Holdfast sway - resolved

[rider1]

I've recently changed from the roof rack bike carrier to the 4 bike Holdfast bracket that attaches to the towbar.  The type that the bike hangs on.  It can swing forward (or is it backwards)to allow boot access. Last Saturday on my way to Jonkershoek I was concerned about the amount of sway in the bracket (movement of the bikes)as well as all the knocking noises coming from the back.  I had 3 MTB's attached.  Am I being paranoid or is all of this normal?

 

Thanks

rider12009-10-14 04:56:52

[Johan Bornman]

Those bike carriers are notoriously noisy. As long as the spring clip is secure, the pin cannot come out. the carrier will still swing from side to side and irritate you, but won't come off.

 

The design is really primitive. That pin should have been a tapered screw-in pin. Instead.....aag never mind.

 

 

[whistler]

I've got the same carrier. Driven from CapeTown to Joburg and back with 3 bikes on it. All swaying etc. No problems whatsoever. Although I didnt like the sway. Pull it tight with bungi chords.

 

Had 4 bikes on it all the way to TB, 2 times already, been through the hell etc. Don't mind the sway, just fit something between the bikes to prevent transport damage.

 

It really holds fast.

 

[rider1]

Thanks for the advice guys. 

[henk]

I have used a three bike one for 8 years. The distributors have a few handy gadgets which I am sure you will be able to ask your local LBS to get from them.

The one is a piece of adjustable webbing with two hooks that fit at the top of the boot lid, looped round the top of your carrier, and then pulled tight. NO MORE NOISE on long trips, because it stops the sway to a very large degree.

The other handy gadgets are bike spacers. I have two and have never had as much as a scratch on any one of my bikes.

Send me a PM with your e-mail address if you want pics.

[rider1]

I am quite relieved now that I know I haven't purchased a defective product and that the 'sway' is normal for this type of carrier.  Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

Jerry

[Eugene]

Mine squeaks like anything. My concern is that pin (or shaft) that you remove when you want to swing the carrier back wards.

Is it really strong enough?. It is pretty thin and there is a lot of movement on it.

 

[Johan Bornman]

Yes, it is strong enough. For it to break off, it has to shear, which would require something like a 300kg force on the carrier in order to get enough leverage. But, strong enough doesn't mean good enough. They really ought to get an engineer to re-design it.

It is quite unacceptable for something to be so noisy around corners and over bumps. Carrying stuff on our cars always introduces new noises and fears, we don't need this too.

 

 

[henk]

To minimise sway - Holdfast used to have a belt with hooks that fitted at the top end of the boot and looped around carrier and tightened. I have used it for about 8 years to Amashovas and Bloem Classics. Makes a huge diff on the amount of sway and to date has done no damage to my bootlid.

The other handy gadget that I bought from them is, what I call a "bike spacer" it clamps between bike 1 and 2 and another one between bike 2 and 3. (I have a three bike rack and carry no 4 on the roof. Never had as much as ascratch on any of my road bikes. 

[henk]