Cyclists in the Grenadier Community

[Solmanic]

I am sure there are a few other cyclists on here so I thought it might be worthwhile having a thread to discuss all Grenadier related cycling stuff - but not necessarily the Ineos UCI cycling team.

What are your plans for carrying bicycles on your Grenadier? I often laugh when I see the Team Ineos promo stuff showing the Grenadiers team riding along with spare bikes on the roof of the team IG. I mean, how the hell would you be expected to do a quick bike change when the replacements are all the way up there? Obviously the Grenadier is not a practical race support vehicle, but it will certainly be a useful carrier. So how do people plan to carry their bikes? Roof, towbar mount? Inside? This thread maybe could have gone in the accessories section, but I suspect there will be a lot of other non-accessory related cycling chat as well, so I've just plonked it in the general chat.

Also - has anyone been able to extract any free Ineos team kit from their dealer agent or local Ineos subsidiary? I seem to have a whole bunch of Grenadier Prototype Tour shirts (nearly one for every day of the week ), but I haven't been able to score any free cycling kit.

 

[DesertGecko]

Mine will have to participate in long drives for bike races, probably a few Simpson Desert Bike Challenges. I'll use my current ISI rack.

 

[AZGrenadier]

I’ll be mounting a 1up rack to the ladder and hang the bike vertical. 2 will be nice but I’ll have to see it in person to see what fits.

 

[DesertGecko]

 

[Eniffer]

mount EVO suction cups, brilliant thing and can fit very quickly.

 

[DenisM]

I am sure there are a few other cyclists on here so I thought it might be worthwhile having a thread to discuss all Grenadier related cycling stuff - but not necessarily the Ineos UCI cycling team.

What are your plans for carrying bicycles on your Grenadier? I often laugh when I see the Team Ineos promo stuff showing the Grenadiers team riding along with spare bikes on the roof of the team IG. I mean, how the hell would you be expected to do a quick bike change when the replacements are all the way up there? Obviously the Grenadier is not a practical race support vehicle, but it will certainly be a useful carrier. So how do people plan to carry their bikes? Roof, towbar mount? Inside? This thread maybe could have gone in the accessories section, but I suspect there will be a lot of other non-accessory related cycling chat as well, so I've just plonked it in the general chat.

Also - has anyone been able to extract any free Ineos team kit from their dealer agent or local Ineos subsidiary? I seem to have a whole bunch of Grenadier Prototype Tour shirts (nearly one for every day of the week ), but I haven't been able to score any free cycling kit.

That's because the Ineos cycling kit is bespoke. ..

 

[DesertGecko]

I might as well pop this link in here... will probably disappear in the next few weeks.

Crossing the Simpson Desert by Fatbike

 

[Tazzieman]

I on occasions ride a bike. Does that make me a cyclist?
(I have never worn lycra whilst cycling)

 

[bigleonski]

Should we change the title of this thread to
The Grenadier MAMILs ????


Middle Aged Men In Lycra.

 

[DesertGecko]

I on occasions ride a bike. Does that make me a cyclist?
(I have never worn lycra whilst cycling)

When do you normally wear lycra?

 

[Tazzieman]

When do you normally wear lycra?

Track sprinting, athletics
Weightlifting sports

 

[Tazzieman]

Should we change the title of this thread to
The Grenadier MAMILs ????
Middle Aged Men In Lycra.

Don't forget VOMITS
Very old men in tights.

 

[Pipm4000]

Bike will hopefully fit in the boot with the front wheel removed else I’ll drop the seats. As a lifelong cyclist I’m torn on the “toot” button logo. Cyclists always know a car is there. I cant think of a scenario when it would be needed in relation to cyclists. When cars sound their horn it’s either “get out my way” which is not helping anyone or “thanks” which during an overtake is unnecessary. I usually just get a wave or flash of hazards from considerate motorists. Imagine if it had a picture of a horse and rider on the button. My experience of 4x4 drivers is they are the least likely to overtake dangerously and normally seem acutely aware of their vehicles size, especially proper off-roaders who I often share country lanes with on a Sunday morning, but I will await my first Grenadier overtake.

 

[Solmanic]

Bike will hopefully fit in the boot with the front wheel removed else I’ll drop the seats. As a lifelong cyclist I’m torn on the “toot” button logo. Cyclists always know a car is there. I cant think of a scenario when it would be needed in relation to cyclists. When cars sound their horn it’s either “get out my way” which is not helping anyone or “thanks” which during an overtake is unnecessary. I usually just get a wave or flash of hazards from considerate motorists. Imagine if it had a picture of a horse and rider on the button. My experience of 4x4 drivers is they are the least likely to overtake dangerously and normally seem acutely aware of their vehicles size, especially proper off-roaders who I often share country lanes with on a Sunday morning, but I will await my first Grenadier overtake.

The "toot" button is awesome, in my opinion. I've long thought cars should have a courtesy horn and in fact some British cars did used to have a town-and-country horn. Often at speed I won't notice a car behind me unless I do a shoulder check, and it's only getting harder with EVs. On rare occasions we have super-polite motorists behind us for a couple of km or more and would have tried to tighten up our bunch to let them get by if we'd known they were there. I know in the UK a lot of lanes have a very different profile to what we have here. You tend to have high verges and hedgerows which prevent anyone moving out of the traffic lane. Here even roads with no hard shoulder still have tons of flat unpaved space or grass which motorists just assume cyclists should veer on to to let them pass. Consequently vehicles often try to squeeze past no matter what.

BTW, in Australia it's the 4x4 drivers that are generally the WORST when passing cyclists, right up there with tradies in utes.

Also, in India most vehicles have at least two different horns. A quiet one (which is actually the regular one) for constantly beeping to alert the vehicle/cart/donkey etc in front, and a loud klaxon type one to swear with.

 

[Solmanic]

mount EVO suction cups, brilliant thing and can fit very quickly.

The sheer height of that freaks me out. I've got a mate who has written off TWO carbon road bikes driving into low garages. Two separate incidences and one of those was driving into my car port while I was working in the office next door. I glanced up and saw him turn into our driveway, then looked down an heard a horrible crunching noise. I knew straight away what had happened and it was ghastly. The remains of the smashed bike were held together by the gear & brake cabling.

His second roof-rack bike smash was done when his wife was driving. At least he got automatic unconditional permission to buy a new bike with that one.

 

[grenadierboy]

Cycling is a key part of the 4 primary usages for my Grenadier:
1. Urban driving (everyday use)
2. Country driving to beach house/towing a trailer( loaded up with stuff)
3. Off road driving for camping/hiking (inc. towing a camping trailer)
4. Transporting cycles (to commence multi-day gravel cycling expeditions)

I currently have a Thule Easy Fold bike carrier that mounts to the tow bar.

However, the rear spare tyre placement may be a problem to mount the Thule carrier. It was on the MB 230GE - so bikes went into the back with the rear seat folded down.

Roads bikes are typically 7 - 9 kg but, gravel bikes are usually steel with panniers etc. and are 13-15kg and are a bit heavy to get up & off the roof at 2m high.

Re; the "Toot", I hink it will be a good option but, let's see how other motorists and cyclists react.

In Australia, many don't like being tooted and think it's aggressive whereas in other countries it's a way of assisting or helping other drivers and is encouraged!

 

[Solmanic]

I currently have a Thule Easy Fold bike carrier that mounts to the tow bar.

However, the rear spare tyre placement may be a problem to mount the Thule carrier. It was on the MB 230GE - so bikes went into the back with the rear seat folded down.

Roads bikes are typically 7 - 9 kg but, gravel bikes are usually steel with panniers etc. and are 13-15kg and are a bit heavy to get up & off the roof at 2m high.

Re; the "Toot", I hink it will be a good option but, let's see how other motorists and cyclists react.

In Australia, many don't like being tooted and think it's aggressive whereas in other countries it's a way of assisting or helping other drivers and is encouraged!

Agree. For all it's good intentions, cyclists may still think any horn is swearing at them. The toot on the PT model we test drove was just two blips of the regular horn, not a whole different pitch horn. I guess I was hoping it would be something entirely different and less warning horn-like.

On the rear bike carrier - I have a mate who is into competition mountain biking. He had two of his competition bikes on a rear carrier and was rear-ended by another vehicle on his way back from a comp. His insurer wouldn't cover the damage to the bikes because they weren't "inside" the vehicle! (I think it was a hit and run hence the other party didn't cover this) Needless to say all of us who know the guy are pretty careful at reading fine print on insurance T&Cs now.

 

[bemax]

By now we use a Thule bike carrier for the towing hook. It is made for carrying up to four bikes. We will see whether it does fit under the spare wheel.
For me this carrier is the optimal solution as the bikes are easy to (un-)load and the drag is reduced compared with a roof carrier.

 

[grenadierboy]

By now we use a Thule bike carrier for the towing hook. It is made for carrying up to four bikes. We will see whether it does fit under the spare wheel.
For me this carrier is the optimal solution as the bikes are easy to (un-)load and the drag is reduced compared with a roof carrier.

Agree - the fold down Thule (or other brand) rear carrier is very good because you not only to you have the lift the bike 500mm off the ground it also allows you to access and open the rear door without taking the bikes off.

I think it will be possible to open the Grenadier rear doors with the Thule rear carrier (provided it will fit behind the spare wheel)

Maybe there is an extension that can shift the carrier back 100mm or so.

 

[Solmanic]

By now we use a Thule bike carrier for the towing hook. It is made for carrying up to four bikes. We will see whether it does fit under the spare wheel.
For me this carrier is the optimal solution as the bikes are easy to (un-)load and the drag is reduced compared with a roof carrier.

Our G-Wagen has a proprietary MB tow hitch receiver which has made it impossible to get any simple towbar mounted carrying rack. Having a regular simple square receiver on the Grenadier means all these options are now open to me.