Cheap (ish) sliding rail sort of system??

[gerrymoore]

I've just ordered two folding electric bikes ..one from Germany and one from Poland although they are both made in China The idea is we take the bikes in the car somewhere nice and ride the bikes.

My 'problem' is I have a 2 door coupe and one bike (20kgs) will have to go on to the back seat....this will be very difficult through the one door even with the seat folded forward. So I want to put it in through the boot and slide it up through the frame of the car and onto the back seat then just put the other bike (30kgs) in the boot.

So I need to design a sliding system of some sort. It doesn't need to be precise so expensive CNC stuff is overkill....anyone got any ideas?? Don't mind how Heath Robinson as long as it works and I'm not changing my car either!!

 

[Wallace]

Can a removable 50mm towball be fitted? I had a Thule 3+1 rack that went on the hitch and I was dubious at first but it was a great bit of kit. Lights and number plate were all in one too.

 

[Kram]

Have you tried with a normal bike? Unless I take the wheels off, I'd need the back seat down in any normal car and getting two in would be a pain.

 

[gerrymoore]

HI wallace..towbar for this car (BMW) is expensive and complicated to fit especially any electrics so I'd rather not go there. HI Kram....These bikes have 14" and 20" wheels - no way would a 'normal' bike go in. They fold in half very easily and will go in the car (I've measured the sizes folded) - the smaller wheeled one is to go on the back seat. They look a bit like the moulton style of bike .... if anyone remembers them!!

THis is the small bike...........

 

[KemppiFrog]

Maybe a couple of wheels on a frame that can be temp fixed to the bit of the bike that goes in first? Then you only have to take half the weight as you push it forward. Two casters on a bit of wood with hooks and bungee cord to hold things together.
Or, two channel tracks, again fixed to a simple frame resting on the floor and a little four wheeled trolley that runs in the tracks to carry the bike forward.

Huh, I had a Moulton.. The folding mech had a nasty habit of letting go on the move. After I fixed that, it was fine, if slow.
Can't forget Moulton, rubber springs for Minis and the later Hydrolastic system. Bright guy.

 

[gerrymoore]

I like the idea of two channel tracks......could use plastic conduit for the tracks and source some small castors to run in it...just thinking I've got a load of small ball bearing that might do...thanks Kemmpy

 

[MCKDAVID]

what about this type of thing, common as muck over here, not too expensive either. The advantage is that you don't have put it in the car, and don't need anything fancy on the car either.. pretty stable too, you see them fairly blasting down the motorways with them hanging off the back. I have an old one that I never use, but it's for a hatchback type, I don't know if it would be compatible with a boot version. can try if you like.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Wouldn't need casters if using tracks, bearings would do, but I would fancy plastic wheels from B & Q..

 

[gerrymoore]

Thanks for the replies ..I've found some conduit and small bearings I'll see what I can do tomoz ...meanwhile it's Saturday night and early wine for me and the missus ...so goodnight til tomozo....slurp, slurp

 

[KemppiFrog]

Thanks for the replies ..I've found some conduit and small bearings I'll see what I can do tomoz ...meanwhile it's Saturday night and early wine for me and the missus ...so goodnight til tomozo....slurp, slurp

Me too, nice pays d'oc red. Got ripped off at €3 a bottle

 

[Parm]

Don’t over complicate it

Cut a bit of 3mm ply to fit boot with seats dropped down. Put this down first. Then throw over a bit of hessian backed carpet

Stick bike on top

Slide carpet to retrieve bike. If done right carpet will act as a protector for the threshold

Sergei said it’s Simples

 

[Ali]

Loop a rope round the passenger head rest then with a bit of smooth hardboard on the floor of the boot just drag the bike in / out? Before passenger gets in will be best.

 

[Ali]

Don’t over complicate it

Cut a bit of 3mm ply to fit boot with seats dropped down. Put this down first. Then throw over a bit of hessian backed carpet

Stick bike on top

Slide carpet to retrieve bike. If done right carpet will act as a protector for the threshold

Sergei said it’s Simples

...for some reason I didn’t see that post when typing - as Parm says keep it simple.

 

[Wedg1e]

Me too, nice pays d'oc red. Got ripped off at €3 a bottle

Whenever I'm in France I make a point of finding the cheapest bottle of wine I can; I think the record was 79p and it was still nicer than stuff I've had from UK supermarkets at £5 or more. When we used to camp with the trailer tent we'd find the 'cave co-operative' and refill empty bottles from what looked like a petrol pump... literally cents per litre.
I once did a run to Rouen for work; had to drop two radiographers and all their gear at the docks to meet a boat. The gear included a radioactive source so I as I was ADR certified I was volunteered as taxi driver, since it was lots of grief to send it on a carrier.
I picked the guys up in a hired Peugeot 405 estate from a pub at teatime on a Saturday and we drove down to Dover (I think, Ramsgate maybe?) for a freight ferry to Zeebrugge. Quiet drive down to Rouen, headed back up to get the Chunnel and decided to call in to a hypermarket and fill the now-empty car with 'personal consumption' booze.

It was Sunday.
The bloody hypermarkets were closed...

 

[gerrymoore]

Thanks again everyone..yes, simple is the idea. I'll have to wait until the bikes arrive before deciding how to do it..I'm hoping I've got enough 'headroom' to get it through to the back seat or I'm in real trouble! I'll post again when I get them.

Some on the forum may know that I lived in Spain from 2001 - 2011. My favorite tipple was Casa Historica from Mercadonna supermarkets.. a very dry white wine but expensive at 49 euro cents (30p then) a litre carton!!! I drank a LOT of this. Now it's Lidl Chardonnay @ 3.64 a bottle.......I am NOT a wine snob