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My good lady picks her new car up tomorrow and as it is smaller than the last estate she will need a bike rack.
Don't want a roof system as the last one a few years back was a pain for her to get MTB's onto, being a short arse bit shorter than average.
Does anybody have an recommendations for rear mounted racks?
Car is a 2020 Fiesta ST-Line X and will have a spoiler over the top of the window, so I guess we'll have to check where hooks etc can go.
Currently edging towards a Thule Outway 2 bike system but at £350 ish I'd like to have a look round first.
Bikes will mainly be two small road bikes for her and her mate, but occasionally two 29" full suss mtbs if we go out together.
Remember that if it is going to obscure the number plate or lights, you will need a lighting board.
Saw the police on the m5 pull someone yesterday for just that! Focus with 3 bikes on the back and no hope of seeing the number plate or rear lights.
Oh and isn't the Saris Bones EX the go to 'clip on' rack. I've not got one (use a towbar mount) but spoken to friends who are happy with the Saris.
Yeh, that's why the Thule Outway 2 appeals, as it mounts the bikes higher up and avoids the need for a lightboard.
The more I read the more I am thinking of investigating getting them in the back with the seat down, front wheels off and a couple of cheap quilts for packing if she needs to put two bikes in.
Might not get mtbs in but in reality we'll probably be in my car if we're going together, which is much larger and not a problem.
If you can, go the extra step and get a towbar fitted and a towbar rack. Much easier to use and avoids all the lashed-on lighting board faff.
Last time I had a boot-mounted one I went for a saris something. Seemed secure, was a faff to use with small hardtails and all full suss bikes. Also dented the roof where the straps attached.
+1 for the towhook and towbar rack
Towbar best option but £££ !
Other than that the roof and some form of folding step?
You will get 2 MTB’s in the back with both wheels off
I had a few options over the time...
roof mount: bit of faff putting it on and finally it failed and the bike fell off at 60mph
rear mount: like wresting an octopus and with flexi straps. It moved with bikes on, the clips popped off, usually the bottom ones first.
rear mount 2: better, Thule Clip On High. Cables and overlock closures. This one damaged the car boot but was very secure. You have a spoiler on the boot, so it won't fit.
Currently, removable towbar and Velospace XT. IMHO, best of all. Everything is very easy, fitted in 30 seconds and super secure. Plus, not gouging bits out of the back of the car, bent mechs, etc. Spendy but well worth it.
Towbar best option but £££ !
I thought that, then did the calculations as to the worth of the bikes being carried versus the cost of the system carrying them.
Don't like roof carriers - Massive faff, terrible fuel consumption, know multiple people who gave either hit the bikes on stuff or bikes have moved while driving.
Boot carriers are worse. They are even more of a hassle, tend to move, need a light board, and often damage the car.
Tow bar racks are more expensive (you're looking at about £600 to fit the towbar and buy a rack), but they're safe, solid, easy, and really do make the whole process much more pleasant.
If you're carrying £2-3000 worth of bikes then £600 for doing it seems less of a stretch.
If it's a small car it's worth checking what weight it can carry on a towbar though. We looked at my wife's little mitsubishi, and it's so low as to be pointless!
The more I read the more I am thinking of investigating getting them in the back with the seat down, front wheels off and a couple of cheap quilts for packing if she needs to put two bikes in.
TBH this is what I do with my car, king size winter quilts are £15 from ASDA. Saves the car damage plus unlike a tarp soaks up any moisture. I also take off the pedals, just makes it easier.
I do also have access to the OH's car which has a towbar, but since Covid I've not wanted to car-share so mine is fine, plus I've no worries about security if I park up etc.
I don't know if it transfers across to the Fiesta, but we tried a Saris Bones EX on my wife's current gen Focus ST Line. Unfortunately had to return it, as wherever we positioned it, the top straps rested on the spoiler, and would definitely have started to rub the paint before long.
Also was a right bugger to fit bikes on. My L Ripmo would not fit nicely due to the shape of the tubes, neither would my wife's Small Liv Intrigue, and nor my son's Beinn 20! So all in all, a bit of a failure.
I think it would be fine with narrower tubes, and a more conventional double triangle type shape though.
I had a Thule towbar rack on my old car, but have gone roof on the new one as it doesn't have a towbar. As above, loading and fuel economy are much better with the towbar, however the boot access is very nice. Swings and roundabouts.
You need to be careful with rear mounted racks & roofline spoilers. The spoiler generally isn't designed to take the load of the rack & bikes.
Even if it doesn't cause the rack to fail, as mentioned above there is a high risk that the carrier will rub & cause damage or break the spoiler itself.
A mate of mine had a Saris Bones rack & while it was fine for traditional frames, it was pretty awful for full-sus frames. We tried to get 3 full sus bikes on it once and ended up giving up. There would have been no way to safely mount them.
Towbar + Thule. 100% best option for rack mount.
In the car, front wheels off, blankets. 100% best option generally (and fastest/easiest).
Wouldn't do anything else tbh. If I'm away on a long trip I have kayaks on the roof, bikes on towbar rack, all the fishing, kayaking, camping and biking gear in the back of the car.
I'm in the same boat. Fiesta ST here and I've just sold my van. The Geometron just squeezes in with both wheels off but it's a tight fit and I'm not doing it when it's covered in mud.
The back of my car looks like this and I'd rather not have hooks or straps rubbing on it,
I've just started googling for tow bars. Something invisible or detachable would be ideal. Then we'd had a rack to fit both cars when we've decided on a new family wagon.
Sounds like you really need the estate car back! - the more I look at bike racks and the faff and frequent stories of bikes stolen off racks means my bikes will always be carried in the car not on the car.
Cant help with the rack OP but was wondering what you and your good lady thought about the fiesta.
Considering one for the wife in ST line x form.
Cheers.