Westfalia bike rack

[ians]

Hi

does anyone have the Westfalia BC60 tow bar rack? http://www.westfalia-automotive.com/en/ ... e-carrier/

Can't find any reviews, but like the idea that it folds up for storage. Want to carry 2 bikes max.

Any comments welcome.

Thanks

ians

[Big_Jimbo]

Ian

Don't know about Westphalia racks personally, but looking at ones in mountain bike trail centre car parks they look a bike plasticcy. (Is that the word?) I've had a three bike version of the Pendle wheel support rack for twenty odd years now.
http://www.pendle-bike.co.uk/shopping/wheel-supports.php
Mine is an older version than is currently available, but it has stood up to years of abuse without anything more than an occasional hose down every few years. Mine doesn't fold down and weighs an absolute ton, but for a while bikes on which were worth about ten times the value of the car! Personally, I also like the idea that the Pendle is British made and if you ever bend a part (reversing for example), they can repair it.

Jim

[ians]

that's very helpful Jimbo.  I did wonder about plasticy myself.

ians

[onrbikes]

I too have a similar one where I can put up to 3 bikes on the rack, but have an issue.

Once loaded the bikes obstruct the tail lights and license plate, and know if someone hit me from the rear I'd be at fault, rightfully so.
It's really only good if towing a trailer as the trailer lights would be visible.

Have given up on it and will sell it, or donate it.
 

[Danneaux]

Have given up on it and will sell it, or donate it.

Fred,

I'm in a similar situation with a hitch (towbar)-mounted two-bike rack I purchased while away last summer but have not yet had time to assemble (or a hitch mounted to the car to carry it...mere details  ).

While in Europe -- particularly in Germany and The Netherlands last summer -- I saw similar racks there sporting duplicate license plates and their own dedicated brake lights and turn signals. Seemed like an ideal way to solve the problems caused by bikes obscuring such things while under transport.

Now I'm home in the States again, I find there is no mechanism for purchasing a duplicate plate, but I am tempted to risk* making a laminated colored photocopy of mine and seeing if it will fly in a duplicate plate holder mounted to the rack and illuminated by a bulb. I've already bought some P-clamps and a duplicate set of LED signals for it. Those will definitely go on, as I also don't want to be rear-ended.

The basic concept of hitch-mount racks seems good, but the versions here are more than a little lacking when it comes to the safety additions I spotted on the same racks intended for the export market.

Might a set of wired lights slaved to the car lights salvage your rack?

Best,

Dan.


*Professional writers like Andre would call this statement "foreshadowing" of Trouble Ahead. I will investigate further before I start producing license plates on my own or I might get to do so professionally from within prison walls. 

[John Saxby]

Dan, could you not buy a trailer plate & mount that?  Or am I missing something?  Maybe The Bureaucracy wouldn't consider a rack to be a trailer, even if it performs traileresque functions? Maybe you could offer to pay the trailer-plate fee, and they'd jump at the revenue?  (I've lived in places where, facing such situations, one could talk with a person behind a desk or wicket and say, "You know, I have this problem. Could you help me with it, please?" And/or, one could say, with a reasonable expectation of a positive answer, "Surely we can negotiate this?")

[onrbikes]

So even though I have the rack for the small car have just installed these onto my ute (Australian version of a 1/2 ton truck).

I’ve had this style mounted on a roof rack but getting the bikes on top can be a bit of a struggle, especially if you love your cars paintwork. I really couldn’t care less. The wife wouldn’t have a chance getting bikes on top of the car.
Mounted with just 2 bolts or Tek screws can easily be locked up too.

[Swislon]

Ians
I have an older version of this one bought from this site:
http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?AR2603

It works well but is heavy and I'm sure will put my back out one of these days but better than trying to get our steel bikes onto our car roof. Volvo XC60.

I think i would be looking for a lighter one if I was doing it again, Thule or Westfalia are both good makes.

Steve

[ians]

thanks Steve.

The Altera looks quite something.

ians

[Swislon]

I've just noticed it says the Altera is light!
Mine isn't so must be quite a few developments ago plus it wasn't that price!