What you need to know about Cycle Carriers

For the cycle enthusiast there has always been the concern of how can I transport my bike

Well if you just have one bike and you have a large boot you may consider putting your bike in your boot if you do not mind possibly ruining your interior. But if there is more than one of you or a family then you cannot do this, so what are your options?.

There a few options for carrying you cycles outside of the car, one option that we fit is a tow bar mounted cycle carrier and we will compare it to a strap on type cycle carrier and the Roof mounted cycle carrier.

Towbar Mounted Cycle Carriers

Towbar Mounted Cycle Carriers offer a safe and secure way of carrying up to 5 cycles on the back of your car. They are so much more stronger and secure than standard cycle carriers that strap to the back of your car. They are also more favourable compared to roof mounted cycles that cause areo dynamic problems and if used will not allow the use of a roof box.

There are 2 two types of tow bar mounted cycle carriers, a stand on type and a hang on type.

Stand on tow bar mounted cycle carriers

Stand on cycle carriers support the bikes from the bottom and the most secure way to carry bikes on your car.They are secured so much they do not move around so cannot damage your car but do cost a bit more.

Stand on tow bar mounted cycle carriers

Hang on tow bar mounted Cycle Carriers

Hang on Cycle Carriers support bikes from the top, usually by hooking through the frame. The main advantage of this type of cycle carrier is that when they are used with a flange towbar the towball is left free so that it can still tow at the same time and is cheaper to buy and fit. The only limitation is that you do need to make sure that there is enough clearance between the bikes and what you are towing.

Hang on tow bar mounted Cycle Carriers

Strap on type cycle carriers

The is the cheapest and simplest cycle carrier option that straps on to the tailgate of the car. There tends to be lots of poor quality ones sold although there are better ones sold through reputable car accessory shops. These type of cycle carriers are able to be fitted by the individual without any great knowledge, however there are certain tips you need to know to make this type of cycle carrier secure. There tends to be straps used that need to be pulled and tightened correctly to make them safe.

The other downside of these type of cycle carriers is the risk of damage to your car. Strap on Cycle carriers work in such a war they have to rest on the paintwork of the car, they do come with fitted rubber pads to try to prevent damage but it is still easy to cause damage to your cars paintwork when using one.

Strap on type cycle carriers

Roof Mounted Cycle Carriers

Roof Mounted Cycle Carriers carries bikes on the roof of your car.

To be able to use this cycle carrier your car needs to be able to have roof bars fitted, so you will need both the side rails mounted to your car, and also the cross bars that the cycle carrier sits on, this can make it an expensive option.

Other disadvantages of this cycle carrier is that its not easy to load your bike, it can be difficult for many people to lift their bikes up to such a height. And the final disadvantage is the drag the bikes create when driving, its not ideal and because of the obstruction the bikes create it will also affect the fuel economy of the car.