Tow bar rack for plus tyres?

[aberdeeneuan]

So having been evangelical about the Atera Strada DL we have, I’ve come across an issue. Bought myself a Roscoe 7, and the plus tyres mean it’s a real struggle to get into the rack.

How do others carry these things? I prefer tow bar mounts, and it won’t fit in the car as we typically have 3 other bikes plus people.

[bigdom]

I'm assuming the issue is the length of the straps holding the wheels? If so, something like Zuru Raptor straps would solve the issue.

Zuru Raptor Bungee 8 Pack Flat Rope Cord Tie Down Strap Roof https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BXDRLR8/ref=cm_sw_r...

[aberdeeneuan]

Yes, that’s one problem but those will solve that, other issue is bike spacing on the rack. We will carry 2 adult bikes and two kids 24” bikes. Before the plus bike I’d put mine on first, then my wife’s, then the two kids in decending size order but really don’t think that’s going to work due to the axle width?

[NoAdverseDevelopments]

The axle width is nothing to do with plus, it's a Boost issue. I have the same issue with my 'Enduro' bike if I'm carrying another bike (rare enough that padding between the bikes is sufficient), even if the other bike is standard axle widths. There are a few new rack designs around now that accommodate Boost bikes, they tend to be marketed towards the E-Bike users. When I change my current rack, a 6 year old BuzzRack, I'll be having a chat with the people at roofbox.co.uk, they know their onions on these things and offer a returns policy if the rack doesn't work.

[EdR]

I've just moved from an Atera Strada DL, partially due to the plus tyres on my son's Trek Roscoe, but also because the wheelbase of my XL Levo was too long to sensibly fit on the rack. I also wanted a bit more spacing between the bikes, as even with padding between them, it was getting rather snug with 4 adult-size MTBs on it!

Spent a long time deliberating, and ended up choosing a Whisper bike rack from Roofbox - really well engineered, feels more solid than the Atera rack did, can slide the rails in to make it narrower so I can still put it in the boot when parked up (this was what counted up the Thule XL models for me), and usefully bigger in order to fit the bikes on more easily.

[SwissJonese]

We can fit 2 fat type bikes on our Atera Strada DL but it is a bit of a squeeze and one bike need to poke out the left a bit and the other on the right, so gears/suspension don't hit. I put some foam around to stop them scratching.

The main help was buying new "Atera Strada 300mm (plus size) single wheel ratchet strap" from the roofbox company. This meant I can strap the wheels down securely using the original mechanism.

[aberdeeneuan]

Cheers folks, all very helpful! Was aware of the Boost issue but hadn't really considered the bike rack when I got the bike.

All my bike carrying gear has been from Roofbox, so have ordered the straps in the first instance to see how we get on as my wife doesn't have a plus bike, and the kids bikes are 24" so less of a challenge.

Must get some more foam though!