Hatchback bike rack, scratch car?

[intern]

When it comes to bike racks, it really is worth it to bite the bullet, have a tb fitted and get a proper Thule. Sure, it hurts a lot (you can buy a lot of kiff bike stuff for the money) but it will make any travel a breeze and for a very long time thereafter. It looks after your car and your bikes and delivers that most precious of things, convenience. The strap ons take ages to fit and always have the risk of damaging bike and car, including the chance of a wheel slipping down over the exhaust and getting melted by the global warming pipe.

Even non-cyclists get impressed with a towbar Thule - had some random dude last week look at the thing and go 'jeez, that's a pretty sharp bit of engineering'.

[madbradd]

When it comes to bike racks, it really is worth it to bite the bullet, have a tb fitted and get a proper Thule. Sure, it hurts a lot (you can buy a lot of kiff bike stuff for the money) but it will make any travel a breeze and for a very long time thereafter. It looks after your car and your bikes and delivers that most precious of things, convenience. The strap ons take ages to fit and always have the risk of damaging bike and car, including the chance of a wheel slipping down over the exhaust and getting melted by the global warming pipe.

Even non-cyclists get impressed with a towbar Thule - had some random dude last week look at the thing and go 'jeez, that's a pretty sharp bit of engineering'.

 

I really do have to disagree here. When I was looking it would have cost me R12k to fit a towbar to my car. If I didn't fit the manufacturer's towbar I would have lost my warranty on suspension and electronics (a separate dbate, but that's the reality). Then to get a platform rack Thule would have cost between R8k and R12k (at the time - not sure what they cost now, and yes that was the price for a new "pretty sharp" one). So now we're somewhere between R20k and R25k for a bike rack.

 

I bought my Thule raceway for R3299 from cyclelab. I absolutely guarantee you I can fetch and fit it faster than than you can with your towbar mounted one. I can pretty easily have it fitted with 60 seconds of being at the car with it. I can also carry mine up the stairs at my complex while carrying my bike and kit.

 

As far as the exhaust damage goes, I have only spoken to 2 people who have had damage due to exhaust. One was a Thule platform rack, one was a Buzzrack (both towbar mounts, and both Fortuners). One of the guys had to replace a tyre, the other had to replace his carbon rim.

 

All the above said, If I already had a towbar I would have bought a "pretty sharp" towbar rack. I do believe that they are better, but I definitely do not believe that dropping an extra R12k is necessary.

[Halfdoesyn]

Some good points.

 

If you happen to have a tow bar, use it.  If you don't, protect the paintwork with clear tape and get a strappie.

 

Fitting a towbar AND getting a decent towbar mounted rack is far more expensive than a paintjob. And the paintjob is not a given if you protect the paintwork.

 

My 2c

[akneethling]

I have a raceway too. I like the security of the Ratchet system lock. It makes me worry less about the entire rack being stolen with the bike. I do find that the hard rubber pads on the raceway damages paint, even if you keep the paintwork clean. I added soft foam rubber pads where the raceway makes contact with the paint. No more paint damage. I used a 10mm foam rubber sheet, and just cut out small strips to cover the contact points on the raceway. The 10mm foam rubber can be bought at ant performance foam rubber retailer. It costed me R120 for a 1.2m sheet. It's very useful around the house if you fancy some DIY too :-)

[chiefhum69]

Guys, 

 

I would like a bike rack for my car (Polo hatchback). I don't have a tow bar. 

 

A good friend mentioned that the Thule rear mounted bike rack with the straps (note with the straps, Thule 910XT) scratches the car paint. He suggested I get the solid frame (eg: https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/173185-thule-clip-on-3-bike-rack/).

 

Please advise?  

I have a Tungha 1.1 Bike carrier, 

 

Very much cheaper than any other strap on bike rack. Drove to DBN (From JHB) It was a very windy day and the carrier held. It doesn't scratch the vehicle. Only possibility is if the bike itself swings onto the car. I see many guys using pool noodles to avoid that.

 

You can get the carrier at takealot or directly from Tungha. They are based in Sunninghil  

[slickjay007]

I think bottom line is how much are you willing to spend on a bike rack? if you want clip type then just make sure that the straps are fitted correctly.

 

Not everybody has 15-20K for a tow bar and proper bike rack so it boils down to your budget.

 

Good luck with your decision David.