[Closed] Tow Bar Bike Carriers - straps or arm clamps (e.g. Thule RideOn v Euro )

I have the Thule like the below.

The other day I had my MetaAM29, the wifes Specialized Myka and my lads Ridgeback 16. The Meta was left to right, Myka next to it on the right to left and the Ridgeback last. Long as you spend 30s getting the pedals the right way round you're all good.

The only downside is you can get QR skewers touching fork legs etc, but I have a couple of pieces of spongy pipe lagging which covers that and it's all good.

Rack takes 20s to install, bikes 3-5 mins total.

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Not had any problems with the official thule straps coming loose. Couple of cheap replacements weren't as reliable.

In terms of faff, there's still plenty of opportunity for that with the Rideon racks. Putting one 26" and two 24"/20" bikes on tends to involve a lot of fiddling with pedal positions and seatpost heights.

Not had any problems with the official thule straps coming loose. Couple of cheap replacements weren't as reliable.

Agree on that... hence why I spent £17 on 3 Thule straps this week, they're just very very good and work well... .the rubbish 'spares' I had from Ebay were cheap and... well... nasty.

I have the same on as weeksy - the straps make them more versatile for carrying different shaped biked for sure. Three-point contact is secure - each wheel and one on the frame keeps the bike stationary. You can easily throw a few stretchy chords across if you're carrying an ensemble (kids bikes, child seats, scooters etc).

I've had both types - currently on the one with the arms.
TBH, I hate them both. It's a pain to put on, store and load.
I find myself removing pedals and turning bars and you still run the risk of parts touching and rubbing.
I much prefer putting them on the roof on 591s, but its not always possible when you've got a kayak or two up there.

Have a look at Pendle, Aiston and Altera versions, they may be better.

Oh and keep an eye on the weight. It's very easy to overload some normal cars with them.

Current one - Euroclassic
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Previous one - Rideon9502
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Thinking about it, I'd say that the rideon with the straps is less faff than the Arm/Clamp version, but not quite as secure in terms of bikes falling off, or getting stolen.

The only downside is you can get QR skewers touching fork legs etc, but I have a couple of pieces of spongy pipe lagging which covers that and it's all good.

In terms of faff, there's still plenty of opportunity for that with the Rideon racks

Thanks. I was hoping that positioning would be dead easy with the RideOn but perhaps not. I'm still to work out if the arms with clamps are a good idea as I'm guessing the fixed lengths limit positioning even more ?

I much prefer putting them on the roof

I did until I drove under the barrier and both bikes ripped off and smashed rear window for good measure. Doh !

I was lucky, I hit a swinging barrier with a rat bike on top. No damage, but *I HOPE* I learned my lesson 🙂

not quite as secure in terms of bikes falling off, or getting stolen.

The bit about getting stolen was something I was interested in. I'm presuming that with both you can add a cable lock around the bikes and rack making them equally secure, but nothing to stop removal of the whole rack ?

I learned my lesson

I hope I learned my lesson too but my 6 year old daughter is a little traumatised as she was sat on the back seat when the bikes came crashing down and smashed the rear window 😳

The bit about getting stolen was something I was interested in. I'm presuming that with both you can add a cable lock around the bikes and rack making them equally secure, but nothing to stop removal of the whole rack ?

Yes, but the clamp on the longest arm has a Thule barrel lock on it, which is handy if you aren't going to be leaving the bikes anywhere for any length of time. Of course, an extra cable lock through the tow bar is always a good idea though.

We had a RideOn and have now got a Euro. Both 2 bike racks. The RideOn had repeated problems with the Thule straps coming loose and the upright metal loop wobbling from side to side meaning that bikes ended up moving around quite a bit. The problem others have already mentioned with QRs rubbing on fork legs was also an issue.
The Euro rack is much more solid and bikes seem to be easier to position to avoid fork legs etc rubbing. Having said that I did have to modify the upright loop the arms attach to by extending it (raising the height) to allow the arms to clear the frame on my wife's bike.
All in all, I much prefer the Euro rack and am much more confident the bikes are secure.
Both bikes are 26" wheel full suss.

I run one of these, seems to be the best of the bunch in terms of fitting odd size bikes on.

I bought a cheap 4 bike carrier and cut it down to take 2 but with a bit of extra room. 1 set of mounts set to take the hardtail, 2nd set to take the full sus.

Pretty secure, plinth mount locked to to the tow bar then cable around bikes and bar if left on the car for any time.

http://www.pendle-bike.co.uk/shopping/heavy-duty-ws.php

You want this one: http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/bike-carriers/buzz_rack_buzz_cruiser_3_bike_wheel_support_rack_no_brp203/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40Rb%7B~cC4ure5HWI_

I can get my mtb or road bike, my wife's commuter, and our kids' double trailer on it without too much bother. It can be tilted to allow access to the boot, and the clamps all have key locks on them.

I've had both and would say the racks with arms are far sturdier.
It can take a bit of assessment to know where to place the arms but I've never not been able to fit the bikes. The arms are more adjustable than you would imagine. They generally have the adjustable cups for the wheels so the bikes can be shifted to avoid rubbing most of the time and the only thing I've need to do is drop saddles to get them to fit.

We#ve got the EuroClassic (I think) and its really great, really quick and easy to use although it is rather large when not in use:

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The thing to remember is that the arms can go anywhere on the loop, not just the top.

The thing to remember is that the arms can go anywhere on the loop, not just the top.

I like that! I'm going to have to experiment to see if I can reduce my level of hatred for the bloody thing 😀

Yes, its a case of experimenting with the arms. You can also dismantle them, a bit more faff, but certainly worth it for the longer journeys and heavier bikes - eg going to Alps. When we had 2 AM bikes and a DH bike on mine, I tested it a week before. Worked out how to remove the arms and where best to insert them. The arms are stronger if you clamp on the top of the A frame though (less side-side movement). The longest arm is obviously the weakest/most flexible.

Once you've cracked it, its not too much hassle.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm leaning (slightly) towards the arms/clamps type since most people do not have big problems with them.

Anyone have an opinion on ease of fitting carrier to tow ball. The cheaper ones like the RideOn say they use a spanner and the more expensive ones often claim some improvement in fitting...is fitting with a spanner a problem (for one person).

My Thule is spanner, it takes less than 20 seconds to fit, effortless and by myself. Couldn't be simpler.

I've had a strap-on rear rack, roof bars, and now an Atera Strada. IMO they are all a PITA in one way or another.

I still prefer the Atera Strada, but the "arm clamps" can be a pain to get in place. The approach I now take is to always alternate the orientation of bikes, but the key has been to start with the smallest bike first. The arms on the Strada are curved, so will pass over a low top tube as opposed to having to thread them through the frame.

On the EuroClassic its a big lever clamp (think big handbrake lever) and it so quick to use, just lift it onto the towball, get it level-ish, push lever down. Job done. You spend more time connecting the electric cable than you do putting it on the car:

Had four up on our Thule one for years including trips to the Alps. When the girls were little we used to put their bikes on first and the biggest bike last same with different wheel sizes. The smallest on first and the biggest last. That way there is no problem with the attachment bars clearing the smaller frames. Bikes go on alternating bars with seats. The only bits that may touch each other are forks to chain/seat stays and we £1 garden kneeling pads to separate as they are high density foam

Pics might explain better

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Strap holding last bike on as someone tried to bust the Thule lock to get a bike but failed.

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On the EuroClassic its a big lever clamp (think big handbrake lever) and it so quick to use

I'm probably doing something wrong by the sounds of it, because I have to first screw in the bolt to secure it onto the ball (50015 in the diagram below) and then push the handbrake lever down (32586). If I don't wind the screw in, then the numberplate holder (34380) won't flip into position, and if I do wind it in, it won't lift off the ball by just releasing the lever. Am I being a total muppet here?

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The G6 in the video above look very nice, although I like the way he sandwiches a skinny hybrid between two mtbs and the rests one of the arms on the shock of the bike nearest the car - that shock would be wrecked 1 mile down the road.

Same as ours. We clamp first with lever 30127 Then screw in with 50015. Reverse to take it off. Never had a problem and it takes seconds that way.

Clamp THEN Screw 💡

I'll try it that way. Thanks

You'll also notice that the guy in the video has been working out recently because I don't look that casual when lifting it onto the car! It's not [i]that[/i] heavy but I'm certainly not as casual about it as he is 🙂

Working out the arrangement of the bikes is the key, I have to drop the saddle on the black bike so that the handlebars on the white bike don't get in the way.

Thread resurrection.......

Do all these take 29ers?
Is the Thule Euro really worth the money?

I'm leaning toward the cheaper Thule Rideon 3 bike but doesn't look that sturdy. The idea of having thre bikes plus the rack held on by one bolt freaks me out. Do they ever slip / fall-off??

I have the Atera and have been very happy with it.

I have carried a real mix of bikes road/mountain of different sizes without issues (i am 6'2 and my wife is 5'4) . Although getting 3 bikes on requires some thought to ensure they do not rub on each other.

There is also the option of extending it to 4 bikes for an extra £50.

The feature that allows to open your boot still works really well and as a real bonus it folds flat so it is easy to hang on a garage wall.

We have the rideon and it will take 3 bikes without too much bother. I'm sure the euro ones are slightly nicer but they were also 3 times the price. It really doesn't shift once tightened.

Bargain if still available.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-brand-new-thule-euroway-g2-923-towball-mounted-rack-3-bikes

I have the EuroClassic 902, same as geoffj and rate it highly.
Got the extra arms and can carry 2 or 3 bikes easily, tried a combination of 26ers and 29ers.
@geoffj, I think you lift the lever one notch and use the screw wheel for tilting the loaded rack for boot access.

I've just ordered the Thule Euroway G2....2 things swung it: The Atera Strada DL was out of stock, and the the Thule Euroway is supposed to have easily removable arms compared to the euro classic.