Ford Focus (2009) Bike Rack

snowjho

Hi People.

Looking for a way of carrying bikes outside of the car. Going through the Thule website it suggests that this Ford Focus (mk2 i think) can only have roof bars? This is backed up but fordonline parts who only offer roof racks.

I love the look of saris bones 2/3 but i've heard it won't work on my car. The bumper/possibly rear spoiler are issues. Does anyone use a rear mounted bike rack on a Focus MK2.

If its true I will have to go roof bars. Next question is, is it worth getting "aero dynamic bars" over the square ones?

Thanks

mrmonkfinger

I have atera roof bars + bike carriers on a focus mk2. Very nice quality. Cheaper than thule.

You could always get a tow bar fitted and get a tow bar rack. A mate has a thule tow bar rack, its really good.

ElliesDad

I recently had the same issue with my Renault Megane, ended up getting a strap on one. I was never really happy with it and was always worried about it coming off and putting too much strain on the hatch of the car. So I took the plunge and went the tow bar option, never looked back - safe secure and much quicker to fit the rack.

I fitted the tow bar myself, which was very easy as modern cars already have the fittings to take a tow bar so it's a simple matter of taking the bumper off and bolting the tow bar on. Cheaper than you think as well as follows:

Towbar from Towsure = £100
7 way by pass electrics from Halfords = £40
3 cycle carrier Thule 9403 from Halfords = £144
Number plate from Halfords = £15

snowjho

Hadnt realised it could be a similar price to go towbar. That would be more convenient and fuel efficient. Do you reccommend towsure?

waby1234

I recently bought Ford aero bars and a Thule Proride 591.

Bars = £70 from eBay (they generally go for between £55 and £80 delivered)
Thule Proride 591 = £63 from eBay

The aero bars look better, and are easier to fit the Proride on too.

ElliesDad

snowjho wrote:

Hadnt realised it could be a similar price to go towbar. That would be more convenient and fuel efficient. Do you reccommend towsure?

Sorry, the towbar was from Towequipe not Towsure

Good company though with quick delivery. PF Jones seemed good value for money as well. As long as you can use a screwdriver and wrench/spanner I would recommend a towbar one. The electrics is a but fiddly but fairly straight forward.

YeehaaMcgee

ElliesDad wrote:

I recently had the same issue with my Renault Megane, ended up getting a strap on one. I was never really happy with it and was always worried about it coming off and putting too much strain on the hatch of the car. So I took the plunge and went the tow bar option, never looked back - safe secure and much quicker to fit the rack.

I fitted the tow bar myself, which was very easy as modern cars already have the fittings to take a tow bar so it's a simple matter of taking the bumper off and bolting the tow bar on. Cheaper than you think as well as follows:

Towbar from Towsure = £100
7 way by pass electrics from Halfords = £40
3 cycle carrier Thule 9403 from Halfords = £144
Number plate from Halfords = £15

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

snowjho

ElliesDad wrote:

snowjho wrote:

Hadnt realised it could be a similar price to go towbar. That would be more convenient and fuel efficient. Do you reccommend towsure?

Sorry, the towbar was from Towequipe not Towsure

Good company though with quick delivery. PF Jones seemed good value for money as well. As long as you can use a screwdriver and wrench/spanner I would recommend a towbar one. The electrics is a but fiddly but fairly straight forward.

Thanks for those companies, PF Jones look good value for the towbar.

Did you go for a dedicated wiring kit or universal? reading on the web seems to reccommend dedicated kits becaue of all the new electrics and in case it invalidates warrenties which I have until the end of June and then an extended warrenty afterwards. Seems a little bit of a con given they are over twice the price.

snowjho

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

It is alot but whats the alternative. It seems so much more convenient then the other options.

mrmonkfinger

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

Yeah but no but yeah but no. What's the alternative?

Those strap-on hatch/bootlid racks, even the "decent" ones, always look a bit sketchy to me (and to others, by the sound of this thread). A quality rack buys a lot of peace of mind. Especially if you're carting around a few £k's worth of bike at a time.

Twelly

snowjho wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

It is alot but whats the alternative.

Wheels off, throw it in the boot. Job done. Or leave the car at home and ride there.

Spend £300 on coke and hookers instead

YeehaaMcgee

mrmonkfinger wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

Yeah but no but yeah but no. What's the alternative?

Those strap-on hatch/bootlid racks, even the "decent" ones, always look a bit sketchy to me (and to others, by the sound of this thread). A quality rack buys a lot of peace of mind. Especially if you're carting around a few £k's worth of bike at a time.

Saris Bones does me fine on a Golf.
Mind you, an ex girlfriend had a Focus, and the bootlid seemed very flimsy. I'm not sure if I would use a hatch-rack on one of them.

snowjho

TwellySmat wrote:

snowjho wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

It is alot but whats the alternative.

Wheels off, throw it in the boot. Job done. Or leave the car at home and ride there.

Spend £300 on coke and hookers instead

Its a great point you make but I would like to sometimes take more than 2 people/more than 2 bikes and not risk ripping/scratching/soiling the interior.

waby1234

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

mrmonkfinger wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

£300 to carry bikes?
Holy Jeebus.

Yeah but no but yeah but no. What's the alternative?

Those strap-on hatch/bootlid racks, even the "decent" ones, always look a bit sketchy to me (and to others, by the sound of this thread). A quality rack buys a lot of peace of mind. Especially if you're carting around a few £k's worth of bike at a time.

Saris Bones does me fine on a Golf.
Mind you, an ex girlfriend had a Focus, and the bootlid seemed very flimsy. I'm not sure if I would use a hatch-rack on one of them.

You usually cannot use a bootlid mounted rack due to the rear spoiler on the hatchback.

MyNameIsEarl

Just gone for a roof rack as it's the only option for my Citroen C4 Coupe. Was only £60. No need to go overboard when you can save money for drugs and ho's.

YeehaaMcgee

waby1234 wrote:

You usually cannot use a bootlid mounted rack due to the rear spoiler on the hatchback.

It's never been a problem ony my lowly hatchbacks. I've had a rack on a Mazda 323, a Renault5 GTX, a Peugot 205 & 306TD, and now a Golf. They've all had those little "spoilers" ont he back, but it's never been an issue.

ElliesDad

For me its a piece of mind thing, there are lots of horror stories of the strap ones coming off causing some pretty nasty accidents, let alone the damage to your bike.

I can't work some people out really, they will spend a couple of grand on a bike and then baulk at spending a few hundred to make sure you can transport it safely!

ElliesDad

snowjho wrote:

ElliesDad wrote:

snowjho wrote:

Hadnt realised it could be a similar price to go towbar. That would be more convenient and fuel efficient. Do you reccommend towsure?

Sorry, the towbar was from Towequipe not Towsure

Good company though with quick delivery. PF Jones seemed good value for money as well. As long as you can use a screwdriver and wrench/spanner I would recommend a towbar one. The electrics is a but fiddly but fairly straight forward.

Thanks for those companies, PF Jones look good value for the towbar.

Did you go for a dedicated wiring kit or universal? reading on the web seems to reccommend dedicated kits becaue of all the new electrics and in case it invalidates warrenties which I have until the end of June and then an extended warrenty afterwards. Seems a little bit of a con given they are over twice the price.

I went for a universal 7 way by pass kit.

The benefit of the dedicated wiring kits are they are easier to fit as most of them just plug into your cars existing connector plugs. The universal kits need to be "spliced" in to the cars wiring using scotch locks, this is a bit fiddly and you have to spend a bit of time with a voltage meter to identify which of the cars wires does what.

To be honest, you will probably need to do this even with a strap on carrier as there are very few cars where you won't obscure the cars lights. Legally, even if one spoke obsures the lights you need a lighting board. The police can and do prosecute for obscured lights.

waby1234

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

waby1234 wrote:

You usually cannot use a bootlid mounted rack due to the rear spoiler on the hatchback.

It's never been a problem ony my lowly hatchbacks. I've had a rack on a Mazda 323, a Renault5 GTX, a Peugot 205 & 306TD, and now a Golf. They've all had those little "spoilers" ont he back, but it's never been an issue.

I was referring to the Focus specifically, it's a known issue.

YeehaaMcgee

ElliesDad wrote:

For me its a piece of mind thing, there are lots of horror stories of the strap ones coming off causing some pretty nasty accidents, let alone the damage to your bike.

I can't work some people out really, they will spend a couple of grand on a bike and then baulk at spending a few hundred to make sure you can transport it safely!

Maybe some of us can barely afford to get by because we spend out money on biking
Seriously though, I've been using a strap bike on my own cars for 15 years, and never had an issue. I wonder if the "horror stories" are from people who want to sell you expensive racks?

daimaths

If you are not far from North East Wales you can have a set of thule Aero bars as replaced car and had to get new bars to suit. No charge to a good home!!