Tow bar bike rack or roof bars

corriebee1

So i have a week and a day until we set off up to Yorkshire on holiday. I've recently bought an estate car with a tow bar.

Any recommendations for tow bar bike racks, or should i go for bars? I'm thinking of the rear rack as with two young boys, there may come a point when we want to put a box on the roof as well!

Or should i strap the kids to the roof instead?

slowbike

get a towbar box to put the kids in and bikes inside ...

I have an irrational hatred of roof bars for bikes and prefer them on a thule towbar rack. The downside of the towbar racks are
1) you need to have a towbar
2) it's harder to get into the boot with the bikes on
3) you have to allow for the additional length when parking - sometimes it's easier to remove the rack if you're parking up for the day and riding on the bikes.

Advantages
1) You can see them in the rear view mirror
2) they're out of the direct wind
3) Easy to load as you're not reaching up over the car
4) you don't have to worry about height barriers

secretsam

Ferries and the Chunnel charge more for height if you have a box or bikes on the roof: the Chunnel certainly don't charge for extra length of a towbar rack.

We've a tall car so towbar rack for us - no worries about extra height but fitting a removable towbar was £350, plus rack at £450 or so (4 bikes) it's not cheap. But it probably doesn't affect the MPG as much as roof mounted bikes

fenix

If you have a towbar - use that for the bikes. Keep them out of the air as much as possible. Simple.

corriebee1

Thank you. Seems like the towbar rack is the best option then.

Looking at the Thule Ride-on 9503. It's £185 on Wiggle.

Man Of Lard

Towbar - and if you can wait until autumn to buy one - check out eBay/Gumtree for those people who seem to buy new every year (or who don't have storage), especially "collection only" listings... I snagged a mint Thule RideOn 9402 for £30 a couple of years back...

corriebee1

Man Of Lard wrote:

Towbar - and if you can wait until autumn to buy one - check out eBay/Gumtree for those people who seem to buy new every year (or who don't have storage), especially "collection only" listings... I snagged a mint Thule RideOn 9402 for £30 a couple of years back...

AHH, and therein lies the problem.... I need one for next Friday!

Man Of Lard

Then the best I can see at the moment is a Thule 9403 for £170 @ Halfords (3 bikes - obviously 10% off for BC membership) or a 9502 for £159 (2 bikes - many places, 10% off @ Halfords for BC membership)

The 9400-series is the predecessor to the 9500 series but functionally identical. Not sure what the real world difference is between them to be honest...

corriebee1

Man Of Lard wrote:

Then the best I can see at the moment is a Thule 9403 for £170 @ Halfords (3 bikes - obviously 10% off for BC membership) or a 9502 for £159 (2 bikes - many places, 10% off @ Halfords for BC membership)

The 9400-series is the predecessor to the 9500 series but functionally identical. Not sure what the real world difference is between them to be honest...

That's interesting MoL. There's a 9402 on ebay for £130 plus a tenner postage so maybe i should go for that.

Thanks for your help.

Man Of Lard

For £20 difference (assuming you don't know a BC member who could get you the 10% off) I think I'd be buying new - or even take out a BC membership and you've made half of the membership fee back in one go...

I speak as someone who was briefly a member of the Irish Triathlon Union to nab a 25% discount (for €25... The 25% was nearer €200) in the past. Neither irish nor a triathlete

corriebee1

Happy boy

Managed to secure a Buzz rack Buzz runner 3, still in the box from ebay for £130. Seems like a really good discount on new for a rack from a very highly regarded company. And collection 5 minutes from my office.

We SHALL go on holiday (with bikes).

davis

Ah you could've borrowed my Thule 9503 for the price of a replacement thumb wheel....

A word of advice; get some bungees, foam pipe lagging, and some extra lashing straps (like Fasty straps). Stop all the wobbles you can. And don't clean the bikes before travelling because they'll get covered in road crap.

secretsam

davis wrote:

A word of advice; get some bungees, foam pipe lagging, and some extra lashing straps (like Fasty straps). Stop all the wobbles you can. And don't clean the bikes before travelling because they'll get covered in road crap.

+1