Halfords high mount 3 bike rack

I’ve asked loads of questions about various bike-carrying methods lately so apologies in advance.
Pros and cons to all – this may prove to be the best compromise with all things considered…still a bit precious about new (to me) car too.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_251011_langId_-1_categoryId_165477

…anyone got first hand experience?
The Saris Bones looks good but as it’s low slung I’d need to get electrics adapted at a fair whack cost-wise.

Hoping could be a winner…can pick up on Fleabay for peanuts too 😀

I have one that I am currently using because I am working abroad and it was easier to ship out than my preferred tow bar rack. It’s over ten years old but basically the same design as the one you have linked to, although it doesn’t have the quick releases on the bike mount. I have fitted it to a booted (not hatchback) Mitsubishi Lancer and a VW Touareg.

Overall it works. But…..

1. I don’t like the weight of 3 bikes on it. 1 is good, 2 is OK. But I end up looking in the rear view mirror a lot.

2. You really have to make sure the straps to the car are done up tight and re-tension them once the bikes are on the car as the weight tends to unload the bottom straps.

3. You are best off with some decent straps to secure the bikes. I use some Thule ones which are like the Halfords’ ones in the link but heavier duty.

4. There is nothing really to keep bikes apart when you have more than one on there, so be prepared for some scratches or trying to wrap blankets, etc between bikes. Even then there is usually some movement of the bikes on the rack and you can lose the paint on the bottom of your top tube.

5. The bikes (or parts of them) sit above the car roof line so there is a fuel penalty.

In sum, OK for what it’s supposed to do as a budget option, with some limitations, but I’m not comfortable with more than 2 bikes on it.

I got exactly that one and it does it’s job pretty well.

Nice and sturdy, no trouble handling our three bikes. Is a bit of an effort to unfold and set the arms and supports to the desired angle, but conversely that makes it good and solid. Well high and away from the plate and lights. On our Forester it’s a bit up in the clouds.

The arms are wee bit on the wide side, makes it tricky getting smaller framed/fatter tubed bikes on there, but it can be done.

Just watch out for the side straps, though. If you rove the straps the wrong way it can make wee marks (oops.. my fault).

I managed a ten miles through the dales without the bottom straps done up!

Here’s an ‘action’ shot.

I agree it’s a pain to set up, but once done you shouldn’t need to fiddle with it again. I made some protectors out of pipe insulation and vinyl tablecloth, hence the orange tubes on the uprights and the blue and white spotty ones on the bike support.

Hmmm….unsure now.
Not exactly glowing reports.
Angus…looks like the wheels cover the lights – especially if you ’69’ 2 bikes 😉

The Saris Bones looks good but as it’s low slung I’d need to get electrics adapted at a fair whack cost-wise.

Depends how you set it up.

Not had an issue, and to be totally legal I could move the arms so they were more ‘horizontal’. What car is it for?

An old man Kia Ceed…but I am not an old man.
Similar shape to Golf….but I couldn’t afford a 3 year old Golf!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_251029_langId_-1_categoryId_165477

We have one of these ^

It was and is much more firmly held on the car, I can swing off it without it moving. I have put a couple of bits of helicopter tape on the car, and it would have marked without.

We also had to glue up one of the big plastic discs, as a joint kept popping open.

It is now 5 years old and used a few times a month, without any issues.

On a Touran and it simply ‘clamps’ the boot lid top and bottom nicely.

Like Matt I can strap it to the top, bottom and sides of the tailgate so it will still open – with the bikes off the carrier. Yes, it obscures the lights a little bit and you would probably need a lighting bar to be assured of being legal. I seem to recall tales of police forces having clamp downs on obscured lights and plates a few years ago. Not a problem in Jordan as only one in fifty drivers knows what an indicator is for, and then probably selects the wrong one before turning, and it seems perfectly acceptable for some folk to drive around at night with no rear lights at all. Pretty scary.

If you want the Halfords one, you can have mine for £20 plus postage.

I have a dog now so need to get into the boot rehularly and have a roof rack instead.

roberttaylormatthews@googlemail.com