileage

We need more data. Are they beach cruisers or P5's? I would love to see a comparison of different bikes on the racks!

If you put the bicycle upside down on the car and have a spherical head, gas mileage is your least concern.

I would say so.....








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overloaded-roof-bike-rack1.jpg (53KB - 13 downloads)

We had an Audi S4 Avant (wagon) with a rack on it. With just the rack there was no measurable difference. Put our cargo box on there and MPG dropped about 1mpg. Same for bikes, set of bikes drop mpg by about 1mpg. If remember right one bike had no impact. I used to drive the same stretch of freeway about 4 days a week and would set the cruse control at the same speed and measure the difference. Found that weather had a bigger impact, more wind less mpg, colder air less mpg, hot dry air better mpg... That Audi had their 4.2L V8 motor in it, pretty powerful engine and mpg was really controlled by your right foot, same for tire wear. We put a Seasucker rack on the roof of my wife's VW Routon last summer and two bikes. Did about 1,500 miles road tripping. No noticeable mpg difference. Speed and my right foot had a way bigger impact. My Honda Element drops close to 10% mph with bikes on the roof or a cargo box up there. When I run bikes on the back of the Element no mpg impact. It's got an underpowered 2.4L engine and even running the A/C extended periods drops mpg.

In that linked test, wonder what removal of the rack fairing would do. I've never used a fairing and always racks with fork mounts.

Suggestion, never start a post with "My rack....."

Carry on. :-)

I guess it's the ole bait and switch.....you are right, she has me hooked at "My rack"

How mature. Never trivialize the importance of top notch rack.

:rolleyes: