[Closed] Recommend me a Tow Ball Rack (4 bikes or more)

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/

Atera Strada 3+1 here. Really easy to get on and off the towbar, folds up to fit in the boot, slides rather than tilts giving great access to the boot, takes 4 bikes with a bit of careful pedal alignment. Tend to turn a couple of sets of handlebars to avoid any rubbing.

Rack plus 4 not very heavy bikes is very close to the weight limit for our Octavia mind.

Thanks morecashthandash - it is easy to get the bikes on and off? One of the problems with the exodus is the straps for the wheels. It's really fiddly. I like the idea of being to able to chuck it in the boot.

Cougar - Do you recommend any of them?

It's fairly easy to load. All our bikes are normal shaped hard tails though. Like all racks it takes practice to get the "right" way sorted out. The wheel straps and the straps that hold the frame are all ratchet fastening, just pump and click till it's tight.

If you are near Derby I'd be happy to show you it - plenty in trail centre car parks to check out.

Thanks... not too near Derby (a long way away 🙂 )

Has anyone used the Witter version?

I've got the Buzz rack Buffalo - carries 4 bikes securely but can be a bit of faff to load and unload the bikes until you sort out a system. I like the fact that I can leave it on my van permanentlly
Roof box.co.uk sell them - great for the money but if I could justify I think I'd have bought an Atera

I've got a witter ZX404 flange mounted one so dead easy to fit and secure. I've had four bikes on it driving down to the pyrenees and the alps. It's a bit chunky but it's good and takes 4 full sized bikes.

Thanks... did either of you guys compare the Witter to the Strada?

The Strada was out of my price range so i didn't really give it to much thought, and I wanted a 4 bike rack rather than a 3+1.

I paid £270 from micks garage but they don't have them any more.

Cougar - Do you recommend any of them?

I recommend the site. They're competitively priced and will tell you what you can and can't fit, and customer service is superb. Individual products I've no clue, I bought roof bars.

Roofbox are great to deal with and the customer support is excellent.
Buzzrack are very good and sensibly priced
Atera are probably the best but cost a lot more
Thule are good but very expensive compared to others.

We have an 8yr old Buzzrack that is starting to look a bit scruffy but it still works well.

Thanks all.

This thread had some good feedback on them too:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/any-reason-not-to-get-an-atera-strada-over-a-thule-euroway

I got a Witter 4 bike carrier - the flange mount version. It's great. It's a bit fiddly when I have four bikes on it, but a lot of that is down to size differences (me, short wife, shorter kids).

If I hadn't got the Witter, I would have got the Atera.

I'm very happy with my Buzzrack Quattro from roofbox, folds flat for storage in the garage and is fairly light so doesn't add too much to the nose weight limit. Depends how much you will be using it, what your nose weight limit is, how much faff you are prepared to put up with when putting the bikes on and how much you want to pay.

Do check nose weight on bar v rack+4 bikes - there's a lot of leverage with those bigger racks.

[i]Thanks morecashthandash - it is easy to get the bikes on and off? One of the problems with the exodus is the straps for the wheels. It's really fiddly. I like the idea of being to able to chuck it in the boot.[/I]

The only 'boot' you'll be chucking 4 bikes into is a van...

4 bikes on a rack are also quite deep too, adding at least a metre to your car. When I needed to carry this many I had two on the roof and two on the towbar rack.

Do check nose weight on bar v rack+4 bikes - there's a lot of leverage with those bigger racks.

Or buy a proper car 🙂

More seriously, at 15-20kg for the rack you do have to watch the payload on some cars. You could easily overload a 75 kg noseweight ball if you have four gnarrly bikes on it.

I Looked at the Atera/Thule/Whitter but didn't go for them due to cost so got a buzzrack Quattro. I think it's a nice bit of kit works really well. A couple of areas where it's not quite as finessed as the others: it's quite heavy so nose weight might be an issue by the time you've loaded 4 burly AM bikes. The tow bar attachment clamp arrangement is not as slick as the single action lever types - it functions perfectly fine though, absolutely rock steady when attached. But other than that it does everything else as well as any other options and in my view has a better arrangement of clamp arms than the Atera/Whitter/Thule options so gives you more flexible loading options. I'm really pleased with it. It'll be the only bike rack I'll ever buy!

I've got the 3 bike atera strada and it's been brilliant so far. It's light, really really easy to fit, secure, well made and I don't find it difficult to fit multiple bikes. Highly recommend

With any 4 rack, removing the pedals on burly bikes makes them much easier when carrying 4. I have a buzz rack Quattro which takes 4 bikes to the alps most summers.

I also have the Atera Strada 3+1.

Had it for 5 years or so and it's well made, easy to use and would highly recommend.

Thanks all. Tons of good info.

Ade