I’m going down the towbar route for carrying bikes. I have just got a bike having not had a mtb for ten years. The kids both have bikes (29” and 24”), which is why I now have one 😁
I never did like the roof mounted option back in the day so a towbar setup is my only (and preferred) option.
Please tell me I won’t regret it. It’s going to cost a chunk of money to get a towbar and a carrier.
I am going to keep an eye out for something popping up secondhand but if I but the bullet on a new one I have my eye on the Buzzracks through roof box website. More specifically the E-scorpion 3 and the E-hornet 3. From what I can gather the scorpion is £30 extra but does fold for storage.
I know there’s a few posts regarding these racks so I guess I’m just asking if anybody has any long term use experience and if they’ve been a good buy? Is the folding rack worth the extra few quid - I am assuming so?
Any other carriers to consider? I want to carry 3 bikes (no E bikes)
before I throw money at a towbar, please feel feee to tell me how much better your lives are with a tow ball carrier …. 😁
Been using an e-hornet for 3 years
It does exactly what it's supposed to do, which is securely carry my bikes. It's easy to fit and remove. I can easily access the boot with it. It's needed zero maintenance.
I have one of the previous generation Buzz Racks that doesn't tilt. There's not really much to say about it other than it quietly gets on with it's job.
My only grumble/observation is that there is a very definite knack to fitting them and you must not ignore the proper alignment of the wedge things in the witches hat bit. If they are not in the proper position the rack will not tighten properly and rotate side to side and score the tow ball.
It's not much of a problem but every once in a while you'll find yourself making several attempts of lifting and lowering the rack onto the ball before it all clunks/slides into the right position and your blood pressure reduces to normal levels.
Also check your tow ball load restrictions. 3 bikes + tilting rack is quite a lot of weight.
Thanks. Max Towball weight according to the manual is 100kg (Volvo v60) but Google / AI is saying max 75kg for a cycle carrier. I can’t see that in the manual. Either way three bikes + carrier won’t be an issue .
That’s a benefit to the non folding rack I guess in that it is a couple of KG less to have on the car.
Thanks. Max Towball weight according to the manual is 100kg (Volvo v60) but Google / AI is saying max 75kg for a cycle carrier. I can’t see that in the manual. Either way three bikes + carrier won’t be an issue .
Google/AI is only guessing based on other data it can see on the Internet so I'd trust the manual first. The lower limit for a lot of cars comes from the fact the weight acts further back so I've always preferred to be a bit under. Our last two VAG cars have been more prescriptive than the Ford we had in between so it does seem to vary.
And to reassure you on the pending expense... I have both carrying options and 9/10 times the tow bar rack would be my favoured solution. I only use the roof bars if we need boot access for the dog or mid journey as I wanted to save weight on a non-tilting rack to give enough margin/weight for an occasional fourth bike.
