Towbar mounted cycle racks

[lewis noble]

I have now found that my Tour does not fit too well, along with my wife's bike, on my Witter '2 pronged' rack, and am looking at alternatives.  My brother has a Twinny rack which he is keen on (but 160 miles away so not easy to try out) and it look a good though expensive alternative.  Good review in Cycling +

But the bottom bracket sits on a rest, and may not fit too well with the  eccentric bolts.  Has anyone tried a Twinny rack?? or the Thule / Pendle alternatives??

Lewis

[julk]

Lewis,

I have a Pendle rear rack which I find effective at taking a variety of bikes. The rack has a number plate and lights built in which plug into the towbar electrics.
The bikes are held securely by the bottom section of the wheels and an upright bar which I shockcord to the bike downtube with a bit of carpet padding for avoiding scratches. It simplifies things to also turn the handlebars.
The rack has 2 main tubes which slot into a block with 2 holes which bolts permanently between the towbar and ball hitch. A locking pin stops it jumping out in use.
Good points for me are that fitting the rack is really quick and easy, and driving I don't notice the bikes are on.
Bad points for me are that I cannot open the boot of my estate car when bikes are fastened in position, and locking the bikes to prevent theft is not easy.

When I need to transport bikes and have access to the boot then I use Thule roof bars and bike carriers which hold the fully assembled bike upright.
Good points for me are that the boot and door are fully available for use, and the locking mechanisms are such that stealing a bike would be highly visible and not too easy.  
Bad points for me with this method are lifting the bikes on and off can be a bit strenuous, and the top speed recommended is 50 mph.

I can take upto 3 bikes with either method and once took 6 using both!
I hope this helps.

[bxp]

I've had a Thule 945 towball mounted rack for a few months now.
Getting the rack on and off the car is very easy, and it folds down to fit in the boot OK.
It has a tilt function so getting the hatchback open is no real problem.
If you have a 56cm road bike you will probably have to clamp onto the seat tube rather than the top tube, and you may need to do some experimentation to find a combination that works. This could be a real problem with the 3 bike model. Best to try before you buy.
The drag and wind noise is much better than a roof rack.
I haven't had a long trip in rain yet, so I'm not sure how the bikes will look afterwards. I hope it avoids the car wash effect of the roof rack that removes all lubrication from the drive train, but I suspect that the biked will end up filthy from the back spray.
Last long trip I did, my wife's bike ended up with a loose handlebar clamp. This *may* have been caused by vibration due to the rack being cantilevered from the towball. We will be doing about 3000km in a couple of months time, so I'll see if anything rattles loose on that trip.
Main reason I got the rack was to reduce the drag at highway speed, and to make it easier to fit the rack and to put the bikes on and off. The first two aims have been satisfied, but I find it's still a bit fiddly getting the bikes secured properly.

Overall I'd give it 7/10

[Grimian]

Hi Lewis

I use an Atera Duro XL but this has just been updated with a new model called the Strada. I understand from reviews etc that when I bought it (about 3 years ago) it was the best of the bunch!

Please see a few pics of it at http://www.kodakgallery.co.uk/Slideshow.jsp?&localeid=en_GB&mode=fromsite&collid=438146018133.421467218133.1185908427707&conn_speed=1

You will notice that it mounted on a swan neck towball. It is a tilting carrier and is stable at all (legal!) speeds. The only thing I would mention is that I use some pipe insulation (28mm from B&Q) and a couple of long ties to all wheels each side just for peace of mind. It does not use a BB mount so the Raven will not be affected! (you can see from the photos that my yellow Mercury is mounted on the inside!)

The Atera Strada can be seen at http://www.roofbox.co.uk/

I think it looks better than mine []

Good luck with your choice!

[lewis noble]

Thanks, everyone, plenty to be going on with - and I'd better check the finances too!!

Lewis