[rbart4506]

Anyone have any tips to protecting my new MZ3's paint when I'm using my trunk rack to transport my mountain bike. I know the easiest way is to use a roof rack, but that ain't going to happen right away. If there's any fellow mountain bikers here, I'm using a Saris Bones 2 bike rack. I also wonder if I should hold off on using the rack for a bit because the finish isn't set?? I've also heard of people using protective film on the paint where the rubber feet of the rack touch the body or bumpers.

Argh!!! My new love has come face to face with my old love....

Rich

 

[fire76]

As long as the rubber feet on the rack are nice and clean, I wouldn't worry too much. But if that's not reassuring enough, maybe some of the 3M film will help. In the past I've just put the same towels I use for buffing under the rubber pads. If it's tightly secured it's not going anywhere. Or another way to do it is put down your seat and a thick blanket and use your trunk/backseat until you can get a top mount rack. That's what I'm doing for now. What are you riding? I've got a Cannondale

 

[rbart4506]

I'm riding a Gary Fisher Sugar and a Gary Fisher HooKooEKoo....The HKEK makes very few road trips so the rack is mainly for the Sugar....I guess the first step will be to test mount the rack and see how it fits....My main conern is the top bar and if it rests on the trunk lid....On my Protege the rubber feet started to leave a slight mark in the paint....I think thats because that arm always had a slight bit of movement....With the MZ3 however, that might not be a problem because the trunk lid is so small that the arm may end up resting on the rear window....Either way this car will spend a good part of the summer with a few bikes sitting on the back...

Rich

 

[prismglass]

I gave my cheap trunk rack away with the old car. The sedan's trunk lid didn't have any points/holes for the hooks on the end of the straps. Unlike my Saturn trunk lid interior, which was metal with a bunch of cut out areas, the Mazda3 trunk lid interior is totally carpeted over. So until the roof racks come out, my bike is going in the trunk with the rear seats folded down.