# What do you get for MPG with Bike on Trailer Hitch?



## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

OK this is just VENTING... I thought I would get excellent MPG with a Trailer Hitch over a Roof Rack. 

I am LOSING about 10 MPG when Bike is rack that is on a Trailer Hitch! 

I have a 2013 Honda Civic EX and have done trips to/from the SF Bay Area to/from Vegas and normally get about 38 MPG with just the hitch (no rack, no bikes). 

Driving with the bike, rack, and hitch, I get 28 MPG! I am thinking a roof rack with bikes will get me better MPG. That bike back there works like a parachute. 

However, I do like the fact with a Trailer Hitch I can take off the rack easily to keep the clean lines of the car. 

Oh well....


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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

*2012 Chevy Sonic 1.4L 6 Manual*















The top one is from last weekend and the bottom one from 2 years ago. I reset the avg MPG readout and trip ODO every fill-up.

Each with my 1up rack and one bike on the back. I find the digital readout is typically optimistic by ~5%, so the calculated numbers will be around 42-43 MPG, but that's what I get driving across WI. Have to drive close to the speed limit (~62 MPH) or else it drops off. It's only maybe 1mpg better without the bike.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

steadite said:


> View attachment 995301
> 
> View attachment 995302
> 
> ...


what do you have? A Prius? I notice that the Prius has a very high trunk hight, which helps to block the wind.


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## Psycho1 (Aug 26, 2014)

I have an xb . And I see no difference in mpg. With or without doesnt matter.. So i usually just leave it on. I have a 50 min commute each way everyday..


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

Psycho1 said:


> I have an xb . And I see no difference in mpg. With or without doesnt matter.. So i usually just leave it on. I have a 50 min commute each way everyday..


nice man! I might have to get a new car. The Civic Trunk height is very low, and when the bike is back there it works like a parachute.

Also keep in mind, I am driving on the Interstate between 65-75 mpg (the speed limit of course... I would never speed, because it is illegal to!)


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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> what do you have? A Prius?


nope, Chevy Sonic hatchback, 1.4L, manual transmission.


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## Psycho1 (Aug 26, 2014)

Definitely time for a new car.. Doesn't matter 65 or 85. I usually drive 68 on the commute


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

I take a slight hit with my grand Cherokee, I even drop the air out of my suspension and drop my seat all the way. My Sienna takes no loss at all, and don't have to do anything to the bikes.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

putting the bikes on a roof rack would almost undoubtedly be worse if there is more surface area in the wind than on the rear.

You have a high mileage car so any drag is going to disproportionately impact the gas mileage. It takes a fixed amount of energy to drag a bike through the air so that means it takes a pretty fixed number of gallons per mile (not miles per gallon). If you had an SUV that got 15 miles per gallon, you'd not notice it as much in your gas mileage.

Look at it this way - it takes a lot less gas to drag the rest of your car through the air than it would a bigger less efficient car. The amount of gas used to get the bike through the air is going to be about the same regardless of the car you drive. You just need a more aerodynamic bike. 

J.


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## eonicks (Mar 3, 2011)

I lost about 5 mpg on a recent trip to Vegas on my VW tdi sportwagen. The wheels hang out a few inches from the side with my 29er.


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## xufima (Jun 4, 2009)

The problem is the highway driving. I have a 2007 Civic Si and get 33-35mpg with or without a bike on my hitch rack, but I don't drive on the highway.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

xufima said:


> The problem is the highway driving. I have a 2007 Civic Si and get 33-35mpg with or without a bike on my hitch rack, but I don't drive on the highway.


I think you are right, it is highway driving that is doing it. As the speed increases, the bike creates more drag. Also, does not help that I have 50mm Aero Wheels (on my roadbike), that too creates a lot of drag.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

Looking at the wind tunnel for the Honda Civic -Type R (I have an EX instead of Type-R, but body shape is close enough to get an idea of what it is doing), I can see now how the bike would create a lot of drag at speeds. The shape of the car, and the low trunk, will catch all the wind coming over the back.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> OK this is just VENTING... I thought I would get excellent MPG with a Trailer Hitch over a Roof Rack.
> 
> I am LOSING about 10 MPG when Bike is rack that is on a Trailer Hitch!
> 
> ...


There is a heck of a lot of climbing from SF to Vegas on those roads (just drove it myself earlier this week in the opposite direction). Most are driving 75-80 in terms of the flow of traffic on I-15. And when is it not windy and howling?

The added weight of the hitch/rack/bike alone will eat more gas. The drag is better than a roof rack, so you will either have to slow way down, get the rack and bike lower and closer to the car - or just deal with the loss in mpg. Or take the bike apart and throw it in the trunk with the seats folded down.


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

It does depend on the car, aerodynamics and such factors. My Subaru Outback lost about 3 mpg on the freeway when the bike was on the hitch rack. About 7 mpg when on the roof. For comparison, my Suburban doesn't seem to lose any mpg when the bike is on the hitch rack. 

I could see on a small aerodynamic car like a Civic, you'd take a hit.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Tystevens said:


> It does depend on the car, aerodynamics and such factors. My Subaru Outback lost about 3 mpg on the freeway when the bike was on the hitch rack. About 7 mpg when on the roof. For comparison, my Suburban doesn't seem to lose any mpg when the bike is on the hitch rack.
> 
> I could see on a small aerodynamic car like a Civic, you'd take a hit.


Yes, because it takes a pretty much set amount of gasoline per mile to move your bike on the car down the highway. On the little car that is going to be a much bigger hit on the mileage than on the suburban. Either way, it's the same amount of gas due to the bike.

J.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

OK I am over it now...

I guess I can't complain too much. 28 mpg over 1000+ miles is still NOT that bad though.... better than My Titan. My Titan only gets 14 mpg! and that is with no bike (hwy, and driving speed limit)

As you can see, the bike is truly like a parachute on the Civic









My Beautiful Road Bike! It is the best looking bike on the road.. only fitting for the best looking rider on the road.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

Ironic this subject pops up. I just finished an experiment with my new Focus Hatchback. I have a rooftop Yakima basemount/wind deflector with 2 Thule Sidearms as well as a T2 hitch rack that I switch between vehicles. Without anything on the car, I'll pull 39 mpg with a mix of conservative and occasional spirited freeway driving. With a rack on top, no bikes, that drops to about 32-33 mpg! 2 bikes on the roof and I'm down to 28 mpg. With an empty T2, I'm around 34. Loaded T2 gets about 32 mpg. The hatchback design makes a difference.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> OK I am over it now...
> 
> I guess I can't complain too much. 28 mpg over 1000+ miles is still NOT that bad though.... better than My Titan. My Titan only gets 14 mpg! and that is with no bike (hwy, and driving speed limit)
> 
> ...


Run to your nearest store and get a hitch mounted tray (Yakima, Kuat, 1 up - whatever) to get that bike down lower and even with the hitch. I guarantee you it will help your mileage. Your bike is up way to high and catching way too much wind. Get it lower and the you'll find your happy face again...


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## jp08865 (Aug 12, 2014)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> OK I am over it now...
> 
> I guess I can't complain too much. 28 mpg over 1000+ miles is still NOT that bad though.... better than My Titan. My Titan only gets 14 mpg! and that is with no bike (hwy, and driving speed limit)
> 
> ...


Best looking bike and rider should have the best looking rack ! Get a 1 up USA, it will definitely reduce the size of the parachute and look a lot better  ..........


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## irishpitbull (Sep 29, 2011)

I get 15mpg, with or without a bike. 37" tires are heavy.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

jp08865 said:


> Best looking bike and rider should have the best looking rack ! Get a 1 up USA, it will definitely reduce the size of the parachute and look a lot better  ..........


I agree with this. No way would I hang a great bike like that on any rack that has frame contact. You have the wrong rack for your car.

Not only would a different rack improve your gas mileage, it will make sure you don't damage your frame or finish.

J.


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## Neseth (Nov 4, 2009)

You should get a peice of corplast(plastic cardboard) and try creating an air ramp for your bikes. You can also try angling it towards the car to create an air bubble, much like a hollow point bullet.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

JohnJ80 said:


> I agree with this. No way would I hang a great bike like that on any rack that has frame contact. You have the wrong rack for your car.
> 
> Not only would a different rack improve your gas mileage, it will make sure you don't damage your frame or finish.
> 
> J.


I think a new car will be a better alternative.

I believe all low profile cars with low trunks will have this problem. The car does cover about the entire bike, and if you are facing the car from the opposite direction, only the seat can be seen.

Before I bought the rack, I went on the E-Trailer site for my car to get ideas, and if you look at all the hitch type racks for my Civic, you will see they all sit the bike at about the same location.

https://www.etrailer.com/partlist/Honda/Civic/Bike Rack


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

The bike too close to the ground for a car going 70mph is probably not a good thing. These hitch racks have to have decent ground clearance. E-Trailer is a great site with a great staff, and they can steer us right. They have may videos, install videos as well as "test" video. They actually test the cars with rack and bike on a closed course to show you how stable a hitch or rack is.

These are some pics of hitch racks with low profile cars with low trunks to give you an idea how they all will create drag...

1-up type rack will still sit the bike high









At least this guy has a hatchback to block a lot of the wind! but still, bike sits up high when off the hitch.









I am thinking I get about the same MPG% loss as this guy









I am thinking at least I have better MPG% loss ratio than this guy!


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> The bike too close to the ground for a car going 70mph is probably not a good thing. These hitch racks have to have decent ground clearance. E-Trailer is a great site with a great staff, and they can steer us right. They have may videos, install videos as well as "test" video. They actually test the cars with rack and bike on a closed course to show you how stable a hitch or rack is.
> 
> These are some pics of hitch racks with low profile cars with low trunks to give you an idea how they all will create drag...
> 
> 1-up type rack will still sit the bike high












Compare the wheel position on the 1UpUSA rack to the rack in question. The 1UpUSA rack looks to be 12" or so lower. The wheels are below the bumper instead of well on top of it. There will be significantly less of the bike exposed. If I'm seeing this correctly, then pretty much the seat and your handlebars will be exposed above the very back of the car. That looks to be less than the frontal view of the bike which would include head tube and fork.

You don't get the same loss as the convertible. Your bike is considerably higher. From the picture, it looks like the bottom of your wheels are above the bumper. The convertibles are 8-12" lower.

J.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

JohnJ80 said:


> Compare the wheel position on the 1UpUSA rack to the rack in question. The 1UpUSA rack looks to be 12" or so lower. The wheels are below the bumper instead of well on top of it. There will be significantly less of the bike exposed. If I'm seeing this correctly, then pretty much the seat and your handlebars will be exposed above the very back of the car. That looks to be less than the frontal view of the bike which would include head tube and fork.
> 
> You don't get the same loss as the convertible. Your bike is considerably higher. From the picture, it looks like the bottom of your wheels are above the bumper. The convertibles are 8-12" lower.
> 
> J.


My bad, you are correct, it is a lot higher, but another thing I was thinking when I was first shopping was the height to avoid the exhaust. I would probably saves some good miles getting it lower.

One thing I could try is my Yakima Top tube adapter (for my mtn bikes) and that would drop the bike about 5" and still safely away from the exhaust.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> My bad, you are correct, it is a lot higher, but another thing I was thinking when I was first shopping was the height to avoid the exhaust. I would probably saves some good miles getting it lower.
> 
> One thing I could try is my Yakima Top tube adapter (for my mtn bikes) and that would drop the bike about 5" and still safely away from the exhaust.


With the 1UpUSA rack, you can adjust the bike's position side to side and you should have no problem avoiding the exhaust. In general, the rack should be sitting higher than the exhaust anyhow. The second position won't matter. It's far enough away.

Whether you go to a different hitch rack or to a roof rack, you ought to do one or the other because that style of rack you have is bad news for quality bikes. The gas mileage improvement would be bonus points.

J.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

JohnJ80 said:


> With the 1UpUSA rack, you can adjust the bike's position side to side and you should have no problem avoiding the exhaust. In general, the rack should be sitting higher than the exhaust anyhow. The second position won't matter. It's far enough away.
> 
> Whether you go to a different hitch rack or to a roof rack, you ought to do one or the other because that style of rack you have is bad news for quality bikes. The gas mileage improvement would be bonus points.
> 
> J.


Why is it unsafe? The 1UP rack would be better, but I can't see what I have now being any worse than a roof rack.

I am still not sure if the 1UP would be ideal for my car either, as looking at some pics on the net with cars with low trunks, the bike seems to sit higher.

I have a small 52cm frame, so it will sit higher, but a much bigger bike will still be as high, just the wheels will be lower.

It seems to all be car dependent how the bike would look. Don't get me wrong, I too prefer the 1UP now that the more I look at it, and am willing to give it a shot, but right now I am in no hurry to do that.

I think I would be better off with a hatchback + 1up rack.... and like I said, I am willing to give both a shot, but not in any hurry to do this.

1 up pics (bike sits high)









this guy's bike seems to be higher than mine


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## askibum02 (Jul 7, 2005)

I lose about 3mpg with my mountain bike on a 1up on my Jetta Sportwagen with the bike on. It's negligible if the rack is folded up.


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## mca90guitar (Apr 2, 2015)

I get 14-16 MPG in summer, my bike rack if from a bus so it weighs like 50#. 

Have been driving this jeep for years, im use to bending over at the pump.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Erich von Cartmann said:


> Why is it unsafe? The 1UP rack would be better, but I can't see what I have now being any worse than a roof rack.
> 
> I am still not sure if the 1UP would be ideal for my car either, as looking at some pics on the net with cars with low trunks, the bike seems to sit higher.
> 
> ...


This isn't hard to figure out. You know where your trailer hitch is and you can measure up from there to see where your bike would be with any given rack. All you need to know is the offset up from your hitch. Call the manufacturer and ask them what that offset it and then get out your tape measure. Pretty simple - if the hitch is high, then the bike will be high. Your hitch is not high.

From the pictures you posted, little can be determined because of the angle and I think you are drawing false conclusions from them. They are not particularly useful for comparison purposes.

The problem with the kind of rack that you have now is that any dirt on the frame tubes or strapping to hold it on the rack will abrade the finish on the bike and eventually damage it. If you hang the bike on a decal, it's probably going to damage the decal. I've seen it happen with alarming frequency to the point where we dumped those racks long ago. It trashed the decals on my mtb. My son took a vintage Basso road frame and for a sort trip had it on a rack that clamped on the down tube and completely trashed the Basso paint and decal - which are probably irreplaceable. No way will I ever allow any of our bikes on a rack like that ever again. The only safe way to hold the bike on the rack is by the fork drop outs and rear wheel or by the wheels.

J.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Never really noticed any difference with this, except that most of the time this bike was NOT on the rack and I'd have my XC bike or my medium-duty bike. I only have the medium duty and a fatbike now and neither of them are nearly as "tall" as this monstrosity. Combined mileage is 18 (not trying hard to save gas), highway only would net about 22-24. I don't cruise in it insanely fast though, the car has the aerodynamics of a brick anyways and is limited at ~175mph by drag. The Z28 has an even slower top speed due to all of it's down-force aerodynamic effects.


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## dgw2jr (Aug 17, 2011)

2015 Honda Civic LX CVT here. If I try to do the speed limit (80mph in BFE Utah) I'll get 5mpg less than without bikes. If I drop the speed down to 70mph I gain back that 5mpg.


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## Erich von Cartmann (Apr 17, 2015)

Just did a long trip with my hardtail on the same rack and same car and going through mostly the same desert. This time trip was only about 700 miles round trip, instead of 1100 miles, and I got 5mph better this time with my Mtn Bike! I was driving just a little slower and I tried my best NOT to accelerate as much. Also, it seems the 50mm Aero Wheels on my Road bike might also might be a culprit (Aero Wheels are known to have cross wind issues if the winds are strong enough). 

Regardless, I still plan on replacing this Yakima rack with a tray mount style rack for the Civic and use this rack for my GFs jeep. The more I read about the 1-UP, the more I want one. The 1-up Rack is easily the best way to transport a bike.


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## Menel (Mar 15, 2015)

Last Mon without bike...









Last Tues, with bike









Subaru wagon









Seems to range 1mpg gain to 2mpg drop as Ive watched it over time. So many variables.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

dgw2jr said:


> 2015 Honda Civic LX CVT here. If I try to do the speed limit (80mph in BFE Utah) I'll get 5mpg less than without bikes. If I drop the speed down to 70mph I gain back that 5mpg.


I believe the wind force increases as the square of the speed.

That said, I like to drive fast. I don't really care if that costs me the mpg.

J.


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## coxinio (Feb 4, 2013)

Menel said:


> Last Mon without bike...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Which app is that?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Menel (Mar 15, 2015)

coxinio said:


> Which app is that?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


https://www.automatic.com/


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