The VW Caddy is a fantastic vehicle of medium size with front seats and an open back design. It is popular with all kinds of people for all different reasons such as tradespeople, construction workers, plumbers etc. The vehicle’s versatility means that it can be used for all kinds of journeys and purposes.
Thanks to its easy and open design, the VW Caddy is a great vehicle to use if you are passionate about mountain biking. This is because you can easily fit a mountain bike in a VW Caddy, in fact, you can fit several!
Although depending on the size of your mountain bike you may find that you will need to buy additional tools to secure the bike when on the road as the last thing you want is the bike to be damaged from sliding around the van by the time you get your destination!
How to Fit a Mountain Bike Into a VW Caddy
Although a VW Caddy is a smaller van compared to many other vans produced by the company, the good news is that it is larger than most vehicles that people generally tend to try and squeeze a mountain bike into! This means that there is plenty of room for you to fit your mountain bike.
If you are going on an adventure with a spouse, family member, or even a friend you will find that you are also able to fit their mountain bike into your VW Caddy with ease.
There is plenty of room for more than one bike and you can easily fit them both in the back of your VW Caddy without removing any parts! Unlike with other vehicles you will not need to take your bike, or bikes, apart in order to transport them to your adventure destination!
This means that you will have a much easier time when you arrive and that you will also not need to stress or worry about disassembling your bike after what may be a long, gruelling and challenging day. You can simply and easily put your bike in the back of your van and head home for some rest!
Thankfully, because you can stand up to two bikes comfortably in the back of your VW Caddy, you can also find plenty of space still in the back of your vehicle for all the other items that you may need.
There will still be plenty of room for you to store and bring camping equipment, protective items such as helmets, pads and bags to carry food and drink with you on your adventure.
However, if you choose to just lay your bikes down in the back of your VW Caddy you may wish to place them on a blanket to stop them sliding about so much.
Not only will this protect your bike from hitting the sides of your van, or even sliding around on the floor, whilst you are driving, but if you have more than one mountain bike in the back of your VW Caddy then adding a blanket also between the bikes will help prevent dents and scratches if they happen to hit each other.
Below we will detail all the other things that you can choose to buy to help to keep your mountain bikes in pristine condition if you choose to travel with them in the back of your VW Caddy.
What Additional Items Will I Need When Transporting a Mountain Bike in a VW Caddy?
Unlike with smaller cars which would require the purchase of a roof bar or tow bar to store the mountain bike on the outside of the vehicle if you require more space, the VW Caddy is plenty big enough. This means that you will not need to spend any extra money on expensive external storage racks.
However, given the size of the VW Caddy there is a little bit of room for the mountain bikes to move around in the back of the vehicle. If you have a particularly expensive mountain bike, you are transporting more than one mountain bike, or you simply want to be careful and cautious, then you may want to look into investing in a mount for your mountain bike.
Although you will not need to spend money on external mounts for your mountain bike, you may need to do so for internal mounts. These mounts will allow you to store and travel with your bikes in an upright, standing position. This means that they will be locked in place and not able to move around or even fall over, whilst you are driving.
We recommend using a mountain bike multi-tool like this one to easily remove the wheels and seat on your mountain bike to save space or to fit more bikes in your vehicle.
If you are worried about your mountain bike moving around in the back of your VW Caddy, possible getting scratches, dents and other deformities whilst you are on the move, either from sliding around or from hitting another bike or other items stored in the back of your van, then a standing mount may be a good investment for you.
Although they can be very pricey, they are a good option if you have spent a lot of money on your mountain bike. Essentially, they will save you money in the long run as you will not need to spend money on repairs, either functionally or aesthetically, to fix your mountain bike.
Final Thoughts
The VW Caddy is a great option for a vehicle to own if you are a mountain bike enthusiast. The size of the vehicle means that there is plenty of room to comfortably store two bikes in an upright position in the back of the van.
If you prefer you can simply lay your bike down on the floor in the back of your vehicle without any extra padding, or if you are more protective you can choose to invest in a floor mount.
Ultimately, if you already own a VW Caddy then you already have a fantastic tool for a weekend adventure mountain biking!