Hitch mounted carrier…
How bad is this for the bike? Dreaming about spending some time in Arizona next winter…
My bikes see a lot of time on a hitch mounted rack. (Tray style). You can get some road debris thrown at the bikes when in bad weather, but I’ve never had issues from it.
Bigger concern is to be sure you have visible tail lights on the vehicle. Hitch racks often cover them.
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Biggest issue is salt spray, that is generally a Ontario and northern states issue. I’d give a it a full clean on arrival.
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Definitely get a waterproof bike cover if you can’t fit the bike inside (this one is $55 on Amazon):
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The other option is to go with a vertical bike rack. I started with a rear hanging bike rack, then upgraded to a Yakima Fourtimer tray bike rack, and finally upgraded to an Alta 5-bike vertical bike rack. In hindsight I should have just bought the Alta in the first place. I sometimes need to carry more than 4 bikes though…
The advantages to the vertical racks are that they
- Don’t block the vehicles brake or turn lights (at least not very much)
- Generally easier to load once setup
- Can handle more bikes
- When travelling with fewer bikes, the bikes are centered behind the vehicle which significantly reduces or removes the salt problems.
But they do have downsides
- higher cost
- larger impact on fuel economy (I think)
- harder to store given their size
- really intended for larger vehicles.
Of the vertical racks I’m still convinced that Alta Racks are the best. Mostly because they are very solid and the racks are adjustable.
They do have a 3 bike solution that isn’t crazy expensive: ALTA Three Pack - Righty | ALTA Racks
Just clip two blinking cycling red lights onto the bike cover 
Kidding…don’t do that!
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I’d say those taillights are pretty blocked anyways. I’d be more concerned with the drag.
I ended up with a 1up rack several years ago, nice thing is for a little extra I added a light bar to the rack. Seems Thule is starting to add them. 1up is expensive but the tray racks are the fastest on the market and if you damage it every part is replaceable, that has saved me ditching a rack that was 90% serviceable after clipping a post
One thing to be aware of – technically, you can be ticketed using this style of carrier if it obstructs your license plate. Given how popular these are, I can’t imagine that happens very often. And, I have no idea what the legalities of these are in the US!
See this Globe and Mail Q&A on the topic: Can I really get a ticket for having a bike rack on the back of my vehicle? - The Globe and Mail
I wonder if I can shoehorn the bikes in the back of the car (it’s a hatchback) for the trip down.
Remove:
- both wheels (gotta find out how the rear hub motor is connected on the trek)
- loosen or remove handlebars
- rear derailleur
- pedals and chain
- seatpost
Wrap the frame in foam.
Both our vehicles are EV’s so, they are very dependent on aerodynamics for range. Plus the cold in February won’t help, especially for the 1st day of travel. Leave the rack on the back but either folded up or flat…
Need to leave room for the dog… Could be super tetris getting everything settled.
Might leave the bikes assembled on the racks on the trip home as we will have prevailing tailwinds.
I managed to fit both a hardtail mountain bike and a gravel/cross bike in the back of an RVR to drive to Arkansas in February 2020.
I left the rear hitch rack at home for cleanliness and security (like when you have to go eat on the road and your bikes are out there). Overnight while driving there and back, I brought them into the hotel room too.
Sounds like maybe your hatchback is smaller? I had both front wheels off, but otherwise not much else. Soft-sided luggage can sit on top. Old sheets and blankets in between the bikes and wheels and luggage. Lots of smaller pieces are easier to Tetris in the back than a few large suitcases, etc.
This was the load when we left Arkansas:
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In case it helps, I’ve also travelled with bikes in the car. I found two small purchases really helped to avoid any damage.
- moving blankets to put between bikes (or between bikes and other luggage). Home Depot or Amazon have them for like ~$20 and they protect the frames pretty well
- wheel bags. Mostly to cover the cassettes and rotors so they don’t get caught in anything and cause damage. Wheels in bike bags don’t take up much more space than without bags.
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