The Subaru Outback is a very spacious vehicle that’s design was inspired by the Legacy Wagon. If you’re interested in buying one of these vehicles, you may be wondering “will a mountain bike fit in a Subaru Outback?“
There is enough space to fit a mountain bike in the back of a Subaru Outback. A mountain bike will fit, as long as you lay it down before placing it in the vehicle. As long as you have the backseats folded down, you won’t need to remove the wheels on your mountain bike.
If you want to take your mountain bikes to different trails, you will need a vehicle that can fit your bike. On this page, we’re going to talk about transporting a mountain bike in a Subaru Outback. Keep reading to learn more.
How to Fit a Mountain Bike in a Subaru Outback
When you’re ready to visit some of your favorite trails, you’ll be able to fit your mountain bike in the back of your Subaru Outback without any hassle. Before you begin, you will need to fold the backseats down. This will open up more space and give you a flat surface to place the bike on.
When the backseats are down, there are over 18 cubic ft of space to work with. This is great news because you won’t need to remove the front wheel to fit your bike inside. To fit your mountain bike in a Subaru Outback, you will need to lay it down on its side. While the Subaru Outback is spacious, there isn’t enough room to fit the bike in upright.
The easiest way to fit your mountain bike in a Subaru Outback is to begin rear first. Doing it this way will allow you to adjust the handlebars as needed to fit the bike in the back securely.
We recommend using a mountain bike multi-tool like this one to easily remove the wheels and seat on your mountain bike.
Additional Items You May Need When Transporting a Mountain Bike in a Subaru Outback
If you’re planning on traveling with your mountain bike in the back of your Subaru Outback, we have some good news for you. There are no additional accessories or items you will need to buy to transport your bike around. However, there may be a couple of items you want to improve how you travel with a mountain bike in your Subaru Outback.
Some complaints that users have had about transporting their mountain bike in their Subaru Outback is that their bike can scratch the surface inside their vehicle. To ensure that your bike doesn’t scratch any of the plastic surfaces, we recommend using mats.
A lot of bike riders prefer to transport their mountain bikes in an upright position. This isn’t something you can do when placing the mountain bike in the back of your vehicle. If you prefer to travel with your mountain bike this way, you can install a roof rack on your Subaru Outback.
There is also the option to install a hitch with a bike carrier on the back of your vehicle. This is a great option to think about if you want to keep your bike upright, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of placing it on the roof.
Roof Rack vs Bike Carrier
If you prefer to travel with your mountain bike in an upright position, the real debate you have on your hands is roof rack vs bike carrier. A roof rack is a base with crossbars that gets installed on the roof of the vehicle. The bike carrier is installed on the hitch of the vehicle, allowing you to travel with the mountain bike on the back of the car.
What’s great about both of these options is that they allow you to travel with more than one bike in an upright position. The bike carrier is easy to place mountain bikes on because it’s at a height that you can easily access. However, most bike carriers only allow the user to place two mountain bikes on them.
The roof rack can be more complicated because you will need to get to the top of your vehicle. You will need to use a step ladder and lift the bikes up and down. While this is more work, roof racks also provide room for more bikes. Depending on which rack you buy, you could fit 3 or 4 bikes.
Will Two Bikes Fit in a Subaru Outback?
There is enough room in the back of a Subaru Outback to fit two bikes. However, you will need to be very careful about how you set them in the vehicle. This will require you to place one bike on top of the other. Keep in mind that the bikes’ components may rub against each other as your drive.
Most users are more comfortable using a roof rack or bike carrier when traveling with more than one mountain bike in a Subaru Outback.
Final Thoughts
Will a mountain bike fit in a Subaru Outback? Yes, you can easily fit a mountain bike in a Subaru Outback. Once you fold the seats down in the back, it opens up a lot of room. You can fit your mountain bike, helmet, and other biking accessories along with it.
There is a lot of space in the back of a Subaru Outback, so you won’t have to worry about removing the front wheel of the mountain bike in order to get it to fit in the back. However, we do recommend placing your bike into the vehicle’s rear first. This allows you to adjust the handlebars as needed to allow the front wheel to fit without giving you trouble.
If you prefer to travel with your mountain bike in an upright position, you will not be able to fit it into your vehicle that way. Instead, you will need to use a roof rack or a bike carrier. Not only will these options allow you to travel with the bike upright but you will also be able to bring additional bikes safely.