Member Since: 18 Feb 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 14
Tow Bar Bike Carry... Which one / advice
Any advice / opinions on which is the best Tow Bar bike carry?
I have the 'Tow Pack' detachable tow bar and would like to carry upto 4 bikes?
I recently saw what I think was the 'Thule euroclassic' which looked a good bit of kit, well made and tilted to give access to the boot.
Has anyone had experience of these?
What stops them tilting to the side? Do I need to modify the tow bar?
On research they seem expensive (£350 ish).
Any veiws/advice would be appreciatedGolf R32 gone... bring on the mud and ruts
6th Apr 2010 6:08 pm
Alex08
Member Since: 09 Nov 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1600
Thule or Altera Strada are the most commonly used. I have the Thule 903 with 4th bike option. It hasn't fallen off yet. Yes, they are expensive, but then so are all your bikes/no claims/points on your licence if they all fall off! Best get a good one.
If buying again I would probably get the Altera as the sliding mechanism to access the tailgate is better than the Thule if you have the 4th bike fitted.
I have the Altera Stada. Use it for 3 bikes , but have the 4th bike adapter.
I struggle a little to get bikes interlocked ok, but used it a couple of times in the last few weeks and am getting the hang of it now. What I do like is the way it slides away from the car, so I can get proper access to the boot to put the dog in.
Load all the bikes up then slide it away from the car very easily.
I have struggled to work out how to get four bikes on, but managed it in the end. I think some pics in my gallery. I'm doing four bikes - large mans, womans, and two childrens mountain bikes. Gets a bit tangled with handlebars etc.
However, it is very easy to put on the car, takes only a few minutes, and the number plates and wiring is all done already for you.
I use mine on the removable tow bar, and seems very stable.TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
6th Apr 2010 7:58 pm
Alex08
Member Since: 09 Nov 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1600
Sturge wrote:
I have struggled to work out how to get four bikes on. Gets a bit tangled with handlebars etc.
Usually it is easier to turn the handlebars through 90 degrees for a couple of the bikes. Is possible to do this on most 'domestics'. If a couple of the bikes have this done, the remainder are easier to fit on.
Maybe not to the bike purists liking, but it works. If not, fitting 4 bikes on is a bit like doing a rubik's cube!
Thanks I will try that. I have tried twiddling the seat. Maybe that handlebars would help as well (although need a allen key to do that I think)
Definately make it easier though. TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
6th Apr 2010 8:04 pm
Alex08
Member Since: 09 Nov 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1600
Most handlebars just need brute force - hold the wheel between your legs and twist the handlebars away from you. It will be stiff, but should go - more so on the smaller bikes. If needed you can loosen the stem bolt, but usually this is not needed. If so remember to take the allen key to retighten when you take the bikes off!
Probably won't make much difference to the way the kids ride the bikes anyway - they change direction at randomn as it is TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
We bought the strada a few weeks ago and spent an hour working out how to get the bikes fitted, intially thought we had made a mistake buying it - the poles that attach the bikes are not telesopic or bendable so you have to work out a way of lining them up to secure them on a point on your bike. The first bike and pole fitted perfectly, but then my bike caused a problem, i tried to use the 2nd pole but because it has suspension it would not attach on a convient point, and made the bike lean and would have put too much stress on the wheels. Then we moved the bike around and my seat then hit the handle bars of the other and i did not want to mess about highering and lowering handle bars and seats. ended up using the third position/pole (which is fine for us as we only have 2 bikes). Every option intially the poles would not fit between the first bikes bars and the appeared the wrong length, but we perservered.
To get the best set up we ended up taking it apart and swapping over the order and position of the securing arms, not difficult to do as only a few screws. Once we had worked out the best set up it is an absolute doddle to use and well worth the intial messing about.
It is not cheap and we only have two adult bikes on it, but it is a solid piece of kit and you can open both the top and bottom tailgates which is what we needed as we need to get the dog in and out of the back, the clearance when it is slid down is brilliant, the dog likes plenty of room to get in and out.
It does not seem to rattle and it is really easy to get it to slide up and down, we do not have kids, but would imagine they could operate the slide feature easily. Fits on the towbar easily and really quick to put on and load up, fully lockable on the tow bar and on each bike and seems fairly secure, think someone would need to be determined to steal a bike from it.
It folds up quite compact as well and then just folds out and and secure a wing nut and you are ready to put it on the car,
Apart from the intial messing around would highly recommend this carrier
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Really would recommend it, just allow yourself a bit of messing around to get the intial set up right.
6th Apr 2010 9:16 pm
riddicks
Member Since: 02 Mar 2006
Location: Chester
Posts: 43
I went for the MAXXRAXX, basic components but holds 5 bikes well. If you have different sizes of bikes they can be tricky to mount together, a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. I needed a 5 bike carrier and at the time it was the only one available I think there are one or two more. I would recommend it for 4 for 5 bikes. You do need a full tow bar kit installed it's not advisable to mount it on the removable tow bar.
Any chance of a close up of the fiiting that attaches to the bike on the atera ? I have a Marin Xc FRS and the frame is almost hexagonal and I wonder if the fitting will fit the frame.
Thanks
6th Apr 2010 10:27 pm
cooperman17
Member Since: 13 Oct 2009
Location: Leedsdale-on-Tees
Posts: 102
I have the Thule 903 with the 4th bike option (unused). Have used it for years for 3 full size mountain bikes. Expensive initial purchase but safe clean transporter worth every penny.
Can't comment on the Altera.
7th Apr 2010 6:04 pm
Tapered Man
Member Since: 18 Feb 2010
Location: Warwickshire
Posts: 14
Really appreciate all the replies... thanks Golf R32 gone... bring on the mud and ruts
Don't know if this helps you. Few others in my gallery.
TDV6 HSE Lux (2014MY)
TDV6 HSE (2006MY - owned for 9 years and 150,000! - now replaced)
Mini Cooper SD 5 door
TVR Chimaera 450
Series II 1960 Diesel
8th Apr 2010 9:11 pm
mrandmrsh
Member Since: 25 Sep 2008
Location: Holmfirth
Posts: 487
Re: Atera, as Sturge's pic the locking band is basically what looks like a rubbarized plasticy band (actually has steel cable in it to make cutting it harder) that works a bit like a big cable tie only the lock unlock has to be manually switched.
The band that goes round the frame has a 'squishy' bit so you can pull the band tight. I reckon it would hold a frame whatever shape it was.
I am really pleased with mine, great and I have used it to carry other stuff as well.
Regards
C2012 Defender 110 XS Utility 2.2
2012 D4 Commercial 255 8-speed, Active diff, lots of extras on order, comes Sept - ORDER CANCELLED (isn't divorce expensive....?)
2008/08 D3 HSE G4 - part exchanged for the 110
1987 110 CSW with 200 Tdi (now gone)
2007/57 D3 TDV6 HSE - NOW GONE owned 1/oct/08 to 31/dec/09
2007 Seat Altea Freetrack4 170 tdi (wife's car, wife now gone!)
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