Next car is probably going to be higher riding (sigh), so a tow bar bike rack will be required. Do they rub the frame where they grip like the the Thule roof mounted racks do?
I'm hoping that because the forces are in a different direction there will be less rub opportunity.
I wrap some inner tube or a rag round the frame. Any clamp/bike interface will rub with road vibration, regardless of whether on road or towbar rack.
Can do, I use these vastly overpriced Thule bits of rubber which work well and do last having found various other bits of foam, rags etc not to work very well.
Jaws can bite in to frame protection if poorly placed and if you carry more than one bike the arms need to be carefully placed to avoid them rubbing on the frame.
I don't think ours rubs.
I've taken a bike on ours to the south of France from Scotland, with no noticeable rubs.
However there's more than a few scuffs and rubs and dinks from riding them to notice.
I wrap a microfiber cloth arround the top tube. But my rack has a "hook" rather than a clamp so the frame can rattle a bit.
Thanks, I'll plan on having some extra frame protection in place then. If only there was something like the Thule upride rack, but for the tow bar.
Saris Thelma might be what you want. No frame contact.
I use a pendle bike rack and strap the upright poles onto the crank arms. Frame rub clearly not an issue.
Cranks get rubbed and clattered anyway so any additional tiny marks a non issue.
Roof mounted thule carriers for me, and a spontex moppet sponge around the downtube where the clamp is. (other sponge brands available but they were on special offer!!!). Top tip given to me by another STW forumite outside Bikescene in Guisborough when I bought my first full sus. (You know who you are 😉).
We had one for 10 years and there's no going back to roof mounted. Get a detachable swanneck towball if you can.
Standard rubber jaws on the clamps haven't caused any problems here, even, as MattO&O says, on long drives to South of France. You need to be careful w carbon frames and use the thule thingy to spread the pressure. The other thing you need to be careful about is pedal positioning as frames are closer together. I take them off on long trips. Also be careful that the longer arms don't rub on the frames they pass through as that can upset paint. You might also need to move saddle heights to avoid inadvertent saddle handlebar interface
The other thing you need to be careful about is pedal positioning as frames are closer together
second that learnt the hard way with daughters aggressive bmx pedals gouging a gash in a chainstay deep enough to end up binning the frame..take off or socks work....wanders off to check out sponge mop aisle
Thanks, excellent tips on the sponge thingy. Good advice on the pedals, I'll probs grab a set of those storage sock things I've seen around (or make something).
Definitely going detachable or OEM foldable on the tow bar.
No rubbing from the clamps IME but frames can contact each other, noting suspension forks and pannier racks add width. I use strips of old inner tube tied around the contact points.
I bought a Thule Velocompact recently after reading reviews that said it would easily carry 2 'enduro' bikes. Not really....
Especially with boost frames, the bikes are very close to touching as the trays are too close together (and closer than the older Euroway rack). I ended up buying a longer Thule arm and shortening it slightly to lean the 2nd bike out slightly and away from the 1st. It's solved the problem, but the rack design was a bit disappointing.
The arms will rub on the inner bike's frame if I attached both bikes by their top tubes, but some pipe lagging had solved that issue. It didnt happen when the 2 bikes were both Commencal Meta's, but our new combo of a Remedy + Meta doesnt play so nicely.
The clamp maybe rubs slightly, but I dont have carbon bikes so tighten them right up and they dont vibrate much.
I have a 3 bike velocolpact and can easily get 2 burly bikesnon there. 3 is a squeeze and requires deft positioning of cranks and rack arms but is still totally fine once you have it.
The arms can connect in many places so you just have to find a gap...
