Tow Bar Mounted Bike Carriers

Looking into getting a tow bar mounted carrier and unsure of what to get. I know I want one that is easy and quick to mount on the tow bar, tilts so you can gain access to the boot and possible packs down for storage easily.
Do they fold down easy enough to keep in the boot while your out riding?
Not sure how many bikes I require it to handle. 4 would be handy occasionally but most of the time it will be 1 or 2 bikes on it. Easy enough to stick 2 on the roof on the occasion 4 bikes are being transported as I already have some roof mounted racks.
What do Singletrack recommend?

I can comment on the two I have, both available at roofbox.

The Atera Strada range is very easy to mount, tilts and folds down to about 1m square and maybe 20cm deep. Built in light board and locks. Bikes are very secure and I can fit both road bikes and 29er hardtails on it – needs a bit of effort to work out the optimum way to put the bikes on first time you use it.

I’ve also got one of the MaxxRaxx jobbies for my Honda CRV (old shape with a door mounted spare wheel which prevents me using the Atera). This needs an adaptor for your towbar but is very robust and easy to set up. Big advantage is that it dismantles in moments to just a couple of bars of metal so is very easily stowed. Disadvantage (in my opinion) is the way the bikes hang off the top-tube or a bar fitted between the stem and seat – just doesn’t feel quite right for expensive bikes!

I also have an Atera Strada – the 3 bike plus the optional 4th add-on.

Very secure, easy to fit and load bikes on and IMO the best way to carry bikes.

another atera strada 3+1 owner.

Works v well with the T4 tailgate to give access to the rear.

Folds up and hangs on the garage wall when not in use.

I have a buzzrack buzzquattro. It’s very solid and easy to fit/use, good locks and clamping system too. I have little markers on which bikes go on which holder and a photo too, just makes loading quicker. Weight wise, I think it’s a bit heavier than the Atera ones mentioned above and also the Thule one, but those need an extension on to get 4 bikes, so I seem to remember the weight coming out similar. Buzzrack is just a cheaper option, but it’s not cheaply built.

Buzzrack is just a cheaper option, but it’s not cheaply built.

I’ve got one – it’s really solid.

Do they fold down easy enough to keep in the boot while your out riding?

Not sure why you’d want to? They lock onto the towball…

Do they fold down easy enough to keep in the boot while your out riding?
Not sure why you’d want to? They lock onto the towball…

Two reasons-

1. Cant imagine the lock is overly secure
2. If you are in a small parking space and want to head off for a ride you might need to take it off.

1. Cant imagine the lock is overly secure
2. If you are in a small parking space and want to head off for a ride you might need to take it off.

1. It’s a pretty specialized item which is unlikely to be of wide interest to thieves.
2. Presumably you managed to park there with the bikes on the car..

Can’t say either point has been an issue for me in the time I’ve owned a towbar rack, but each to their own.

I’ve got a pendleton two bike rack which is very secure and has its own lighting board etc. I just used it for a week away and it performed excellently. Best bit is though it cost me £10 off the classifieds.

2. Presumably you managed to park there with the bikes on the car..

Easy to park nose first into a space with the rack poking out into the road, remove bikes then stick rack in car, problem solved.
If it is easy to stow away in the boot then why not?

My 2p

I have an Aiston rack.

Doesn’t tilt (don’t see the need, in an estate everything is accessible from the back seat)

Packs down as small as you want it to. 2 nuts to take it off the car, 2 more to make it flat, 4 more and it’s in a ~2ft square flat package. But I rarely go beyond taking it off the car and store it at the side of the house.

4 Vs 2, I can’t see much of a downside beyond cost, they’ll already make the car longer so another ft isn’t much worse unless you stop at a busy supermarket.

I don’t remove it at the destination, although I do attach it to the car with a cheap cable lock for peace of mind (same lock goes through the bike when poping into the shops). You’d need a spanner to remove it, and take the flange off the towbar to get the plate, all for something niche, with my postcode engraved on it, worth £40 on ebay? I’d maybe worry if it was was one that clamped the towball and secured by a cheap barrel lock. Unless it folds up somehow even a 2 bike rack is going to need seats folding down to get it in the car.

in an estate everything is accessible from the back seat)

You might want to tell car companies they’re wasting their time putting opening boots on estates then if thats the case.

In the old tradition of recommending what you have, the Atera DL3 I have is good. Bit of a fiddle to fit 3/4 bikes on as you need to figure out where the arms are going to go through which frame and at what angle. In actual fact, its a major ballache but usually theres only my bike and mini-DBW#00001’s bike and I’ve got it sorted which order they go on and how so not too much of a problem. Really sold rack though and if I’m leaving bikes on for a night or so whilst camping I usually put a cable lock and D-lock through everything and attach it to the van.

We have a Thule VeloSpace 918 its a 2 biker designed for ebikes. We went for it because it had a wider gap between the 2 bikes so they cant rub on each other or need padding to protect them which cuts out alot of faff.

I does lock onto the towbar and the bikes to it but how sturdy the locks are is probably open to debate. Ive never taken it off when its left whilst riding but do try and minimise its impact when parking eg have it overhanging the verge etc.

I’ve run towbar racks for +10 years, and never once have I removed it and put it in the car when I arrived somewhere – also tbh never worried about the length, even when I’ve had long cars (for example and Omega at 4.9m).

Expensive, but looks decent – especially as I do find that their older models are all a bit road-bike ‘thin’.

thule velospace 918

Just picked up another maxxraxx from gumtree for £40. I find them great! This is my 2nd one.

I just need a sturdy spanner to undo my tow hitch….

Cheers, Steve

I got the Buzzrack Quattro due to its price but have been very impressed with it and there are some features that i think are better thought out than the far more expensive Thule and Atera, but there are downsides too especially its weight which when loaded with 4 bikes will probably break the nose weight restrictions in anything but a large car. Also the tilt functionality doesn’t tilt the rack enough for alot of cars. But being half the price of the bigger brand alternatives those are not big issues (apart from the nose weight issue depending what car you have).

But anyway the locking mechanisms are good. If you were serious about wanting to nick a rack off the tow bar then you’d have to get out some big heavy tools and invest alot of time making alot of noise and bashing, smashing and prying. You’d probably be better off taking an angle grinder to the tow bar, rather than tackling the bike rack mechanism.

Watch the spacing between bikes, some are only 17cm which is too tight to fit modern bikes with both through axles and fat forks.

I have a maxxraxx very impressed

Got A Thule 905 2 bike rack for sale, extra light board, never used , won in a competition live wirral

Another Atera Strada 3+1 owner – the slidey thing, rather than tilting, is fantastic.

Do have to learn how to pack the bikes/pedals/handlebars in the correct order.

FWIW – it does fold down and fit in the boot of our Octavia estate, but I’ve never needed to. The videos on roofbox.com show it all pretty well.

Noseweight is interesting. Our rack, with four bikes, is pretty much on the 75kg limit for our Octavia estate, and a couple of the bikes are pretty light. You notice the front end feeling lighter when you drive it.

You might want to tell car companies they’re wasting their time putting opening boots on estates then if thats the case.

No, just that even with the tilting mechanism the one I tried weighed a ton to lift it with 4 bikes. And 90% of the time the bikes are the last thing on (either I packed the bags the night before or I’m picking up mates and bikes on the way) and first (or only) thing off.

Noseweight is interesting. Our rack, with four bikes, is pretty much on the 75kg limit for our Octavia estate, and a couple of the bikes are pretty light. You notice the front end feeling lighter when you drive it.

Some cars have a lower nose weight for bike racks for just this reason, the nose weight assumes that weight on the tow ball 50cm or so behind the wheels, the COG of the rack could be the same back again, so puts double the load on the suspension and lifts the front wheels.

Unless it folds up somehow even a 2 bike rack is going to need seats folding down to get it in the car.

Nah – the Atera ones are very narrow. Even the 3 bike ones will go in the back of a 3 series estate which really isn’t very big.

I tried a friend’s Thule rack before getting an Atera Evo 3. The slide mechanism is definitely nicer than just a tilt, plus the frame of the Atera gives you easier access to the boot.

I tried a DL 3 first, but couldn’t get on with the fact that you can’t remove and swap the support arms over. Loading the bikes so that they don’t touch is tricky as it is, particularly if you’re carrying different combinations of bikes.

I have one of these for sale if anyone is interested (got rid of car for a van). It is quite a lump so would have to be collected from Bristol:

http://www.tesco.com/direct/mottez-a018p4ra-folding-platform-4-bike-carrier/211-7946.prd

I have a maxxraxx very impressed

+1

I got the non tilting Buzzrack Quattro and have been very impressed, not too heavy, folds flat for storage etc. I used zip ties to keep the little straps in place, otherwise they can fall out, but apart from that it’s great.

On the storage in the boot quiestion, the Buzzrack fits nicely in the boot of my SMax – which is based on a Mondeo estate floorpan so will/should fit nicely in the boot of a large-ish estate car. You would probably squeeze it into a Focus hatchback/simialr too. I think you’d struggle with anything smaller.

try a witter tow bar carrier, they fold up on the car when not in use:

then down again..

they do a 2, 3 & 4 bike carrier… i have one and am very impressed, it tilts completely out of the way for boot access too..

Mine:

Easy to park nose first into a space with the rack poking out into the road, remove bikes then stick rack in car, problem solved.
If it is easy to stow away in the boot then why not?

Because you’re creating a load of extra faff and limiting your choice of products to solve a non-existent problem.

Because you’re creating a load of extra faff and limiting your choice of products to solve a non-existent problem.

What are you on about? I just explained exactly why I might need to take off the rack and put it in the boot. Whats the other option, leave it on the ground or block a road? I can think of a couple of places I go to where you would park nose first into a space and the rack would then poke out too far for other vehicles to pass. It might not happen very often but if there are two similar products and one folds up easily and can go in the boot that would be a handy feature to add. Sounds like the Atera does exactly that. The other good looking option is the Witter one pictures above.

What is the extra faff you speak off?

I just explained exactly why I might need to take off the rack and put it in the boot.

The people on here who actually own and use the things are saying it’s a non-issue. But as you know better, I’ll leave it there.

No, you described it as a non issue. Others pointed out that certain ones will fit in the boot. I described situations where it may be a useful feature.

I think the issue of theft of the rack a non issue, but the overhang of the rack and inconvenient when parking is an issue. I tend to only use my rack when on long journeys typically for holidays where I will be removing the rack at the other end or if we’re going somewhere as a family where their car parks are not formal car parks so the overhang is not an issue. But for everyday use and normal parking in the street they would be a problem. Most of the time I use my roof mounted racks or have the bikes inside the car.

I would soon get cheesed off removing the rack frequently and putting it in the boot especially with the weight of the Buzzrack.

The Whitter one looks like a nice solution.

Only had an issue once with the rack when parked at the ferry terminal to the IoM.
I took the rack off and placed in the boot (3 series touring) with no issue.
It’s a 3 plus 1 atera strada and easily went in the boot.
The car was there for a week and the car park was tight so no real room for the rack sticking out and I didn’t fancy someone whacking the rack and sending it into the bodywork on the car.
In general though when parked up it’s usually a place where the overhang isn’t a problem.

Doh – double post!

Had my tow bar fitted yesterday and had fun playing with my new strada dl 3 (have the 4th bike option too but won’t need that this weekend)

Really impressed so far – can’t wait for the fun moment on Saturday morning when I get to load three bikes on it for the family Bearbones trip 🙂

Just fitted the spacer plate for my MaxxRaxx onto my work car.

IMG_20160614_121100-01 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

I’m only allowed to take 2 bike on this car but it is the 4 bike rack, wasn’t going to grumble for £40…

IMG_20160614_122018-01 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

I got a light board with it as well, Just need to change the plate, as you see it will need one!

IMG_20160614_122023-01 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

Easy enough to tip with 2 bikes on, they stayed where they were as well so the ratchet strap must be doing it’s job, they didn’t even rotate.

IMG_20160614_122124-01 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

I may use a innertube or something to protect the frames a bit.

IMG_20160614_122028 by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

for £40 off gumtree it was a bargain in my opinion.

Cheers, Steve