You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Thinking of heading to France on holiday on The Chunnel but would like, if possible, to take 5 bikes.
What's the best way? We have a Saris Bones rack that's carried all 3 kids bikes before. But not sure how best to carry two more! Roof mounted maybe? Or perhaps a trailer that two bikes could mount to?
The bikes are my Ragley Marley HT, my wife's Sentier HT, a 10 year old's 26"-wheeled Voodoo HT and little Kona and Ridgback HTs for the youngest two kids.
Anyone any experience of carrying this many bikes on a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso?
Leave the kids & put the bikes in the car 🤣
I'd probably use a towbar rack (don't like strap on's) & roof rack.
Check the cost of the tunnel though as it might be significantly more with a roof rack as you won't fit on the double decker carriage. Depending on what else you have, the car could be over loaded for weight, just a safety factor to consider.
Alternative is a trailer holding all five bikes & the kitchen sink safely and securely. That means 60mph & no outside lane on the UK motorway. If the total weight is under 3.5 tons, then car speed limits (82mph in the dry) still apply in France, otherwise it's 56mph.
You can buy 'left' and 'right' handed bike carriers, you can get 5 on that way.
Apparently this has been asked before https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/possible-to-get-5-bikes-on-the-roof-of-the-car/
A bike trailer would be the best way though IMO.
When you take into account the extra height or trailer charges, would a 3 or 4 bike towbar rack work, and put the smallest bikes in roofbox? The roofbox would also allow you so get light bulky stuff out of the car like bedding.
Also you get these weird fake trailers, they fix rigidly to the towball and you can reverse as if it's not there as the wheel is on a castor and spins 360 degrees. You can get motorbike versions which are sometimes used behind motorhomes to overcome axle/noseweight limits as the wheel takes a share of the load.
I’d hire a long wheel base kombi van and stick em all in side the vehicle and also seats 5. I’d be worried about bikes falling off the car on such a long journey!
Big roof box and shove the kids bikes in there disassembled? I did that with my youngest two’s bikes on our trip to Morzine last year. I reckon I could actually have got three in there with some care.
From 2004 to 2014 we traveled to Verber in a C4 Grand Picasso every summer with 4 full size bikes on a Thule 4 bike towbar rack. We had a couple of trips with 5 bikes. The 5th one went across the luggage in the back with the wheels off.
I've done 4 on a tow bar rack and a small road bike on the roof next to a roof box on a Ford SMax. Doesn't cost significantly more, if any more on tunnel or ferry, you just go on the single decker bit with the camper vans.
Did ~10 years of trips with 5 bikes on a C4GP including holidays all over France. I put the 3 biggest on a Thule towbar carrier that tilted out the way so the boot could still be accessed and 2 smallest on the roof.
The ones on the roof really hit the fuel consumption when your sitting at 130kph on the peage, especially once they were adult sized bikes. Adult bikes also meant the car became to tall for some height restrictions that the smaller child size bikes previously fitted under.
Sadly, or luckily, some my children no longer ride so bike transportation is slightly easier.
I was loathed to spend the money on a towbar and carrier at the time, but 10+ years later the carrier is still in use on a Berlingo that replaced the C4GP.
Hmm... So the consensus is the Bones is not such a good idea and tow bar rack + roof rack is the way to go.
So then, would £1k get me a towbar fitted, a towbar mounted rack that can fit 3 x big bikes, roof bars and a roof rack that can fit 2 x kids bikes?
I doubt it, last time I looked fitting a tow bar alone was £700-£1000!
I’ve been looking into this for a Zafira Tourer and a towbar is about £500 and there’s quite a few four bar bike racks available - I need one that’ll take big ebikes which puts up the price a lot but there were some pretty good value ones for four normal bikes (I started a recent thread on it if you check my profile).
Obviously you’ll have to do something creative with the fifth bike but if it’s a small kids one the weight shouldn’t be a problem - I’d strap it to one of the other bikes!
Tow bar mounted rack for 3 and roof racks for the other two would be my choice. I've had two ebikes on the back (would fit 3 normal bikes), and two on the roof before on a C4GP.