Car mount for bike towing: features and selection

People who often go on vacation with bicycles or just on a bike ride out of town, very often encounter the problem of lack of space in their car. Inside can be a family, various things necessary for a picnic or relaxation. And it happens that a passenger car simply has a small size, which is why the bike does not fit inside. In such situations, special bike mounts on the car tow bar will help.

Cycling is a small structure made of aluminum or steel tubes. Some designs also include a special stand for car license plates. The bicycle is securely fixed on it, after which you can safely transport it at any distance without fear of damage to the car and without taking up space inside the car.

All towbars can be divided into suspension structures and platforms.

Principle of operation hanging holders very simple. They have a special fastening system, due to which the bike is held on it with the help of clamps tightened on the frame. The wheels themselves will remain in the air, that is, in a "suspended" state.

Platform bike mounts outperform the pendant in almost all respects. Bicycles in such holders do not just cling and hang in the air, but stand in special gutters. Such a device will allow you to securely fasten the bike and will not allow it to fall out even at high speed.

Both platform and pendant holders have their pros and cons that you should be aware of.

Suspended structures have many advantages that are worth paying attention to. These include:

• very small dimensions;
• convenience of storage;
• reliability;
• they will not harm the car;
• give the opportunity to transport up to 3 bicycles at a time;
• do not require special care.

However, they also have disadvantages, albeit in a smaller amount:

• unsuitable for long transport or long distances;
• it is possible that the device will partially or completely cover the car's license plate.

For platform pluses, we can safely attribute:

• very convenient working principle;
• Ability to transport up to 4 bicycles at a time;
• Does not make it impossible to use the trunk
• convenience during long trips (or long distances);
• it is possible to display the license plate on the bike mount itself;
• the presence of light signals.

Platform bike mounts do not have disadvantages per se. Buyers only note that the price of such holders is higher than hanging models. At the same time, they agree that their quality and convenience are also an order of magnitude higher.

The choice of a bicycle holder is a matter that should be taken with full responsibility, because the safety of your bicycle during trips by car depends on it. When choosing, you should pay attention to several main factors:

• price;
• bike mount sizes;
• distance over which transportation will be made;
• average speed;
• convenience.

The first thing you should pay attention to is how much money you are willing to pay for the bike holder. The cost of a good bike mount can reach 20,000 rubles or more. This applies to platform bike mounts. Suspension devices will cost much cheaper (about 4,500-10000 rubles), since their functionality is less, and the principle of operation is not so effective. However, price is far from being the most important factor to pay attention to. Remember that quality and reliability are always more important.

Now think about how many bikes you plan to transport at a time. On sale you can easily find bike racks with a capacity of 2 to 4 bicycles. Remember that increasing the number of seats in the holder, you increase the size of your car (it becomes a little harder to drive). Since for many this is not very comfortable, you should buy a holder strictly for the number of bicycles that you have.

It is worth saying that its price depends on the capacity of the mount. Know that the larger the volume, the greater the price of the bike carrier. If you want to save money, buy the holder that can hold fewer bikes.

An equally important factor in choosing is how far you intend to ride using the bike carrier. Different types of mounts are designed for different loads, and this should not be forgotten if you want to use the bike carrier as long as possible.

A suspended bike carrier will serve you well if you are not going to ride with it more than 100 kilometers away. It is quite enough to prevent your bike from falling or damaging the car during movement, and the holder will “live” in such conditions for quite some time. If you plan to travel far (more than 100 kilometers), you should not even look towards suspended models. Your choice should definitely be something from the platform series. Only these mounts can provide you with reliable transportation of your bike over long distances.

Do not forget about speed.Different types of bicycle racks are designed for different vehicle speeds. This is due not only to the type, but also to the size of the holders, because an increase in size also changes the load on the towbar of the car.

If you are traveling at speeds not exceeding 100-110 kilometers per hour, then a simple hanging bike rack is quite suitable for you (you can safely use the device with a capacity of 3-4 places). If you are a fan of fast driving (from 110 to 130-135 kilometers per hour), you should definitely choose the platform type of mount. At the same time, you should not transport more than 1-2 bicycles in the device in one trip, because this creates a huge load on the holder design. The consequence of violation of these recommendations may be the loss of your bikes, failure of the holder itself or even damage to the rear elements of the car.

Another factor is the ease of use of the bike carrier. Of course, this factor cannot be ignored, especially if you plan to use the device frequently. The very concept of "convenience" in relation to bike holders can be divided into several points:

• in consolidation;
• during transportation;
• in care.

When fastening the bike in a hanging holder, you have to pull it with special straps. This can take a lot of time, and when you are in a hurry, such an activity becomes a real torment. Platform constructions do not have such a drawback; their mounting principle is much simpler.

Before transporting bicycles in outboard models, it is recommended to wrap its handlebar and other protruding sections with a soft cloth. This is necessary so that during sharp braking or driving over bumps the rear window of the car is not damaged. Again, on platform bike mounts, the design simply won't let the bike hit the car.

Do not forget about caring for the holders, if you want the device to serve you as long as possible. Suspended models have a problem with the straps that perform the fastening role. They deteriorate or grind over time, so you sometimes have to replace them. Even straps made of high-quality materials will not save you from this problem - they too will sooner or later become worthless.

There are a large number of brands producing towbar bicycles. To buy a truly high-quality product, you need to know about all the nuances of products from a particular manufacturer. Most often on sale you can find bike holders from brands such as Thule, Amos, Buzzrack.

Most motorists brand Thule recognized as the best and highest quality in this area (judging by the reviews and reviews). The company has existed for a very long time and managed to establish itself in the market on the positive side. They have a huge assortment of tow bar bicycles and related products. When buying Thule products, you can be absolutely sure that the quality of soldering and assembly of the structure will not let you down.

However, the disadvantages of these products are also available, more precisely, one is the price. The products of this brand are quite expensive and may not be affordable for many motorists (the price of holders can reach up to 50,000 rubles). Because of this, many are a little dismissive of Thule, because there are worthy analogues at a lower price.

These analogues can be safely attributed Amos brand. It is slightly less popular than Thule, but that is not its flaw. The quality of products from this company is more than worthy, so we can safely say that these brands are on par with the quality.The price of Amos products is much more comfortable for the buyer: on average, analogues of Thule products are several times cheaper. It is for this combination of price and quality that the Amos brand becomes the choice of the majority.

There is another more or less popular manufacturer of bicycle racks - Buzzrack. This brand has appeared relatively recently, so many are distrustful of it. The quality of his products can only be said that Buzzrack is slightly inferior in this parameter to products from Amos. The price of these bicycle racks corresponds to their quality, although many bicycle enthusiasts advise spending a little more money, but be sure of the reliability of the goods.

When using tow bar bicycles, it is necessary to comply with some traffic rules. There are not so many of them: the mount should not block the license plates and lights (headlights, turn signals) of the car. In case of non-compliance with these conditions, you can get a fine of up to 800 rubles.

See how to install the bike holder on the towbar.