Will a road bike fit in a Mooney?

[PeytonM]

If you takes the wheels & seat off and fold the rear seats down, will it fit? Any experience out there before I try the experiment?

[rahill]

Even without the rear seat folded down (ours won't), it'll fit. 

[N201MKTurbo]

Throw a blanket or a tarp over all the seats while you are putting it in and out or you will get chain grease on your seats.

[cpbloch]

I have done this many times, if you can get the back seats out you can get two road bikes into the plane.

 

You need to take both wheels off, and the seat post and handlebars.  If you do this the bike will just fit in the baggage door with some twisting.  The wheels go in thru the passenger door.  If you have wheel bags that will make it easier.  You will need blankets as mentioned to keep the grease from the chains off of the plane.  I do this with two bikes from time to time with the wife.  Takes me 14 minutes to get both bikes out of the plane and assembled, and about the same to get them back in. 

 

When putting the frame in the plane the crank chain ring needs to be at the top and will just hit the top corner of the baggage compartment door on the way in.

 

 

[mooniac15u]

I can get 2 in my M20J; one in the back seat and one sitting across the cargo area on top of the seat back and sticking into the hat rack. The one in the hat rack is carbon so it doesn't create a W&B issue. I use a chain cover to prevent grease problems (http://www.whitelightningco.com/accessories/).

[Marauder]

I can get 2 in my M20J; one in the back seat and one sitting across the cargo area on top of the seat back and sticking into the hat rack. The one in the hat rack is carbon so it doesn't create a W&B issue. I use a chain cover to prevent grease problems (http://www.whitelightningco.com/accessories/).

What size frames are we talking about? I'm on a 63 and can't seem to make it fit.

[mooniac15u]

What size frames are we talking about? I'm on a 63 and can't seem to make it fit.

 

The one in the back seat is my wife's and it is probably a 48. Mine is a 61 Specialized Roubaix which has compact geometry. Both bikes go in through the front door. There is no way to get them through the baggage door. Both wheels, the seat and the pedals have to come off. The handlebars stay on or come off depending on how much other gear I need to get in. I put the rear of the frame all the way into the hat rack and the front fork rests on top of the rear seat. I could easily get a bigger frame in that space but only because the bike in the rear seat is so small. If that one were bigger it might not work.

 

As I said before this is a carbon frame. If you are riding a metal bike you will have to decide for yourself if it is light enough to go in the hat rack.

[mooniac15u]

I just realized that admitting to owning a carbon bike probably permanently disqualifies me from the CB club.

 

In my defense, however, I also still ride a steel Panasonic DX 2000 that I bought new in 1986.  That one has a 27in frame that will never fit in a Mooney.

[RobertGary1]

The M20 is certified with or without the rear seat. So you can remove the rear seat with only an A&P making a log entry of the updated W&B.

 

-Robert

[bonal]

We just call Enterpise

[mooniac15u]

The M20 is certified with or without the rear seat. So you can remove the rear seat with only an A&P making a log entry of the updated W&B.

 

-Robert

Is that documented somewhere? I don't see anything in the TCDS or the POH. There are certainly times when It would be useful to remove the seats but it would help to have some documentation to convince my A&P to sign off on it.

[kortopates]

How about two high end  29er Mountain bikes plus a bike rack to boot for the rental car on arrival!

I put the frames in there own nylon bags and wheels in wheel bags that hold a pair. Keeps the interior clean. Everything is secured with ties down straps rear seat belts.

We like to travel on mountain biking vacations.

 

Our 252 does have folding rear bucket seats which is probably like cheating on early models that have bench rear seat. It take less than 3 minutes to reconfigure my rear seat for cargo. But there are options for folding rear bench seats which are much more practical in planes that don't already have that.  

[aviatoreb]

What size frames are we talking about? I'm on a 63 and can't seem to make it fit.

 

I'm on a 62cm - and I can make it fit.  Both wheels off and seat post off.

 

HIGHLY recommend - even better than putting a blanket on your seats - WRAP the bike in a BBQ cover tightly with straps.  That it slides in and out of the airplane without getting anything dirty or snagging.

[Marauder]

I'm on a 62cm - and I can make it fit.  Both wheels off and seat post off.

 

HIGHLY recommend - even better than putting a blanket on your seats - WRAP the bike in a BBQ cover tightly with straps.  That it slides in and out of the airplane without getting anything dirty or snagging.

 

Can you get a second bike in as well? Got to take the Lilliputian's bike with me (48 I think).

[Marauder]

How about two high end  29er Mountain bikes plus a bike rack to boot for the rental car on arrival!

I put the frames in there own nylon bags and wheels in wheel bags that hold a pair. Keeps the interior clean. Everything is secured with ties down straps rear seat belts.

We like to travel on mountain biking vacations.

 

Our 252 does have folding rear bucket seats which is probably like cheating on early models that have bench rear seat. It take less than 3 minutes to reconfigure my rear seat for cargo. But there are options for folding rear bench seats which are much more practical in planes that don't already have that.  

 

You have to take a picture of this arrangement...

[aviatoreb]

Can you get a second bike in as well? Got to take the Lilliputian's bike with me (48 I think).

 

Done that too.

 

With more than one bike, everything goes easier if you take the pedals off too - and DEFN everything in BBQ covers because each bike slides across the other easily and its not a struggle.  Each bike their own BBQ cover tightly wrapped around the bike with a strap, seat post off, wheels off in wheel bags, and seat posts off.  Ive even carried my sons bike (56cm) and my TT bike - which is bigger than my road bike with those long TT pars.

[Marauder]

Done that too.

With more than one bike, everything goes easier if you take the pedals off too - and DEFN everything in BBQ covers because each bike slides across the other easily and its not a struggle. Each bike their own BBQ cover tightly wrapped around the bike with a strap, seat post off, wheels off in wheel bags, and seat posts off. Ive even carried my sons bike (56cm) and my TT bike - which is bigger than my road bike with those long TT pars.

Sounds like too much work! I'm buying a Pilatus!

[aviatoreb]

Sounds like too much work! I'm buying a Pilatus!

 

Please come pick me up.