Bike carrier for small hatchback

[Cambyses]

Not quite sure if this is the right forum but....

Can anybody recommend a rear bike carrier to fit a 3-door city car with a very small tailgate-mounted spoiler?

It also has fairly high-up light clusters and no wiring for a lighting board, so I guess the bike will need to be mounted quite high to clear the lights. There's nowhere to anchor roof bars, so roof carriers are out. On the plus side, I only need to carry one bike, and that only occasionally!

Specifically the car is a 2016 Kia Picanto Chilli, if that means anything. Yes I know it is probably a daft car for somebody who needs to move bikes, but that wasn't a consideration when I bought it.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Perhaps you could do a little lateral thinking and mount the car on the bike's rear carrier?

Being serious, by far the best way would be a towbar mounted rack plus light board and it does appear that you can fit them:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121808386652

...amongst many

 

[derrick]

Roof rack. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...iAhXOilwKHV0yA_oQsAR6BAgFEAE&biw=1280&bih=657

 

[nickAKA]

rear carrier:

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel3.php?emulate=bikegen&query=7963

 

[steverob]

Can't be much help on this, but will be interested in the results. Had the same query myself a few months ago trying to buy a bike carrier for a small hatchback and every one we tried seemed to be unsuitable for one reason or another.

Halfords recommended the Saris Bones (or was it the Bones Saris, can't remember which way round that was), but said it would be "easy" to attach, so we took it home and tried to do it ourselves. Two hours later and still no closer to getting it mounted on the car without it either obstructing the lights, or the number plate or the carrier resting on the glass (which did not look safe) or otherwise looking very insecure when a bike was attached - the supplied manual and the YouTube video instructions were absolutely useless - we went back to Halfords and asked them to fit it instead. They then ummed and ahhhed about it for about 20 minutes and finally decided that it wasn't suitable for hatchbacks after all! To be honest, I should have guessed when all the supplied photos and diagrams in box/manual/video only showed it being used on saloon cars.

As our model of car isn't able to have a towbar, those options were ruled out, but luckily we found one brand of roof bars that did do a compatiable model (although even then Halfords managed to cock that up first time by only supplying us with half the kit we needed!), so we do now have a solution that works. But it still would be interesting to see if there was a rear mounted option we could have taken after all.

 

[KneesUp]

I'm another one to say get a towbar rack - with the caveat that I'd only do that if you're keeping the car for a bit. I've used a Saris bones on a hire car (don't tell anyone) and although people say they're great, and to be fair it didn't fall off, I was not comfortable with it at all. Whereas with my MaxxRaxx I've driven across France without giving the bikes a second thought.

A tow bar doesn't have to be that expensive - you can get them secondhand for not much, and I got mine fitted for £60 bya guy who just does mobile towbar fitting. In fact when I changed cars (same model - someone wrote off the first one) he also swapped if from one to the other for £60.

A towbar is also very useful for making a small car more useful - you can tow a trailer for a start, or get something like a BakRak to add versatility.

 

[NorthernDave]

We used to have a Halfords "high level" rear rack that cleared the lights and number plate on the car we had at the time (Citroen C3). Seemed secure and we had no issues with it.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I'm another one to say get a towbar rack - with the caveat that I'd only do that if you're keeping the car for a bit. I've used a Saris bones on a hire car (don't tell anyone) and although people say they're great, and to be fair it didn't fall off, I was not comfortable with it at all. Whereas with my MaxxRaxx I've driven across France without giving the bikes a second thought.

A tow bar doesn't have to be that expensive - you can get them secondhand for not much, and I got mine fitted for £60 bya guy who just does mobile towbar fitting. In fact when I changed cars (same model - someone wrote off the first one) he also swapped if from one to the other for £60.

A towbar is also very useful for making a small car more useful - you can tow a trailer for a start, or get something like a BakRak to add versatility.

Yes, we agree - I've seen too many wobbly strap-ons for comfort @Fnaar

 

[ianrauk]

We used to have a Halfords "high level" rear rack that cleared the lights and number plate on the car we had at the time (Citroen C3). Seemed secure and we had no issues with it.

This is what we have. Works perfect.

 

[alicat]

Any reason why you can't fit the bike in the car. I know it's a small car but where there's a will there's a way and all that.

 

[Leaway2]

This one clears the spoiler and does not rest on the rear window (on my Seat Ibiza). It is well constructed.

https://www.micksgarage.com/d/bike-...ted-carrier-car-rack-for-seat-ibiza-2002-2009

 

[Cambyses]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions, everyone!

Roof carrier would be my preferred option (in fact I already have a nice Thule carrier from a previous car) but I just can't find a rack/bars. Lots of places sell Picanto 2011-17 roof bars BUT only for the 5-door version, as the rear bar clamps onto the rear door openings and on the 3-door there's just nothing there to fix to. If anybody can find a safe and non-destructive way to fit bars to the 3-door version they'll have my eternal gratitude!

Tow-bar is also tempting (in fact I also own a tow-bar-mount carrier from a previous car - spot a pattern here? - although it is probably about as long as the Picanto itself ). But being a Kia the car has 4 years to run on the manufacturer's warranty, and I don't know how fitting a third party tow bar might affect this?!

I'll definitely check out the various suggestions for high-mount carriers.

Thanks again!

 

[SnoopyCycles]

I have a Saris Bones 2 on my very small hatchback, which is a Hyundai i10. I found it quite straightforward to fit, but having now looked at your car I’m not sure because of the top spoiler. I think the Saris website had a facility to search make and model though before buying. I’m just posting as someone up stream said the Saris Bones is no good for hatch backs but this isn’t true. Mine came with instructions for all types of car BTW and I fitted it myself in about 15 mins. One niggle I do have though is it’s a pain actually fitting the bikes to it. I think it would be easy with normal open framed bikes, but I have a ‘cruiser’ style with a low crossbar and an awkward bottle cage and the other one is a kid’s bike without much space either.....guess we learn as we go on!