When all's said and done, which carriers do we rate as being not only "the Best" - best build quality, best engineered, best features, easiest to live with - but also the best value for money? Read on!

Roof mounting - budget

The CRUZ Bici-racks are excellent value for money; they're much better
value than any other bike/cycle carriers in the £15 to £25 range. Look
out for our package deals. In the £25 to £35 bracket you should go for
the Thule FreeRide 530.

Roof mounting - top quality

Atera's GIRO AF maybe doesn't look quite as cool as Thule's ProRide 591, but when it comes to the business of actually positioning the bike on the carrier, and applying the bike holder, the GIRO AF is the easier to use.

Rear door mounting - 'Hang On' type

We don't stock any of the really cheap strap on cycle carriers - in the wrong hands they can be literally lethal, to the extent that the DTI has issued a list of Dos and Don'ts for their safe use. Pendle's Strap On carrier is a nice piece of kit, tried and tested over several years, with a very wide application list; it's very well priced. Thule's Clip On carriers are very easy to use, but note that long boxes and the ClipOn High will tend to meet when the tailgate is opened. If you have a roof box you'll probably do better to go for a standard 3 bike ClipOn and get a light socket wired into your boot.

Rear door mounting - 'Wheel Support' type

The Atera LINEA carriers are much better quality than the Thule Backpac, but have a relatively narrow application list, so be prepared to sell them with the car, or on eBay... The most popular LINEA applications are for the Alhambra / Galaxy / Sharan (to 2006), VW T5, and Chrysler Voyagers (to 2008).

Tow bar mounting - 'Hang On' type

You need to be increasingly cautious about buying Hang On tow bar carriers - developments in bike frame technology (and bike frame fashion?) mean that you often can't get one or more of your bikes (or the next child's bike you buy) onto a Hang On carrier which has two support arms (two "horns"), because the frame is just too small. Sure you can fit an artificial cross bar between the seat post and the handle bar post, but it's extra hassle and, for safety, there's no substitute for grabbing a bike firmly by its frame. We'll publish the cycle carrier dimensions ASAP on the individual product pages.

'Bolt on' tow balls: We've rated the MaxxRaxx carriers best for ease of use and all round value for several years, but as they only have one bike support, they will be able to hold all your bikes/cycles, especially as they can hold bikes safely at acute angles, and not only on the horizontal. If you are uncertain about how we rate a carrier which holds bikes with one support as being better than one which holds bikes with two supports, check it out! MaxxRaxx have a 5 bike accessory for larger vehicles with big tow bar nose weights (which basically means 4x4s) - check the database, and then check your tow bar.

'Swan neck' tow balls: For Do It Yourself fitting to swan neck towbars, i.e. for bike/cycle carriers which fit over the tow ball, check out the Pendle range. MaxxRaxx do a swan neck range which fits on the neck of the the tow bar, not on the ball, i.e. leaving the tow bar free for towing, but fitting these is business for specialist dealers only, so contact MaxxRaxx at www.maxxraxx.co.uk.

Tow bar mounting - 'Wheel Support' type

2 to 3 bikes: Thule's RideOn carriers meet the budget price point - check iout our Bargains pages as we may still have some of the 2007 to Spring 2008 versions; these are basically the same except for the plastic light board holder. In the mid market, the all round quality and useability of the Tradekar Silverbike puts it ahead of the Thule EuroWays once the price difference has been factored into the equation. An issue with the EuroWays is that they pivot from the tow ball and don't tilt far enough back to be of use on vehicles with vertical or near vertical tailgates, e.g. most MPVs. The Silverbike tilts from mid way on the carrier and there is sufficient clearance to get these tailgates open. The new Thule EuroClassic G5 904 is a smart piece of kit but not as 'complete' a bike carrier as the Atera STRADA 2.

3 to 4 bikes: The Tradekar TAKE FOUR, suitable for all tow bars, is certainly the best value of the non-tilting 4 bike/cycle carriers. At the top quality end, The ALLROUND 2000 system, including 4 bike aluminium carriers that can be carried behind a 4 x 4 spare wheel, is a delight to use, although it doesn't tilt, and it's very expensive. We'll get the details on the website just as soon as we can. Of the tilting 3 to 4 bike carriers, the new Thule EuroClassics are nice pieces of work but not as good as the Atera STRADA 3 (4 bikes with optional adapter). Why so? The STRADA 3 is much lighter, its "slide away from the back of the car" system is much easier to use than any other system, it fits to all tow balls, it's easily placed into the boot of the car when not in use (which makes for easy parking) and with its offside fog light it's even UK legal should you have a 13 pin socket and choose to turn the fog light on...