A T T E N T I O N Atera Giro AF bike carrier users.

thelonegroover

A friend recently had a bike taken from the roof of his car. He has Thule Pro ride 591, the clamp was simply forced open up to release the bike.

This got me thinking. I have four Atera Giro AF bike carriers and thought I’d check how secure they actually are. To my astonishment, I found when the key was turned to locked, I could still unscrew the handle and release the clamps on all four carriers!

Upon further checking the lock, I can see the lock cam does not push the red plastic tab far enough, so the handle can still be turned.

I’d like to know if other users of the Atera Giro AF have checked the locks actually lock or if I have a faulty batch.

JasonRwmb

I have two Giro AF carriers which are both the same as yours with the lock just being a visual deterrent!. I also have two of the earlier Giro carriers which use a different clamp system and these lock fine.

From a security point of view I am not too worried as the little locks they use are very easy to force ( I have had to do that a couple of times in the past!) and really should not be relied on for bike security - I always put a massive cable through the bikes and roof bars if I ever leave the car out of sight. From a safety point of view, I have a bit of a concern that they could loosen off while I am driving, but that doesn't seem to be an issue.

Doombrain

not being funny and i feel for your mate, but who the f*** leaves their bike unattended on the roof?

i have x2 Thule Pro with locks on the bars and i'd never leave my bikes, not even the wife's £250 weekend bike.

thelonegroover

I guess it depends where you live or where the car is at the time. However, from now on I intend to also fit a steel cable type lock around the bikes and roof rails.

Raymondavalon

I have 591s that I use to carry my bikes around. The ONLY time I leave the bikes unattended in the carriers is if/when I stop at the motorway services or pop past the supermarket on the way to / from a ride
Even then I have a Kryptoflex cable looped through the frames and under the roof bar and I also tend to park close to the entrance so anyone with half a brain can spot a crime in progress if some gimp were to try and deprive me of a bike.

Irrespective of what brand / model roof mounted bike carrier you have, if you make your bike an easy target someone WILL steal it, not negotiable, plus the locks on the carriers prevent the securing mechanism from unlocking, they are not a bike anti-theft device.

scotto

so sad really we all worry so much about getting our bikes nicked.

I don't stop off at the supermarket or shops on the way home, even though my bike is locked in the back of the van not visible due to no windows and I have a cat 1 alarm.

I go home, unload the bike then go out again if I need to.

thelonegroover

My friend, actually he's my sister in law's hubby had just driven home with the caravan from holidaying in France and thought he'd leave the bikes 'till morning. So his car was actually parked in the drive at home! Although they only took one of the four, it was the best one.