Bike carriers for car?

For the last few years just putting my bike in the back of the car has been fine though with my girlfriend getting a bike and the reverse jenga situation we had getting them to the trails and back yesterday I’m keen to get a bike carrier.

There’s no tow bar on the car sadly (leased Skoda Hatchback) so I’m looking at either roof rack or boot attached. Currently leaning towards boot.

I’ve seen rear carriers for like £50 but this seems like something I need to spend a bit more money on? Currently looking at the Saris Bones Ex 3, it’s not particularly cheap, but also not as expensive as a Thule.

I have zero idea or experience with these. Both roof and rear/boot attached carriers give me the fear that the bikes will fall off mid trip.

Can anyone share their experiences and recommendations?

I used rear strap on racks for years but I don’t anymore as the police have clamped down on their use as nearly everyone who uses them doesn’t use a separate light board when the bikes obscure the lights. And if you’re fitting the electrics for the lights you may as well fit a tow bar.

I’m getting a roof rack for my Skoda this time.

Roof racks are good, you’ll get a hit on your mpg but they are always on the car and ready to use. How they fit to your car depends on the car.

My Related thread from the other day

Where I posted a link to this: £45 double SeaSucker clone.

It’s not a PSA, I’ve not received it yet, it could be bobbins yet…

But like you I’ve stuck bikes in the car or a strap on rack for short trips, and on roof bars for bigger distances with other luggage and passengers, but I wanted something quick and adaptable (who knows what I’ll be driving next?) Suction cup carriers appeal on that basis…

There’s not many rear carriers that don’t obscure lights or numberplate so really need a board and wiring to be legal. Not to mention easy to damage a tailgate if not fitted properly to a clean car.

Get roofbars and a couple of carriers. Much of the time you can transfer bars to a new car with just a change of fitting kit.

Like you I would hate having my bikes on a rack, maybe the hack bike but certainly not the posh ones, far too much could go wrong.
So, how about solving the space problem by getting a roof box instead, putting the rest of the stuff in there and freeing up space inside for the bikes?

You guys, and some further research are really putting me off the boot mounted carrier style. We definitely can’t spring for a hitch mount as this car will be going back soon.

Starting to prepare my wallet and looking at roof mounts. Now the question is, both wheels on, or only rear wheel on style? The latter seems safest but would need to ensure both our forks are compatible.

Also, Scotland in winter gets some serious weather. Would you drive across a bridge closed to high sided vehicles with two bikes mounted to the roof?

@cookeaa – those suction cups would be ideal though it seems a bit too good/cheap to be true. Fancy updating me once you’ve tried them a bit? We’ve got a long trip to Wales coming up, I’m not sure how much I’d trust them (even the expensive sea sucker ones) on an 8 hour drive.

@andrewh – I hadn’t actually considered that but it’s a good point. We’re currently at the point of having all 4 wheels off, trying to avoid rattling, scratches, bent rotors and desperately avoiding any pressure on the derailleurs. We’ve only done it once but it was a massive pain. I’ll keep this under consideration

Roof racks for the win in your scenario.

The bike carriers will be transferable to any future car with roof rack capability even if the roof bars themselves are not.

I would go for both wheels in type. You can’t go wrong with atera or Thule if you’ve got a metal and vaguely conventional frame (ie it has something that vaguely resembles a down tube).

I’d definitely go with roof bars and both wheels on bike carriers, especially if you have roof rails on the car already. I have some Thule ProRide 591 bike carriers and roof bars that are still going strong after about 15 years. I’ve used the same feet across 4 different cars (attached to roof rails), I did have to buy a new pair of longer roof bars at some point.

If I were buying new now I’d look at the Yakima Highroad as they hold the tyre rather than the frame, and they look easier to reconfigure than Thule (the Prorides can be a nuisance to adjust for different sized bikes or moving from one side of the car to the other)

I had the Rockbros Seasucker knock off and used it to transport a bike over the ‘new’ Severn bridge in pretty windy conditions. Whilst the bike seemed to say secure, it made some very alarming noises as the panels flexed. More experienced placing may have fixed that issue and I don’t think a Seasucker would have been different, but it spooked me a bit and I got rid of it, especially as close friends nearly had a nasty accident from a load on a car in front coming loose.

I’m keen on the idea of a supplementary tether for yhe suction cup mount carriers, even if it’s just the old webbing straps and a plastic retaining block through the edge of the boot lid or whatever.

I can probably mount it to the top edge of the (panoramic) windscreen on the current car if going roof mounted, but part of the experiment is wanting to put a bike vertically on the back of the car. It gives more options than the roof bars and should be faster to mount and remove, that’s the main reason for trying it.

I am in a similar position and am going for tyre mount roof racks. Yakima for both.

Personally I’d avoid boot mounted (unless using a tow bar solution). I had a pretty decent one but found no matter what car (tried a 106, Golf, Leon and Passat) I use they would move about quite a bit and the straps would lose tension easily. One 4 hour trip back from Wales was terrifying and we’d end up stopping regularly to check the tension as they were sliding all over the place. Also with longer wheelbases now, they stick out quiet a bit on the back unless you have a massive SUV!

I’ve used roof bars and a Thule ProRide for years, quick, easy and really secure. Yes, not ideal for MPG or trying to hide that you have a nice bike, but it works well.