MPG penalty / aero drag of bike rack on the back of a Miata/MX5: 10%+

[MetroMPG]

Carrying this bike on the back of the car reduced MPG by over 10% on a 40 km highway round trip that I do often:






I can actually fit the bike INSIDE the car by taking the passenger seat out and the front wheel off (the bike's front wheel, obviously). Then there's zero MPG hit.

And yes, the bike is almost as old as the car.

[freebeard]

5% if you take off the front wheel and saddle? Here's mine:

[MetroMPG]

Agreed. Could be better: Wheels & saddle off, and position everything as low & close to the centerline as possible.

Also, could be worse:



^ Carrying on the roof wrecked MPG by -27%!



https://www.metrompg.com/posts/roof-racks.htm