Hello all!

I recently joined the forum to learn more about the aircraft and the community. I've been flying for a few years, and am currently waiting on a broken arm to heal up so I can take my instrument checkride, and then hopefully get out and see some planes for sale.

I think my budget has me in the S35 camp. The seating installation and arrangement looks fairly friendly to getting a couple of mountain bikes into the back (see above broken arm! ha ha).

Welcome to BeechTalk. Personally, I have never broken anything flying an airplane. Bike accidents have left me with a few scrapes, bruises, and scars. Enjoy the flying. Be safe biking.

Hey Matthew and Welcome!

You will find that some of the S35s have a square-ish small cargo door and some have the larger rectangle door. You might find loading mountain bikes easier with the bigger door! You can also look for "straight" 36s (1968-69) because they have huge barn doors, but were configured for only forward facing seats so they usually sell for a discount. You'd probably be taking those seats out anyway, and you'll find it will haul an enormous amount of gear.

Good luck healing up and getting that IR!

Many Bonanzas have the "large baggage door" option, either as a factory installation or as a modification made after the original delivery. This door is more than twice as big as the original "small" baggage door and would make loading bicycles much easier. That said you can get bicycles in through the front door but that's a bit awkward IMO.

The easiest way to carry bicycles is with the rear seats removed and replaced with a fixture clamped to the seat rails that attaches to the front fork of a pair of bikes.

Matthew, welcome to BT!