Transporting Bikes

[Greg8]

Hi


Got stuck in the horrendous traffic a week last sunday at Delamere forest didnt check web and two hellruns were on.

I had my son with me and we had 2 bikes on the back of our estate the rack is a Halfords cheapo which I have been using for about 12 years without incident.

To cut a long story short I was waved in by a traffic policeman well actually we werent moving and hadnt moved for ages!.

He explained that my rear number plate was obscured and gave me a stern warning and lots of interesting information about driving safely etc etc etc.

So replacement rack needed asap for 2 bikes which wont obscure rear number fit on a vw passat estate and also on an Audi a2 hatchback dont mind paying a bit extra for a decent make ie thule etc any help advice welcome.

 

[Spinney]

You could buy a lighting board instead. Not sure how much they cost. You would also need an electric socket fitted to the car(s) (£50 ish), and a number plate for each car.

I use a towball mounted rack, which has lights and a numberplate on it. £100 ish, but you also need to get the towball fitted to the car.

 

[lukesdad]

i put the bikes in the back of my estate car,even easier.

 

[007fair]

1 Bike - inside
more than 1 - On the roof

 

[Greg8]

The estate has roof rails and have thought about bars but I dont always have access to it and have to use the hatchback so wanted one rack that would suit both if possible dont want the expense hassle of 2 different systems if possible.

 

[Globalti]

You own an estate and you can't get two bikes and two people inside? Why did you buy an estate?

Why have the bikes outside the car, vulnerable to theft, damage and road salt? They will also wreck the aerodynamics of the car.

We regularly have 3 + 3 in our Passat and have even had 4 + 4 when the two in the back were small boys, squeezed onto the 2/3 part of the back seat.

With only two, you can even lie the bikes on top of each other without dismantling them. With 3, you need to remove the wheels, stand the frames in the 2/3 part then stuff the wheels in around them.

 

[addictfreak]

While I don't have a problem with cycle racks, I much prefer to have my bike inside. I have a Renault clio and can easily get two bikes in by removing front wheels.

I witnessed two bikes plus carrier come off a car at about 60 mph on the A69 which was very scary.
Fortunately no injuries, just two bikes written off. Not mine I hasten to add, I was a couple of hundred metres behind.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I have an estate car too, a Focus but I have a toddler so it has a baby seat in and I also have a bit of luggage. My car already had roof rails so I went for a set off roof bars. The price of Thule put me off so I use Mont Blanc 404U, these cost around £40 and £10 for optional locks. If you follow the installation instructions properly these are very good bars, easy to fit and a maximum load of 100 KG's, which is significantly higher than the vast majority of all the cheapo stuff off ebay etc. Once you have put them on once and set them up correctly they are a doddle to fit in the future. Then I got 2 Halfords Advanced roof cycle racks, these are made by Thule. Unfortunately Halfords do not seem to sell these anymore, but they are the Thule Freeride 530 rack, you can get these for around £35 + P+P off the net, Halfrauds charge £59.99 each so avoid them. I got mine £40 each if I remember rightly. They are a very secure rack that works very well for a reasonable price. My setup cost me £130 all in which is quite reasonable, and it is decent kit. I also always have the roof bars if I ever want transport anything else, ladders, roof box etc. If I was using the rack much more frequently I maybe would of went down the tow bar, cycle rack, light board route but it is overkill for me. I also do not know how good access these would of given to my estates tailgate.

 

[Globalti]

What carrier for Grandma's coffin?

 

[02GF74]

buy a rear number plate and attach it to the rack/bike.

is ok for day light driving but if you want to be legal at night, you need to illuminate it some what - a couple of £ 2 torches and batters will sort that as long as you remember to trun them on when driving.,

not away of any law saying that you cannot ^^^^ do that, obviously more sophisticate system would use a feed fro mthe car so that the number plate lights come on when car's side lights are on.

 

[ian emmerson]

I use a Thule rack which fits very easily on to my tow bar, lighting board included in rack and a dream to use. No struggling lifting bikes as at waist height and still allows for the tailgate on our estate car to open.
Would highly recomend if you have a tow bar

 

[Greg8]

dont put the bikes inside as it takes too long to drop the seats ie remove all the headrests which is awkward etcetc plus dont want loads of mud inside the car

 

[Silver]

Carry more than one bike inside and risk damage to bikes and car. Go for a roof mounted system and suffer a little discomfort as you load and unload. Go for a rear mounted system and again risk damage as the bikes will touch, the law will bully and you will restrict your view and use of the tail gate.
Roof for me every time.

 

[cocodemer]

I think there are two schools of thought here - neither is right or wrong

If you prefer to fit the bikes to the back of the car, as some people do, due to it being a bit easier to get them on and off, and the high cost for some models of car of the roof mounted systems - ie if your car has no guttering, then a tow ball mounted, or strap mounted system should be used in conjunction with a light board.
If you have a tow ball already, you will already have the electric point, so the light board just plugs straight in. Simple.
If not, get one fitted.
If you don't want to get one fitted, try a roof mounted system. Just be careful when entering and exiting multi storey car parks - If my friends are reading this they will know who they are and hang their heads in shame.

You can fit bikes in any size of car, I have a golf and with the seats down I can fit two bikes with the front wheels off, as well as luggage.
I have had a fiat cinquecento, and I could fit two bikes , with the wheels off and some luggage.
I have a fiat 126, in which I can fit one bike, with a bag.
I hired an estate car, and with the seats down, fitted two bikes with the wheels on, 8 pannier bags, and still loads of room
If you have kids or others in the back seat, things become a little more problematic, but with an estate car you should be ok to fit two in, with the wheels off. You might scratch the paint a little, but hey, its a bike, chances are you should be getting the odd mark on it, or your maybe not riding it right

as I say in my opinion, theres no right answer
what about a trailer? or maybe get the train?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We have a saloon (Audi A4), fitted a towbar and electrics to it (our old hatchback came with one and this rack type was purchased for the old car) and use a Thule towbar mounted bike rack. Full intergrated lights, reg plate etc. We often see people looking at it in car parks and service stations and have been asked about it once or twice. The bikes don't stick out as far as our wing mirrors so it is not a problem at all.

You don't have to lift the bikes more than 2 foot (if that) of the ground, they are held apart automtically by the locking system and best of all, the system tips down and allows full access to the boot. The system comes complete with locks, both for the towbar to the car, and the bikes to the towbar. It works on any type of towbar. The only thing we have suplimented it with is a few pieces of water pipe insulation - since mtbs went to oversize frames the spacing is a little tight and we prefer to add foam between the bikes.

I would not want to be without one (and will buy a something like it again when we return to the UK from our round the world trip starting in 9 weeks time), even if it means having to fit a towbar to our next car when we return in several years time.

Anyhow - some links to show what looks like. pictures towbar mounted tilting down