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Off the France this week and thought I'd borrow a rack for the Spearfish.
Going on a 10 plate Mondeo.
I can get it mounted, but the lower straps fit on quite a soft bumper? Can't find a better place, then the bike itself hmmm. How do you secure it from hitting the car? Surely the pedal/wheels etc hit the car?
Am i missing something here? Do I need to cushion the back of car with something and accept it will be touching?
the lower straps normally go onto the metal backing of the bumper or anything solid behind the bumper, I've used the towing eye in the past, the bike shouldn't touch the car at all, if you're worried, can you remove the pedals?
You're not supposed to use boot mounted racks on the latest Mondeos.
when I used boot mounted rack I added 2 motorbike straps, they ran from the rear seat belt top mounts thru hatch sides onto bikes etc to secure and take a lot of the weight
I've got the option of plenty of full on ratchet straps, but in all honesty i'm not currently feeling the love for putting £3000 worth of pushbike on this thing.
I have a halfords high mount that I used to use on a alfa 156.
The straps for the bottom were long and ended in a hook, and I would take them past the bumper and hook them onto something more secure under the car.
The high mount has the advantage of raising the bike above the plate and lights which you are not supposed to block, and that is probably more vital for france.
Another advantage is that the high section can be angled back, mine was parallel to the rear window of the alfa, so the bars the bike rest on are now more like hooks, so unless the whole rack comes off the bike is going to stay on the car.
You should retighten the straps after a few miles from first installation, and maybe check them at periods, but mine felt quite secure and I was happy with 4.5k worth of turner hanging off of it.
I also used one of those bars that keeps the steering straight on when you mount the bike in a workstand (a park one b ut cheaper ones are available).
Nothing was touching the car.
Hmmm. I'm guessing my rack is not quite as good as some.
I have one with steel 'straps' and a gert big clamp handle to do up. I would not use a wee fangled soft strap n hope rack personally (I used them for years).
The bumper is too soft, and deforms, so you cant run any tension on the straps, even if you hook them to another structure under the car. you also run the risk of the glass cracking on the top edge where the hooks go. It's nothing to do with the rack you've got, you're not supposed to use a boot mount with them.
vinnyeh - Member
The bumper is too soft, and deforms, so you cant run any tension on the straps, even if you hook them to another structure under the car. you also run the risk of the glass cracking on the top edge where the hooks go. It's nothing to do with the rack you've got, you're not supposed to use a boot mount with them.
Fair enough mate, there goes that plan