[Rider]

Hi,

I have a bike frame that is 71" or 1.80 meters long. How far forward does the passenger seat have to go to fit that length? My wife's 5'2" at best so hoping it'd still be semi comfortable for her. If someone could provide pictures it'd be great.

Thanks!

 

[hyperbnx]

do you leave the front wheels on or remove them? I'll measure it out later today, but I have had my carbon fibre bike in WITH the wheel on, no problem. I have had 2 bike in with the wheels OFF. Will take some measurements and repost

 

[Rider]

do you leave the front wheels on or remove them? I'll measure it out later today, but I have had my carbon fibre bike in WITH the wheel on, no problem. I have had 2 bike in with the wheels OFF. Will take some measurements and repost

That’s with wheels off on the recumbent. It’s about 28-30 inches tall as well. My diamond frame is more compact (58cm) and fits into a variety of cars more easily. Thanks!

 

[hyperbnx]

wow 71". Yup a recumbent is a bit longer than a regular frame bike. I measured mine .. my Carbon fibre is 64" front wheel to back wheel, and I measured going straight back, from my drivers seat (and I usually have it up a ways) it is 64" as well to the edge of the cargo area. Of course with a bike in, I usually have it angled a bit with the privacy cover down. And the front wheel is tipped up a bit so that is not a problem. Measuring from the left side of the driver's seat diagonally across to the edge of the cargo area, it is 72" (6 ft). DOn't know what to recommend .. other than is it possible to take your bike along to the dealer with a blanket and ask if you can try it? The other possible option is roof rack but you would have to check with a Thule or Yakima dealer to see if their roof bike racks work for recumbent. I know before I bought the Niro, one of the Youtube reviews, the guy actually was a cyclist and showed putting his bike in the back. But again, shorter frame than a recumbent. I think it is best if you can try it out somehow

 

[yticolev]

A LWB recumbent is going to be a challenge for sure. A standard diamond frame bike will easily fit with the front wheel turned into the back seat foot well (you will probably have to remove the rear seat head rest). In fact, a standard bike will even fit upright, again with the front wheel turned 90 degrees into the foot well. That does require lowering the saddle first. I'm going to make a cut out in the rear load cover to allow my rear wheel to drop lower so I won't have to adjust or remove anything to put my bike in upright.

 

[Rider]

A LWB recumbent is going to be a challenge for sure.

It's a high racer (google m5 CHR as I can't post images I guess)


6' is with the boom on, which I'd rather not remove as I don't like changing the fit too much. Otherwise with the boom off I can get it down to 63 inches, but I need to break the chain to do that. I'm trying to keep it inside the car as crossing passes in the winter can be pretty nasty.

 

[yticolev]

That's a super cool bike. It looks like steering limited dramatically by the chainline. I'll try uploading a picture here. It would be awkward, but any chance the boom can be supported between the front seats? If so, you could fabricate something out of styrofoam and use it as a mold for a more durable support.

 

[yticolev]

Looking at some other models, there are solutions for both the chain and heel strike. I assume that one I posted above is an ultimate lightweight version. I like 406 wheeled bikes. I ride a Moulton and have built a couple prototype full suspension ones (starting before Moulton did a 406 bike). Sure looks like this recumbent design will benefit from a full suspension. It appears that this model has it.

 

[yticolev]

I'm trying to keep it inside the car as crossing passes in the winter can be pretty nasty.

Quite uncivilized to expose a bicycle on the outside of a vehicle in any weather, much less a mountain pass in the winter. It will also kill your aerodynamics and mpg, presumably the primary reason to get a Niro. For shorter distances, a bike rack will do. I'd recommend something like a Hollywood rear rack for better (although still crummy) aerodynamics over a roof rack. Works fine on hatchbacks. Folds flat for easy storage.

 

[Rider]

Looking at some other models, there are solutions for both the chain and heel strike. I assume that one I posted above is an ultimate lightweight version. I like 406 wheeled bikes. I ride a Moulton and have built a couple prototype full suspension ones (starting before Moulton did a 406 bike). Sure looks like this recumbent design will benefit from a full suspension. It appears that this model has it.

I have the first one (blue), it's light and fairly aero. I've averaged 40kmh with power right at 200watts before on it. Mine is customized with disc mounts so I can run 650b or 700c. The chainlink pictured is the efficient one, if I am doing lots of city riding there is a mount on the steer tube that I can put a pulley on that derestricts the chainline. Being built by the dutch, it is made for taller riders -- I'm a fairly leggy 5'11" and barely fit 172.5mm cranks on it without crank/tire overlap. Though there are some Korean riders that ride with some pretty hardcore crank/tire overlap -- something I am not willing to do.

I am considering maybe having either the boom or back end between seats (back end would avoid the sharp teeth of the crankset being between us). I've looked at other cars like the 328d (adds quite a bit of overall length for the interior length gained) and even minivans -- but find that their real world mileage still is around 20mpg -- even for the Pacifica hybrid once its plugin charge is gone.

I'll try to find a Niro locally to cram everything in, but if I'm taking the boom off then I can probably consider the Niro's brother - Ioniq and maybe the Volt too. I am tempted to wait for the PHEV variants of the Ioniq and Niro as their electric only range would cover my entire commute and maybe they bring smart cruise control that works down to 0.

 

[yticolev]

The crankset teeth and other sharp bits is why I think you would need a support/coverage piece to avoid damage to plastics and you. A good design might even be functional as a arm rest.

There may be one other option you haven't considered. Place a large block in the front of the load area to lift the boom up to the headliner. That may get it completely out of contact with front seat humans (other than a rollover). A guard over the chainrings would still be a good idea, and so might removing the pedals no matter how you do it. You will need to secure the bike laterally of course.

If that works, you might consider a hook or line attached to the roof instead of a block. That would take a bit of work of course for the convenience as you would have to remove the headliner and pierce the roof and make sure it is watertight. If you do do that, take out the roof rails while the headliner is off. They are the major reason for the drop in mileage between the base model and the next trim or two with the increased frontal area.

The Pacifica is by all accounts a good car. Coincidentally, I just read a long term report on it in Car and Driver. In their fleet use, it got 22 mpg. Of course, it is a beast compared to the Niro. The Ioniq is five inches longer than the Niro and I'm sure that means the cargo length is that much more as well. However, I think that still means the boom will be between seats, perhaps back enough to be helpful.

 

[Rider]

I found a Niro locally finally. I was able to fit it diagonally with the seat at a normal position no problem. It's the front runner for next car pending a test of the Ioniq. I did find these pictures on ADAC.de that sh

Niro Hybrid

Ioniq Hybrid

Which would match up with the Ioniq being a little longer. I would be giving up on the roof rails and more square rear area. I'll have to see if I can fit the bike in with the handlebars still on in a vertical position.

 

[yticolev]

Yes, 120mm is almost 5 inches. Sorry, reading the US specifications. So yes, if it fits in the Niro, it will fit in the Ioniq.

From what I read, the Ioniq may not have as much back seat knee room as the Niro if that is important to you at all. The diagrammed dimensions you posted seem to agree with that. Also, rear passengers have more head room in the Niro.

Otherwise, it may be a question of style or tax benefits. In the US, Kia gets better build quality ratings than Hyundai. For me, I can put my bicycle in the Niro upright and still have room to sleep. So that is my choice.

 

[Rider]

I got to try a PHEV and a Hybrid Ioniq -- the bike fit in both but only the hybrid would allow it to stand upright like in the Niro. In the Niro it fits upright in both the PHEV and Hybrid but only between the front seats for a few inches or diagonal. Ioniq it fits straight down the side of the car leaving lots of space to the side. The Ioniq's automatic cruise control advertises as working to a stop, but I don't think the Niro does. There is a Kia dealer a stone's throw from me, while the Hyundai is about 20 miles away.

Decisions Decisions...

 

[yticolev]

I'm surprised about the cruise control, I thought the hardware/software in the Ioniq and Kia were virtually the same.

From your description, it sounds like the Ioniq is a slam dunk. It also costs less and gets better mileage.