BIKE RACKS AND CARRIERS FOR CARS MEGATHREAD - all questions asked and answered here

[Martin.au]

I should probably chuck this here.

I put some bits of plywood together in a rather shonky fashion.
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This nicely sits in the back of my Skoda Yeti (with the spare tyre and half floor still in place), which with the rear seats removed will comfortably fit two 26" bikes with the front wheels off (The advantage of being a short-arse riding 26" bikes ).

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The only thing remaining is to take the whole thing for a good drive, and see if it needs a couple of cross braces, to stop the ply flexing and the bikes whacking each other. I doubt this will be an issue though. It's 12mm ply.

Also, the pissy little screws you see holding the fork mounts down are just there to tack the mounts in place to check the bikes fitted. They are now 1/4" T-nuts and bolts.

 

[johnny]

Dang it, bumped off the page in 10 mins! posting back on to the new page.

Anyone had any experience with the Thule FreeRide 532?

 

[Haakon]

This is my little set up. All tie down rings and the 2 channels have fixed anchor nuts underneath the tray so can be easily removed when not carrying bikes around. Works a treat!

That looks like Majura Pines :biggrin1:

 

[Haakon]

For a car with a 2 inch receiver, this is I think the best bike rack around - http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2-bicycle-bike-rack-hitch-mount-carrier-car/CB-640A

It has the proper wheel cradles, and the top loop is on a ratchet for secure and easy clamping. I love it for its simplicity.

But stuffed if I can find an equivalent that is a towball mount... Am at the point of buying something else for its tow ball mounting mechanism and doing a frankenstein mix and match!!

 

[hifiandmtb]

It's a great product because it's an ISI counterfeit.

 

[scblack]

For a car with a 2 inch receiver, this is I think the best bike rack around - http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2-bicycle-bike-rack-hitch-mount-carrier-car/CB-640A

It has the proper wheel cradles, and the top loop is on a ratchet for secure and easy clamping. I love it for its simplicity.

But stuffed if I can find an equivalent that is a towball mount... Am at the point of buying something else for its tow ball mounting mechanism and doing a frankenstein mix and match!!

Check out Gripsport, I have a tow ball mounted one which is very similar using the hoops.

 

[Haakon]

It's a great product because it's an ISI counterfeit.

Better I think, as it has a ratchet mechanism on the vertical bar slider.

 

[Haakon]

Check out Gripsport, I have a tow ball mounted one which is very similar using the hoops.

They mount under a conventional lowball, not grip onto the ball itself. I have a european style swan neck towbar, no removable ball.

 

[scblack]

They mount under a conventional lowball, not grip onto the ball itself. I have a european style swan neck towbar, no removable ball.

Gotcha.

Europeans don't do towing well do they? My current car would be a VW Tiguan, except the towball down weight for towing is a pitiful 100kg. Even though it is rated to two 2,200kg total weight.

 

[Haakon]

I've got a Renault Clio, so the 75kg ball weight is better than I'd expected and plenty anyway for a 1000kg car

Europeans have a shittonne of platform racks that clamp onto the ball, but they're all horribly expensive and rely on those clamp things to grab the top tube which I dont like for my carbon bikes with paint I like to keep unscratched...

The rack I have is perfect, I just need something to attach it to the swan neck with. Suspect I'll have to make something... Or maybe get the cheap Torpedo7 one and cut the rack off it and weld mine to it.

 

[scblack]

I've got a Renault Clio, so the 75kg ball weight is better than I'd expected and plenty anyway for a 1000kg car

Europeans have a shittonne of platform racks that clamp onto the ball, but they're all horribly expensive and rely on those clamp things to grab the top tube which I dont like for my carbon bikes with paint I like to keep unscratched...

The rack I have is perfect, I just need something to attach it to the swan neck with. Suspect I'll have to make something... Or maybe get the cheap Torpedo7 one and cut the rack off it and weld mine to it.

Maybe go to a caravan service centre, and get them to fabricate something for you? They will have a lot of experience with towing and making stuff to fit bikes/racks onto caravans/campers so should be able to manage something at a reasonable price.

I have to go to a service centre to get a towball/hitch on the back of my Swan camper, and most caravan/camper service centres will be able to manage something safe and not expensive.

 

[Haakon]

Found it. $170 delivered from the Fatherland.

http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product...release-lever-lock-for-rear-carriers?ref=list

 

[NUTTTR]

Gotcha.

Europeans don't do towing well do they? My current car would be a VW Tiguan, except the towball down weight for towing is a pitiful 100kg. Even though it is rated to two 2,200kg total weight.

Yeah, but good luck putting that much weight on it and actually moving... That's a huge amount to tow... I've got a VE Calais (v8) and it does 2100kg & I think 210kg ball weight... but that would be with the front wheels in the air, I imagine.

I've got a Renault Clio, so the 75kg ball weight is better than I'd expected and plenty anyway for a 1000kg car

Europeans have a shittonne of platform racks that clamp onto the ball, but they're all horribly expensive and rely on those clamp things to grab the top tube which I dont like for my carbon bikes with paint I like to keep unscratched...

The rack I have is perfect, I just need something to attach it to the swan neck with. Suspect I'll have to make something... Or maybe get the cheap Torpedo7 one and cut the rack off it and weld mine to it.

Bah, should have got a local towbar! I have to measure the receiver size though, it's not 2", I don't think.

 

[Haakon]

A "local" towbar with a standard US style 2 inch receiver is complete overkill for a little car like the Clio. And it's massivly overbuilt (ie too heavy, I'm not towing anything more than a few hundred kgs with a 900cc three cylinder!!) and required a fair bit of modification to fit. Also expensive and looks horrible.

The Bosal swan neck euro towbar is way cheaper, lighter, properly designed for the car and is neat. Lots of bike racks available to suit, I'm just picky about my racks...

 

[droenn]

Are there any other cheaper brand versions of the Thule 918 towball mount? Something with a platform and can lock bikes to..

 

[99_FGT]

Are there any other cheaper brand versions of the Thule 918 towball mount? Something with a platform and can lock bikes to..

Definitely cheaper, torpedo 7 do one as do buzzrack. Just don't kid yourself about locking anything like that.

 

[Haakon]

There are stacks of brands in Europe, at least a dozen good alternatives to the 918 and all cheaper by a bit or a lot. One from France called Mottez I liked the look of, and also Saffier from Holland.

Cheapest I found was this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Towbar-T...id=100005&rk=5&rkt=6&mehot=ag&sd=171470681196

Not clear how that tightens onto the ball though...

But they all hold onto the frame the same way I don't like so I went the custom route. And I dont care how awesome the security is on a rack, I'm not trusting a multi-thousand dollar bike to it unattended in a public car park...

 

[swaz]

Carry on, nothing to see here

 

[99_FGT]

And I dont care how awesome the security is on a rack, I'm not trusting a multi-thousand dollar bike to it unattended in a public car park...

Pretty much what i was trying to say.
One bike or a few haakon?

 

[Haakon]

Pretty much what i was trying to say.
One bike or a few haakon?

Usually just the one - Anthem Adv SX. Still worth 4 figures I think ( I hope...). I dont even have it insured for theft outside the home as it never gets left unattended.

The Defy Adv Pro gets ridden to work so thats insured, but still I wouldnt leave it parked on the street anywhere!

Even the very best bike rack security merely slows down a decent bike thief...