All our roof mounting carriers are in the "Pick and Mix" programme. You can mix cheap and expensive, Atera, CRUZ and Thule, and get the full bulk buy discounts for each carrier!
You can even change
quantities in your Shopping
Basket, press "Recalculate",
and view the cost
of different options.
As well as our "Pick and Mix" and Package Deals we have superb prices across the range of tow bar carriers - fromMaxxRaxx, Atera, Tradekar, Pendle and Thule.
Click on one of the logos above to view our bike rack range by brandname.
Click on the magnifying glass logo, wherever you see it,
to find out which products have been specifically approved for use on your
vehicle.
Steel: The CRUZ 'Bici-rack' is a basic but solid bike carrier - it's made of much stronger material than similar bike carriers in this price range. It fits roof bars to 40mm wide, downtubes of up to 85mm deep by 65mm wide, and can easily be adjusted to suit the geometry of your bike if this is different to normal. It comes complete with a lock to lock the bike to the carrier, two strong polypropylene wheel straps, and has a 2 year guarantee. Check out the Bike Carrier and Roof Bar Package Deals for special offers.
3 bikes, 4 with adapter:Atera's
design team have come up trumps again, with
a superb new lightweight STRADA 3 carrier (only 14.5kg) which is fully self-adjusting for all tow balls and -
this is the real innovation - doesn't tilt but slides away from the car,
much in the same way as a kitchen drawer slides out of a unit. Not only is this
a single handed operation, but the bike carrier is taking the weight of the
bikes, so it's easy, and safe - the bikes won't suddenly pivot forward and clock
you on the head. You can step into the carrier to make carrying and fitting
it even easier, i.e. placing no strain on your back, and causing no bruises
to your shins. It's only 100cm wide so you should be able to fit it into the
boot of most cars; although it locks to the tow bar this lock is as much for
safety as security - the real benefit of being able to remove the carrier is
that it increases the opportunities for safe parking, especially in e.g. a multi-storey
car park, or in a standard car-length parking space, or when parked diagonally
to the road, nose into the pavement, which is the typical routine in mainland
Europe. These carriers are supplied with 5 function lights including a fog light
on the offside to make them UK legal - more details on the next page.
3 bikes, 4 with adapter:Atera's
design team have come up trumps again, with
a superb new lightweight STRADA 3 carrier (only 14.5kg) which is fully self-adjusting for all tow balls and -
this is the real innovation - doesn't tilt but slides away from the car,
much in the same way as a kitchen drawer slides out of a unit. Not only is this
a single handed operation, but the bike carrier is taking the weight of the
bikes, so it's easy, and safe - the bikes won't suddenly pivot forward and clock
you on the head. You can step into the carrier to make carrying and fitting
it even easier, i.e. placing no strain on your back, and causing no bruises
to your shins. It's only 100cm wide so you should be able to fit it into the
boot of most cars; although it locks to the tow bar this lock is as much for
safety as security - the real benefit of being able to remove the carrier is
that it increases the opportunities for safe parking, especially in e.g. a multi-storey
car park, or in a standard car-length parking space, or when parked diagonally
to the road, nose into the pavement, which is the typical routine in mainland
Europe. These carriers are supplied with 5 function lights including a fog light
on the offside to make them UK legal - more details on the next page.
2 bikes, 3 with adapter:The Tradekar Silver Bike is a very well priced and well made tilting 2 bike carrier which fits to any tow ball. A 3rd bike adapter is available. It is simplicity itself to tilt the carrier, allowing easy access to the car. The tilt control handle is at the back of the carrier, near the number plate, so you won't get oil on your hands or clothes. The carrier tilts from the centre of the carrier, i.e. far enough back to allow vertical or near-vertical tailgates (e.g. MPVs) to be opened. A caravan and trailer adapter is also available - details on next page. All in all a very clever design.
"We had no hesitation in voting
this carrier
Best Buy!" Auto Express
2 bikes, 3 with adapter: Atera's design team have come up trumps again, with a superb new lightweight STRADA
2 carrier (only 12.5kg) which is fully self-adjusting
for all tow balls and - this is the real innovation - doesn't tilt but slides away from the car, much in the same way as a kitchen drawer slides out of
a unit. Not only is this a single handed operation, but the bike carrier is
taking the weight of the bikes, so it's easy, and safe - the bikes won't suddenly
pivot forward and clock you on the head. You can step into the carrier to
make carrying and fitting it even easier, i.e. placing no strain on your back,
and causing no bruises to your shins. It's only 100cm wide so you should be
able to fit it into the boot of most cars; although it locks to the tow bar
this lock is as much for safety as security - the real benefit of being able
to remove the carrier is that it increases the opportunities for safe parking,
especially in e.g. a multi-storey car park, or in a standard car-length parking
space, or when parked diagonally to the road, nose into the pavement, which
is the typical routine in mainland Europe. These carriers are supplied with
5 function lights including a fog light on the offside to make them UK legal
- more details on the next page.
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Roof
Mounting bike carriers
These
have to be fitted to a set of roof bars. All the aluminium carriers have a quick
release system which can be used from either side of the car, and lock the carrier
to the bars independently of the bike. Adjustment is made at shoulder level,
so you don't have to stretch. This feature is especially useful when bikes are
carried near the centre of the car roof, or on very high vehicles.
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Fork
Mounting bike carriers
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Hydraulic
bike carriers
All rear door mounting carriers are vehicle specific. Click on a picture, heading
or a yellow "Which rear door mounted bike carriers fit my car?" button
to see what's available.
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"Strap
On" and Rear door mounting bike carriers
Almost
all the problems we have encountered with the bike carriers we sell have happened
with fork mounting carriers. Things have moved on a lot in bike carrier design,
minimising the potential for user error, but the differences between the forks
being held too tight (potential for fork damage and for breaking the carrier),
too loose (potential for falling off) and just right, do seem to be down to
quite subtle changes in tension. If you can find a way of using a safety strap,
mounted e.g. around the frame and then around the front roof bar, this would
generally be "A Good Idea".
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Tow
bar mounting 'hang on' bike carriers
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Tow
bar mounted wheel support racks
These
racks are usually the easiest and quickest to use of all bike carriers, taking
up to four bikes. Click on one of the links below to go directly to: >>
2 bikes >> 3 bikes >> 4 bikes maximum. If you do decide to go for a tow
bar mounted wheel support rack, please check the maximum permitted weight for
your tow bar. Allow 15kg for each bike you want to carry, (or weigh the bikes),
and don't forget to include the weight of the bike carrier.
Electric bikes are wider and heavier than conventional cycles, so these specially developed 2 and 3 bike wheel support racks have been designed to take the extra weight.
Wheel
support racks - 2 bikes
Wheel
support racks - 3 bikes
Wheel
support racks - 4 bikes maximum
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Tow
bar wheel support racks for Electric bikes
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Spare
wheel mounting bike carriers
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'In
Car' mounting bike carriers
If you do decide to go for a tow bar mounted bike carrier, please check the maximum weight that should be placed on your tow bar. Allow 15kg for each bike you want to carry, (or weigh your bikes), and don't forget to include the weight of the bike carrier.
Bike
Carriers product range
This Bike Carriers product range page shows our full range of bike racks / car racks, including roof mounting, strap on mounting, rear door mounting, tow bar mounting and 'in car'.
If you need general
help in deciding which type of carrier(s)
to buy then please visit our bike carrier information pages.
Click on the name or image of any car rack you're interested
in and you'll be taken to a detailed specification page, with links to our
online ordering system. You'll also see all appropriate 'Related Products'.
For roof mounting carriers there are also links to the Roof Bars pages, so
you should be able to pull together your whole order in a logical way.
Thule Indoor 592 £44.95
The Thule Indoor 592 is for MPVs and other larger vehicles. The basic kit provides fork mount fittings for two bikes – use adapter no. 593 to carry bikes three and four if space allows. This is a vehicle specific product, so click on the "What fits my car?" link to check availability and to order it online.
Pendle's Spare Wheel Rack is a top of the range solution for carrying 2 bikes. It fits to a rear door mounted adapter plate whose nose protrudes through the spare wheel. Most people leave these adapters permanently in place, so fitting and removing the carrier is a doddle. Replacement adapter plates can be bought separately. The whole unit can be adjusted from side to side to leave the bikes safely positioned across the width of the vehicle. If you wish to check which carriers are recommended / required for which vehicles, and whether a separate lighting unit is required, please click here. We will bring this list up to date by the end of June."
The Pendle Strap On Tyre Rack is the ideal 2 bike rack for vehicles with rear mounted spare wheels but no tow bar. It fits almost all 4 x 4s with rear mounted spare wheels. It can be adjusted from side to side to leave the bikes safely positioned across the width of the vehicle. If you wish to check which carriers are recommended / required for which vehicles, and whether a separate lighting unit is required, please click here. We will bring this list up to date by the end of June."
AllRound 2000 £TBC - but over £400 for the 4 bike version
4 bikes:An
aluminium tow bar mounting system of the highest quality, with a range of accessories
from a storage box to a tandem carrier, suitable for all tow ball types. Lightweight
but, being aluminium, expensive. Details to follow - we expect to have the details
in place by the end of July. In the meantime, please see www.allround-hecktraeger.de
for details.
4 bikes:This is the next generation 4 bike carrier from Tradekar, it is a superb tilting four bike wheel support rack that fits all tow balls and all bikes. It's very quick to fit and dismount and the bike frame holder folds flat for ease of storage - you just need to undo two hand tensioned wheel nuts.
The wheel supports are fully adjustable so the carrier can take any size of bike and the strong quick fit / quick release polypropylene straps accommodate all wheel sizes and all frame sizes. The carrier is easily tilted even with the bikes on.
3 bikes, 4 with adapter: Thule's new top of the range 3 bike carrier, the EuroClassic G5 909 is certainly very smart, and is quickly and easily fitted to all the tow balls we've tested it with, including (after adjustment) tow balls which we know to be very slightly the wrong size. (There are a surprising number about!) That's good. The tilting process is also a great improvement. The carrier pivots from near the front, and there is a tilt stop (i.e. the bikes don't hit the ground), making this genuinely a single handed operation. Previous EuroClassics have pivoted around the tow ball, which made tilting the carrier a relatively slow process. You can increase the tilt angle to 70 degrees for use on vehicles with near-vertical tailgates, e.g. most MPVs. At 18kg (19kg with the 3rd bike adapter) it's also easy enough to carry. Although it's supplied with wheel supports for 4 bikes, an extra adapter is required for the 4th bike. Approximately 136cm wide by 60cm deep.
2 bikes: The Thule EuroPower 916 is a new 2 bike wheel support rack specifically designed to take electric bikes which are heavier and wider than normal bikes (up to 30kg each). It's a decent bike carrier and has a foot operated tilt function accessed from the front of the bike carrier, near the lights - that's a major plus point. The tilt mechanism allows you to open the tailgate without removing the bikes, which is often very useful. This bike carrier is supplied largely preassembled, and clamps onto the tow ball. It is suitable for all types of tow ball. The bike frame holders are lockable and are easy to move to make loading bikes much easier. An optional ‘Loading Ramp 9151’ as available to make loading and unloading much easier, just wheel your bikes up the ramp.
2 bikes, 3 with adapter: Atera's new STRADA SPORT tilting carriers are the best designed and best engineered tow ball carriers on the market.
They are extremely robust and made from both steel and aluminium, to give it the best of both worlds. The steel means the carrier reinforces where it need to be making it suitable for heavier bikes yet the carrier only weighs 12.8kg so it is easily manoeuvrable. It fits to 'bolt on' or 'swan neck' tow balls without any adjustment; you just place it on the tow ball and push down the handle - no spanners or Allen keys are required. It tilts away from the vehicle allowing access to the tailgate. An adapter is available to carry 3 bikes.
2 bikes, 3 with adapter: Thule's new top of the range 2 bike carrier, the EuroClassic G5 908 is certainly very smart, and is quickly and easily fitted to all the tow balls we've tested it with, including (after adjustment) tow balls which we know to be very slightly the wrong size. (There are a surprising number about!) That's good. The tilting process is also a great improvement. The carrier pivots from near the front, and there is a tilt stop (i.e. the bikes don't hit the ground), making this genuinely a single handed operation. Previous EuroClassics have pivoted around the tow ball, which made tilting the carrier a relatively slow process. You can increase the tilt angle to 70 degrees for use on vehicles with near-vertical tailgates, e.g. most MPVs. At 18kg (19kg with the 3rd bike adapter) it's also easy enough to carry. Although it's supplied with wheel supports for 3 bikes, an extra adapter is required for the 3rd bike. Approximately 136cm wide by 60cm deep.
At last, here’s a wheel support rack that not only looks great but is a pleasure to use, is intelligently designed by people who use bike racks regularly and care about the finer details, is superbly engineered and finished, and is undoubted value for money.
At last, here’s a wheel support rack that not only looks great but is a pleasure to use, is intelligently designed by people who use bike racks regularly and care about the finer details, is superbly engineered and finished, and is undoubted value for money.
MaxxRaxx Discovery - suitable for the Land Rover Discovery Series 1 and 2 (140mm offset). MaxxRaxx 4 x 4 - suitable for vehicles with a larger rear mounted spare wheel (250mm offset). 5 bikes can be carried on certain 4 x 4s and larger vehicles with nose weights of 100kg or more. Buy into the MaxxRaxx system and you can modify the carrier when you change vehicle. The bikes are held almost incredibly firmly, and tilting is an easy enough task if there are two people, one to prevent the bikes from falling back (there's a tilt stop) while the other removes the locking pin. Click here to see MaxxRaxx videos.
We’ve been using BUZZ RACK’s Moose bike carriers since last Autumn and have no doubt that they’re the best designed and most user friendly bike carriers of their type, at any price. They include all the features that we want to see, include none of the things that we hate, and when it comes to design savvy and component quality there are numerous small details that will put a smile on your face.
Moose carriers fit over the tow ball, so if you want to tow and carry bikes at the same time, or if your vehicle has its spare wheel on the rear door, have a look at the MAXXRAXX range.
The MaxxRaxx Premier is suitable for cars, vans and 4 x 4 vehicles with no rear mounted spare wheel - see below for the rear spare wheel versions. These carriers are tiltable, versatile, ingenious. Spares are available to adapt the carrier for use with rear mounted spare wheels and also to any type of tow bar - there's even a ski carrier. 5 bikes can be carried on certain 4 x 4s and larger vehicles with nose weights of 100kg or more. The way the bikes fit provides some of the benefits of using a wheel support rack, but at more of a hang on rack price. Click here to see MaxxRaxx videos. Enjoy your Bike magazine - "Best Buy Award 2006"
REAR DOOR MOUNTING BIKE CARRIER INFORMATION:
Lighting boards are available for all 'strap on' carriers, either in white
or yellow. Pendle make a lighting board specifically for their Strap
On rack. You'll find all these items listed as options on the individual
product order pages.
Note that some of the cars which are known NOT to be suitable for carrying strap-on racks are also shown on the applications database. This 'No fit' part of the list is almost certainly incomplete. 'Strap-on' carriers can be dangerous if misused or badly fitted, and the budget ones (which we don't sell) often seem to damage car bodywork even if apparently fitted correctly; please note therefore thatwe
will accept no responsibility for loss or damage, of whatever kind, where
strap on carriers are incorrectly fitted or inappropriately used.
You also need to use commonsense in placing appropriate padding between the bikes on any rear mounting or indeed tow bar mounting carrier. This is especially needed where a 'strap-on' carrier leaves the bikes at an angle of perhaps 45 degrees, and all the bikes are basically lying on each other. Anything from closed cell foam matting to old carpet can be appropriate. In other words, we'll be delighted to supply the carriers you need, but it must always be your responsibility to make sure that your bikes aren't damaged.
Please phone 015396 21884 (9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday) or email if you have any questions about these racks, or if you have a recently released car which might not have been tested by the various manufacturers.
The Atera LINEA is an aluminium clamp-on carrier of the highest quality, supplied partially assembled, and designed to carry up to four bikes, depending on the strength of the tailgate. The three bike version weighs only 8.5 kg! Fitting the adapter kit is quick and easy work, and it’s fair to say that Atera’s adapters, which are tightened up using a special key, provide a more precise fit than Thule’s BackPac adapters. The four bike models are for specific vehicles only and include some stainless steel in the construction. Popular applications include the Renault Megane Scenic (3 bikes), Mercedes Vito (4 bikes), Alhambra / Galaxy / Sharan series (4 bikes), and Volkswagen T4 and T5 (4 bikes).
Thule's 2 bike ClipOn High carrier is a flexible and quickly mounted wheel support rack, i.e. the bikes stand on their wheels, held apart by the locking frame holders. Thule's patented 'snap on' fitting system really does make it very quick and easy to fit, once assembled for the first time. The bikes sit above the rear light clusters and number plate on most cars - but check the database.
This carrier was further improved in 2006 - the previous version won a Auto Express 'Best Buy Award' in 2003.
Thule ClipOn £79.95 Thule's 3 bike ClipOn carrier was modified in 2006; the previous version was an Auto ExpressBest Buy award winner. It has metal straps, and once adjusted for your vehicle is very quick and easy to clip / snap into place, and to remove. It's a low mount carrier so will almost certainly require the use of a lighting board. There are two versions of the ClipOn - one's mainly for hatchbacks, the other for estates. Lighting board? No worries - your local auto electrician should easily be able to wire a socket into the rear light cluster, left inside the boot space.
Saris Bones 2 Grey bike rack £94.95 Saris Bones. A quirky name for a one-off design, but that's because Saris have the patents on several unique and very clever features. The Saris Bones 2 bike rack will carry two bikes safely on the majority of hatchbacks, estates, MPVs, saloons and convertibles, using three straps per side - top, bottom and middle - to hold the carrier stable and firm. It's very quick and easy to set up and to fold flat again when not in use. The anti-sway straps, a Saris exclusive, make a real difference, and holding the bikes at different heights should also help prevent important components from rubbing against each other. We think it's great.
The Saris Bones 3 bike racks will carry three bikes safely on the majority of hatchbacks, estates, MPVs, saloons and convertibles, using three straps per side - top, bottom and middle - to hold the carrier stable and firm. Like the 2 bike version, It's very quick and easy to set up and to fold flat again, and also features the anti-sway straps. Unlike the 2 bike rack, the 3 bike is availble in 6 colours.
Pendle’s 3 bike Strap On carrier was given an MBUK ‘Best Buy’ award some years ago. (“The quality of construction above all makes it stand out… As one tester put it, it feels engineered rather than simply ‘produced’.”) And in 2006 it won both the "Enjoy your Bike" magazine Best Buy Award and, much more importantly, the Auto ExpressBest Buy awardfor rear door fitting carriers. Some cars require a lighting unit, and some require the use of a special window adapter where there is no metal at the top of the tailgate - the database will tell you whether these are required, and list the lighting board options.
Atera’s hydraulic BIKE LIFT makes easy work of roof mounting. One lift can be placed on either side of the car. You slide the saddle into its carrying loop, secure it with the safety strap, hook the handlebars into their securing cradle, and then with relatively minimal effort the bike rises to the car roof. Not the cheapest option, but well worth it if you aren’t confident that you’ll be able to lift your bike to head height without it toppling over… There's also a tandem version.
Pendle Tandem T-bar carrier £146.95
Pendle's excellent 'Tandem T-bar' carrier is basic but very robust and fully adjustable. It’s also available as the Pendle 'Tandem Standard' (see previous section) which is the "keep both wheels on" format.
BUZZ RACK BuzzRider SP1 £224.95 The BUZZ RACK BuzzRider SP1 is a unique and innovative top quality 2 bike fork mount car rack which also provides a rack between the bikes, a support for the padded waterproof bag which is ideal for carrying up to 10kg of anything you don't really want in your car, e.g. wet or muddy cycling gear. Its other unique feature is the optional quick release system which allows you to leave the mounting brackets in place on your roof bars and then fit and remove the BuzzRider in seconds. And "Yes", it is the same BuzzRider that's supplied to Hollywood in the USA.
The Atera GIRO Speed is a smart and innovative carrier, originally designed for BMW but now available to the aftermarket. The real innovation is in the tightening system where, first time out, you pull out the tensioning knob and turn it until it's just the way you want it, not too tight, not too loose. Thereafter it uses a quick release system. Other manufacturers use a trial and error system, i.e. guess the tension required, and then find out whether it's right; there's a real danger of overtightening and then breaking the mechanism. The GIRO Speed fits standard 22mm x 32mm bars, and Atera or Thule aerobars (adapters are included), and is suitable for bikes with disc brakes, and bikes with wide tyres. City-crash tested.
Thule OutRide 561 £68.95 Thule's 561 OutRide has a quick fit system for all types of front forks, including carbon fibre forks with steel dropouts, and forks with disc brakes. There's an integrated adapter for 20mm axles. As well as fantastic prices we'll provide a wheel bag (for the front wheel) free of charge!
Pendle makes an excellent Tandem carrier - basic but very robust and fully adjustable. There's also a fork mounting version (see next section) known as the Pendle 'Tandem T-bar'.
Aluminium: The previous GIRO was a worthy winner of the Auto Express Best Buy Award on several occasions. The aluminium Atera GIRO AF is its replacement and features intelligently designed wheel supports to hold the bike in place during fitting as well as automatic shoulder-level single-handed tensioning and locking, leaving one hand to hold the bike steady. Clever stuff. It fits oval down tubes from 80mm to 100mm, and round tubes from 22mm to 80mm diameter. Check out the Bike Carrier and Roof Bar Package Deals for special offers.
Aluminium: Thule’s aluminium ProRide 591 has a clever automatically-adjusting quick release system. It fits roof bars to 56mm wide, and takes bikes with down tubes up to 80mm diameter (up to 80 x 100mm for oval frames).
Steel: Thule’s FreeRide 530 is suitable for bikes with downtubes up to 80mm (oval) or 70mm (round). It’s 210mm wide and can be fitted for loading either from the left or the right hand side. The quick release clamp only needs to be adjusted to a particular down tube size once - making it particularly quick and easy to use.
Don't forget to look at the amazing deal you could get with a THULE Euroclassic G5 909, which is a 3 bike carrier, but 4 bike carrier with an adapter.
Don't forget to look at the amazing deals you could get on the TRADEKAR Silver Bike or ATERA Strada 2 bike carrier bike racks, which are 2 bike carriers, but 3 bike carriers with adapters.
.jpg "Cycle/Bike Carriers at The Roof Box Company - Thule EuroClassic G5 904")
