I have recently bought an Atera Strada bike rack. Generally, im very happy with it. The only fly in the ointment is that the front wheel twists to an alarming extent while I’m driving. Since the wheel is strapped in at the bottom, I assume this isn’t a big issue, but it’s still very irritating. I’ve tried running another strap from the wheel to the down tube, but that doesn’t seem to stop the wheel moving wheel im driving.
Any ideas? Anyone else experience this?
I'm not familiar with it at all, but assuming it has a builtin strap at 6o'clock, could you put two others on at 5 and 7o'clock as well/instead?
I used to put a strap around the downtube of the bike and through the wheel to stop this.
How hard are you cranking down wheel straps? While my wheel can move when pulled by hand, it does not while travelling along. I really cinch down those wheel straps hard...
Ha. Ive cinched them until I just cant cinch any more. On the Atera, once you reach a certain point, the clicks make a noise, but they don’t actually tighten the strap any more.
How fast are you driving? And what angle is an alarming angle?
There are some handlebar holders you can buy. Park tool sell 2 different ones.
They might do the job if the straps don't work
If the wheel is moving then is the bike leaning? Fix the bike down.
How many bikes? Strap the front to the rear of the next bike.
In my Atera Strada there isn't much room between the bikes so I use some pipe lagging and bits of velcro to stop any potential rubbing. This also means the front wheel isn't wobbling.
Doesn't help if it's only one bike though. N+1.....
Thanks everyone - yes it’s only one bike. Sometimes, the wheel has turned to a 45 degree angle. The Park Tools doodaas look interesting.
There are a few different Strada models, but they all seem to have a similar retention system. I really can't see how your wheel can be turning if you are using them properly and the front and rear wheel straps are pulling against each other.
*edit - the only thing I can think of that would make the fore/aft tension loosen is your fork extending when the bike bounces if it has a bit of static sag - wheelbase would lengthen slightly (or would it be the other way when it compresses/ shortens that might loosen things??). A ratchet strap over the frame before you cinch the wheel straps should/might stop this?
What wheels/tyres does the bike have? If it's a road bike wheel can imagine it might twist a bit in the tyre channel, and deep profile rims would also have more wind resistance at speed, but I've never experienced that much movement on a towbar rack, although I don't own an Atera.
If it's an MTB, ould very low tyre pressure be causing it, as the tyre can twist in the channel?
It’s an MTB with 2.5in tyres t bout 20PSI?
As far as I can see, the wheels/tyres are totally properly seated in the holders, and cinched down as hard as possible. Which is why im particularly irritated when the wheel moves during a drive.
the wheel always moves in the same direction, so im going to try a simple strap before I resort to anyone more drastic.
Hi, is it a long bike or hanging over one end of the rack more than the other bikes?
I've had this with our Strada rack and similar tyre if the wheel is on/over the end of the alu' tray so that only the plastic wheel mount (movable plastic ramp with the strap) is supporting the wheel.
Solved it with a bit of shuffling to get the problem wheel sitting on both the tray and sloped mount for the shorter bikes so the wheel is better supported. But, my Cotic (long) is still at the end of the tray and the bars and wheel will still rotate/turn and wobble (mostly backwards - from the air flow past the side of the vehicle catching the side of the exposed wheel). I have found that if you slightly turn the wheel in the tray when you clamp it down you can get it to seat better and not move, I also tried strapping the wheel to the next one i.e. to the side worked better than strapping it to the down tube but I stopped bothering once I worked out the above reduced it enough not to be a problem. I also found it clamps down better when the tyre is softer..
Hope that helps!
