Securing the bike to a bike carrier. Advice and tips please?

[Katherine]

Thanks in advance.

We have a bike carrier that attaches to the back of the car for my bike and had a trial run in half term.
Overall the bike was secure and Mr K is happy to repeat the experience.
However we had a couple of issues.

We used all the straps as recommended in the instructions but we found that the straps going over the front chain rings got oily which meant that everything they touched did too.
Any recommendations for wrapping something around the chain rings?


The handle bars still wobbled about a bit.
Should we use extra straps for the handle bars?

Any other advice please?

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I wrap my chainrings in an old pair of Y fronts when putting it in the bike bag. Wobbly bits (your bars) would be best constrained in some way - like more straps (or string).

 

[Tim Hall]

I've yet to see a carrier where the straps pass over the chain ring. Got any pictures to help me understand what's going on?

In the past I've used a toe strap round the down tube and through the spokes of the front wheel to stop handle bar wobbliness.

 

[ColinJ]

I have used one or two bungee cords to stop bikes flapping about on car racks. They are also handy on trains and ferries where restraining straps are often inadequate or missing.

 

[13 rider]

Take the easy option and cycle to Cornwall . Basically the more bungees the better for piece of mind or got hold of some long cable ties and zip tie it

 

[Katherine]

Not a great angle.
I think Mr K wanted something around the inside pedal which included the chain ring.

 

[Black Sheep]

get a strap through the front wheel and the downtube (tube between headset and cranks) get this tight and it'll stop the flapping of the handlebars.

I used to tie the bike onto the frame, top tube to each carrier pole, then tie the wheel and frame together (as above) and to the carrier there, then down by the cranks to the carrier also.

usually you could rock the car by shaking the bike, but then I was in scouts when I first started tying bikes onto mum's car.

 

[Katherine]

Thank you.

 

[13 rider]

Have you tried the bike the other way round chainrings on the outside ? I would have thought this the standard way ? It's the way I'd mount it to protect the rear derailleur . Nice mud flaps by the way

 

[Sixmile]

Another vote for bungees.

Although the fork and rear wheel are rigid on the Seasucker, the cranks require a bungee to prevent the pedals from hitting the roof.

 

[Katherine]

Right. I'll gather up our collection of bungees and cable ties.

Have you tried the bike the other way round chainrings on the outside ? I would have thought this the standard way ? It's the way I'd mount it to protect the rear derailleur.

That's the way it said to do it, in the instructions.

Nice mud flaps by the way

Thanks! The front one is made by one of our club members. The back ones were part of a custom lot that the club had made. No one gets splattered from behind when we do club rides on the mucky lanes.

 

[Adam4868]

I usually just tie things up with bungee,old inner tubes,twisty things ect on anything that moves.I put pipe lagging over bike tubes and secure like that.Just been to France and back (same every year) and no problems

 

[KneesUp]

I use toe clip straps to stop the wheels turning (better for the bearings and fuel economy) - they tighten up and stay tight, whereas bungees have a bit of give. They're £4 a pair from the LBS as I recall, and are surprisingly useful - I use one to keep my lock from wobbling on the rack too.

 

[Cycleops]

I should try to lock it too. I remember posting a video not long ago about some toerags trying to purloin a bike from a moving car in traffic. East London I think.

Found it;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/ne...m-captures-brazen-man-try-steal-bike-car.html

 

[Katherine]

I use toe clip straps to stop the wheels turning (better for the bearings and fuel economy) - they tighten up and stay tight, whereas bungees have a bit of give. They're £4 a pair from the LBS as I recall, and are surprisingly useful - I use one to keep my lock from wobbling on the rack too.

As an ex toe clip user, I have some toe clip straps... Somewhere!