What are my options for tow BAR mounted bike racks?
I’m looking for a rear mounted rack, but would rather avoid the tow ball mounted types in favour for one that fits onto the tow bar itself.

at least a three bike rack please

do Thule make a decent one? model numbers anybody?

recommendations? or ones to avoid?

I bought this one from Halfords and its been excellent
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_172555_langId_-1_categoryId_165515

It fits securely, easily takes three bikes with no taking on and off of wheels etc, and the whole thing tilts away from the car to allow access to hatchback or estate car. Highly recommend.

Whoops just read your post properly, the one I have is tow ball mounted, but cant see the problem with it. It bolts tightly to the ball and then there is a locking cap which goes over this so noone can get it off

I bought a Thule 9503 ‘Ride On’ 3 bike rack. Fits onto my ‘swan neck’ tow ball brilliantly, without having to have any other attachments onto the tow ball or the car.

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/2838/Thule-9503—RideOn-3-Bike-Tow-Bar-Mounted-Carrier.html

Highly recommend it, though with 3 bikes on you do need to fart about lowering saddles or even removing seatposts, and positioning the bikes so they don’t rub, but it’s easily manageable so don’t let it put you off.

Easy to take on and off also, 5 min job for each max!

I’m off to see Mr. Aiston tomorrow to see what he can do for me as the idea of having a actual tow ball makes me think of caravanners *shudders*.

Lot’s of American racks fit into your “tow hitch” which looks like a much better idea to me.

Pendle?

I’d have thought the ‘behind the ball’ racks wouldn’t actually need the ball to be in place.

I have jsut bought a pendle one, although they don’t look as flash as the thule ones, mine is so much more solid than my mates Thule, i bought it to carry DH bikes on the back of the car. I tried a thule and found the wheelbase was too short on these racks to get Dh bikes in. Also was not a fan of having to ratchet the rack as tight as possibel to the towbar to stop it rotating.

would recommend Pendle.

I don’t know how critical it is, but you need to be careful of the car you are fitting a multi-bike towbar rack to.
A colleague of mine had a Fabia estate and looked into getting a tow bar & rack fitted.

The maximum vertical loading for a towbar is 50kg for his car, so with bikes at ~13.5kg (approx 30lbs), plus the weight of the rack, he’d worked out he was going to go overweight with it.

In 99.9% of applications it probably wouldn’t be an issue, but something to bear in mind if it’s going to be used regularly.

If you go for a towball mounted one an alternatice is Atera. There’s a 10% discount code for Roofbox co that’s easy to find with search too.

Aiston all the way, have just emailed you the link. Like Pendle but better in everyway and cheaper. The only tow bar rack I’d now use as well.