[Closed] Tow bar Mounted bike rack recommendations?

I've got an Atera which carries 3 bikes and doesn't particularly fold down small, my main advice would be to have a look on roofbox.co.uk as they have loads of different options and are great to deal with.
I originally purchased a Buzz rack from them but it didn't tilt enough on a Smax to get the boot open they suggested the Atera which slides and exchanged without any fuss.

We have an Atera Strada 3+1, so I'd say whichever smaller version suits. Folds small enough, but the sliding away from the car for boot access is a fantastic feature

Can recommend a buzz rack eazzy 4. Folds quite small so fits in boot of car when parked for a ride *honda civic hatchback. Bikes go on easy. Easy to put on and off. Stores in shed taking little room up.

I used to have a Thule one which was ace and I need another now I’m getting a car again with a towbar. However the Thule ones are very expensive now and haven’t really changed.
I did have an Atera roof rack bike system and I really didn’t like it, quality wasn’t as good as Thule so I’ve sorta been put off them.

Recently seen the Yakima racks and they look really good and easy to install, does anyone have any experience of them?

Standard answer is either Thule, Altera or Buzzrack depending on your budget. I'm on my second Buzzrack, the current one folds up and they're well designed but a little heavier than the other options, but value for money with them is very good as is the build quality. I only changed the original one as the pivots for the tilting mechanism had started to get baggy due to wear and a bit of rust (used twice a week in all weathers so probably the equivalent of a decade+ of normal use) plus it was at it's limit of wheelbase capacity for my Enduro bike. Went for the folding single bike version they do and it's a step up in quality again, certainly as good as any Thule I've come across. The old rack is still available to use if I ever need to carry two bikes again but as I had only ever carried two bikes on it twice in 6 years I saved the money and got the single bike carrier from Roofbox.com via their discounted returns bit, worth checking there as that's where the racks that are returned like ssboggy's go.

As you're going to be carrying 2 bikes regularly look at 3 bike racks, they'll give you better clearance between bikes as you can put 2 in slots 1 and 3. Also don't get hung up on 7 or 13 pin electrics, easily converted with a small adaptor as it's just the reversing light that gets missed on a 7 pin.

What ever you get I can only plead with you that you retro fit an LED light board. Only once in your life do you ever want to be under your car 2am with the family sitting inside wondering why the "early start to beat the West Country rush" has not happened yet whilst you are swopping bulbs around and rewiring a 7 pin socket with your teeth and bloody fingernails. How better to start a 6 hour drive?

It won't fold down small.

However our Thule EuroWay 3+1 is utterly brilliant.
I bought it second hand, already well used. It's now had 7.5 years of weekly use, been to South of France, North of Scotland. It's carried 4 bikes most of the time. The kids have helped throw bikes on. Mrs_oab can go cycling with a friend without lugging bikes on a car roof (she's only 5'). It just works and it's quick to load.

Negatives?
It's a bit too tight with boost bikes, now necessitating a move to towbar and roof when we have the MTBs.
After 15 years(!) the lights have given up (I've just ziptied lightboard on) and one of the clamps threaded last year.
It's not small or light.

Thanks everyone. Loads of options and advice there. Time to do yet more research.

Tempted by the Buzzrack Eazzy 3. My only doubts about it are:

I see the frame is attached using a ratchet strap rather than a clamp - is there a greater risk of the frame getting scratched and marked with that type?

Security - it seems to rely on a steel cable that can be locked on? I'm obviously not going to leave the bikes on there indefinitely, but I'm thinking of service stations, car parks etc. I would think that a steel cable would be fairly easy to get through?

Thule Velo compact, superb rack rock solid, lights and wheel trays can be pushed inwards making it compact 🙂 .... fits in the boot of my small car as well

security

Nothing really works. Cables can be cut. Clamps can be forced.

Our approach is to never leave them out of sight on on the rack.

Buzzrack escorpion folds up small and caries two bikes very well and far apart,
It’s built for ebikes so is solid,

Tried Pendle, Thule and Atera - now on Buzzrack Eazzy 4 and it is fantastic. The tilt mechanism on the Atera a bit better but the design of the Buzzrack hold the bikes much more firmly.

Have used Pendle wheel support, Atera folding up one (precursor to the Genio) and currently have a Yakima Just Click (was Whispbar branded when I got it)

Pendle - no issues, only sold it as car it went on was being sold, and new car was no towbar (company car). Could be a bit fiddly to get three bikes all lined up.

Atera - loved the “slide away” rather than tilt function, when it folded you ended up with quite a big “cube”, new one looks better. Was exchanged by Roofbox (who were always very helpful) for the Yakima/Whispbar as the lamp units kept failing - bulbs repeatedly dropping from the hangers, and then the lock seized. A real shame that some “commodity” parts spoilt an otherwise good rack.

Whispbar/Yakima - works really well, much easier to fit to and remove from the car than the Atera. Tilt more than sufficient to allow tailgate to open on my F-Pace. Sliding wheel trays/lamp units means it will fit straight in the boot no issues.

As @TedC the Whispbar/Yakima is best tow bar rack I’ve had and seen. Solid bit of kit and so easy to put on and take off and folds neatly away. Main issue is price, it is not cheap.

Thanks everyone. After lots of thinking I went for the Buzzrack Eazzy 3. I bought an Abus Iven 8210 with the savings for a little extra piece of mind should we have to stop on a long journey and the car can't be in plain sight for a little extra piece of mind.

I've just bought a Buzzrack E-scorpian 2 bike rack.

It's a solid bit of kit but does fold up quite well.

Fits my XL ebike really well and is nice and sturdy.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/pLfm93z5/IMG-20210306-152535.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/pLfm93z5/IMG-20210306-152535.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

I have an Atera Evo, looks great, sliding mech is easy, electrics are painful, same problem with bulbs falling out.  Difficult to space 3 fs bikes.

A former Atera owner; now have a Yakima. Tried to use it for the 1st time yesterday. Big problem ... the wheel straps aren't long enough to get my bike on. It is an XL but a short wheelbase 27.5 er (SC 5010 MK2). Pretty disappointed by that. Trying to get hold of longer wheel straps but out of stock. No usey racky = boo.

I've got the basic Thule one which I stole from my Dad. It's fine but is on the longest adjustment to take a real MTB. Given the cost I'd go for something else if buying again now

Buzzrack escorpion folds up small and caries two bikes very well and far apart,
It’s built for ebikes so is solid,

’ve just bought a Buzzrack E-scorpian 2 bike rack.

It’s a solid bit of kit but does fold up quite well.

Fits my XL ebike really well and is nice and sturdy.

Another +1 for the e-scorpion - have had 2x XL FS bikes on there with ease. It's only 2 bikes though so no 3rd bike option. Folds up very small too.

@Fat-boy-fat

Which Yakima rack do you have? The XL V2 is about 122cm or so isn't it? I've noticed a lot of racks seem to be 120cm for the max wheelbase, excluding the newer breed longer ones.

the smallest rack I've seen is the thule xpress 970 - I've one which I use when there's <3 bikes going on the car - much quicker and easier than the altera strada I also have. Its a small, cheap bit of kit but it does exactly what it should do very well.

no tilting but it only takes 1 second to take it off the car.

1.19m wheelbase with the rack supposedly good for 1.25m. Grr. Justclick3 is the rack I've got.

I take it all back. A wee 4mm allen key adjustment of the wheel strap mounts and all good with the Yakima. Colour me relieved.

I’ve got an Atera Strada, not had any bulb issues or the like at all, and the sliding function is great. OTOH, the design is showing its age, can be impossible to have two Boost bikes beside each other as the rails are slightly too close. Loading can also be a massive pain with having to thread the arms through frames as you go

I’m waiting for tow bar to be fitted then planning to get thule easyfold xt2. Not the cheapest solution but ticks all the boxes. I’m also getting a swing arm so I can still get in the back doors of van, but the fold function looks good enough for boot access.

@Fat-boy-fat - good save.

Has anyone used the Westfalia BC60 or Bikelander? What's the spacing like between bikes?

First car with a towbar has just arrived. One of those clever deployable/hidden ones. Currently using 598 on Evo Wingbars, which has been excellent, especially for carbon frame...

So, thinking of a Thule VeloSpace XT. It ticks almost all of my boxes so far, but says it needs a carbon frame protector, so would be interested in any personal experience.

Failing that, what else does..
3 bikes, decent weight limits for at least one E-bike (future proofing!)
Expands to 4 if needed
Lights and ting already to be plugged in
Tiltable to retain boot access (on a XC90)
Stable and secure when driving, at least some rudimentary locking set up
Some sort of fold, ideally to fit in the boot

TIA.

Atera Strada DL3. Packs down to the size of a small car when not in use, weighs about the same as one too. Bits fall off it (bolts from the back of the lights etc) and fitting bikes in the pissing rain is like some kind of Krypton Factor challenge.

I must be wrong though as everyone raves about them but seeing mine side by side with a friends Thule equivalent, thats where I wish I'd spent my money.

Also have the Yakima one and it’s great, Large 29er Spesh Levo SL goes on it no probs.

Hello Thule velo compact users

PLEASE HELP
I have one problem the vertical support tends to drift backwards giving all the bikes a tilt. I have tightened the nuts as tight as I dare but it still happens.

It makes for a nervous drive/ driver.

Thanks

Is the whole rack tilting or just the support? Some racks have a lug that you tighten up against the ball so you can adjust the pitch..?! On mine, you have to wind it in and out otherwise you can't take it off the ball.

Mines not a Thule, but would be surprised if they don't all have something similar..

+1 for the Buzzrack - the steel cable can be replaced with whatever chain you feel comfortable with, and despite the ratchet straps having a rubber buffer, you could use some soft cloth for extra peace of mind

I have had this for the first time on Saturday. It is the support rail that comes out of its housing and lets the bike tilt. I thought that it was because I hadn't tightened the nuts enough but Keith's experience seems to show that's not enough.
My other gripe with the Compact is that it is a bit too Compact. I find it a real squeeze to get two largish bikes on.

@FOG

I have had this for the first time on Saturday. It is the support rail that comes out of its housing and lets the bike tilt. I thought that it was because I hadn’t tightened the nuts enough but Keith’s experience seems to show that’s not enough.

Are you sure that the vertical rail is properly pushed down into the sockets/sleeves below them. If they are properly down the rail cannot move forwards and back. Might need to give it a wiggle/nudge when you're putting it vertical to make sure it drops down securely. Then you just tension the nuts so hold it in place.

I have an old Euroway 3, and it is snug for three bikes. Tend to tweak saddle heights to prevent saddle/handlebar interface, and be really careful with pedal positions so no frame/pedal interface(
For long journey i sometimes turn the hadlebars thro 90 degress, and take the pedals off.