Saris bones

freddiegrubb

Well, here I am again after some time I must admit , I,ve recently changed my motor to a 16 plate ford ecosport (side opening t/gate - no spare wheel attached ) the bike won,t go in the back unless the wheels are off. So rear seats are a little compromised, I fancy using the bones but halfrauds say it,s a non-starter & the saris website is not much help. I don,t fancy using a r/rack so the question is has anybody any knowledge or experience of this rack/car combo? Polite replies only please as I am of a sensitive disposition & product of a gentle upbringing.

morstar

Have the rack but not the car. Rack has been used since 2003 without issue so works well but puts most of the load on the two top straps which hook onto the top of the boot door. If the rear door is not anchored to the car at the top, all that load is being placed on the door structure with a nice big lever.

Lagrange

I'm still an advocate of the tow bar mounted rack - by far the easiest to use, can be made very secure and does not have any of the disadvantages or risks of the others. Needs a tow bar, electrics and a lights / number plate board. Got those for £250. I've seen the bones on cars and it certainly looks very secure with the weight, as said being on the top of the door. It would be my second choice.

Nice to see that you have had a gentle upbringing - me too but some of the people posting have had very rough upbringings and are basically cave men.

figbat

morstar's point is a good one - you would be twisting the door frame, potentially putting pressure on the hinges and/or latch. If anything were to happen to the bike and/or car, an insurer might ask some questions about using a rack of a non-recommended type.

According to roofbox.co.uk:

roofbox.co.uk wrote:

It's not possible to fit a rear door fitting bike carrier to this vehicle, this is due to the design and/or strength of the tailgate. We recommend considering either roof bar or tow bar mounting bike carriers.

That suggests to me that either (1) you do it anyway and possibly get away with it or (2) you need a roof or towbar-mounted option.

Roof would be easier and cheaper, but requires a stretch to mount the bikes. I use a roof-mounted carrier on our Volvo XC60 - I am 5'10" and my bikes are not especially heavy and I manage OK, but it is a stretch. On our previous car, a Skoda Yeti, it was easier. The roofbars and rack stay on the car all the time as I use it weekly.

Towbar-mount is easier for fitting, but requires the cost of a towbar to be fitted, which isn't inconsiderable. Once done though, they are much easier to use, although need somewhere to be stored when not in use and restrict parking options with a long rear overhang. I use one on the Volvo for when we take all 4 bikes somewhere.

Lagrange

Talk to the insurer anyway and particularly if you want to fit a towbar. I know Tesco considered it a modification and would not insure me - 5 yrs ago. Also tell them about the bike rack and the bike - they can be a bit funny if they don't know what you are up to - obvious or not - although I did get two versions:

1. We need to know or you are not covered.
2. We need to know so that if you have a crash we can get you a car with a towbar.

However, neither bike or carrier are covered!

freddiegrubb

Thanks for the replies chaps , good point about the leverage/insurance possibilities , I,ll think about the tow bar & insurance direction . I don't really want fit r/r as I live on the edge of the L/district & there are plenty of overhanging trees etc. which could deliver a good whack if you make a misjudgement . More homework & cheese grommet !!!!!!!!!

Matthewfalle

Why are you calling Halfords "Halfrauds"?

#confused

ben@31

I had a Saris Bones bike rack a few years ago. Its feet scratched the paint of the cars bumper and bodywork. So badly that when I came to sell the car, I couldn't remove the scratch mark.
I haven't used it since on my new car.

secretsam

Just got one of these, replaced vile Halfrauds cheapie.
Does anyone use a lightboard or just risk it?

orraloon

Use a lightboard. Don't risk it. Is all fine until either you get pulled over by traffic polis looking for something to do, or there is a shunt - say you get tailended by some toxxer, if your lights are obscured it'll be you taking the hit for their car, your car and your bikes. Boards are not that expensive.