Forum menu
Got a 10-year old There Euroclassic Pro 903, put my bike on outer rack...driving along it seems to wobble about a lot
Any easy way to stabilise the bike? It is held on by a when strap on each wheel and the arm clamped on top tube, but the arm seems very flexible due to being so far away from rear support.
I'm obviously needing to work out beat position for arms as well as I can't seem to easily fit 3 bikes on the rack.
What's wobbling?
Wheels or frame?
You can stabilise a wobbly front wheel by putting a strap through the wheel and round the down tube. That limits the side to side movement quite a lot.
If it's movement at the arm are the bushings/spacers at the fixed end of the arm all ok?
You could try a webbing strap pulling the bike frame gently towards the car (round the same bit the arms attach to), effectively putting the arm into compression.
I don't own one of these but just thinking what might work based on the design and what I've done with other tow bar racks I've owned.
I use opposed bungee cords to reduce/ dampen movement.
Bike wobbles front/back as the wheels are strapped down but aren't locked I.e. Brakes not on. In rear view mirror bike is rocking left to right as arm is very flexy. I think due to length of arm.
I might try webbing straps round bikes so they are 'joined'.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I regularly carry 4 bikes on a Thule 929. A wee bit of a wobble is fine.
I always use an extra strap round the bike frames and the upright bit of the rack as a wee bit of added security and that can take out a bit of wobble too. Make sure you don't have QRs touching forks etc as you can easily mark/damage them. A bit of foam padding always helps.
Thanks for the suggestions...all sounds good.
If going side to side (as viewed in rear view mirror) then diagonally opposed straps (left to right, right to left) should help dampen that movement.
What's your worry about it wobbling? It's not going to fall off assuming you've installed the bike properly, so let it wobble.
wobbliscott - Member
What's your worry about it wobbling? It's not going to fall off assuming you've installed the bike properly, so let it wobble.
Same really.. .Due to the way it straps the wheels you always get some movement, but its not causing an issue etc, so i just leave it and get on with it.
Don't panic easily sorted, just use some small Velcro straps to lock on front brake lever, works a treat, bike wont move a muscle !!
I like the velcro strap idea. I loop a bungee around the crank and then to the carrier at one side.
Only had mtbs on mine, and the wheels strap down tight - maybe the smaller rim & tyre on a road bike doesn't. You could try putting something (maybe heavyweight pipe insulation) over the rim below the strap.
You are clamping the wheels down to the base of the rack tight I assume. I find that they need to be really tight/ratcheted down.
I then have no movement on ours from bike or rack - it's flex in the tow bar that allows a tiny up and down movement.
A bit of movement is preferable to a too tight, misplaced strap wearing the frame. Be careful where you place the straps.
The racks I've used have the wheel straps at an angle, which means that once they're both done up the bike really can't move. If yours has them at the base of the wheel, add some diagonal straps from each wheel towards the middle of the rack.
Contrary to other views, I would worry about wobble, particularly if there's a risk of it touching another bike. I've got a nice indent on one of my bike frames from where a wheel support came loose and the bike started rubbing against the next one.
Definitely bike moving due to the length of the clamp arm from mounting point. Arm is 'thin' and I'm sure the plastic clamp at mounting point is also aiding in amount of flex.
I'd prefer far less wobble...bikes get scraped/bump and I much prefer my battleships due to use rather than a rub from another bike whilst being transported.
More straps needed I think.
4 bikes on a towbar is not so smart. Depending on the towball material and weight of bikes + rack, there is a chance of a durability failure. The towball can crack. The germans have banned putting 4 bikes on a towball.
Please add a cable through the frames back to the towbar safety hole just in case. One death in the UK and there are no design standards here, so this is your responsibility.
No frame clamps to worry about here. Tyre Holder System.
[img]
AUXTAIL.COM My 4 bike rack is a flange mounted one so doesn't actually use the tow ball itself. Instead it fits to a bracket thats mounted behind the tow ball. Always seemed a safer option to me.
4 bikes on a towbar is not so smart. Depending on the towball material and weight of bikes + rack, there is a chance of a durability failure. The towball can crack.
I doubt that 4 bikes and a rack will come anywhere near the maximum recommended nose weight of around 80kg...............more like 50 kg. Or is more about the clamped levering action rather than vertical nose weight from a trailer?
Rack weight doesn't translate directly into nose weight, because the rack is clamped to the tow ball and the centre of mass is some way behind the ball. The manual for my car specifies lower weight limits for bike racks based on how far back the centre of mass is.
Great, now I read this! I have a 4th bike adaptor for my Strada Evo, though haven't fitted it yet as I've only carried 3 bikes so far
😆
Depending on rack and bikes (assuming no carbon) then you can easily hit 70kg for rack and 4 bikes...
Rack will be about 20kg and a bike about 13kg (average)...