Car bike racks

[Dogtrousers]

Bikes on cars fill me with horror. I refuse to drive behind any vehicle bearing bikes on a motorway, as I fear a bike through the windscreen at any moment.

That said, I'm thinking of getting a bike carrier for my car. But I don't really have any idea of the options, pros and cons.

I want to be able to carry my bike (Traditional diamond frame Spa Steel Audax) and my wife's (Step thru hybrid Specialized Vita) in or on my car (Mercedes A Class 2009) Ideally, I don't want them to fall off and bounce end-over-end down the road. I do want to go on a ferry.

Seems like my options are:

Tow bar mount. I'd have to get a tow ball/tow bar thingy installed, and this would also provide me with a number plate/light bar. I have no desire to tow anything with my car so this seems a bit like overkill, but it also seems like the most secure bike carrier option, as well as the most expensive. I have even entrusted my own bike to one, on a couple of occasions.

Attach to hatch door by a hideous wonky Heath-Robinson mechanism consisting of a thousand straps buckles, string and spit. Like this I don't like the look of this. It looks like the cheapest option - but with good reason.

Roof rack. Oh dear god. I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to drive at over 20mph with a bike wobbling about on the roof. I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. That said, taking the front wheel out and attaching the front fork to an ersatz axle in the rack does seem quite secure. And it's how the pros do it. I could drive up alongside random cyclists and hand them bottles.

Any experience/advice?

Lastly, there's always the "ride there" option.

 

[Sharky]

I have no problems with bike racks or the strap on tail gate type. Have used both. I've never bought the fancy brackets, they all seem a bit over engineered and I agree they do seem wobbly. I'm a bit old school and I just use "ladder racks", turning the bike upside down and using toe straps around the brake hoods to secure the handlebars and a sponge under the saddle and more straps to secure the seat.
Tail gate strap on racks are good and can support up to three bikes quite easily, but have to be careful they don't hide lights and number plates and once strapped to the tail gate, makes it difficult or impossible to open the tail gate.

I do have a couple of amusing stories, that hopefully won't put you off roof racks.

1) A long time ago, I lived on Merseyside and the mecca of time trial courses was the 02 the other side of the Pennines. I was still at school but one of our club members had a car - a yellow Ford Consul. There was 4 of us and we all strapped our bikes upside down on his roof rack. We did the race, it was a smashing day and I clocked up a PB for a 50. Got back to the finish, to meet a sad looking George. In his warm up, his leather saddle had collapsed. The vibrations from the roof rack had been the "final straw" and was a DNS and forced to wait for 3 hours and then drive us all back to Merseyside!

2)A few years later, now in Kent, I'd entered a race in Essex and I was still carless. My friend offered the services of his mum to drive me over to the event. Again my bike strapped upside down on the roof rack. We got to the start and we pulled onto the grassy parking verge, under some trees. Unfortunately the branches were a bit low and as you can imagine - the bike got caught in the branches and the bike AND the roof rack were pulled off the car and landed on the ground. Luckily the bike and car were both OK.

Nowadays, I drive a Zafira and when going to races, the bike just goes inside.

Have a good trip,
Keith

 

[raleighnut]

Bikes on cars fill me with horror. I refuse to drive behind any vehicle bearing bikes on a motorway, as I fear a bike through the windscreen at any moment.

That said, I'm thinking of getting a bike carrier for my car. But I don't really have any idea of the options, pros and cons.

I want to be able to carry my bike (Traditional diamond frame Spa Steel Audax) and my wife's (Step thru hybrid Specialized Vita) in or on my car (Mercedes A Class 2009) Ideally, I don't want them to fall off and bounce end-over-end down the road. I do want to go on a ferry.

Seems like my options are:

Tow bar mount. I'd have to get a tow ball/tow bar thingy installed, and this would also provide me with a number plate/light bar. I have no desire to tow anything with my car so this seems a bit like overkill, but it also seems like the most secure bike carrier option, as well as the most expensive. I have even entrusted my own bike to one, on a couple of occasions.

Attach to hatch door by a hideous wonky Heath-Robinson mechanism consisting of a thousand straps buckles, string and spit. Like this I don't like the look of this. It looks like the cheapest option - but with good reason.

Roof rack. Oh dear god. I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to drive at over 20mph with a bike wobbling about on the roof. I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. That said, taking the front wheel out and attaching the front fork to an ersatz axle in the rack does seem quite secure. And it's how the pros do it. I could drive up alongside random cyclists and hand them bottles.

Any experience/advice?

Lastly, there's always the "ride there" option.

The snag with roof mounts is the car park anti van entry bars they stick over the entrance. I once saw 3 bikes ripped off the roof of a car by one of those, all trashed. This resulted in an enormous row with the fella shouting at the woman who was driving and her wailing "I forgot, why didn't you tell me" and the teenager in tears Safest option is one you have'nt considered which is a trailer designed/modified to carry the bikes. Or ride there

 

[smokeysmoo]

Roof bars and THULE PRO RIDER 591 bike racks are all you need. I've done 150 mile round trips with upwards of £4k worth of bikes using this set up, no problems at all

The snag with roof mounts is the car park anti van entry bars they stick over the entrance. I once saw 3 bikes ripped off the roof of a car by one of those, all trashed

You can't legislate for stupid people, however, you can always use a mirror hanger such as these

 

[Kies]

Thule pro 591's for me . 70mph on the M40 no problem.
Leaves the boot free for family luggage and two bikes up top. Never had an issue

 

[alans]

[QUOTE 2990322, member: 45"]Stick them on the roof. Out of the way of damage, no obscuring lights, and better security.[/QUOTE]

my bold
Not guaranteed.The bikes can be rapidly removed by horizontal height restriction bars,painted brown & overgrown by tree branches/leaves particularly where height restriction notices are not evident.Specifically in Lichfield.
DAHIKT

 

[alans]

I have used several types of bike rack to carry various types of bikes.
I would recommend that you DO NOT use the type which secure to the boot lid/tailgate with straps & hooks*.

A towball fitted to your car would permit the use of something like this

http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products...ted-bike-carriers/thule-easyfold-931-_-931021

or this

http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products...unted-bike-carriers/thule-xpress-970-_-970000

or this

http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/cycle_carriers/buyCycleCarrier.php?partNo=ZX88

whereas roof mounted ladder racks allow the use of something like this

http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products...nted-bike-carriers/thule-proride-591-_-591018

* apart from the un-convincing nature of some of the cheaper offerings of this type AIUI they are not road legal in some European countries

hth

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thanks for the advice.

I don't think there's much chance of me relaxing enough to forget the bikes are up on top. This is just for occasional use. One specific purpose is to get the bikes out to France by ferry.

I'm looking further at the Thule 591.

I also like the idea of front-wheel-off roofrack options, where you can tighten some wheelnuts onto the forks and be sure it won't blow away.

Trailer/towbar options would make sense if this was to be a regular thing, but I don't want to go to the expense of paying to get a towbar fitted just for the odd journey here & there. I've never driven a vehicle with a trailer and am too old to learn.

 

[Archeress]

We bought this:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/thule/9103-clipon-3-bike-hatchback-rear-carrier-ec017949

It clips solidly to the hatchback without any straps. It's solid enough I can hang from it with my 12st weight. On the trip from Bristol to Penrith, the bikes did not move an inch.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[alans]

I'm looking further at the Thule 591.
.

Thule 591 is an excellent device.I have carried upto 4 bikes on the roof using this device for long distances at M-way speed limits. No problems whatsoever.
I do not leave them on the car over winter & will soon be fitting two on the car for the duration of the so-called summer months.

IMO & experience the front-wheel-out versions offer no advantages over the 591 but do offer the opportunity of more faff & lost or forgotten wheels,wheel axles & qr's.

 

[alans]

We bought this:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/thule/9103-clipon-3-bike-hatchback-rear-carrier-ec017949

It clips solidly to the hatchback without any straps. It's solid enough I can hang from it with my 12st weight. On the trip from Bristol to Penrith, the bikes did not move an inch.

Hugs
Archeress x

That looks like an excellent method.Easy & quick with a full VFM price from an industry-leading manufacturer with a reputation for quality & durability wrt engineering & design.

 

[alans]

Be aware that many modern tailgates are not made of metal but plastic which may not welcome the super-imposed loads of bikes & carriers.

 

[Nick Stone]

Saris bones 3 for me, fits virtually anything, adjusts as you need solid on the car and can fold nearly flat when finished with, although we've changed both our cars now and both have roof bars so I may try some roof mounted ones in future, but the bones do it now and secure even at the speed limits

 

[Labradorofperception]

I bought a Pendle towbar rack, but it is now surplus a I have a new car and have to use a different type of rack.

the Pendle mounts on a plate behind the towbar, not on the ball itself so it is uber secure. In fact, you just need the backing plate and not the ball so that can be removed.

This is the badger

http://www.pendle-bike.co.uk/shopping/ws-rack.php

I never actually used it and about to Ebay it but if it is suitable then you can have it for £100 if you want.

 

[rsp]

I recently bought a Witter ZX200 so I could get me and my bike further afield. Seem to do the job fine. When you first strap your pride and joy on a rack of any kind you wonder if your doing the right thing. Not sure if this works as it's on my FB page. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...073741842.100002290221588&type=1&l=ee07a57fae