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

moorey

call me Mia
I'll take a photo of the carpark at Stromlo next time im there... And your driveway?
WTF you on about? A question was asked about fitting fitting either a tow hitch roof mounts to a Fiesta. I can’t see it being sensible/feasible to fit the towing kit and getting a hitch mount rack on a Fiesta.
FFS, within minutes of unmuting you and poodle I have regrets...again. I’m the idiot. Nothing to see here.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
WTF you on about? A question was asked about fitting fitting either a tow hitch roof mounts to a Fiesta. I can’t see it being sensible/feasible to fit the towing kit and getting a hitch mount rack on a Fiesta.
FFS, within minutes of unmuting you and poodle I have regrets...again. I’m the idiot. Nothing to see here.
lol, i was wondering :)

Anyhoo, long story short - its totally feasible putting a towbar and hitch rack on a Fiesta and plenty of people have done it. Works just fine - its a 1000kgs of car, 40-50kg on the back is nothing...
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
I don’t imagine a Fiesta could take a tow kit and rack with the required carrying capacity. Could be wrong.
Anyhoo, long story short - its totally feasible putting a towbar and hitch rack on a Fiesta and plenty of people have done it. Works just fine - its a 1000kgs of car, 40-50kg on the back is nothing...
It can be done but guess I'm more after practicalities. The Fiesta is pretty small, so can easily put things on the roof - but already have towbar rack. If I go a towbar, the rack will be a fair bit away from the rear of the car, and much lower than when on the forester I had which I'm wondering might be an issue with some driveways and dips in carparks etc? (could be overthinking this).
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
I had a towbar and two bike rack on the Clio ;) Towbars for this size of car are not that much different and take the weight of a rack and two mountain bikes just fine.

Oz style for more conventional attachments.


Piece of piss to fit.
"piece of piss" is relative (I can screw up most things) - and I'd need the lights wired as well etc. :)
 

takai

Eats Squid

Haakon

Keeps on digging
We have the square hitch version of this. Works a treat. Pity it is really only 2 bike capable :(
This is a bit of a home build - the same rack as you, the towball clampy bit is a contraption I bought from Germany and the adapter I knocked up with my mates mig welder :)
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
It can be done but guess I'm more after practicalities. The Fiesta is pretty small, so can easily put things on the roof - but already have towbar rack. If I go a towbar, the rack will be a fair bit away from the rear of the car, and much lower than when on the forester I had which I'm wondering might be an issue with some driveways and dips in carparks etc? (could be overthinking this).
You’re over thinking it :) Unless you have a truly gnarly driveway!

Also depends on what series Fiesta you have? Later ones don’t have the bolt on roof racks, just the ones that hang onto the door jams. I don’t like those ones for taking the lateral pulling and pushing a tall bike would exert... Maybe im over thinking that...
 

moorey

call me Mia
It can be done but guess I'm more after practicalities. The Fiesta is pretty small, so can easily put things on the roof - but already have towbar rack. If I go a towbar, the rack will be a fair bit away from the rear of the car, and much lower than when on the forester I had which I'm wondering might be an issue with some driveways and dips in carparks etc? (could be overthinking this).
Ah, cool, if you already have the tow bar and hitch, all good. Thought you were thinking of dropping a packet to get it fitted.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Ah, cool, if you already have the tow bar and hitch, all good. Thought you were thinking of dropping a packet to get it fitted.
just the rack, no towbar - which is why I'm wondering if worth getting a towbar fitted versus roof rack + bike attachments
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
just the rack, no towbar - which is why I'm wondering if worth getting a towbar fitted versus roof rack + bike attachments
You might get one used from a Ford wrecker or on eBay. - it could be done as a tightarse DIY project for a couple of hundred. Lights are easy or a bit tricky depending on whether it needs a relay box - if its a can bus system that relies on the resistance from the rear light circuits to tell if a globe is blown, you need a relay system... Its fiddly but still fine.

Or just do what everyone else does and not worry about lights on the rack :)
 

moorey

call me Mia
just the rack, no towbar - which is why I'm wondering if worth getting a towbar fitted versus roof rack + bike attachments
Oh...then revert to my original comment.
I haven’t looked how they attach tow kits to small cars, or how solid there are, but with the weight of a couple of bikes, plus the rack, hanging off the back, and bouncing around a bit, the forces are substantial.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a roof fan...9/10 people collect a tree, carport or drive thru....
What I’m clearly saying is you need a hummer. Or at least a Raptor.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Oh...then revert to my original comment.
I haven’t looked how they attach tow kits to small cars, or how solid there are, but with the weight of a couple of bikes, plus the rack, hanging off the back, and bouncing around a bit, the forces are substantial.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a roof fan...9/10 people collect a tree, carport or drive thru....
What I’m clearly saying is you need a hummer. Or at least a Raptor.
Towbars attach to small cars in exactly the same way as they do on larger cars...
 
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