New car means new rack...well, first rack really

D75201

Hi all,

I'm sure this has been addressed before so I apologize if I didn't find it.

I am newish to cycling, and my fiancee has been at it for about 10 years. I recently got her a new bike (all carbon) for her birthday, and am picking up a new car tomorrow (4Runner), but am needing advice on transporting the bikes now.

I am in a Prius right now, and we've been transporting the bikes inside the vehicle. It's worked okay, but I'm wanting to get a hitch rack for us to transport the bikes. I'm on an aluminum frame, so I'm not so worried about mine, but are there any tips in regards to racks I should be aware of since hers is all carbon? I have seen too many horror stories about roof racks to go that route.

I see there are racks that attach at the frame, some that the bikes actually sit on, etc.

Any advice is much appreciated, as I am still kind of bike-stupid and trying to get this right and don't want to splinter her new baby up on the way to go ride.

cooldad

It's a truck. Put them inside.

apreading

See http://www.roofbox.co.uk/bike-carriers/ ... unting.php

I had to choose between the Thule 927 for the fact that it is probably with most widely used and most well known brand, or the Atera Strada DL which is loved by many cyclists because rather than tilt the rack to access the boot, it slides the bikes away and gives you more room to get into the boot, and the one I went for in the end which was the Whispbar/Cykell T31 that is much better to put on the tow bar because you lift it vertically so not straining your back, pop it on the tow bar and then just fold it down to lock into position - alot easier and less likely to do your back in.

Check that what you get will fit in your boot too - my Audi A4 Avant is not the widest at 100cm, so the Thule 927 would not have fitted at 103cm. The Cykell was perfect but I couldnt try the Atera.

The Whitter racks also look good because, like the Cykell, they lift on vertically and just fold down. They have a neat trick of allowing you to fold the bar up vertically, twist the licence plate/light bar and therefore park or drive without it sticking out but without having to put it in the boot of your car. I would have liked to see one in the flesh but couldnt.

The Cykell also comes with the best warranty at 5 years, as opposed to all the others at 2 or 3. Its not cheap though.

The Atera and the Cykell also have a neat trick in that you can get an 'extension' to put an extra bike on - turning a 2 bike carrier into 3 or a 3 bike carrier into 4.

sloppyschleckonds

Just hire a bike wherever you intend on driving

cougie

Why get a monster truck and put the bikes on the outside. Whats going in the car that's worth more than the bikes?

D75201

apreading wrote:

See http://www.roofbox.co.uk/bike-carriers/ ... unting.php

I had to choose between the Thule 927 for the fact that it is probably with most widely used and most well known brand, or the Atera Strada DL which is loved by many cyclists because rather than tilt the rack to access the boot, it slides the bikes away and gives you more room to get into the boot, and the one I went for in the end which was the Whispbar/Cykell T31 that is much better to put on the tow bar because you lift it vertically so not straining your back, pop it on the tow bar and then just fold it down to lock into position - alot easier and less likely to do your back in.

Check that what you get will fit in your boot too - my Audi A4 Avant is not the widest at 100cm, so the Thule 927 would not have fitted at 103cm. The Cykell was perfect but I couldnt try the Atera.

The Whitter racks also look good because, like the Cykell, they lift on vertically and just fold down. They have a neat trick of allowing you to fold the bar up vertically, twist the licence plate/light bar and therefore park or drive without it sticking out but without having to put it in the boot of your car. I would have liked to see one in the flesh but couldnt.

The Cykell also comes with the best warranty at 5 years, as opposed to all the others at 2 or 3. Its not cheap though.

The Atera and the Cykell also have a neat trick in that you can get an 'extension' to put an extra bike on - turning a 2 bike carrier into 3 or a 3 bike carrier into 4.

Thank you for this.

davep1

Are you fitting the rack to a tow bar. or having to strap it to the rear of the vehicle?

I have a Saris bones 2 bike rack for my Octavia Hatchback, which works well. I wanted it to sit upright at the back of the car, rather than on the sloping roof glass which some do.

You'll have to experiment with how you pack the two bikes together. As a minimum get some pipe lagging material from a plumbers, the blue tubular stuff is good. You have to try and stop all parts of both bikes moving with the motion of the car which is very tricky. Handlebars move, wheels and pedals move, straps you think you've secured get loose...

I had a different rack before, I put my son's cheapo ally Spesh Allez on first and then my pride and joy carbon Propel, and had no issues on the outward trip. My son commented that it made the more valuable bike more obvious so on the return trip I did it the other way round, and I think parts of the ally bike were then rubbing on the nice carbon frame. The paintwork is scuffed up which I could do without.

apreading

I think they are using tow-bar, referred to in their post as a 'hitch' - I think the Americans tend to call them hitches whereas the uk calls them tow-balls/bars.

I can second the nomination for Saris for strap on racks though - my Saris Bones RS was awesome but nowhere near as good as a tow bar with lit up number plate and signals etc - better to be legal...!

AK_jnr

A Prius to a 4runner?! Dont tell me you bought the prius for its looks haha.

Bobbinogs

The trick to racks like the Saris is definitely lots of foam piping and a judicious amount of cable ties for both the piping and the bikes. As mentioned though, nought beats a proper towbar or roof mounted rack.

davep1

Bobbinogs wrote:

The trick to racks like the Saris is definitely lots of foam piping and a judicious amount of cable ties for both the piping and the bikes. As mentioned though, nought beats a proper towbar or roof mounted rack.

I understand a tow bar is the best option, but cannot understand how a roof rack can be better. Massively more draggy surely? And harder physically to get them up there?

Baron Greenback

AK_jnr wrote:

A Prius to a 4runner?! Dont tell me you bought the prius for its looks haha.

Hey! What's wrong with a Prius? Haha.

Mine will be going soon. Looking for an outlander at the moment.

Anonymous

I can recommend a Thule 925 Velocompact