Atera STRADA Sport 3 PRO 3 to 4 bike carrier no. AR2678

This superb rack from Atera is relatively compact and light yet the reinforced frame makes it suitable for carrying heavier and electric bikes (up to 30kg). The optional drive-up rail makes the loading particularly comfortable if you have heavy bikes.

If you don't have heavy bikes we recommend one of Atera's sliding Strada bike carriers - because the bikes slide away from the tailgate you can be sure that you'll get the tailgate fully open, and you'll have much better loading space.

We reckon that Atera's new STRADA tilting carriers are the best designed and best engineered tow ball carriers on the market, bar none. Apart from its all round style, what's so special about the STRADA Sport PRO?

(1) It is extremely robust and is made from both steel and aluminium, this gives it the best of both worlds. The steel means the carrier reinforces where it need to be making it suitable for heavier bikes (up to 30kg each) yet the carrier only weighs 18.1kg so it is easily manoeuvrable.

(2) 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.

(3) It tilts away from the vehicle allowing access to the tailgate.

(4) The bike frame holders are without a doubt the most sophisticated units available. They fit oval and other outsize frames as well as round ones, wrapping a strap right around the frame for safety and security. (This looks like a simple plastic strap, but it is in fact 'sandwiched' around a spring steel core.) With swivel joints at both ends, and a slight curve in the aluminium support rod to increase the opportunities available, we haven't yet come across any combination of bike sizes and styles that can't easily be locked into place using the same key which locks the whole unit to the tow ball.

Technical and miscellaneous:

• Weight of carrier: 18.1kg
• Maximum payload: 60kg
• Approximate dimensions when folded: 1000 x 200 x 720 mm
• The wheels are held in place with quick fit polypropylene straps which accommodate tyres up to 4".
• The STRADA has five function rear lights so it is fitted with a 13 pin plug for 13 pin continental type electric sockets. If you have a 7 pin socket you will need the Lighting adapter '13 pin' (rack) to 7 pin (car) listed below. If you need one of these remember to tick the box below to add this to your order. (If you have a 7 pin socket the reversing light and fog light will not work. The 7 pin socket isn't wired for these functions).

Note for vehicles with a rear mounted spare wheel: You may not be able to fit the STRADA onto vehicles with a rear mounted spare wheel: in our experience you almost always have to remove the spare wheel. This could be (1) to get the bike carrier onto the vehicle (the upright may hit the spare wheel), (2) to get the bikes to fit on the carrier (the handlebars etc could hit the spare wheel) or (3) take the carrier off the tow bar after use (the handle to remove it could clash with the spare wheel).

You'll need a lighting adapter if your vehicle has a standard UK style 7 pin socket - buy a STRADA from us this season and we'll give you this for free, saving up to £20 at typical prices!

Made in Germany.

Technical specifications at a glance:

Max number of bikes: 3 (4 with adapter 2624; shown below)

Takes electric bikes:Yes, up to two

Fits bolt on tow ball: yes

Fits swan neck / detachable tow ball: yes

Dimensions: 100cm (width) x 72cm (depth) x 20cm (height)

Weight: 17.9kg (20.1kg with the 4th bike adapter)

Max load capacity: 60kg (68kg with 4th bike adapter)*

Max weight per bike: 30kg

Max wheelbase: 120cm

Distance between bikes: 18cm

Tilting: yes

Integral lighting board: yes

Lighting board plug type: 13 pin (7 pin adapter available if required; shown below)

Bike carrier to tow ball lock: yes

Bike carrier to bike lock: yes

Possible to tow when in use: no

Fits with a spare wheel: no

Guarantee: 3 years

Useful information:

*The maximum permitted load you can carry is also determined by your nose weight; you will need to check you don’t exceed this before using any tow ball mounted bike carrier.

We offer our existing customers a full "Next Day if possible" spares service, and will cannibalise new stock as required to find you the parts you need.

To find the spare parts you need, please see the diagram below, identify the product codes, then choose them from the list below. If you need more than 1 of any item, change the quantities in the Shopping Basket.

Deciding which bike carriers to buy is not always easy, especially as you may not have had experience of using bike carriers before. We hope that our buying guides provide useful guidance about which bike carrier 'strategy' will be most appropriate for your circumstances, as well as highlighting the best features of particular models. We also have troubleshooting FAQs - for example, some customers struggle at first to fit four bikes onto a tow ball carrier, and wonder whether a different carrier would allow the bikes to be spaced wider apart. (It won't, but we have some good tips which make bike fitting much easier.)

Our bike carriers Exchange Scheme covers roof mounting and tow ball mounting bike carriers only. Rear door mounting / strap on carriers are not included, and nor are roof bars. It allows you to exchange within 90 days of invoice date. Most exchanges are for roof mounting upgrades, or are tow ball carriers with very basic tilting systems being exchanged for easy to use sliding / tilting carriers.

These are the rules of the bike carriers Exchange Scheme:

• You are allowed one exchange only.
• The original equipment must be in "as new" condition, subject only to fair wear and tear.
• The replacement items must be different models from the originals.
• The replacement items must not be part of a package deal or be from our Bargains section.
• Roof bars are never part of the Exchange Scheme.

This is how the exchange scheme works:

• We charge in full for the replacement items, including the appropriate carriage charge and a charge for any packaging needed for the return of the originals.
• We pay the return carriage costs.
• When the originals arrive back here we refund you for their invoice value but you won't get back more than the invoice value of the replacements. In other words, if the replacements are cheaper than the originals we won't be giving you "extra cash back".

Please note that we can only collect exchange scheme items from mainland UK.

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

These are our standard charges; there are usually surcharges for all offshore destinations and some remote postcodes - for details please see our delivery information page.

Delivery of other items

Delivery times

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Bank holidays).

Cut-off times for Express Delivery orders
Express Delivery orders placed before before the cut-off times shown below will usually be desptached on the date of order. Express Delivery orders placed after these cut-off times will be despatched the next working day.

Delivery FAQs

When will my order arrive?
There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for postable items where Royal Mail has a Saturday delivery. Express Delivery orders placed on a Friday (before 1pm) should be delivered on the Monday or Tuesday, Express Delivery orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday should be delivered on the Tuesday or Wednesday. The arrangements for Very Heavy Items are different and are shown above.

What about Next Working Day delivery?
Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next working day, if the order is placed before the cut-off time (see above). Some will arrive on the second working day if there has been a "split-delivery". So-called “split deliveries” happen when the couriers do not have enough trailer space for everything that should be moved around the UK, so they will load what they can and leave the rest for the next trailer.

Is my delivery day guaranteed?
No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. As well as split deliveries, all courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.

Do I need to be at home?
We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver to an address which suits you – this does not need to be your home address. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

Payment options:

We take the following cards, and also PayPal. Please note that the entry on your card statement will be from "The Roof Box Company".

Secure payments

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Bike carriers with 7 pin plugs

Wheel support bike carriers which are supplied with 7 pin plugs usually only include rear lights, brake lights and indicator lights, which is why they are often called ‘3 function lights’.

Unusually, Thule bike carriers with 7 pin plugs also include a fog light; this works when plugged into 7 pin electrics, but it does not work when plugged into 13 pin electrics via an adapter.

Bike carriers with 13 pin plugs

Bike carriers which are supplied with 13 pin plugs include a fog light and reversing light, as well as rear lights, brake lights and indicator lights – which is why they are often called ‘5 function lights’.

If these are plugged into 13 pin electrics then all 5 functions will work.

If they are plugged into 7 pin electrics via an adapter then the fog light should work, but the reversing light on the bike carrier will not work.

Please note

These notes assume that your tow bar electrics have been wired correctly!

Tow bar wiring in the digital age is much more complicated than it used to be when everything was analogue. Our experience is that if you are having lighting problems, e.g. a fog light does not work in 7 pin tow bar electrics, the problem is much more likely to be caused by the wiring, not by a dud bulb in the bike carrier.