How to Determine if Bike Pedal Will Make Contact with the Back of a 2015 Chevy Malibu

Question:

I just purchased a 2015 Chevy Malibu and am having a hitch installed. I few of the reviews I read lead me to believe the pedal on the bike closest to the car will rub on the trunk. Have you actually tested this on a 2015 Chevy Malibu?

asked by: Donna

Expert Reply:

Whether or not a bike will make contact with a vehicle depends on several factors. It depends on the distance from the center of the hitch pin hole back to the rear most part of the vehicle. And it depends on how long the shank of the bike carrier is as well as the width of the bike.

Since I don't know which hitch you are having installed it is hard to say how far it is from the pin hole to the rear bumper. But on the Swagman XC bike carrier # S64650 it measures 10-1/2 inches out to the nearest wheel cradle then about another 1-3/4 inches to the center of the wheel cradle. So a safe estimate is 12-1/4 inches from the center of the pin hole to the center of the bike.

So if you measure from the center of the bike out to the end of the pedals and if you knew how far the hitch is recessed under the vehicle, you could determine ahead of time if the pedal would make contact with the vehicle.

For sake of argument, let's say the center of bike to end of pedal measurement is 8 inches. Take 12-1/4 and subtract 8 inches to get 4-1/4 inches. If the measurement from the hitch pin hole back to clear the rear bumper is less than 4-1/4 inches, you would not have a problem.

You also have to consider the contour of the vehicle. Most rear bumpers on cars taper in at the bottom and if you kept the closest pedal all the way down there could be more clearance.

expert reply by: Michael H