Tow bar mounted carrier

[Lister]

I have a Mongoose fat bike with 4" tyres, the battery is bottle rack mounted.
Which tow bar mounted bike rack would be best for this application?

 

[Lister]

I have a Mongoose fat bike with 4" tyres, the battery is bottle rack mounted.
Which tow bar mounted bike rack would be best for this application?

View attachment 16229

 

[Lister]

Decided to buy a used small motorbike galvanised trailer from local garage.

 

[baldylox]

I have a Buzz Rack Scorpion tow bar mounted carrier, there is a fat bike add on for this...
http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?33642&gclid=CO2sqpStitACFeEV0wodRv0HnQ
I can only comment on the standard carrier which is excellent, I mount two ebikes.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Lister]

I have a Buzz Rack Scorpion tow bar mounted carrier, there is a fat bike add on for this...
http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php?33642&gclid=CO2sqpStitACFeEV0wodRv0HnQ
I can only comment on the standard carrier which is excellent, I mount two ebikes.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Lister]

Thank you, but I have decided on a purpose built trailer.

I have a Mercedes approved removable tow bar, which I now understand is not suitable for mounting a bike rack.

 

[Crockers]

If the MB towbar isn't suitable for a bike rack then I'd be amazed.

 

[Lister]

Be Amazed, it is a demountable swan-neck tow bar and it is illegal to fit a rack to them.
Anyway I have bought a lightweight second hand bike trailer.

 

[Izzyekerslike]

Be Amazed, it is a demountable swan-neck tow bar and it is illegal to fit a rack to them.
Anyway I have bought a lightweight second hand bike trailer.

I have one of these and I fit it to a Swan Neck de-mountable tow bar and use a small trailer board for lights and number plate. Why is this illegal?

 

[chris_n]

Plenty of racks available for demountable towbars.

 

[Lister]

My local garage who specialise in tow bars and trailers as well as being a good general all round have a tow bar fitter.
Both he and the owner said they were illegal and did not recommend them.
A trailer will be easier for me anyway.
I did not question them,and didn't see any reason to.

 

[the_killjoy]

But it would be interesting to know why it is illegal.

 

[chris_n]

My local garage who specialise in tow bars and trailers as well as being a good general all round have a tow bar fitter.
Both he and the owner said they were illegal and did not recommend them.
A trailer will be easier for me anyway.
I did not question them,and didn't see any reason to.

I think there is a distinct smell of male bovine going on here, it isn't them that is supplying the trailer is it?

 

[Lister]

They are not that sort of garage!

Here is where the confusion has arisen.


These type of cycle carrier use the towbar or towball.
Racks will either clamp around the towball itself, meaning that you cannot tow at the same time as using the rack, or they bolt to the towbars towplate, leaving the ball free for towing.

This latter type is only suitable for old style bolt on towballs and cannot be used with swan-neck or euro type fixed or detachable towbars.


The racks then either have a pair of arms (or in some cases a single arm) onto which the bikes are hung OR they are platform style and the bikes sit onto the rack.
Most towball cycle carriers are suitable for 2 bikes, some are suitable for three bikes and there are a small number of this style of rack which can carry 4 bikes.
Some better quality racks will have lighting built in to replicate your vehicle lights should they be obscured.

 

[Twinkleten]

My interpretation would be that the latter refers to tow bars that bolt to the towbar towplate, leaving the Tow ball free cannot be used with swan-neck etc. I had a detachable Towbar and bike carrier supplied and fitted by Mercedes. Surely if it can tow a caravan, carrying a e-bike is not a problem. Maximum load is rated at 30 kg per rail.

 

[chris_n]

So just to clear this up, they are not illegal even though the garage told you they were.
Most towbar carriers fit onto the towball meaning you cannot tow at the same time.
Some carriers can be attached via the towbar mounting holes on old fashioned towbars with two bolt mounting enabling you to tow and carry at the same time.
There are also some carriers that can be clamped to detachable Swan neck towbars enabling you to tow and carry at the same time.
There is a proviso with both of the latter two types that you must not exceed the rated nose weight which could be a problem with a couple of ebikes and a caravan / trailer.

 

[Lister]

I will look at the trailer this afternoon and see what I think.
The trailer will restrict my speed and may give the bike a bumpy ride
I need a rack that will support my bike in picture at top of this thread if a rack is the way to go.
Any ideas?

 

[Crockers]

My Volvo has a detachable tow bar and I have a 3 bike Volvo branded (made by Thule) bike rack that attaches to it.

IMHO a detachable towbar, to which a bike rack can not be fitted is not fit for purpose.

 

[Lister]

I think if you read my replies , that the garage is mixing up removable with bolt onto bracket tow bars.
My bike is 6 feet long and will overhang the car using a rack unless I remove the front wheel,which is quick release.

 

[derf]

I will look at the trailer this afternoon and see what I think.
The trailer will restrict my speed and may give the bike a bumpy ride
I need a rack that will support my bike in picture at top of this thread if a rack is the way to go.
Any ideas?

I have a thule easybase - the main thing I think is restricted speed with a trailer (although exceeding 90mph with a loaded easy base can induce sway in a light car I find). there's two restrictions - that of the tow bar (on my very small city car 50kg total IIRC), and that of the easy base (65kg IIRC) - sop one can on my car just put two e-bikes (the easybase weighs 15kg's leaving 35kg's - just enough for two e bikes without batteries), or on a larger car like yours probably around 50kg's total)