Carrying 4 bikes- how do you?
- Thread starter swaz
- Start date
swaz
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yep
Already made myself a one bike carrier.
swaz
Likes Bikes and Dirt
My DIY one is good, but I feel that a commercial one will be just so much better and refined and lighter haha. I would also trust it more over long distances.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Here's one posted a few minutes ago on a 4WD forum. I love it when we receive this sort of positive feedback from female customers - particularly when it's out of the blue nearly a year and a half after the initial purchase. When it is enjoyable for the whole family to get out and travel with bikes on board, you get some pretty enjoyable experiences. Bonus is to get away from the regular structured trail parks - and away from all the agro associated with them.
Anyway, here is what Lauren posted.
I have had my ISI 4x4x4 carrier for around 15 months now and love it. I can be carrying anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes (one in the back of the 200 when there is 5) and really take for granted how easy it is to load and unload the bikes when required. That is, until you see other people struggling to load and unload their bikes, or open the back of the car with the bikes on the rack.
Kudos to George and the team for a great design and very solid product.
Out on the trail - deep in the heart of Sundown NP in southern Qld. The rack worked great over essentially hard core 4WD tracks – the LC was in low range for 3 days.
I thought it well balanced feedback so posted here.
swaz
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hi GeorgeHere's one posted a few minutes ago on a 4WD forum. I love it when we receive this sort of positive feedback from female customers - particularly when it's out of the blue nearly a year and a half after the initial purchase. When it is enjoyable for the whole family to get out and travel with bikes on board, you get some pretty enjoyable experiences. Bonus is to get away from the regular structured trail parks - and away from all the agro associated with them.
Anyway, here is what Lauren posted.
I have had my ISI 4x4x4 carrier for around 15 months now and love it. I can be carrying anywhere from 1 to 5 bikes (one in the back of the 200 when there is 5) and really take for granted how easy it is to load and unload the bikes when required. That is, until you see other people struggling to load and unload their bikes, or open the back of the car with the bikes on the rack.
Kudos to George and the team for a great design and very solid product.
Out on the trail - deep in the heart of Sundown NP in southern Qld. The rack worked great over essentially hard core 4WD tracks – the LC was in low range for 3 days.
I thought it well balanced feedback so posted here.
How does your 2 bike carrier morph into a 4 bike one please?
SF Trailboy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
It's 2 entirely different attachments.
You use the same base but have either the 4 bike trunk attached or the 2 bike version attached.
I have this set up and the 2 bike version is used 80% of the time and then when we all go out together you swap a couple of cradles etc over to the 4 bike section.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Ha! You just beat me to it SF...... Here's what I was about to hit submit on:
I think SF Trailboy said it clearly earlier.
The way SF has it set up, it’ll be 30 seconds to remove a 2 bike main beam with steep 40 degree departure angle and 30 seconds to slip on the 4 bike main beam with the 25 degree departure angle - and no tools. Or the other way around - again with no tools. Start with two and expand to four – or start with four and expand to two. You don’t have to buy everything up front either. Add, upgrade and swap as you need to - and as the family grows.
The Extreme Duty 4x4x2 expansion pack is also compatible with all previous 4x4x4 off-road carriers. We’ve done so to satisfy customer demand so that the expansion pack can be ordered by anyone with an iSi 4 bicycle carrier who wants to convert to the Extreme Duty two bicycle carrier. The expansion pack consists of the relevant 40 degree departure angle main beam plus the wheel support beam and associated hardware.
If you make it easy for people to swap between two and four, you don’t go looking for excuses when you’re loaded up with two and someone pops up and wants to tag along. More importantly, you use the bikes on every journey rather than just transporting them to the bike park.
Below is the current range of modular main beams available for two or four bicycles with 40 degree or 25 degree departure angle configurations. Mix and match to suit every vehicle and trailer.
Same again with pivot bases which are the attachments to the tow bar. Mix and match, swap and change.
Hope that helps.
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herballizard
Squid
I looked at the options of getting a roof rack for the outlander. Honestly I talked myself out of it, and going to get a towbar and an ISI
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Let me share something that we developed half a decade ago that you may find handy to copy Ideate.
With the increasing popularity of oversize wheels and tyres in addition to fat bike wheels everyone else out there came up with variations of a widened the cradle like this below.
That may fit the larger wheels but were useless for smaller width wheels and tyres. Many of us have several bikes and it's a pain to continually swap cradles to suit each bike.
We got to work and developed a completely new profile to deliver the convenience and flexibility to load any bicycle on these larger cradles. I'm proud of the design and function and happy to share because it will be of benefit to many cycling enthusiasts.
The special wheel support profile is cleverly designed so that there are always four contact points per wheel to support and stabilize that wheel. At each contact point, the resultant support vector lifts just over a quarter of the wheel load and with support at each end of the wheel, all side to side vibrations and movement are kept in check.
These fat bike wheel support cradles support and stabilize wheel formats from 26"and up and with tyre sizes from ultra-thin time trial road tyres on solid carbon rims through fattest of fat bike tyres. If a tyre goes flat during the journey, the wheel remains stabilized and protected - and the bicycle secure.
For those who also ride for the dark side of Road Bicycles, the same components as above support, stabilize and protect the most delicate of light weight carbon fibre road bicycles. We even have several adventure racers who cross the country with sub-7kg time trial bicycles on carbon rims and you don't get more fragile than that. Because the bicycles are so well stabilized, you never have to deal with fretted wheel and head stem bearings on a hard corrugated trip.
There's also a short video from one of our customers of the cradles in action.
[video=youtube_share;i3oM_AfSMW0]https://youtu.be/i3oM_AfSMW0[/video]
Like I said, I'm proud of the design and function and happy to share because it will be of benefit to many cycling enthusiasts - and you're welcome to copy it.
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flamin'trek
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Hi George,
Have you had any dramas with the rack sticking too far out the back? My understanding that in NSW at least there is a maximum overhang allowed. MAx of 1200 or 60% of the wheelbase behind the rear wheel. A 4 bike on a 4wd with a door mounted spare looks like it exceeds that.
Have you had any dramas with the rack sticking too far out the back? My understanding that in NSW at least there is a maximum overhang allowed. MAx of 1200 or 60% of the wheelbase behind the rear wheel. A 4 bike on a 4wd with a door mounted spare looks like it exceeds that.
gcouyant
Farkin Advertiser
Good point Flamin. One of the reasons why we configure wheel cradles that can be adjusted vertically at each end of each bike as well as the sloping main beam is that we can add vertical clearance between bikes so the whole load can be made more compact- whilst maintaining excellent clearance between bicycles.
The iSi carrier is one of the most compact on the market and with thousands of carriers out there, I am not aware of any problem. Quite the opposite in fact because this carrier is popular with MTB tour businesses and to operate legally their equipment is certified for insurance purposes. Most councils require certification as well.
I don't know how other carrier manufacturers get away with it because they stick out miles further and really do look odd.
In Australia the real legal issue is side overhang and that is policed eagerly. With long wheelbase downhill bikes and 29" wheels on XC bikes, when you're forced to push one bike to the left and the other to the right in order make them fit on a carrier, they poke out a good deal further than the side of the car. Again by having vertical clearance between the bikes, they can be positioned *exactly* side by side so that the entire load is only as wide as the longest bicycle.
The Prado below is a good example - as is the shadow on the ground both in terms of side and rear overhang.
In fact, I'd suggest that compared to some other brand two bicycle carriers, an iSi four bicycle carrier is more compact, has less overhang and as a bonus, can be fully populated with four downhill mountain bikes.
Nice and tight to the rear of the vehicle, rock solid and when lowered great access to the rear cargo compartment. In an off-highway application though, that's pure gold.
Hope that helps.
born-again-biker
Is looking for a 16" bar
Just thought I'd add my bit for anyone else looking for carrier advice.....
I looked into racks / carrier systems a couple of years ago & I ended up buying the Torpedo 7....and I've been very happy with it.
Now, I am not saying, even for a second, that it is as good as the ISI system. If I had a money tree I would have gone with ISI or GripSport or Thule etc etc....bit I had just spent my yearly 'toy budget' (and more) on a new bike.
BUT, for the buyer on a budget, the Torp7 is excellent. Unbox it, fit the attachment to your towball, bolt it on, throw your bike on, go riding. Minimal f@cking around.
Don't believe any crap you read about "cheap", "flimsy" etc......it is well made with good steel, paint & finishing.....and I'm an engineer...and I'm fussy.
The thing I like about it is that it just uses two "prongs" to hold the bikes......which gives you a lot of flexibility with irregular frame shapes. The first time I put two bikes on I had to fiddle around a bit to get them positioned nice, but after that I just remembered the way they were set, used the included velcro straps, and no worries. Probably slower loading than the ISI....but I don't reckon' it be much. Unloading is super fast, and the prongs are a great car park "workbench" if you need to hang your bike up at working height to adjust / lubricate etc.
I've done longer distance with it too (200+ kms) on bumby back roads and it's rock solid.
As mentioned by ISI George, side overhang is not a good look....but my overhang was a function of XL bike on 20 year old car......not the carrier's fault.
....and I had no problems opening the tail-gate on the Subaru wagon while my bike was attached. It's an awesome feature.
Anyway, just a vote for a good carrier that is wayyy cheaper than the sexy ISI / Gripsport / Thule products.
I looked into racks / carrier systems a couple of years ago & I ended up buying the Torpedo 7....and I've been very happy with it.
Now, I am not saying, even for a second, that it is as good as the ISI system. If I had a money tree I would have gone with ISI or GripSport or Thule etc etc....bit I had just spent my yearly 'toy budget' (and more) on a new bike.
BUT, for the buyer on a budget, the Torp7 is excellent. Unbox it, fit the attachment to your towball, bolt it on, throw your bike on, go riding. Minimal f@cking around.
Don't believe any crap you read about "cheap", "flimsy" etc......it is well made with good steel, paint & finishing.....and I'm an engineer...and I'm fussy.
The thing I like about it is that it just uses two "prongs" to hold the bikes......which gives you a lot of flexibility with irregular frame shapes. The first time I put two bikes on I had to fiddle around a bit to get them positioned nice, but after that I just remembered the way they were set, used the included velcro straps, and no worries. Probably slower loading than the ISI....but I don't reckon' it be much. Unloading is super fast, and the prongs are a great car park "workbench" if you need to hang your bike up at working height to adjust / lubricate etc.
I've done longer distance with it too (200+ kms) on bumby back roads and it's rock solid.
As mentioned by ISI George, side overhang is not a good look....but my overhang was a function of XL bike on 20 year old car......not the carrier's fault.
....and I had no problems opening the tail-gate on the Subaru wagon while my bike was attached. It's an awesome feature.
Anyway, just a vote for a good carrier that is wayyy cheaper than the sexy ISI / Gripsport / Thule products.
Attachments
I also have this torpedo seven rack and don't mind it for two to three bikes, but damn a 26 dually, 26 hardtail, xs 27.5 hardtail and a 24 hardtail made for some time consuming packing. I also cut up a few pool noodles to pack between the bikes for padding. Drove out to the Dubbo zoo. 4hrs worth and nothing moved. However for our 9 he drive to the goldy at new year. I will use the trailer.
born-again-biker
Is looking for a 16" bar
Christ! It's like a bike orgy going-on behind your ute.I also have this torpedo seven rack and don't mind it for two to three bikes, but damn a 26 dually, 26 hardtail, xs 27.5 hardtail and a 24 hardtail made for some time consuming packing. I also cut up a few pool noodles to pack between the bikes for padding. Drove out to the Dubbo zoo. 4hrs worth and nothing moved. However for our 9 he drive to the goldy at new year. I will use the trailer.
