What do we think about the towbar mounted offerings?
Never had Witter so can't comment on them but I have a Thule rack and can't fault it.
I know Thule are good, just wondering if they are worth nearly double when one is cost conscious.
Worth is a subjective concept and only you can decide that. Thule gear is great, too of the line and will last forever and will hold its value. I’m pretty sure the Whitter rack will be just as good in every way. Might not be quite as slick and well developed as the Thule, probably a bit heavier and more ‘agricultural’ but will work and do the job just as well. That was the case with the buzz rack I had which I got over the Thule due to cost and i’m A Thule fanboy who normally is happy to pay the Thule premium.... but the premium on their bike racks was a bit too rich for me, especially since I wanted it for occasional use... maybe if I was using it every day I would have gone Thule.
So no-one's used both?
I’ve had both. Thule is head and shoulders above the Witter in terms of build quality and weight. Not sure if it’s a fair comparison as the Witter was lower range and made of steel tubing. After faffing about with the Witter I eventually bought the Thule but it cost 3 times as much but functionally is so much easier to use.
If you can afford it I would buy the Thule - much speedier to load etc. That said the Witter did it’s job for a good 5 years or so before I gave it away still functioning
Why was the Thule easier? The ZX304 looks pretty similar. Need a 4 bike model.
I’ve used products from both manufacturers, but not the same products as each other, so I’d be comparing apples to oranges. That said, I currently have a Witter towbar rack that holds 4 bikes, and it has proven excellent, and incredibly well-designed
I didn't know you had a towbar rack SaxonRider, that's basically the one I am looking at. Could I maybe have a look at some point?
That ZX304 looks pretty similar to what I had - think it was a ZX204. Because it’s steel tubing it weighs a lot; and to keep costs down the same tubing is used also for the clamps. This is not particularly narrow diameter so the ability to get 4 bikes on easily and avoid rubbing the frames is not great. I changed them for narrower tubing which helped.I had to replace the threaded rod in the centre of the clamps on 3 occasions due to stripping of the thread. The tilt mechanism is basic and mine stopped functioning after a year or 2 and have only recently found out how useful the tilt to open the boot is. Also it was the bolt onto the tow ball variety rather than quick release which was a faff to put on/take off.
That said it served our family well but took much longer to get set up to travel.
The Thule is quick and easy to set up but was admittedly astronomically expensive - but would definitely buy it over the Witter if I had my time again