Bike rack advice required

[Rolf Hansen]

They work fine if you don't transport that often or don't have more than 2 bicycles that you carry often.

 

From my experience they don't "comfortably" carry what they claim, depending on the bike and it's size of course. A 2 bicycle one works great for 1 bicycle but is a little painful for 2. As for the 3 bike carrier; works great for 2 but not so much for 3. The same goes for the tow bar and the ones that strap on the back of the car.

 

I now use a tailgate pad which is only useful if you drive a bakkie 

[tinmug]

Thule is a great choice: very well designed, spares available and very easy to use compared to some others. The trouble with hangers is that dual-suspension frames (or small frames) don't have horizontal top tubes, or have suspension that gets in the way.

 

My advice would be get the rack you think you'll need in 5/10 years' time.

 

Had a quick look at the classifieds and fount this: https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/bike-racks/451377/thule-ride-on-3-bike-rack  << that seems to be a very good price, and the cost of schlepping in halfway across the country is minor if you consider you will likely want to upgrade in the future anyway. 

 

Here's another: https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/bike-racks/470413/thule-2-bike-platform-rack

Edited May 3, 2021 by tinmug

[tinmug]

Note on above: the clamp handle on the 2nd ad (slightly more expensive rack) works a bazillion times better than the you-will-need-to-carry-a-spanner setup of the older 3-bike Thule rack. Also the little clampy extension handles (again, on newer 2-bike Thule in 2nd ad) is much, much better than the hoops of the 3-bike rack. 

 

I've learned the hard way and if the choice was mine I'd cough up for the 5K 2-bike rack.

[Iwan Kemp]

Also look at Westfalia Bike Racks:

https://positivesportssolutions.co.za/westfalia/

 

And Treefrog suction mounts:

https://positivesportssolutions.co.za/treefrog/

[Jarl Borg]

This

 

OP Most of these racks arent made for mtb. More for road bikes considering the spacing. Also bear in mind the weight limits. Not sure what type of bikes you will be transporting. There is another thule similar to that that carries the load better and is not as reliant on those nuts on the side at the top.

 

I see its alot more than your pic

Platform rack for the win though, if you can find one for you budget. The holdfast ones are decent as well.

I agree I used to use a similar spare wheel mount, my experience was never good when towing 2 bicycles so I got the platform rack

[RocknRolla]

used one for years, rated to carry 3 bikes, but could only ever fit 2 mtb bikes. Also, loading small/xs frames are a pita.

[Pieter1]

Hi guys,

 

I am in the process of getting into the sport. Good to meet you all.

 

After deciding on a bike (thread here) I will have to get the towbar and rack sorted so we can be a bit more mobile.

 

So, a platform type will be great but the price at this point might not be possible. I will be fitting a towbar though.

 

So the next best thing will be something like a Thule Xpress 2 or any of the other rack-style carriers.

 

 

However, looking at the design, what is the possibility of the bikes swinging and potentially damaging the car with these types of racks? (sorry if it's a silly question)

 

Other suggestions also welcome!

 

Thanks a lot!

I have one of these. My bike’s shape and size of the tubes makes it a bit of a hassle, I have more bungee cords on there than anything but it works fine. As people have said just watch where the front wheel is in relation to the exhaust.

[ChrisF]

These racks are used by MANY cyclists.

 

It has many advantages:

- cost

- packs away easily, could even be kept in the boot if you need to pick up a bike

- easy to fit and use.

 

 

Things to consider:

- Make SURE at which angle you fit it !!  A friend fitted his at an angle, and the fork rubbed a nasty mark into his bumper  (user error, not the fault of the rack)

- protection when transporting more than 1 bike .... you will become an artist with pool noodles .... 

- ZERO theft protection !!!  At some point you will need to stop at a shop on the way to the trails .... you WILL need to use a cable lock .... in fairness, this applies to the much more expensive platform racks as well.

- as others have shown, some frames require you to mount the frame at some weird angles .... another friend had his front tire dragging on the road when going through dips ....

 

 

 

Starting out, buy one of these racks from the classifieds.  Save up and invest in a platform rack, IF the bug bites and you want to go down this wormhole ....

[Harryn]

Ive just been down this street. Initially I cursed as I should have bought a 4 bike rack for 2 bikes. But, with a bit of testing and sorting out, I made it work just perfectly for 2 bikes.

 

I run a Fortuner and need to hang 2 MTB hard tails (a M and a L frame):

- first thing I did was move the right hand horizontal bar to be inside the upright, not on the outside of the upright (shown as black dots. Red x is the original positon). This makes the two horizontals fit better between the size of bike frames (for me)

hanger.jpg

- I remove BOTH seats from each bike

- the M goes on first, with the front wheel on the passenger side of the car. The left horizontal is UNDER the down tube, and the right horizontal is under the top tube (not both under the top tube as suggested by the manufacturer).

M frame.jpg

This also clears the rear wheel from the exhaust pipe gases

- I then use the frames strap to fix the front wheel to the left hand upright tube. This turns the wheel enough to have the handle bars clear my rear window.

- the L frame goes on last with the front wheel on the drivers side. The left horizontal goes under the top tube, the right horizontal goes UNDER the down tube. Again, this clears the front wheel from the exhaust gases

- I use 3 bungy cords. One per bike to stop the wheels rotating, and one to secure the L frame to the hanger to stop it swinging.

- I use a pool noodle between the two frames to prevent rubbing.

- make sure each pedal set is clear of wheels and stanchions

- takes longer to secure the bungies than hanging the bikes.

 

If i hang one bike, I leave the seat post in and put the front wheel on the passenger side, same hanger positions for the M frame as shown above

 

Drawings not to scale for the smart ass types

 

Hope it helps, here endeth the long read

 

117, out

You got this!

 

When do you have time to ride?