As per the title really. My new car has a towbar so I want to get a bike carrier, but there’s so much choice I don’t really know where to start. What is good and what should be avoided? Thanks

Pendle Bike Rack. The simple one with two uprights that simply slot into a bracket. Keep the bracket on the towbar and the arms in the boot of your car. Its solid as hell and ive had mine for almost 20 years. My bro got one last year and he’s chuffed with it too.

http://www.pendle-bike.co.uk/shopping/hang-on-tb-rack.php

Do you need it to move out of the way so that you can open the tailgate ?
If so have a look at the Atera Strada, it ain’t cheap but is very nice quality and well designed.
It will move down and away from the vehicle with the bikes in place allowing you space to open the tailgate properly.

Thule Euroclassic is one of the best but prices seem to have shot up post Brexit – I paid about half what they go for now a couple of years ago.

first three answers, 3 different recommendations.

STW – always making a complex decision more difficult 😉

My buzz rack is well made. Not quite as slick as Thule but about half the price. Have a look at roofbox.co.uk.

I have a Thule 9503 which tilts so I can get into my boot, would recommend it.

I’ve got a Thule Euroclassic too. I like it.

I have a Thule 9503 which tilts so I can get into my boot, would recommend it.

I’m about to sell my 9503 and buy an Atera Strada DL

The 9503 is okay for a lower priced one, very solid, but it’s a bit of a faff to tilt and mount the bikes, very good for occasional use.

Had a good look at the Atera Strada DL at the weekend and it’s very good (but very expensive)

Strada 3+1 here – easy to mount, and the slide rather than tilt is fantastic.

I got a nearly new 9503 from local small ads for about 80 quid. It’s good at that price, and the boot tilt is useful.

Pleased with my buzzrack from roofbox.co.uk. Fairly light and folds flat when not in use.

Suggest you sort out your priorities with regards: weight (what is the nose weight for your car), storage, ease of use (one STW takes the pedals off his bikes to get them on his rack), number of bikes, cost etc

I’ve had two Atera’s. First one lasted 10 years even after much abuse including backing it into a wall and my wife’s car 😉

New one is great. Really sorted. Brilliantly easy to attach/detach, very secure, quality electrics. Yeah it was £300 (got mine in the sale) but I don’t worry about having expensive bikes on it.

The only issue (other than standard getting three bikes on is a bit of a mission if they funny shaped) is the ratchet straps for holding the wheels – while very secure – aren’t quite long enough for my chubby tyred bikes. Looking to get some longer straps.

Very happy atera strada user here. You can often very occasionally pick them up new on ebay.de at bargainous rates (like €200 inc 4th bike carrier)

Atera here. Would happily buy another when the original dies.

Reminded me to speak to RoofBox company who sorted me out. They’re such a great company to deal with.

got a thule euroclassic 2 bike rack for sale, never used won in a competition,tilts, and spare light board. £190.00 wirral chester areas

I’d bite project’s hand off…

I have a Thule tow-bar mounted 3+1 and I’m less than impressed. What I’ve found is that

1. The exhaust on my car is too close to the bottom left-hand tyre strap and, over time, has warmed the plastic so that the strap attachment point has bent out of shape. I’m now having to use separate straps on the front 2 bikes.

2. With my tow-bar, the back of the rack is very low and can scrape the floor. I can’t reverse off my own drive with 4 bikes mounted.

Strada 3+1 here – easy to mount, and the slide rather than tilt is fantastic.

+1

Strada 3+1 here too. My second one. The one thing I would say is that the clamp mechanism (onto your tow bar) does loosen after a while. You can get a shim from roofbox to correct it but it will loosen after that until the mechanism finally gives up the ghost.

It depends on how often you use it how much this will affect you. Using it maybe one weekend in four and I got about 5 years out of my first one. The second one is lasting a bit better (no need for a shim yet but it is getting there).

Atera Strada DL – as others have said, not cheap around £300 but by far the best IMO

Thanks all, is a ‘behind the ball’ or ‘on the ball’ fitting better?

The car will have a folding towbar, if using a behind the ball fitting would it need to be removed before the towbar is folded away?

Atera Strada 3 here.

Really well made and works well but be aware, if your back window doesn’t slope at a decent angle you’ll struggle to get a bike on the carrier nearest the car as the handlebars will hit the rear window. I struggle with my Amarok unless it’s something small or has ridiculously narrow bars.

Saying that you’ll no doubt have the same issue with any non sloping rear window/bike carrier combo.

I’ve had.

Thule scissor action rack. The express 970 I think it is. Brilliant for 1 conventional shaped bike and short journeys. My 29r would have had it’s wheels very close to the ground though.

Pendle hang on rack 3&4 bike variants with fixed plate behind towbar. Very versatile, simple design with a no moving parts and much more sturdy than the Thule express.

Pendle 2 bike wheel support rack with fixed plate behind towbar

I’ve also regularly used roof racks

The Pendle hang on is the best goes in the boot solution.

The Pendle wheel rack is probably the most insanely solid piece of kit for carrying bikes. But it’s very heavy and a bit awkward to fit and opening the boot without removing the rack involves going underneath it and undoing bolts to swing the arms out of the way.

If you are on a long journey and want boot access mid journey or going out for a family ride and to chuck your riding gear in the boot NONE of those racks will allow you into the boot (except maybe on a saloon or Mondeo/Octavia shaped/slopey backed hatchback) without removal of at least the bikes and rack removal (arm folding on the wheel rack). Speaking as a long term estate driver this can be a pain in the ass.

I’m just about to go for a towbar and rack again.

I am looking at the Atera but I am a bit concerned after reading fat boy fats post about longevity of the clamp. Has anyone else suffered this issue and if so do Atera not do spares? That’s pretty poor on such a spendy rack if that’s the case.

Jengledow

If you have a folding towbar it will more likely need to be a ball clamp not behind the ball.

The behind the ball ones are usually one of two things.

The tow ball itself is on a flat plate with a chuffing great bolt either side of it that bolts to the main structural metalwork on the car. There are apparently some removable variants of this (towsure tells me there is one that fits my car) but not sure how they’d work with a behind the ball mounting plate. Edit. On closer inspection removable appears to mean with spanners permanently.

If it’s a swan neck (no flat plate) occasionally there is a clamp that bolts round the neck. Pretty rare but used to be common in mainland Europe a loooonnnng time ago. Unlikely you will get this now I would think.

Sorry and one more from me. If your bikes are different shapes and geometries the fitting of them can be challenging on some racks.

By way of example, the Pendle hang on is quite wide so short bikes (children or short torso’d wives) require some creativity (e.g. I used to put an arm through the rear triangle and the down tube on top of the other arm for my wife’s bike).

The Pendle wheel support might need some bar turning or careful wheel support placement.

Right I’ll stop bombarding the thread now.

I’ve used a thule standard rack for years, but more recently switched to a thule hang on, similar to the pendle style. Not much in it but I prefer the hang-on – lighter, and the fittings are better and longer lived. Hang-on express with fittings for two bikes is 60quid, can’t see a better option if that’s all you need.

OTOH 3 adult bikes on the normal hang-on is stowed out, getting four on would be dodgy. So if you need to transport 3+ bikes regularly then standard rack is better IMHO.

Roof box (who sell the Atera rack) seem to know about the loosening thing quite well. They said it is due to people overtightening the clamp but I’m not so sure. The clamp definitely loosens over time but we are talking years here with regular use. They don’t do spare clamps. Hence the reason I’ve had two racks. The newer one seems to be better quality though, so I’m hoping for a good few years of use yet.

Atera Strada 3+1 here too, very good. Keep an eye out for a well priced second hand one!

Mentioned it on the other thread – I’ve recently bought a Thule 972 (£90-100) after borrowing a mates similar sort of thing.

Fits 2 big full sussers ok, seems sturdy and tilts right down.

My Capra has a bit of an awkward frame, but fits on nice – I’ll take a pic next time I use it.

I’ve ended up with three different options over the years:

Thule Hang-on express – light, simple & great for one bike (it can take two but it can be a faff) which gets used when it’s just me or the weather’s not great in which case the bike goes in the car to the trails but on the rack for the return. Folds down small so you can just chuck it in the car.

Thule 972 (as above) for two bikes &/or longer journeys. It’s very stable and tilts well our of the way of your boot lid – folds flat relatively easily for storage etc

Thule Ride-on for three bikes/long journeys. Fairly straight forward & easy to use but I find it ‘bounces’ a fair bit with three bikes loaded (the rack itself is not light) on my removable tow bar. The light board is easily removed & gets used more with the other two racks.

The 972 is a great compromise IMO but, assuming your local constabulary are as picky as mine, you ought to have the light board too.

everyone in canada seems to run NSR racks –

I’ve no idea why similar isn’t available here – they seem a much easier way of mounting multiple bikes to a car

Yeah I’d be keen to get one of those NSR racks after reading a review but haven’t seen anything like it available here.

The 972 is a great compromise IMO but, assuming your local constabulary are as picky as mine, you ought to have the light board too.

What’s the rules on needing a light board and number plate and what can you generally ‘get away with’?

Any obscuring of lights or number plate (even if they shine through) means you need a number plate and light board.

You’ll possibly get away with a little bit of obscuring but if you’re in a shunt you may be getting a hard time from your insurer and the law and for £30 or so wtf would you risk someone ramming you and your bikes from behind.

While we are on towball racks how is the ground clearance on the Atera 3+1/Thule equivalent on lower slung estates? Is it ok for normal use? IE not 25% driveways etc.

Resurrecting this thread. Clamp on my Atera is going too. It’s a bit small for 29ers with 2.4 tyres.
What is good? Needs to carry 2 bikes, be easy to put on/ take off. Tilt to access boot.
Looking at Whispbar which is expensive. Are they any good. What do others run?

Just brought a Buzzrack Buzzwing 3 bike carrier. No experience of any others but happy with this so far – particularly for the price.

Buzzwing

I’ve got a Buzzrack Buzzwing 3 as well, tilts nicely, very well made, nice and secure. Can get my 29er FS on it easily with 2.25″ tyres and they do long straps for bigger tyres too.

I’ll get involved with the resurrection to ask: Any racks working well with modern (loooong) bikes? Thinking L/XL Aeris / Geometron 29ers.