Roof Rack or Tow Bar? …..sorry it's just not that exciting.

New car coming next week and as its half decent, well for me anyways, I don't want to transport the bike in the back or faff about with a rear carrier/lightboard.

As a result looking at either Thule roof rack with the aero bars and 2x ProRides or getting a tow bar fitted and using a Thule 9502. Both work out about the same price, £270ish, so what should I go for? So far on the pro side for the roof rack is that it is something that can be sold on when the car is sold and with the tow bar it is the fact it is just there and out the way whereas I will probably be leaving the bars on all the time..

Thoughts?

Used both but much prefer the towball mount Thule rack.

Same dilema here. In the end I went for both..

Several reasons:

Roof rack:
Speed – often do quick one way trips and the roof rack is quicker / easier. Don't need to faff removing rack, attaching lights etc. Yes the bars add a bit of noise and knock off a few mpg but I'm ok with that.
I'm tall and find it easy using them.

Tow Bar:
Was thinking of getting a camping trailer so got a hitch fitted anyway and the extra few quid for the rack means I can use if for longer trips and to give me flexibility to carry more bikes..

Tow bar is way better IMO

Tow bar.

Tow bar all the way, the amount of people that drive into height restrictions and bikes that have fallen off roof racks is enough to convince me.

I have the roof solution and i like it. Only notice decrease in fuel econ on long runs and its dead easy getting them on and off. Horses for courses though.

Wish i'd got the aero bars though, i got he std ones because i'm tight 🙄

As far a driving into stuff then that just stupidity and lack of concentration. Just as a quick add on i've also seen people reverse into stuff with bikes on the back 😯

tow bar

Plus I know so many people who have driven into overhead barriers with the bikes on top

Two bar. Roof bars often whistle at speed, are murder on the fuel and are a faff to put bikes onto especially if you have a tall car.

tow bar.

I've had roof, a mate has tow ball.

I don't like the leverage the roof mounted ones put on either the forks or the down tube. the tow ball racks that grab the top tube & supports the wheels puts a lot less leverage through the bike as the moments around the clamping points are A LOT less than roof mounted racks, esp on rough roads, slow downs etc…..

Tow bar, and a rack like the one you've suggested, not a rack the bikes hang from. Nothing easier than putting the bikes away at the end of a muddy ride and you tend to take a towbar rack off when you've finished.

oh, his tow ball rack comes off and can be folded quickly and easily and just put in the boot or stashed very neatly.

I had roof rack and recently switched to tow bar.

I much prefer the towbar.

Considering similar….

Tow bar is winning as:

Can fit up to 4 bikes on one
I'm 5'1" and can't actually reach a roof rack (prob. not an issue for you)
Fuel consumption
Won't drive into height barriers

Only down side is bikes will be a little wider than the car. I already have a tow bar fitted but decent wheel cradling, tilting racks with built in lights and plate (the only way to go I think for convenience) are expensive.

Tow bar. True, you don't need to remove the roof ones but they'll cost you loads of money in fuel if you leave them on. More than the cost of a towbar in time.

Oooo,

Not only is that Thule £80

Fits swan neck, flange and detachable towbars

(Childish laugh)

Tow bar.

I've got a Pendle 2 bike unit that takes 2 mins to detach and put away. I should've gone for the tilting one but didn't. It's not very nice to look at but it works.

You will notice a small increase in fuel consumption when loaded up, but it's much less than the increase you get with roof mounted.

Tow bar all the way (although I have a roof rack as stupid car can't have a towbar fitted). Roofrack knocks about 15mpg off the economy on my car so for that reason alone it has got to be better, plus you can drive into car parks with the bikes loaded with a towbar one and the noise form a roofrack can be tiring on a long journey at speed.

Tow-bar with a wheel supported rack.
Not a cheap option though, probably £400 all in ?

thule express 970. £45 online. fits two bikes, takes 30s to fit, folds up in the boot.

never bothered with a light/number board as most of my stuff is local and the old bill really arent interested round here. If i'm going a long way then the bikes go in the car.

Towbar all the way.

Whilst it's theoretically possible to reverse into something with a towbar rack you would (should) normally be looking where you're going – in which case the bikes are in view (unless it's a van). Probably a greater risk is someone running into the back of you (I seem to recall someone on here incurring significant damage to their car due to the rigidity of their Pendle rack when someone ran into the back of them).

I glad to hear people prefer the towbar racks as I just about to go from the 591's to the 9403…..

I shouldn't imagine the extra width to be too much of a problem with tow bar setup. I carry a motocross bike on a rack on the back of my car. It sticks out about half a foot one side and a foot the other and drive down plenty of single track roads etc. You need to be a bit more careful and anticipate other people not knowing it's there but other than that it's fine. I shouldn't imagine an mtb will stick out much at all. Oh and mpg is less disrupted with the mx bike on the back than a road bike on the roof! Get one with a built in lighting board as fiddling around with one is such a faff.

Iain

I lose about 4-5mpg on my diesel Passat when I've got the towbar rack on (from low 50s to high 40s), but it's a saloon. Estate folk swear it makes no difference, which makes sense really. The bikes only stick out a couple of inches each side.

Had roof mounted Thule Proride's on the old car, but went with a towbar mounted rack on the new car. Towbar is detachable and the Thule rack locks down with just a lever – takes just a couple of minutes to put both on, or take off. Roof mounted was a faff to take on and off and the temptation was to just leave it on all the time, which shouts that there's a bike stored at the house to any passing crims, as well as affecting fuel consumption.

Towbar mounted feels safer and sturdier too. Tilts for easy access to the boot. Much prefer it. I just hope nobody runs into the back of me.

Not a cheap option though, probably £400 all in ?

Nah shouldn't be that much. Looking at about £200 for supply/fit on the tow bar and the Thule 9102 is only 80 quid….or less second hand.

It seems the overall majority are swinging towards the towbar route then.

We bought the cheap Thule towbar one, which is very well made and solid and great value, but strapping the bikes on does take a bit longer than just clipping them.. might upgrade in the future someday.

I like the clip in ones, but they are another £120, which seems a lot just to save 1-2 mins strapping the bikes to the rack.

I use a roof mounted system which works really well and is much cheaper/less hassle than having to fit a tow bar, rack and lighting board. I also reckon Atera stuff is well worth a look as an alternative to Thule. The Giro roof mounted carriers are superb.

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/bike-carriers/bike-carrier-package-deals.php

Check out the website above. Package deal for two Atera Giro's and bars £200.

I have used both, tow bar fitted first, then gave the roof rack a go…

The only major downside to roof racks is fuel consumption, this was a noticeable difference when I travelled up to Scotland.

As much as the roof rack was easy and good to use, I will stick with the tow bar/thule rack.

I like the clip in ones, but they are another £120, which seems a lot just to save 1-2 mins strapping the bikes to the rack.

Yeah but over time.. you'll eventually forget the £120 but every time you'll think "dammit, I wish I had the clip-in one" as you faff with straps 🙂

Tow bar supplied and fitted to my previous car £140 Thule towbar rack £100. Not exactly much difference to S_J's roof mounted rack and that's for 3 bikes.

Was that local garage fitting Tony? Might have to go and hassle all my local back street garages for some prices…wonder if its better to get the bits myself and so just pay labour costs?

Backstreet garage will be cheapest. It's also pretty easy to do yourself.

Backstreet garage will be cheapest. It's also pretty easy to do yourself.

Fitting the bar is fine. The electrics less so.

Sorry Jamie I can't remember – it was on the towbar cover of the car but it's gone now. I basically googled "Tow Bar fitting Surrey" and rang round a few mobile suppliers. My usualy garage reckoned that a mobile fitter would be cheaper.

Few mobile fitters I have contacted so far are about £200 with a standard Witter ball….will ring some more I guess to see if I can get the price down!

I've got roof mounted carriers on my own car and a towbar mount on the wifes. Regularly do London-Edinburgh with both and find that (especially in winter) being on the roof really takes it's toll on the bike. On the towbar rack they get wet but never seem to get the crunchy driveline and controls that 400 motorway miles on the roof seems to result in.

i asked about a towbar mounted one on another thread here the other week and was recommended the thule hang on rack that carries 3 bikes….bought one and have only good things to say about it

easy to fit..5 mins
it tilts so easy access to the boot
easy to put the bikes on..be it small bikes, full suss designs..and kids bikes
don't notice the fuel economy as i drive like a grandad anyway

http://www.towequipe.co.uk/products/cycle-and-rear-carriers-hang-on-towball-carriers/972000-thule-hang-on-towbar-3-bike-cycle-carrier-972-free-pandp.html

See if these people[/url] cover your area. They were great for me, and cheap too.