What Towbar Bike Carrier
Discussion
I want to buy a towbar bike carrier for our C4 Grand Picasso. It will need to carry two adult bikes and my daughter's bike. I do not want to spend too much, looking at £250. Is it essential that there is a separate frame clamp for each bike or is it OK not to have this. Any advice would be appreciated.
thats a VERY good price for one of them......
i just called my local Volvo dealer on seeing this..... they want 370 for it (inc a 13 pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrics)
I'm still torn between something like this - or just roof carriers (as i already have cross bars)
how long does it take you to fit the 929 to the car ? is it literally 30 second job to just mount it on ? or is there a fair bit of faffing ??
i just called my local Volvo dealer on seeing this..... they want 370 for it (inc a 13 pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrics)
I'm still torn between something like this - or just roof carriers (as i already have cross bars)
how long does it take you to fit the 929 to the car ? is it literally 30 second job to just mount it on ? or is there a fair bit of faffing ??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRqieEpSJEo
Looks like less that a 30 second job here.
I have to say, I think I will get a towbar on my next car (company cars) as these types of carriers look so much less of a faf compared to the roof type carriers I use now.
Looks like less that a 30 second job here.
I have to say, I think I will get a towbar on my next car (company cars) as these types of carriers look so much less of a faf compared to the roof type carriers I use now.
I got a towbar mounted 4-bike carrier by Mottez for a bit under £200, so you should be able to get a three-bike one for less than that.
Initial fitting and adjustment took an hour or so, but thereafter it takes me about 2 mins to attach it to the car (you drop it onto the towbar, push down the locking handle, plug in the electrics and you are good to go.
Thought about getting a roof carrier, but there is no way the missus would be able to lift bikes up that high above her head if she wanted to take the kids out by herself, so that mas a non-starter.
Initial fitting and adjustment took an hour or so, but thereafter it takes me about 2 mins to attach it to the car (you drop it onto the towbar, push down the locking handle, plug in the electrics and you are good to go.
Thought about getting a roof carrier, but there is no way the missus would be able to lift bikes up that high above her head if she wanted to take the kids out by herself, so that mas a non-starter.
boyse7en said:
I got a towbar mounted 4-bike carrier by Mottez for a bit under £200, so you should be able to get a three-bike one for less than that.
Initial fitting and adjustment took an hour or so, but thereafter it takes me about 2 mins to attach it to the car (you drop it onto the towbar, push down the locking handle, plug in the electrics and you are good to go.
Thought about getting a roof carrier, but there is no way the missus would be able to lift bikes up that high above her head if she wanted to take the kids out by herself, so that mas a non-starter.
Looked at their website. Seems like a good price. Numpty question, how to you attach the bike frames to the Carrier as there doesn't appear to be any clamps. There are Witter and Thule ones that look similar.Initial fitting and adjustment took an hour or so, but thereafter it takes me about 2 mins to attach it to the car (you drop it onto the towbar, push down the locking handle, plug in the electrics and you are good to go.
Thought about getting a roof carrier, but there is no way the missus would be able to lift bikes up that high above her head if she wanted to take the kids out by herself, so that mas a non-starter.
gixermark said:
thats a VERY good price for one of them......
i just called my local Volvo dealer on seeing this..... they want 370 for it (inc a 13 pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrics)
I'm still torn between something like this - or just roof carriers (as i already have cross bars)
how long does it take you to fit the 929 to the car ? is it literally 30 second job to just mount it on ? or is there a fair bit of faffing ??
If you're in the Midlands try Tollbar Volvo in Coventry. i just called my local Volvo dealer on seeing this..... they want 370 for it (inc a 13 pin to 7 pin adapter for the electrics)
I'm still torn between something like this - or just roof carriers (as i already have cross bars)
how long does it take you to fit the 929 to the car ? is it literally 30 second job to just mount it on ? or is there a fair bit of faffing ??
It's probably 30seconds includiing putting the bar up and connecting the electrics. Easy to put the bikes on and off too. The only niggle is that th bike spacing is a little tight when loading bikes with bigger forks(MTB), I keep some sections of foam to put between fork legs and rear axles in the boot.
thanks........ nowhere near them unfortunately... but thanks !
for mountain bikes... i'd generally only have 2 bikes on... for road/TT bikes could be 3... maybe VERY occasionally I'd have the need to carry 4
the Atera STRADA DL 3 seems to get a good reputation too.. although Thule is a brand i am more aware of....
for mountain bikes... i'd generally only have 2 bikes on... for road/TT bikes could be 3... maybe VERY occasionally I'd have the need to carry 4
the Atera STRADA DL 3 seems to get a good reputation too.. although Thule is a brand i am more aware of....
Wish I was nearer Coventry if that is the price.
What are the opinions on this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003N19CGQ/ref=...
looks like good value and has lockable frame clamps.
What are the opinions on this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003N19CGQ/ref=...
looks like good value and has lockable frame clamps.
I've got this, you'll need the bike carrier accessory as well or if you are doing a road trip without the bike you can add a box to it instead.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thule-TH9490-Easybase-Base...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thule-948-2-EasyBike-Adapt...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B001COFL9S...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thule-TH9490-Easybase-Base...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thule-948-2-EasyBike-Adapt...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B001COFL9S...
Thread resurrection!!
Came here following some searching hoping someone might be able to help as I’ve just purchased a Thule EuroClassic 903 with the extra adapters from eBay to carry our 4 bikes.
I previously used a Thule HangOn which was actually really good, also towball mounted, but as the kids bikes got bigger it became a faff to fit them all on plus attaching separate light board etc.
Anyway, having just got the 903 and attempting a trial fitting I cannot believe the weight of it and awkwardness to handle it while trying to mount it on the towball!!
It’s incredibly sturdy but so unweildy I really think it’ll be a struggle for me, or my wife who’s not as strong, to actually use this with any regularity. Before buying it I saw a lot of old reviews praising the fact it folded up and could be stored in the boot but I’d also be very worried about damaging the car trying to lift it up and into the boot cleanly (Skoda SUV).
Such a shame as it’s a good bit of kit.
I guess my question is; am I just embarrassingly weak(!) or has anyone got some useful tips for fitting and lugging this thing about… is there a ‘technique’?
Also, there’s a distinct lack of online advice about adjusting and securing this for the first time - the instructions were useless at explaining the process. Unbelievably there doesn’t seem to be any guides on YouTube either which surprised me.
Again, any more practical tips about the fitting process would be appreciated.
Came here following some searching hoping someone might be able to help as I’ve just purchased a Thule EuroClassic 903 with the extra adapters from eBay to carry our 4 bikes.
I previously used a Thule HangOn which was actually really good, also towball mounted, but as the kids bikes got bigger it became a faff to fit them all on plus attaching separate light board etc.
Anyway, having just got the 903 and attempting a trial fitting I cannot believe the weight of it and awkwardness to handle it while trying to mount it on the towball!!
It’s incredibly sturdy but so unweildy I really think it’ll be a struggle for me, or my wife who’s not as strong, to actually use this with any regularity. Before buying it I saw a lot of old reviews praising the fact it folded up and could be stored in the boot but I’d also be very worried about damaging the car trying to lift it up and into the boot cleanly (Skoda SUV).
Such a shame as it’s a good bit of kit.
I guess my question is; am I just embarrassingly weak(!) or has anyone got some useful tips for fitting and lugging this thing about… is there a ‘technique’?
Also, there’s a distinct lack of online advice about adjusting and securing this for the first time - the instructions were useless at explaining the process. Unbelievably there doesn’t seem to be any guides on YouTube either which surprised me.
Again, any more practical tips about the fitting process would be appreciated.
All of these things are chunky (20kg or so), but like with anything heavy, bend knees and kept weight close to body.
Looking at that model, I'd give it a go standing in the middle of it, rather than leaning over it. Hold the back of the central frame and the lever behind the support that protects the car, and the unit and it should just slip on.
Looking at that model, I'd give it a go standing in the middle of it, rather than leaning over it. Hold the back of the central frame and the lever behind the support that protects the car, and the unit and it should just slip on.
bigdom said:
All of these things are chunky (20kg or so), but like with anything heavy, bend knees and kept weight close to body.
Looking at that model, I'd give it a go standing in the middle of it, rather than leaning over it. Hold the back of the central frame and the lever behind the support that protects the car, and the unit and it should just slip on.
Thanks - that makes sense and I’ll give it a go later.Looking at that model, I'd give it a go standing in the middle of it, rather than leaning over it. Hold the back of the central frame and the lever behind the support that protects the car, and the unit and it should just slip on.
I can’t help but think a couple of grab handles in appropriate places would help a more natural way to lift/manoeuvre it as intuitively you try to lift it on from the tall bar which is already at arms length.
All the other bits start to wobble or fold when you look to them for a hand-hold! Not helped by the fact you also need to hold it in place while you put a fair bit of leverage on the locking handle…
I’ve seen videos of people demonstrating other cycle carriers like this and they seem to effortlessly pick them up and place them on with finesse, which I failed at miserably on first attempt!
dscam said:
Anyway, having just got the 903 and attempting a trial fitting I cannot believe the weight of it and awkwardness to handle it while trying to mount it on the towball!!
I`ve got the same carrier and it is pretty heavy.I fully open the lever and then lift it on the ball, resting the main frame on the ground (I`ve got and Octavia Scout). From there I get the lever to the first detent and tension the frame with the knob, once that`s done lock the lever to the horizontal position.
I never remove it when parked (usually in the new forest) I just try to reverse the car with the sides folded up and the extra bike brackets in the boot to try and hide it as best I can. I just then secure it to the car with a bike lock.
Not sure what my Yakima weighs, but it's a joy to use. It has little wheels on the bottom, handles in decent places and it all folds up neatly on the ball so it's easy to lift straight off and into the boot. It goes on and off folded up and vertical so you're stood over the ball rather than reaching as you move it around.
It's a two-bike rack though, the problem with 4 bike racks is that all the forces are multiplied up as you get further from the axle, so they have to be a lot stronger and heavier to resist you crashing through potholes.
One of the reasons I went with the Yakima is that it can take 3 bikes, but with an extension piece, so even going bigger it's as easy to use. Not much use if you need to put 4 bikes on, but I figured if I need to do that it's better to put the 4th bike on the roof than hanging its weight so far behind the tow-ball.
It's a two-bike rack though, the problem with 4 bike racks is that all the forces are multiplied up as you get further from the axle, so they have to be a lot stronger and heavier to resist you crashing through potholes.
One of the reasons I went with the Yakima is that it can take 3 bikes, but with an extension piece, so even going bigger it's as easy to use. Not much use if you need to put 4 bikes on, but I figured if I need to do that it's better to put the 4th bike on the roof than hanging its weight so far behind the tow-ball.
Deerfoot said:
dscam said:
Anyway, having just got the 903 and attempting a trial fitting I cannot believe the weight of it and awkwardness to handle it while trying to mount it on the towball!!
I`ve got the same carrier and it is pretty heavy.I fully open the lever and then lift it on the ball, resting the main frame on the ground (I`ve got and Octavia Scout). From there I get the lever to the first detent and tension the frame with the knob, once that`s done lock the lever to the horizontal position.
I never remove it when parked (usually in the new forest) I just try to reverse the car with the sides folded up and the extra bike brackets in the boot to try and hide it as best I can. I just then secure it to the car with a bike lock.
Can I ask another potentially daft question; when you operate the locking lever is it necessary to completely unscrew the large knob that is attached to it?
Likewise, when moving it from the locked down position it seems to require the bracket through which that big screw passes to be manipulated to release the teeth on the ratchet mechanism - is that correct?
dscam said:
Can I ask another potentially daft question; when you operate the locking lever is it necessary to completely unscrew the large knob that is attached to it?
I just unscrew it enough, it does feel like it’s on the verge of coming off though.dscam said:
Likewise, when moving it from the locked down position it seems to require the bracket through which that big screw passes to be manipulated to release the teeth on the ratchet mechanism - is that correct?
Yes, that’s the same on mine.Deerfoot said:
dscam said:
Can I ask another potentially daft question; when you operate the locking lever is it necessary to completely unscrew the large knob that is attached to it?
I just unscrew it enough, it does feel like it’s on the verge of coming off though.dscam said:
Likewise, when moving it from the locked down position it seems to require the bracket through which that big screw passes to be manipulated to release the teeth on the ratchet mechanism - is that correct?
Yes, that’s the same on mine.As if being humiliated at my lack of upper body strength wasn’t bad enough I was beginning to think even the basic functions were somehow beyond me!!
This thing will not beat me (or it’ll be back on eBay)
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