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Bike Rack on 2014 C-Max


David
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I have a 2014 C Max Hybrid with the automatic hydraulic foot release hatchback.  I am wondering if it would be okay to put a 2-bike bike rack on the hatch.  I do not wish to damage the hatch but it also appears to be the only way we could take the bikes as they will not fit inside even with the seats down.  Is there a weight limit possibly to what can be put on the hatch?  I have the extra large moon roof on top so a roof mount is not possible.  I am hoping it is possible as we would like to take the bikes to some of the trails in the area.  We used to take them all the time on the previous car a Taurus station wagon.  That was hydraulic but not automatic open or close.  Any thoughts?

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That's a good question. The manual says "Do not hang anything (bike rack, etc.) from the spoiler, glass or liftgate. This could damage the liftgate and its components". Maybe someone else has thrown caution in the wind and can report a good or bad result. 

 

I fold down my rear seat and put my bike in the back. Take off the front wheel and use the rear wheel to roll the bike as far as it'll go. You'd probably want to put a moving blanket (or something) between two bikes, but I bet you could get them in! The back folds flat so it's great. 

 

Someone posted recently about attaching a hitch rack - you might be well advised to read http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/1422-installing-the-torklift-central-hitch/ if you want to add a rack in a way that doesn't make you worry about damaging the liftgate. 

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Why wasn't that one of your questions to the dealer before you signed the check and took the keys??!

 

Always research all factors on how you will use a car/product to be sure it will meet ALL your typical needs/ requirements.

 

example: buying a tablet to them expect to be able to do CADD design work that needs major processing power, memory and an insane graphics card is not going to work obviously.

I have a 2014 C Max Hybrid with the automatic hydraulic foot release hatchback.  I am wondering if it would be okay to put a 2-bike bike rack on the hatch.  I do not wish to damage the hatch but it also appears to be the only way we could take the bikes as they will not fit inside even with the seats down.  Is there a weight limit possibly to what can be put on the hatch?  I have the extra large moon roof on top so a roof mount is not possible.  I am hoping it is possible as we would like to take the bikes to some of the trails in the area.  We used to take them all the time on the previous car a Taurus station wagon.  That was hydraulic but not automatic open or close.  Any thoughts?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Look again... limits have changed, and you can reuse any image you've already attached in other posts. It's not the same at it once was.

Frank

I will have to get some help with that from my IT person. I was going to upload all my pics and resize them and then down them back to create more space. :)

 

Paul

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I usually put my bike in the car.

There are several hitches for the cmcx.

We put on the ecohitch as no drilling and kick open is preserved, albeit trickier. You have to kick from an angle.

The company accidentally sent the 1.25 inch receiver but we decided it would look nicer with the smaller receiver so are keeping it. The company was great. They offered to ship the 2 inch receiver version and pay for the labor to swap it out and return shipping spontaneously. Because of the error, Byron told me they changed some procedures to prevent this I the future.

We plan to purchase the 1UP USA rack for it. Most of the time, we will keep it as a single mount but plan to purchase the add on for a second mount. The rack has stellar reviews. If you see a review with rust on the screw head, this is resolved. The screws are SS- a few years ago, some screws came through in steel but the company replaced any that were identified (one of my questions)

The 1 UP is all metal and reminds me of an erector set.

We wanted a trough rack or else might have considered the swing away rack.

This will replace our current Yakima tank.

We just purchased 2 cars, so rack is not first priority as season is winding down.

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I usually put my bike in the car.

 

The company accidentally sent the 1.25 inch receiver but we decided it would look nicer with the smaller receiver so are keeping it. 

 

I, too, have a 1.25 hitch and really like the unobtrusive looks when not in use.

 

I have been fitting two adult 700c road bikes in my smaller NRG hatch just need to remove the front wheels.  I really like the security and weather protection that affords but I also want to get a carrier for the rare occasion that I need to take rear passengers along.   I'm currently looking to get a hitch mount type carrier that swings down for liftgate access. 

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 I'm currently looking to get a hitch mount type carrier that swings down for liftgate access. 

 

Well I'm going to put those plans on hold for a while as see how my cargo carrier will work.  Besides no additional costs, this setup holds the bike rock solid still without having to resort to "cranking" on the ratchet tiedowns.  Even so, I'm considering laying a heavy blanket down on the carrier floor and inverting the bike before tying it down with the ratchet straps so as not to stress the wheels/spokes.

 

20140914_135037_zpsbwzgpizw.jpg

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What do you think happens when you ride it? There's no way I can cinch a strap as tight as Mother Earth already does! I wouldn't worry...

Frank

 

I think you may have missed the part that I'm using ratchet tie downs.  Plenty of force with those.

 

I didn't mention that with this setup I can't open the lift gate as it contacts the front wheel.  If I invert the bike, the gate will have plenty of clearance and if I remove the wheels (and place inside car) it should also make the bike less desirable to snatch/grab low lifes.

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After I got rear-ended, I ended up replacing my old Thule hitch bike rack for a Inno Aero Light bike rack. http://www.autoanything.com/bike-racks/69A4840A0A0.aspx

 

It's partially made of aluminum, so it's a little lighter than the all steel racks out there. Slides into my Ecohitch easily. Comes with a hitch lock and bike rack lock, so no need to purchase those separately. Also has a handy foot pedal that lets you tilt the hitch out of the way so you can open the hatch. All for half the price of an equivalent Thule/Yakima hitch rack! And made in the USA (though the parent company is Japanese). I'll try to upload some pics later.

 

Only knock I have is that it is next to impossible to get 4 bikes on the rack (I suppose if you had 4 super skinny adult bikes, you'd be able to. Forget 4 bikes if some of them are kids bikes).

Edited by bro1999
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  • 1 month later...

Tick, tick, tick.

Countdown to ordering our rack next week.

We decided on the 1Up USA after looking at the options.

We will set it up as a single but get the attachment to make it a double.

It is light weight enough that I should be able to mount and unmount the rack by myself so it doesn't have to live on Phantom.

 

Our bikes are carbon fiber, so we don't want to stack load them inside the car. For longer road trips, we can put them both inside the Flex (taking off the seat post)

 

For the serious bike traveler - the new Transit Connect Wagon long base holds at least 2 bikes inside standing up. It will also hold a tandem with room for 2. A triple is harder as not enough passenger room.

 

I looked but Phantom (my c-max) thought she was a better city car and definitely cuter so we went with the CMax over the connect.

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