Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Topic started by: nikki on 13 April, 2013, 11:01:01 am
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I've been trawling the interwebs for a few weeks now investigating options for a bike carrier to get Kim, Basil and I to Rutland for the upcoming camping weekend next month, but feel I've reached the point where I need some empirical research before buying anything.
Is there anyone around these parts with a 3-bike carrier suitable for a VW Golf (an oldish one - I think it's a mk III style) that I could borrow to try out and get some experience of how these contraptions are and work, please?
My car doesn't have a towball or roof gubbins and I'm a short-arse, so I'm currently looking at one of the ones that strap onto the boot. Getting a bit nervous about it now, having read too many reviews!
Ones that have got my attention so far are the Thule ClipOn 9103 (http://www.thule.com/en/jp/products/bike-carriers/reardoor/thule-clipon-9103-_-9103) and FreeWay 968 (http://www.thule.com/en/jp/products/bike-carriers/reardoor/thule-freeway-968-_-968), Saris Bones (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saris-Bones-Bike-Boot-Rack/dp/B000BT30RU/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1365846037&sr=1-1&keywords=saris+bones) (not sure if this will fit), or this Peruzzo Verona (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peruzzo-Verona-Bike-Boot-Fitting/dp/B000XQAD6C/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t) that keeps cropping up on Amazon.
If we went down this route, I'd also have to get a lighting board and add in some wiring - has anyone any experience of this? If I bribed Kim with some cake, do you think it's something we could cope with doing ourselves?
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Personally I'd eitber get roof bars and bike carriers or fit a towbar and get a trailer. I appreciate that either option is far more expensive than a rear hatch carrier but I feel that these are less secure.
I understand though that the Saris Bones is as good as they come.
For a light board you need the appropriate external electrical socket to connect to the lights. These usually mount on or near a towbar fitting and many 'modern' cars do have wiring loom connectivity already in place to make life easier.
I used to fit towbars and electrics but that was in tbe eighties.
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I have a Saris Bones Solo and it's terrible.
a) Bendy plastic frame is so unstable that most journeys I have to get out regularly and straighten it.
b) Is in the path of the rear wiper blade so unusable in rain.
c) The straps that hold the bike look scarily feeble and no cushioning to protect the frame, I wrap mine in a teatowel.
d) Because the straps are so feeble the bike's not held firmly plus there's no lower support so the bike flaps about if you don't have it strapped into place somehow.
I drive a Panda which is a different shape and anyway no idea if any of those apply to the 3 man version whatever the car but worth checking. I'm saving up for roof bars.
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Personally I'd eitber get roof bars and bike carriers or fit a towbar and get a trailer. I appreciate that either option is far more expensive than a rear hatch carrier but I feel that these are less secure.
Agreed: if money were no object I'd probably get a towbar installed.
Rear mounted carrier, lighting board and wiring kit are currently totting up to about the same price as van rental for the weekend (and therefore worth a punt so long as nothing gets damaged). Towbar installation and towbar mounted carrier looks like it'll probably double the price which makes it a bit more of an investment in terms of money and repeat use.
It'd also be good if the carrier could be swapped between cars, so it's more of a shared resource.
but worth checking.
*nods*
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Mrs. Wow and I have one, a Meyster. We have used it for quite a few years and never had a serious problem with it, but a number of minor niggles. We have carried up to its maximum of 3 bikes, sometimes the back half of the tandem, occasionally for quite long journeys (200 miles plus). It says it has a maximum load of 45kg, and I'm sure we haven't exceeded that.
The tubes on ours seem to be very robust. The one problem I have with it is that the main securing straps are rubber and are designed to be stretched over the top tube. They are very hard to stretch, especially in cold weather, and I often swear a lot when fitting and unfitting the bikes. It's probably a good diea to remove the wheels when using this type of rack, simply because it keeps the weight down, but don't forget to put them in the car! To be honest, I usually only have one or two bikes on so normally CBA to remove them, but do be careful to strap them on well as I once had a tandem wheel come adrift whilst driving along at 70 mph on the A 12. Luckily the gear cables and the chain prevented it from disappearing all together, but it was a salutary lesson and I've always been very careful ever since.
Hunting around for Meyster makes me think that perhaps they no longer produce these things. They don't seem to have much of a web presence. I think it is a Czech firm.
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I've been trawling the interwebs for a few weeks now investigating options for a bike carrier to get Kim, Basil and I to Rutland for the upcoming camping weekend next month, but feel I've reached the point where I need some empirical research before buying anything.
Is there anyone around these parts with a 3-bike carrier suitable for a VW Golf (an oldish one - I think it's a mk III style) that I could borrow to try out and get some experience of how these contraptions are and work, please?
My car doesn't have a towball or roof gubbins and I'm a short-arse, so I'm currently looking at one of the ones that strap onto the boot. Getting a bit nervous about it now, having read too many reviews!
Ones that have got my attention so far are the Thule ClipOn 9103 (http://www.thule.com/en/jp/products/bike-carriers/reardoor/thule-clipon-9103-_-9103) and FreeWay 968 (http://www.thule.com/en/jp/products/bike-carriers/reardoor/thule-freeway-968-_-968), Saris Bones (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saris-Bones-Bike-Boot-Rack/dp/B000BT30RU/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1365846037&sr=1-1&keywords=saris+bones) (not sure if this will fit), or this Peruzzo Verona (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peruzzo-Verona-Bike-Boot-Fitting/dp/B000XQAD6C/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t) that keeps cropping up on Amazon.
If we went down this route, I'd also have to get a lighting board and add in some wiring - has anyone any experience of this? If I bribed Kim with some cake, do you think it's something we could cope with doing ourselves?
Can't help you with a loan but my experiences for what they are worth.
I've used rear mounted bike carriers a couple of times and found them a royal pain in the rear. With a carrier that straps to the back of the car you've got a bunch of straps just to hold it in place and even if you go for a towbar mounted option there still seem to be endless straps to hold everything together, then just when you think it's all good you realise you've got the sharp edges of a pedal pressed hard against a tyre and you get to do it all again. Then disassembling it at the other end is a pain. I did that once when I did a tour with a couple of friends, so it may be the problem was that he had a cheap towbar option, but it just seemed like far more of a faff than it was worth. If you could get something that mounted to a towbar and then gave you bike holders like the ones you'd put on a roof bar that would seem like an attractive option, but probably not cheap.
I've got Thule roofbars (I went for the aero wing shape bars but you can get square bars a little cheaper) and then bike holders to go on top. Two bikes fit easily across the width of a normal saloon car; I've seen cars with as many as four of them (I guess you have to face some bikes backwards.
If you're short putting the middle bike on could be tricky although if you open a door and stand on the door sill you increase your reach a little. I'm about 6'4 so mounting bikes on a regular car is easy for me, although getting bikes onto a friend's Citroen Berlingo's roof bars was an interesting experience, especially since he hadn't flipped the wheel retaining straps so we had to access them from the far side for one of the bikes.
Roof bars also mean you can get at the boot easily on the journey if you need to, and they don't obstruct visibility at all. The only potential downside I can see is the dreaded Max Headroom restriction.
I paid about £260 for the roof bars, bike carriers, mounting feet for my car - basically everything I needed to put the bikes on the car. I could have got it a bit cheaper on ebay but paid a bit more, partly because I'd rather deal with one supplier than five and partly because I wanted to support my LBS.
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Personally I prefer a tow bat mounted carrier (I've an old Halfords one that is just two t shaped slot in uprights) as they have less effect on handling and fuel consumption that roof mounted ones (those on TdF duty don't usually do a sustained 70mph!) - and as we used to take the bikes on ferries it didn't fall into the "high vehicle" category. BUT that said there is poor access to the luggage area whilst in transit, and light boards are a legal necessity (IMO even with so-called high mount systems). So a good compromise would be "kneeling" roof bar mounts - front wheels out and bikes secured by front fork and downtube. You can alternate front and rear facing to get maybe 4 bikes on the roof, even if the front wheels end up inside the car.
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We haven't been very helpful have we Nikki?
I wouldn't know which boot mounted rack is the best but I would advise a lightboard so you'd need 12N electrics and an extra rear number plate.
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We haven't been very helpful have we Nikki?
Heh! I wouldn't say that, PB - in the absence of having any experience of these things myself, it's useful to hear that of others. Thanks all!
Plus it has definitely strengthened my feelings of wanting to try stuff out before buying.
The only potential downside I can see is the dreaded Max Headroom restriction.
Eek. Yes. Not sure I can be trusted with that!
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I am in Warwick and I have a bike carrier that goes on the car back* you can borrow. I also have a towbar mounted rack for two bikes and a lighting board you can also borrow should you get a towbar fitted.
*I'm not sure what type as I bought it off a forum, either here or the CTC, and I've never used it. I will see if I can find out what it is and edit this.
Edit: I think it's one of these: http://www.car-roofracks.co.uk/thule-clipon-high-bike-rack.php
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Thanks AWL.
The Thule site reckons the 9105 would fit my car, but I think we're specifically looking for a 3-bike option and we've already shied away from trying that much weight with Basil's high-mount carrier.
Can I keep a trip to Warwick in reserve though, just in case...?
Hmmm, I also note the Thule fit guide doesn't give an option for my model car and roof bars.
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I know it is not what you specifically ask, but I can recommend the Thule Euroclassic G6 929. Just don't forget you need to support it as you lift the release lever. The downside of this carrier is that it needs a towbar (extra expense). However myself and torslanda happily carried 2 bikes across France on it last year. Do not underestimate how useful the ability to tilt the rack so you can get into the boot/hatchback without having to remove the bikes is. The membersof Audax Ecosse that I met on a cold road one early morning have also seen it in action.
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Just to put this ^^^^^ in perspective a Thule two bike push on rack is £50
http://www.toys4cars.co.uk/thule-xpress-970-bike-carrier.html?gclid=CIvC6IHxx7YCFWfItAodOiwAXw
and 3 bikes £80
http://www.toys4cars.co.uk/thule-hang-on-972-bike-carrier.html
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I went out earlier this afternoon with an intention of pricing up roof-bar options.
I have just arrived home with a boot full of boxes. :facepalm:
I blame every single one of you. ;) ;) ;)
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My view : Under no circumstances even think about considering a rack that straps to the car .... I've seen bikes fall off at speed (probably 3 or 4 times, once on the M6) with interesting consequences ... in some EU countries they are illegal.
That gives you the choice of towball mounted (yes, that requires a towball!) or roof mounted. If you're going any distance then towball is better as there's way less drag that impacts on the fuel consumption [I've driven from home to Annecy twice - once with two bikes on the top (Thule bars and racks fitted to car's in-built roof rails), once with them on the towball mounted Thule rack on back ... the former consumed probably 10% more fuel]
The alternative if it's a one-off is to consider van hire ... there are some good deals about from some of the smaller operators - cost shared between a few people and it makes sense.
Rob
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I know it is not what you specifically ask
That's okay - we're still remarkably on-topic for a YACF thread ;)
I had a quick google for likely towbar installation costs yesterday, but they varied wildly. When I'm mobile again I might see if there's somewhere local that'll price it up with the car in front of them.
Agreed: boot (and windscreen wipers) are useful things to still be able to use normally.
I have just arrived home with a boot full of boxes. :facepalm:
Ooh no; you don't want bulky items cluttering up the inside of the car ...you need some sort of external storage solution...
My view : Under no circumstances even think about considering a rack that straps to the car .... I've seen bikes fall off at speed (probably 3 or 4 times, once on the M6) with interesting consequences ... in some EU countries they are illegal.
[...]
The alternative if it's a one-off is to consider van hire ... there are some good deals about from some of the smaller operators - cost shared between a few people and it makes sense.
It's reviews like that that are making me think twice!
Van hire split between us was the original starting point - and may yet be what we end up doing this time around - but if carriers cost an equivalent amount of money and there's a chance of doing it more than once...
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What is your roof like? Does it have fix points? (I.e. a black strip a few cm from the edge of the roof with a couple of removable flaps). http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/43772/atera-signo-5102 like these?
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I have just arrived home with a boot full of boxes. :facepalm:
Ooh no; you don't want bulky items cluttering up the inside of the car ...you need some sort of external storage solution...
Said boot-full of boxes has been converted into this:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8645014685_062528bdd7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dibdib/8645014685/)
Thule basic square bars and their "ProRide" bike carrier - surprisingly easy to fit.
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erm, I think so...
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8257/8645021059_c63b4b2669.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8394/8645020585_c4e899446b.jpg)
There's a continuous strip that looks like it might be a bit flappy all the way along (I didn't tempt fate by trying too hard!)
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Said boot-full of boxes has been converted into this:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8645014685_062528bdd7.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dibdib/8645014685/)
Nice work! :thumbsup:
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I want. Although I seriously wonder whether a Panda roof is actually long enough for such a thing.
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I would echo Robgul's endorsement of the towbar-mounted solution. (He flogged me one of his!)
It takes literally seconds to put the carrier onto the towbar. Then it's a simple case of plonking the bikes on and strapping them in place, plugging in the lightboard, making sure all the lights work and there are no cables dangling, and you're off.
The only additional cost to the towbar installation is a spare reg plate.
I imagine the variation in towbar fitting quotes is either a) chicanery or b) the electrics. If it's b, make sure you're comparing the prices for the same set up. Some quotes might be for a double wiring set up, which you won't need for this purpose.
Oh, and one more thing, the towbar-mounted carrier is very small and easy to store.
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As far as I recall there are three trailer electrics setups. You'd need the basic lighting option only, 12N. This gives all the standard road lighting options. You do not need 12S which has auxiliary circuits used by caravanners, nor do you need the 13 pin euro setup which combines 12N and 12S functionality.
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... towbar fitting varies enormously ... on both cost and product. There are quite a few mobile fitters around the Brum/Cov area - given that it's "only" bikes and not a bloody great caravan the cheapest you can find would be OK.
The other thing is to ask a local car dealer who they use (it'll be a mobile) - that'll be rock bottom price.
IF you go the towbar route then the type where the bikes stand on their wheels in "troughs" with the lights and number plate built in are worth the extra cost - the "hang-on" ones are OK but need straps and cords as well as number plate/light board. Mine is a Thule 2 bike but with a bit of juggling and strategic placing of cranks, pedals and handlebars you can 3 on it - fitting it to the car takes <1 minute, loading and securing 2 bikes takes <3 minutes.
.. and look on ebay - frequently available
Rob
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I looked at the various options a few years back, and went for the roof rack version as being a relatively cheap option. Having said that, I bought the Thule carrier, much as DibDib did, and it wasn't exactly bargain basement, but was still cheaper than fitting a tow bar and its wiring.
The problem for you, with the roof rack route, is that you'll probably need three carriers on top of the cost of the bars, whereas many tow bar carriers will take two or three bikes as standard. I'd also support going with the trough ones, rather than the hanging down ones. Those where the bike hangs, have many of the same issues as the ones which attach to the rear door, but of course those using a trough support for the wheels are more expensive.
If you're not tall (and like some others earlier, I'm relatively tall at 6'3") the roof approach is going to be more problematic, and will either involve the aid of a taller person, or various precarious options involving standing on things. With a heavy bike (and especially the central one), this could be difficult. Even for me, I didn't find loading the bike up to be trivial, it's quite an effort to raise a bike up that high.
I never liked the option of rear carrier hanging off of the boot, partly because it made opening the door inconvenient, but mostly because a lot of people talk about problems with them, which you rarely see for the other two type described.
I'd also reinforce what was said earlier about attaching things. Anything which can fall off probably will, so don't leave any bags on, remove lights, probably computers, and anything else that can fall off, even if held on by a supposedly secure fitting. The vibration from a road surface at 70mph, and air flow induced effects is likely to be a lot greater than on a bicycle doing 15mph, and harder to notice, unlike something which starts to rattle annoyingly as you cycle along. Retrieving an errant bicycle part from the fast lane of a motorway is also not a sensible option, I remember watching the police removing some debris from a motorway, on a fly on the wall documentary a few years ago, and they really weren't keen on doing it, but had to, to minimise the risk of it causing an accident. They ran from the hard shoulder to the central reservation grabbing the debris as they passed, and then ran back, on both occasions waiting and looking very carefully. Slip over, and you would be buggered. The police would likely stop you if they found you trying it (and possibly other consequent issues, like being arrested).
A few years ago, on a FNRttC, someone did neglect to notice the Max Headroom risk of a car park that they happily drove into without any bicycles on, and then drove out of after breakfast, destroying several carbon fibre framed bikes on the maximum height entrance bar. :o :facepalm: :(
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Hmm, I'm not sure you do, that looks a bit more like a rubber seal
Something like this ought to be visible if you do. http://www.cargogear.com/infolib.aspx?lookup=ROOFSRAILSFIXED&image=2012mazda5fixedpointjpg
Just wondered as we had something on our 2002 Fabia (VW relation) which we still have the roof rack feet for.
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PS I am a short arse and I kept a folding stool in the boot for ease of roof rackage.
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Whilst Rob's point about the trough type is valid, it is significantly dearer and bigger to store. Assuming the towbar is fitted, then one of these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CC5-Car-Saloon-Hatchback-Estate-Towball-Towbar-3-Cycle-Bike-Bicycle-Carrier-Rack-/290860758427?pt=UK_Sports_Leisure_Cycling_Bags_Panniers_SR&hash=item43b8a6f59b) will carry three bikes. You can get a lightboard for £15 on the Bay and then a plate. You'd be up and running for c.£50, plus the towbar fitting.
Edit. Keep the towbar fitting receipt to show anyone who might later buy the car off you when it was bought so they don't think it's towed a heavy caravan round Europe and worn out the car.
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My view : Under no circumstances even think about considering a rack that straps to the car .... I've seen bikes fall off at speed (probably 3 or 4 times, once on the M6) with interesting consequences ... in some EU countries they are illegal.
Yes, although I own a bike carrier (which currently resides in Wales, where I do have access to a car) it's never carried more than one bike for journeys of more than a couple of miles. It's supposed to take 3, and has mounts for that number, but were you to borrow it and drive to Rutland with three bikes on it, my bike would definitely not be one of them. :) Prolly 'cos it's rather old and I don't trust the integrity of the way it straps to the car.
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OTOH, several times I've transported 2 or 3 bikes on strap-on racks for hundreds of kilometers at a time without problems. The standard procedure was to give the loaded rack a good shake before we left, again about 10km down the road and whenever we filled up during the drive.
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Ditto, except that I think it's dependent on both the rack and the car.
This afternoon I had a test-fitting of my boot-lid rack on my new car (a saloon rather than a hatchback) and thought "nope, not a chance I'm putting my bike on that". Just didn't fill me with any confidence at all.
Nikki, I'd offer you a loan of my three-bike rack but it's here in Swindon and I'm not yet sure if I'll be in the midlands between now and Rutland. If I'm visiting mum (she's in Worcestershire) in the next couple of weeks I'll drop you a PM, I'd be happy to pop it up to you.
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OTOH, several times I've transported 2 or 3 bikes on strap-on racks for hundreds of kilometers at a time without problems. The standard procedure was to give the loaded rack a good shake before we left, again about 10km down the road and whenever we filled up during the drive.
Me too- I have Saris one and two bike models and they are fine if you follow the instructions and fit them properly.
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As far as I recall there are three trailer electrics setups. You'd need the basic lighting option only, 12N.
Yup, it's the 7-pin / 12N I've been looking at.
Hmm, I'm not sure you do, that looks a bit more like a rubber seal
Enough like a rubber seal that I wasn't going to prod too much whilst it's been slashing it down all afternoon!
I had a look online and saw some rails advertised as being for a Golf - thought I was seeing a hook that would slide under the rubber, but on a second look I think it's rubber itself and I'm looking at a door mount. Like this:
(http://www.autotintdesign.com/Ebay/ams1.jpg)
The car's from The Olden Days (1996!) so maybe they hadn't invented fix points then...
I'd totally need a folding stool or a glamorous assistant to get the bikes on the roof!
OTOH, several times I've transported 2 or 3 bikes on strap-on racks for hundreds of kilometers at a time without problems.
This afternoon I had a test-fitting of my boot-lid rack on my new car (a saloon rather than a hatchback) and thought "nope, not a chance I'm putting my bike on that". Just didn't fill me with any confidence at all.
I suspect the reviews are skewed towards those who have had bad experiences, but yes, and this is why I want to see something on my car and be able to give it a good shake.
Which leads us on to:
were you to borrow it and drive to Rutland with three bikes on it, my bike would definitely not be one of them.
That it would involve other people's bikes is upping the ante somewhat. *sweats*
Thanks for all the other info from everyone else, too.
Dibdib, would be great to give your rack a try if you find yourself in the area and it's not too much trouble. Don't worry too much about it though - we have other, non-carrier options for Rutland as well, so I don't feel I need to make any final decisions before then.
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As far as I recall there are three trailer electrics setups. You'd need the basic lighting option only, 12N. This gives all the standard road lighting options. You do not need 12S which has auxiliary circuits used by caravanners, nor do you need the 13 pin euro setup which combines 12N and 12S functionality.
The 13 pin socket is what should be fitted to recent cars. If you have 12N plug (7 pin) on your lighting board, a cheap adaptor like this:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-13-pin-Towbar-Socket-to-7-pin-Trailer-Plug-Adaptor-/290596242799?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&hash=item43a8e2c56f (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-13-pin-Towbar-Socket-to-7-pin-Trailer-Plug-Adaptor-/290596242799?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&hash=item43a8e2c56f)
will join the light board to the car.
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The car's from The Olden Days (1996!) so maybe they hadn't invented fix points then...
Which does tend to mean that adding a tow ball risks doubling the value of the car...
I'd totally need a folding stool or a glamorous assistant to get the bikes on the roof!
Possibly both. CrossCountry dangly bike spaces are bad enough, and at least you can get under them. Maybe some kind of crane...
If we went down this route, I'd also have to get a lighting board and add in some wiring - has anyone any experience of this? If I bribed Kim with some cake, do you think it's something we could cope with doing ourselves?
I don't think it's going to be electrically difficult on a car of this vintage: Poke about, find appropriate wire, splice. I fitted an alarm/immobiliser to a Corsa of similar vintage, and other than the wiring diagram being in german abbreviations, colourblindness and groping about in footwells for access, it wasn't particularly complicated. I'd be more concerned about the boring mechanical stuff like how to route the wire (drill a hole and fit a grommet, presumably?) and mount the socket. I assume an appropriate kit would include some form of bracketage.
Another thought that occurs: Carriers of the hang-the-bike-by-the-toptube variety (like those simple towball clampy ones) are presumably a bit 'interesting' with sloping-toptube bikes. Has anyone got useful feedback on the subject?
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Another thought that occurs: Carriers of the hang-the-bike-by-the-toptube variety (like those simple towball clampy ones) are presumably a bit 'interesting' with sloping-toptube bikes. Has anyone got useful feedback on the subject?
When I was in Halfrauds earlier they had "converter" bars which, I think, went from stem to seatpost to create a horizontal bar.
My experience is that "compact" DF frames are fine, ladies/mixte and Y-type suspension frames etc will need one of those bars.
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With reference to the mounting of a roof rack, I don't know the Golf particularly, but my brother's 1990(ish) Scirocco had a similar rubber strip, his mont blanc roof bar kit fits into a rail underneath the strip (instructions came with the adaptor kit, which he just got from the local Halfords).
I looked at both roof bars and tow bar mounting, and went for roof bars. This wasn't a purely financial decision, but based upon other uses. I can find far more additional uses for roof bars in general (carrying big stuff around, or for a roof box) than for a tow ball, which only adds general load carrying capability if you buy a trailer too.
Actually, having been to DIY sheds for plumbing pipes whilst still having the bike racks on the roof, the bike racks were useful for locating the pipes on the roof and giving them additional (longer) support then the bars alone would have done.
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Why do you say 'should be fitted' Diver? There is no legal compulsion to have the 13 pin, simply creeping european standardisation. For a trailer or trailer board a 12n is all you need to comply legally. 12n is much cheaper too.
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I am down by the head (a nautical term) with bike carrying contraptions. I have never had a strap on rack as I don't trust them. I have three different sets of aero roof bars for a BMW 3 series, 5 series saloon and 5 series estate, all surplus to requirements. I also have two Atera roof mounted bike carriers to fit the aero bars. There are very good and I like them but they do make a noise when the bikes are on. I rekon you could get 4 bikes on most family cars, widthwise. The roof carriers are also surplus to requirements.
The reason is that I have a tow bar mounted Pendle rack that takes 4 bikes. It is very simple; there is a mounting block that fits on the tow bar with 4 bolts and the rack arms just slot into the block and secure with a large spring clip. I have carried 4 bikes on it. The bikes just rest on the arms and secure with any old strap. I have used cargo straps but also toe straps when I have only one bike on there. You need a lighting board for this one. This is also surplus to requirements as I have just treated myself to a Thule G6 wheel support rack that also fixes to the tow bar. Yet to use the new one but will report back when I do.
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Viking, the G6 is the one I mention upthread. Fantastic they are, but PLEASE just remember to support it when you lift the release lever (having XKg of bike rack scrape down your shin is not nice or fun!)
This is the one I have for my car:
http://www.tesco.com/direct/thule-g6-euroclassic-929/211-4205.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=211-4205&kpid=211-4205&sc_cmp=ppc_g__&gclid=CNqHpcGIyrYCFQrJtAodLQMArQ
I also bought the 4th bike adaptor. One thing to note about that(the adaptor) is that, once fitted, you can't remove it easily.
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The 13 pin socket is what should be fitted to recent cars.
As in that's the socket that's likely to already to be fitted to recent cars?
I don't think my car's got anything there already, so it'd be a case of buying a wiring kit and patching it in. This from Halfords (http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&productId=252433&catalogId=10151) or an equivalent.
The car's from The Olden Days (1996!) so maybe they hadn't invented fix points then...
Which does tend to mean that adding a tow ball risks doubling the value of the car...
*nods*
*sighs*
I'd totally need a folding stool or a glamorous assistant to get the bikes on the roof!
Possibly both. CrossCountry dangly bike spaces are bad enough, and at least you can get under them. Maybe some kind of crane...
I'm going to fashion myself a rudimentary robot exoskeleton with bendy straws, tin foil and an arduino.
I hadn't realised Tesco did all this sort of gubbins.
Hurry! Huge savings to be had on Thule fitting kits (http://www.tesco.com/direct/thule-1416-fitting-kit/204-5010.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=204-5010) at the moment ;D
Do roof mounted bike carriers tend to need corresponding roof bars to fit on to, or is there scope to mix and match?
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There is definite scope to mix and match.
There are two main types of fitting for racks to roof bars - clamps or t-tracks (http://www.thule-car-roof-boxes.co.uk/thule-t-track-adapters.htm).
The clamps go around the bar, and are the traditional method. These may not work on "aerobars", which are wider and flatter (and more aerodynamic), as they may not be long or wide enough to reach.
My Thule bike racks won't fit onto my wife's (BMW) Mini roof bars because of this. This uses the T-track method, where there is a channel in the top of the roof bar. A large square-headed bolt is slid into the channel, and then tightened up into the bars. For the Thule racks (and our Thule roof box) you can get an adapter kit of a set of these bolts.
Swapping between the two systems only takes a minute or two, but as I have four bike racks then I tend to keep two set up for each car, and only change them if I need to carry more bikes (I can fit up to four on the roof of my car, it'd be tight getting four on the Mini but three works).
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One other consideration with a towbar mounted carrier is to check the maximum weight your car can support on its towbar.
My friend with the Berlingo surprised me (I think he was also surprised) as the maximum weight he could add to the towbar was equivalent to two bikes. A third bike would apparently put enough weight on the back that the steering could become unpredictable or some other problem leading to the motoring equivalent of "lose control and fall". Given the size of the Berlingo I found it hard to believe, but apparently that's what his handbook said.