SimonD

I'm considering buying one of these to carry my bike and a couple of kids bikes. I like the look of the ones with runners for the wheels because this will prevent the bikes banging against the back of the car and each other.
Does anyone have any experience of them on a Scoob - I'm a little concerned about ground clearance at the back over speed bumps and up steep ramps (ferries and ou driveway!).

If not, what about the ones with a post that you hang the bikes from. How do you stop the bikes hitting the back of the car?

Cheers
Simon

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Can of worms.

Some years ago, "Which?" magazine did an investigation into bike racks, and, all else being equal, concluded that the ROOF-mounted carriers were best, since they used less extra fuel. Next were the towbar-mounted ones, and lastly the boot/hatch-mounted ones.

Let me give you my experiences of the first two types and you can make up your own mind.

Roof-mounted: NOT cheap to set up at first, needing you to buy the roofbars, (mine were bought used off here), and sufficient RACKS to hold your bikes. You can get up to FOUR bikes on top of a Scoob if you remove pedals and turn the handlebars through 90 degrees before fitting the bikes. Mine fit so that the first bike faced forwards, the second backwards etc. It can be done without altering pedals/bars, but it becomes a packer's puzzle
It used to take me about 10 minutes to fix the roofbars and racks, (by now, permanently attached to the bars), to the car, with help from one other person. Once attached, I reckon you could have picked the car up with them The bikes were secure up to silly speeds, (on a private track, of course). Fitting the bikes took about 20 minutes, removal of all four, under 10.

I fitted the roofbar's security sytem, and one for each RACK on the outer bikes. If I was ever parked up anywhere a bit shady, I'd wrap a 10m Kryptonite cable round the bikes secured to at least one bike with a good D-lock. The whole lot was effectivley one item, and would have needed a multitude of locks cut/broken before removal.

My racks were upright carriers, and one was eventually changed for a "front-wheel-out" carrier when the eldest lad's trials bike had an odd shaped down tube. The racks were bought from French supermarkets for £5 each. IF you can afford it, buy alloy ones and save weight. Internet/e-bay is your friend.

One trick I learned was to get hold of some releasable long zip-ties, and use them in pairs to bind each bike's front wheel to it's down tube so as to avoid it shaking in the wind. The more rigid, the less likely the whole bike to move

Towbar-mounted.

I used this type for about 4 years. Problems that we had were numerous.
1. It's almost impossible to stop the bikes knocking against each other and damaging the paintwork. Even if you fasten them securely together, they rub each other.
2. Ditto for them touching the car.
3. Because they are mounted on the towbar, they exert a downwards force on it, which is multiplied as you put more bikes on, and by a factor as the bikes get further from the vertical line up through the towBALL. Each bike has a turning effect, (like a lever), on the towbar, and can lead to excess suspension deflection. Especially if you have luggage/people in the rear seats. I stopped using this type when my lads became teens.
4. Once the bikes are in place, you cannot get into the boot Removing and refitting takes an age.
5. It's quite hard to make the bikes secure from theft, and I would hesitate to leave any bikes secured to a towbar in dodgy areas.

HTH.

SimonD

That's useful thanks again (for your help on the Recaro seat fitting too!).

I was initially going with a roof rack on my Impreza but it occured to me that I might want to carry the bikes on holiday on our Tribeca too. I can't even wash the roof on that one without a step ladder!
As I already have a tow bar on the Impreza it seemed like an easy solution. This kind of thing: http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbv...e=accgen&qty=1 should minimise damage to the bikes and allow the boot/tailgate to be opened.
I take your point about the additional weight being added further and further from the centre of the car though - particularly on the Impreza. Both cars have pretty long rear overhangs before you start adding bikes on the back.

trails

iTrader: (41)

ran a halfords one for a good few years...agree with everyhing Alcazar has to say.

Stevo210

iTrader: (4)

Ive just recently purchased a Saris bikerack, looks funky and the bike comes nowhere near the car. Not had more than one bike on the rack and I would imagine having 3 they would rub and bang together Cant use the boot though and the fact that it has to make contact with the paint isnt the best. Nothing that a few microfibre cloth cant remedy.
Its easy and pretty quick to fit.

I'll get some pics of it with the bike on later.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

LOOK at that blasted car.........you could eat your dinner off it

Stevo210

iTrader: (4)

You know thats in shameful condition!! It took me a while to pluck up the courage to put the bike rack on.

Ive let its upkeep fall since I detailed it for the Total Impreza shoot last month. And there's another feature on my headlights in next months Japanese Peformance (oops did I just blatantly gloat there??!!)

Hows yours build coming along matey? slowly but surely

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Aye, turbo chosen, going for tubular headers and one of Harvey's up-pipes, awaiting 740cc injectors and then it'll be nearing finished.

Stevo210

iTrader: (4)

Cant wait to have a go matey, I'm sure it'll be awesome

aggs

Also consider the following,

A roof rack carrier takes time to put on and off, which is ok for the annual holiday, but a bit of a pain if you want to take the bikes on regular occasions unless you leave it on ready to go.

I agree on a roof rack carrier the bikes are much more stable.

However tow bar carriers are quick and convenient to use.
If the bikes get mucky crud will not fall onto the car.

You have to drive accordingly with one on the back an accept you cannot bomb round corners.

I have the Thule 3 bike carrier which has the wheels on bars and is a great bit of kit.With practice and care, bikes will not rub on each other, if they look as though they will a bit of cloth will prevent it.

I have used on both 4 door and 5 door Scoobies the Boot will open on the 4 door Scooby, it does have a tilt option which is not really that practable.

I also have a simple "bar" type carrier which is also quick to use and stores in the car and does not take much room, two bars stick out onto which you hook the bike(s) crossbar.
With this type one bike is more practical as 2 or more bikes do rub on each other.
Also care has to be taken that a wheel does not get too close to the exhaust or you will burst the tyre.
One bike is very stable on this type.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

My roof-mounted carriers, on which the racks stayed full-time, could be fitted by two people in under ten minutes, and removed in under 5.

Made for Subaru by iirc, MontBlanc.

Mog

I have a Atera Strada which can carry 4 bikes and tilts forward fully load to allow access to the boot/hatch, I have only used it twice and was going to put it on ebay if you are interested.

Atera Strada

Mog

aggs

Rear carrier fitted by 1 person in less than a minute.
Take out the shed.
Pop it on the toe hook, clamp it down and plug in lights.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

An you, too can watch your fuel gauge falling.....

SimonD

Now that is unfortunate........ I ordered a new 2 bike one yesterday.
If it were just my car I would have gone for the roof mounted option but interchangeability with our other car is going to be important I think. Also, when used locally it will often be for short rides for just the kids. If I had to put the rack on I probably wouldn't bother.

Thanks all for the advice. I'll let you know how it works out.

n20ckb

iTrader: (1)

Hi


I also use the saris bones and find it spot on, wish i used the cloths on mine

I have had 2 bikes on mine and find if you use some padding to stop bikes hitting one another it's fine...

I have mine on slightly different angles as my arms sit on the rear screen but then you have the rear wiper doh

I shove the excess straps into the aluminium tube looks a bit neater, i also run a bike lock through it just for security.