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Bike rack for car ideas please

Alvarado

Alvarado

pfm Member
Hello Fishies,

I am hoping to pick your collective brains re the above. We just bought the kids two bikes (24 & 26 inch wheel Islabikes), I also have a bike (29 inch wheel MTB, carbon frame so fairly light) and Mrs Alvarado is threatening to become a bike owner. We live half way up an utterly ridiculous hill in the Pennines (Calder Valley/Halifax way) that is a hard climb even for me, let alone other family members. It seems to me that virtually any time the kids (7 and 9) will be riding out (at least for a while yet) it will have to be with mummy and daddy in the car. And besides we want to take bikes on holidays with us this summer.

We have a Skoda Superb estate and need to find a way of carrying the bikes outside the car rather than inside. The car is fitted with roof bars and there is a towbar in the boot (I've never used it) which suggests the car's electrics may already be wired for a towbar, maybe the first owner had some of the gubbins factory fitted.

Can anyone suggest the perfect solution for my bike carrying needs, or even suggest where to look/what to look for? Bike rack would need to carry 4 bikes (max) and would have to be easy to fit (this is the no 1 most critical requirement). Any kind of need for faffing would be a serious impediment to us using it - for this reason I guess it is best to avoid using a roof rack. Ideally it would be good to be able to open the rear door with the rack in place but that's a nice to have.

Been there? Done that? Do please share your experience, weblinks, expertise, warnings etc. Thanks in advance!
 
Thule should have something for you. I use one on the Roomster, attaches to the back.
 
Been there done that, unfortunately 4 way bike racks come at a price. I had Atera Giro AF+ bike carriers on Atera Aluminium Roof Bars on my BMW 3 series for 8 years and they are a bit of a faff but they give total confidence and can be locked in place if you need to leave the car with bikes attached. You need to be able to manhandle a bike onto the roof of the car which is a bit of a clean and jerk of a full size bike. When I moved to a Range Rover, clearly the roof rack solution no longer worked. So I then got a tow bar version from the same manufacturer an Atera Strada DL4 and it works extremely well with the same level of security. I feel I need to drive more cautiously as hitting a speed bump fast I am sure would not be good as the rack does flex a little when fully loaded with 4 adult sized bikes and you get used to the bikes bobbing up and down in the rear window to the point where I support the bikes with a strap as well.

Roofbox are an awesome company to deal with and whatever you end up with I highly recommend them.
 
I too am looking for a bike rack solution.

Atera Strada DL4 - doesn't this solution obscure the number plate and rear lights when fully loaded?
 
mark121211 said:
I too am looking for a bike rack solution.

Atera Strada DL4 - doesn't this solution obscure the number plate and rear lights when fully loaded?
Click to expand...


Yes but it has a repeater included in the package

This is mine from the back

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Repeater or not, if the plate is obscured it needs another which needs to be lit. You have a trailer socket so a second plate is easy. Saves getting nicked for obscured lights/plates.

I favour roof racks but never had to do more than 2. 4 is a tall order.

Bootlid options are poor because they rub against the car's paint, or between bikes. Better ones mount to towbars like the one shown.
 
I had the same dilemma and went with this:

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rb...rier_no_brp204/Qx@w,6M42VAwp3@Rb{~cC4ure5Jvj`

Pros: bikes are not on the roof; it's pretty solid and it holds the bikes securely.

Cons: it's quite heavy and bulky so you need somewhere to store it when not it use. It sticks out quite along way behind the car, although I think any 4 bike rack will. It's a bit of a faff to get 4 bikes loaded, realistically this takes 30 min or more first time and about 20 minutes even when you have done it a few times.

Also got mine from roofbox and likewise can recommend. Buzz Racks are at the lower price range and the Thule etc look a bit nicer to use. I went with the budget option as didn't want to spend £400+ on something I only need once or twice a year.
 
Just upfront, my personal opinion is that the best option is a Thule unit, regardless of which type you go with.

I used to have a towball based unit on my old Volvo, presently have a Thule aerobar solution on the roof of our BMW.

Given the option (check your electrics), I'd go towball solution everytime. MUCH easier to put the bikes on and doesn't create any noise in the cabin. I also believe that it "might" be a little more aerodynamic (therefore fuel efficient), when compared to roof based units.
 
I have the towball Thule on my other car. Thule make quality, well thought out products.
 
I use a Saris but it only takes 3 bikes and you have to take the bikes off to get into the back. If you want to take four it is a tow bar mounted one and Thule are excellent. Roof rack loads are straightforward but cost in fuel and are noisy out on the road and long journeys.
 
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