A vehicle / method of carrying four bikes

fat bloke

Ok, perhaps it's debatable that this thread should go in a motoring section, but if you view the car that you use to carry your bike around, as an accessory to cycling, then I think it's as valid as asking about bike boxes or pedals, or shamois cream etc

So. Everyone here has a bike (or 2) and, many of you have children, who have bikes, and you may even have wifes who have bikes.

Therein lies the problem. At the moment when we go away for a weekend the kids bring toys in the shape of monster high dolls, and meself and the missus put our carbon fibre toys on a tow bar mounted rack at the back of the car. -Everyone's happy.

However, very soon, as in if not this summer, definitely next summer, we'll want to start bringing the kids bikes along as well when we go away for weekends. -Is there anyone here that does that, or knows how it could be done?

I suppose the ways around it are - buy some sort of a VW Caravelle thing that has seating for plenty, and a great big van-style boot as well. -Expensive.


We could put the kids bike on a roof mounted rack and leave our road bikes on the tow-bar mounted one. -That's pushing the limits of our Golf, and I've had roof-mounted mishaps with low barriers and stuff.
After that I'm kind of stumped. You can get tow-bar carriers tht purport to carry up to 4 bikes, but that's bollox. Our one is supposed to carry 3 but we just use it for two cos we don't want the bikes rubbing and scraping off each other.
Something like a 2nd hand Renault Espace would take two bikes on a tow bar and might, if you took wheels off get the two kids bikes in the boot, along with some bags, and you could put a roof box on the.... (roof) for luggage.

Bear in mind these aren't tiny kids bikes anymore, they're the next few steps up, so though not as bulky as adults bikes, they are reasonably big.

I know the pro team cars carry zillions of bikes and wheels on regular estates, so maybe the only way real around it is a proper roof-mounted rack and a big fcukin sign on the windscreen warning me that they're there...:rolleyes:

07Lapierre

When we were kids, Myself, my sister, Mum and Dad went on cycling holidays to Kerry. The four of us in a Ford Cortina and the four bikes, camping equipment etc. in a trailer ( Home made Trailer with a custom built bike rack). Happy days

Lumen

I can comfortably get 4 bikes (Pashley, road bike, 20" kids bike, 14" kids bike) on my tow bar rack, but the rail for the 4th bike is not full length.

...but admit it, you've always wanted to drive a team car around. Now is your chance!

lennymc

you definately need an estate and a rack bloke. Or, a small closed trailer that you could securely mount the kids in, while putting the bikes in the back seat. Ive carried 3 bikes on the thule 3 bike tow bar rack thing and didnt have any problems with rubbing. Pipe insulation gives extra protection aswell.

Harrybelafonte

Multipla? I don't know how many kids you have, but I only have the one, there's sometimes a third person inthe car. When I travel home I usually bring a minimum of three bikes, MTB, ROad and a bmx and leave a seat in the back (I tie them all down to this as well as the floor hooks). I've managed 5 in the car and a BMX and Dirt bike. It may not be the most comfortable, but it can be done. (Multipla rear seats can be removed completely.)

seamus

A Renault Scenic would quite feasibly fit two junior-sized bikes in the boot with the wheels off, with some room around them for bike gear. The back seat will easily fit two teenagers along with a human-sized cuddly toy, each.

Although the most obvious solution seems to be just using the roof. Maybe have a look at packing the two small bikes into a roof box? Saves you worrying about low barriers and you don't have to change car.

lennymc

smacl

I get four bikes on using a larger hollywood rack, and have roof box for the toys, and other assorted junk that follows us around on holidays. Experience, and a few dents and chips, has taught me to take all the pedals off the bikes first and put a bit of foam around the frame of the more precious bikes. The type you use to lag pipes works fine with a slit down the long side such that you can push it over the frame. A tow bar mounted rack would be preferable but we've no tow bar on the car.

Del2005

Pick up a light weight trailer.

Driving with a bike on the roof will cost nearly as much as the trailer. I remember reading or seeing a programme years ago saying that it costs less to post a bike from one end of the UK to the other and your planning on putting a few up. This was a good while ago when fuel was way cheaper.

Also bikes on a roof rack will make a noise when you get up to speed.

Most people carriers don't have that big a boot with the seats up and the ones that do generally have bigger engines.

kenmc

Depends on the type of towbar mounted carrier, I have one which has a platform which the bikes stand on, rather than hanging them from their toptubes. They are well spaced out then with a vertical, lagged, support bar, and it's rock solid and quick to mount. Thule 9304 is the one I have, but I don't think there's 4 bike version of this one, but there are definitely 4 bike versions of others eg. montblanc, hollywood and there is a more expensive thule version than mine that will take 4 e.g. EuroClassic g6 929.

cdaly_

Only problem with the trailer option is it leads to higher fares on ferries if going abroad. OTOH, you can be as high as you like without extra charges. On that basis, we carry 1 or two bikes on the roof (alongside the roofbox) and the other 3 on a strap-on rack.

That said, for within Ireland a trailer allows you to bring along pretty much all the junk...

fat bloke

Yeah, forgot to say a trailer is out because of where we live. Terraced housing and communal parking so no room for a trailer outside, and passageway at the side of the house too narrow to bring the trailer in around the back.

We have the equivalent of whatever Thule's most expensive yoke is, it takes 3 bikes with an option of a 4th with a purchase add-on, but the kids bikes are bloody heavy yokes and I just wouldn't put that much weight onto the one rack.

The roof mounted wind noise and fuel consumption argument is valid too.

Any advance on the trailer idea?

lennymc

ThisRegard

fat bloke wrote: »

The roof mounted wind noise and fuel consumption argument is valid too.

I don't think it's as big an issue as being made out. Adding the bike or two to the roof of my car doesn't produce any additional noise than what the rack alone would, and even at that it's only sometimes a small whistle depending on the wind but nothing that's intolerable.

And with a fully loaded car and bike on the roof you're not going to be going at such speeds where excess fuel consumption will be noticeable, you'll tend to sit in the most economic speed zone anyway. Plus a bike or two is not going to make much more of a difference than what a fully loaded car with people and all their luggage would anyway.

lennymc

i went to kerry with two bikes on the roof an noticed about 20% difference in fuel economy. I was travelling below the motorway speed limit. The bikes and rack did seem to destroy the fuel economy.

@ fatbloke, i think the caravelle option is possibly the best option. You could fit it out so that it sleeps yerself, the misses and the kids and use it as a camper aswell. would make some nice holidaying.

ThisRegard

Maybe down to the car or driver so, I've done Dublin to Westport, Achill and Connemara a couple of times with both 1 and 2 bikes and can't say I noticed a huge difference. I probably just drive like an oul wan.

Joxer_S

Put your wife on her bike and tell her you'll meet her there, problem solved. It would be polite to give her a head start though.

Lumen

You need four travel bikes, obviously.

http://www.bikefriday.com/bicycles/road

It's cheaper than moving house.

07Lapierre

fat bloke wrote: »

Yeah, forgot to say a trailer is out because of where we live. Terraced housing and communal parking so no room for a trailer outside, and passageway at the side of the house too narrow to bring the trailer in around the back.

We have the equivalent of whatever Thule's most expensive yoke is, it takes 3 bikes with an option of a 4th with a purchase add-on, but the kids bikes are bloody heavy yokes and I just wouldn't put that much weight onto the one rack.

The roof mounted wind noise and fuel consumption argument is valid too.

Any advance on the trailer idea?

Rent a Trailer?

kumate_champ07

1 bike outside each side window, hold on tight!

sled driver

Simple...................................:D



By the way, I may have access to an enclosed trailer, which you may be able to borrow.

Sam I Am

Just received delivery of my new (very expensive) Atera Strada DL 3. Unfortunately the (+1) 4th rail has been shipped in a different package and has not arrived.
So it will be one (20"?)kids bike in the boot, 2 adult and 1 kids (24"?) bikes on the rack, on my newly fitted secondhand tow bar for the weekend.
Fingers crossed.
Now I just need to find safe and fun places to bring rural kids cycling around Dublin!

macnab

I recently bought an Iveco camper (LWB & Hi Roof) with a built in garage in the rear that transforms into a double bedroom, with a permanent king size bed above. It can easily hold 2 superbike sized motorbikes so I would guess it could hold between 6 and eight bicycles. Tax is €88 a year and fully comp open driving is €400. The things I do for my sport....

deandean

When I'm in holiday trim I have three bikes on the towhitch-mounted carrier, and a fourth strapped on to the (long skinny) roofbox with the pedals turned in, the two wheels strap down onto the rooofrack bars.

fat bloke

sled driver wrote: »

Simple...................................:D
By the way, I may have access to an enclosed trailer, which you may be able to borrow.

That's a lot of "may's". Not exactly something I can hang my hat on. It's not your sled you're offering is it?

Sam I Am wrote: »

Just received delivery of my new (very expensive) Atera Strada DL 3. Unfortunately the (+1) 4th rail has been shipped in a different package and has not arrived.
So it will be one (20"?)kids bike in the boot, 2 adult and 1 kids (24"?) bikes on the rack, on my newly fitted secondhand tow bar for the weekend.
Fingers crossed.
Now I just need to find safe and fun places to bring rural kids cycling around Dublin!

That's what I have. Let me know how you get on. I haven't put 3 bikes on it yet, but I did put the kids new bikes on it to transport them when we bought them and I have to say I didn't think they were that stable. 2 super-light roadbikes is fine, but the two kids bikes collectively weigh about four times as much I'd say. They were a lot wobblier.

macnab wrote: »

I recently bought an Iveco camper (LWB & Hi Roof) with a built in garage in the rear that transforms into a double bedroom, with a permanent king size bed above. It can easily hold 2 superbike sized motorbikes so I would guess it could hold between 6 and eight bicycles. Tax is €88 a year and fully comp open driving is €400. The things I do for my sport....

Now you're talking!

dancecatz2000

I`ll sell you my Caldina 2 bikes in the boot 2 on the rear rack.

http://octane.ie/ads/car.php?id=7796

Sorted,

Sam I Am

Unfortunate change of plan. Turns out the secondhand tow bar couldn't be wired in yet, a replacement part is needed. So I've no lights.
We'll bring the kids bikes as the car lights are still visible with them. The adult bikes will have to stay home.
The smaller bike doesn't feel as secure as the the 24". It would probably benefit from being on the outside - full length - rail, so the wheel clamps could be closer together.
I haven't taken the car for a spin with the bikes loaded yet though.

I'll report back after the weekend's 200 mile or so round trip.

fat bloke

dancecatz2000 wrote: »

I`ll sell you my Caldina 2 bikes in the boot 2 on the rear rack.

http://octane.ie/ads/car.php?id=7796

Sorted,

That's pretty cool actually.

Estate -check,
turbo -check
petrol -oooh! So close.

Stephen_C

I got an Atera Strada DL 3 last week. Carried three adult full suspension mountain bikes around wicklow on it at the weekend no problems, have the add-on for the fourth bike too and would have no problems using it.

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/atera_strada_dl_3_to_4_bike_carrier_uk_lights_no_ar2603/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40Rb%7B~cC4ure5K%7BW%7D

I got the Atera to replace a Thule 9705 rack that I have as I wanted to be able to access the boot. I used to tie straps from the thule rack to the roof rails on the estate to support it as it wobbled loads and the bikes would rub. It still took 4 full sized mountain bikes though.

http://www.thule.com/en/IT/Products/Bike-Carriers/Towbar/Thule-BoltOn-9705

Inquitus

I have one of these, and it defo fits 4 bikes fine.

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_804901_langId_-1_categoryId_212597

godihatedehills

I've seen the UCD lads get 5 roadbikes onto a peugeot 206

kenmc

godihatedehills wrote: »

I've seen the UCD lads get 5 roadbikes onto a peugeot 206

Ah yeah, but students can do that. When I was in college I got 2 canoes, 3 windsurf boards, 5 windsurfing rigs and 4 people and luggage in/on an old fiat punto. I think the stack on top of the car was actually higher than the car itself. IIRC it took about 6 hours to get to Achill from Dublin!

fat bloke

Stephen_C wrote: »

I got an Atera Strada DL 3 last week. Carried three adult full suspension mountain bikes around wicklow on it at the weekend no problems, have the add-on for the fourth bike too and would have no problems using it.

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/car-specific-accessories/atera_strada_dl_3_to_4_bike_carrier_uk_lights_no_ar2603/Qx%40w%2C6M42VAwp3%40Rb%7B~cC4ure5K%7BW%7D

I got the Atera to replace a Thule 9705 rack that I have as I wanted to be able to access the boot. I used to tie straps from the thule rack to the roof rails on the estate to support it as it wobbled loads and the bikes would rub. It still took 4 full sized mountain bikes though.

http://www.thule.com/en/IT/Products/Bike-Carriers/Towbar/Thule-BoltOn-9705

Hmmm. Yeah, maybe I just need to htfu and put the bikes on it. I just didn't like the effect the effect the extra weight of the kids bikes had on it, on the go.