Ebike towbar carrier

[Muddy]

seen mixed reports on these. Anyone use one they can recommend or what to avoid?
Will be used very occasionally so not looking to spend a fortune
Ideally would like to carry my Bigfoot and a kids bike
Cheers

 

[MikeS]

Depends whether you think £280 is a fortune. If not then the Thule Velo compact 925 from Halfords is absolutely brilliant. I have taken my Crossfuse and an non electric bike on some bumpy country roads up to Kielder and it was rock solid. Very easy to get the bikes on and off, and folds up and goes in my boot if I want it to. Very convenients not having to try and tie a number plate to the bikes, although of course you do need to get Halfords or someone to make you one (you need to take various documents down to prove you own the car I think)
Mike

 

[Gringo]

Hi, I've just ordered one of these 2 bike towbar rack max weight per bike 30kg so good enough for my cube
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/accessories/bike-storage-transport/peruzzo-pure-instinct-tow-bar-2-bike-rack_459170
Expensive, I suppose so but I had £174 of in store credit now I need to buy a car with a towbar

 

[Muddy]

That looks good, cheers for that.
Found it on amazon too which is a bonus as I refuse to give Halfords any business unless I’m absolutely desperate
@MIKE

 

[Muddy]

Hi, I've just ordered one of these 2 bike towbar rack max weight per bike 30kg so good enough for my cube
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/accessories/bike-storage-transport/peruzzo-pure-instinct-tow-bar-2-bike-rack_459170
Expensive, I suppose so but I had £174 of in store credit now I need to buy a car with a towbar

Haha, that looks good too, cheers
Does none know if my big tyres would be an issue with any of these?
Last time I had a carrier it was on a 1982 cavalier and the frame dangled on bars
Looks like technology has moved on

 

[TimEbike]

Hi, I've just ordered one of these 2 bike towbar rack max weight per bike 30kg so good enough for my cube
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/accessories/bike-storage-transport/peruzzo-pure-instinct-tow-bar-2-bike-rack_459170
Expensive, I suppose so but I had £174 of in store credit now I need to buy a car with a towbar

Do you know if the "grab arms" allow sufficient adjustment to clamp to either a cross bar or the seat tube.
Many thanks

 

[oldtom]

Thule works for me but I paid for a high-end model, probably needlessly.

Tom

 

[MikeS]

Do you know if the "grab arms" allow sufficient adjustment to clamp to either a cross bar or the seat tube.
Many thanks

It looks very like the Thule one so yes it probably can clamp either to the horizontal part of the frame or the vertical member under neath the seat. I think mine would be a bit distorted trying to reach up to clamp the seatpost itself. You have to do a bit of thinking. For instance on the Thule it’s better to put the forward Bike on, then remove the longer clamp completely (very easy) and thread it through both bikes and reattach it at the forward end then screw the clamp up on the frame of the rearmost Bike. Got to give Thule their due it’s all well thought out and seems very secure, lockable, very quick to use and most importantly unlikely to damage any parts of the Bike
Mike

 

[robgul]

I've been using towbar mounted racks for about 20 years (I think I've had 4 different ones - changes have simply been for improvements rather than anything else (I've sold on the previous iterations)
Having used a two bike model until about 3 years ago I upgraded to a 3 bike model, not that I very often carry 3 - it's just a lot easier to fit two on the inner and outer channels leaving the middle free. My bikes are all 60cm frames so BIG and the other bike I usually carry is a 58. I have found that clamp arms on the Thule racks are bit short to reach the toptube of the big bikes so have extended them (very simple with a length of M8 stuffing and the lockable knobs still work.)
My recently acquired Orbea Gain e-machine is happy travellng on the rack.

Ro

 

[Gringo]

Hi, I've just ordered one of these 2 bike towbar rack max weight per bike 30kg so good enough for my cube
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/accessories/bike-storage-transport/peruzzo-pure-instinct-tow-bar-2-bike-rack_459170
Expensive, I suppose so but I had £174 of in store credit now I need to buy a car with a towbar

Bummer,
so I've been waiting for the new turbocharged Picanto gt line for many months and it's due in the showroom next week.
All good so far but I've just been told that the Picanto doesn't have the correct chassis to mount a towbar
Dilemma, buy the car I want and use a rear hatch mounted cycle carrier, look for a different car or keep the panda and get a towbar fitted ?
Thinks first I'll see if I can return the new unused still in box carrier I've just brought.

 

[Auxtail]

Sorry to bearer of bad news.
I wouldn't fix an electric bike to the rear hatch of a new car. At best the paint will rub off. Most boots are now very thin metal and lots of plastic, especially the roof spoiler. Car manufacturers won't sell you a hatch mounted rack, because they don't want the trouble.
There is no security for rear hatch mounted carriers and that's a lot of bike.

 

[MikeS]

Bummer,
so I've been waiting for the new turbocharged Picanto gt line for many months and it's due in the showroom next week.
All good so far but I've just been told that the Picanto doesn't have the correct chassis to mount a towbar
Dilemma, buy the car I want and use a rear hatch mounted cycle carrier, look for a different car or keep the panda and get a towbar fitted ?
Thinks first I'll see if I can return the new unused still in box carrier I've just brought.

Hmmmm. I might do a bit more research if I were you. I had set my heart on one of the huge Jags when we were getting back into caravanning but was told at the last minute that it couldn’t tow a Caravan because of the aluminium monocoque body. Is it possible that the car you have bought is similarly constrained. In which case if you can find an independent towbar that would fit, you could surely mount a couple of bikes. You’d just have to make sure you took it off if you sold the car, or got the new owner to sign something to say it wasn’t for towing anything
Mike

 

[arthur49]

We've had an older version of this one for about 7 years on back of motorhome. Heavily used rack beginning to show signs of age eg had to have a small bit of welding done, but overall it was a good purchase and I'd go for Atera again
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/atera_strada_sport_m_2_to_3_bike_carrier_no_ar2684/Qx@w,6M42VAwp3@Rb{~cC4ure5CWYj

 

[Gringo]

if you can find an independent towbar that would fit, you could surely mount a couple of bikes. You’d just have to make sure you took it off if you sold the car, or got the new owner to sign something to say it wasn’t for towing anything

Not such a good idea on a brand new car.
If the dealer says not designed for a tow bar and I then have one fitted, bang goes the warranty.