Carrying 6 Bikes on a 2012 Honda Odyssey  

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There's a couple ways to do this, but the first thing you'll want to verify is your vehicle's towing capacity and roof capacity with your manufacturer to make sure you don't exceed your capacity.

A quick tip on this setup is that the two 16 inch bikes are likely best carried in the rear cargo area of the vehicle, as there's only a few hitch racks that can carry them.

Either way, you'll need to attach a hitch to get the best capacity out of your vehicle. I recommend using the Draw-Tite Class III Max Frame hitch, part # 75270. There is no drilling or trimming required for this installation. I've attached a video of this installation process onto a 2012 Honda Odyssey so you can get an idea of how to install it. I've also linked to our FAQ about hitch installation to make the process as smooth as possible.

For the rack, you'll want to look at 4 bike racks that can hold the smaller bikes. I'm sticking to bike racks with long term adaptability so you can keep the rack around as the smaller bikes get retired for larger ones.

I recommend the Yakima HoldUp 4, part # Y02443-2, a platform rack that can carry the smaller 16 inch bikes with no trouble. It includes integrated bike and hitch locks for added security, and can tilt away and fold up for maximum flexibility while the rack is installed. A great feature of this rack is that it will continue expanding up to 29 inch wheels, and carry up to 60 pounds per slot. Additionally, its adjustible wheel trays lets you adjust the bikes for the best positions so they don't tangle up their handlebars.

One of the little-known features is that this rack includes an integrated safety system of LED lights and a safety flag which often satisfy local requirements for extended loads, and add an additional level of safety to the rack.

A more value-focused rack is the Saris Freedom, part # SA4414B. This rack removes the integrated safety and security package to add a frame mount for flexibility in mounting the bikes. Its independently adjustible frame clamps and wheel cradles hold a wide variety of bike sizes and shapes, and can hold four 35 pound bikes.

You can add a hitch and cable lock to the bike with part # SA984. This adds a threaded anti-rattle hitch lock and cable lock to the bike rack, improving its security and overall stability.

For the remaining bikes, it largely depends on how you want to mount. Obviously if you stow the 16 inch bikes in the rear of the vehicle, you'll be able to skip this until you get to the point where you've got larger bikes, or if you need the cargo space in the rear.

One of the easiest options if your adult bikes have removable front wheels is the SeaSucker Mini Bomber, part # 298-BM2006. This rack uses ultra-strong vacuum cups to mount the bikes to any smooth or glass part of your vehicle roof. One of the biggest advantages that this rack has is not requiring any installation or drilling. I've included a video that details how this rack installs, plus one that demonstrates the strength of the cups by lifting a Volkswagen Bus' front end.

If you're open to also adding a roof rack to the vehicle, you'll need to drill into the roof of the vehicle to do so and install a track system. The Honda Odyssey doesn't support clamp-on roof racks.

For this particular fit, I recommend the Rhino Rack Track kit, consisting of the following parts:

Rhino Rack Vortex 2500 crossbar, Silver, part # RRVA137S-2 or Black, part # RRVA137B-2
Rhino Rack Quick Mount Legs, part # RRRLT600
Rhino Rack RT Tracks, part # RRRTV128
Rhino Rack Spacer Blocks, part # RRQMVA05

This will give you a solid rack to mount your bikes to with almost any aero-compatible carrier on the market.

Because you have a women's cruiser style bike, I recommend using a wheel mount carrier on the roof. The most economical rack is the Malone Pilot, part # MPG2103. This wheel mounted rack can hold up to 29 inch wheels, and also offers included bike locks for added security.

Another option is the RockyMounts TomaHawk for Fat Bikes, part # RKY1222. This is a carrier that works with both fat and regular shaped bikes and offers a quick, easy to manage wheel clamp that fits up to 29 inch wheels. The TomaHawk doesn't include bike locks but they can be easily added with part # RKY0332

expert reply by: Jacob W

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