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Atera STRADA DL 3 to 4 bike carrier (UK lights) no. AR2603 - Return number 038

£394.95
RRP:
Code: REAR2603-38

This is one of our five "Hall of Fame" all time outstanding products, representing as it does a quantum leap in bike carrier design. The bike platform slides away from the tow ball to allow good access to the tailgate, taking the weight of the bikes. It has an innovative self-adjusting tow ball fixing system which also holds the carrier horizontal as soon as it's placed on the tow ball, a triangular frame shape that allows you to come right in close to the tow ball (so you don't have to lean across the bike carrier to access the boot space, with consequent risk to your back), and even UK legal foglights.

And it's small enough to put into the boot when not in use. And also very light. Click here for a fitting video.


We reckon that Atera's STRADA DL tilting carriers are the best designed and best engineered tow ball carriers on the market, bar none. This page shows the 3 bike version; an adapter (listed below) can be added for carrying a 4th bike. Apart from its all round style, what's so special about the STRADA DL?

(1) Fundamentally, it slides away from the vehicle, rather than tilting, i.e. the bike carrier takes the weight of the bikes, rather than you, and there's tailgate clearance even for vehicles with vertical tailgates. It's by far and away the easiest tilting carrier to use.

(2) It fits to 'bolt on' or 'swan neck' tow balls (including detachable tow bars) 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's very easy to carry - it won't bump your shins if carried properly - and as soon as you place it on the tow ball the weight is taken, so you can straighten up and rest your back. Other carriers require you to support the platform with one hand while fiddling with the fixing system with the other.

(4) It's much the lightest of the 4 bike tilting wheel support racks on the market.

(5) Furthermore, it's the most compact 3 to 4 bike carrier available. At only 1 metre wide it should fit into most if not all car boots, allowing you to park safely without risk of the bike carrier being damaged. You only need to flick up a couple of cam levers to fold the upright bike holder support.

(6) The bike frame holders are also without a doubt the best available, incorporating a ratchet tightening mechanism. 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.) All bike holders have swivel joints, and the long holder has 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).

(7) The frame is triangular which allows you, when the bikes have been slid out of the way, to stand almost right up against the tow ball. This means you can lift items into and out of the boot both safely and easily. This is not a trivial benefit - most other bike carriers have rectangular frames and although you may be able to open the tailgate easily enough, you usually have to lean across the bike carrier frame to reach the boot space, which is definitely not ergonomic.

(8) The fog lights on this special 'GB' version - which will work if you have a continental '13 pin' socket - are UK legal, i.e. the fog light is on the right / offside of the car. Other bike carriers with fog lights have these on the left / nearside of the car, which is illegal, (even when the car is used on continental roads!) Atera gets around this problem by using the lighting rig which they supply for BMW bike carriers. This includes a fog light on both sides, and there is nothing illegal about this!

It makes sense when using this carrier to place a safety strap around all the bikes and the bike holder support frame. We're therefore providing a free strap with each carrier - one strap per carrier. As well as providing peace of mind the strap will also help to minimise vibration.

The 4th bike adapter:   Most of our customers also buy the 4th bike adapter. This includes two straps which were suggested by TÜV before they tested this carrier, the aim being to prevent any side to side movement. Be assured that these straps are not required, and that the carrier does not move from side to side! The same self adjusting tow ball fitting is used on other STRADA models (e.g. EVO), without any requirement for straps. In due course we hope that Atera will retest the STRADA DL, without straps, so that they are no longer included. To show the overall strength of the STRADA DL we have had two heavy people standing on the 4th bike adapter in the slid out position (maximum leverage) with no adverse effects noted. Don't try this at home because an extra 185kg may damage your tow ball mounting!

Technical and miscellaneous:

  • Weight of carrier: 14.5kg
  • Maximum payload: 60kg
  • Approximate dimensions when folded: 1000 x 250 x 720 mm
  • The wheels are held in place with quick fit polypropylene straps which suit all rim and tyre sizes.
  • The STRADA DL 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 DL to vehicles with a rear mounted spare wheel - you usually need to remove the spare wheel. This will allow you (1) to fit the carrier onto the vehicle (the upright usually hits the spare wheel), (2) to fit all the bikes onto the carrier, (3) to remove the carrier after use (the removal handle usually clashes with a spare wheel).

You'll need a lighting adapter if your vehicle has a standard UK style 7 pin socket - buy a STRADA DL 3 from us this season and we'll give you this for free, saving up to £20 at typical prices!

Made in Germany.

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.

This Item (Standard sized items)
Express Delivery £ 9.50 1 to 2 working days
Standard Delivery £ 6.50 3 to 4 working days

Delivery of other items

Small items & Spare parts
Express delivery £ 6.95 1 to 2 working days
Standard delivery £ 4.95 3 to 4 working days
Roof boxes
Express Delivery £ 19.50 1 to 2 working days
Standard Delivery £ 14.50 3 to 4 working days
Dropracks and Roof tents
Express Delivery £ 19.50 2 working days

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.

Small and Standard Sized Items Order by 4pm for same day despatch
Roof Boxes, Dropracks and Roof Tents Order by 1pm for same day despatch

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?
We have offered a reliable Next Working Day service for well over 20 years but, due to the pressure on the couriers caused by the coronavirus crisis and the huge increase in online shopping, we can no longer be confident about the delivery date, which is why we now call the service ‘Express delivery’. Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next or second working day, but some will arrive on the second or third working day, or be split between these days. 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".

PayPal accepted

Secure payments

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Technical specifications at a glance:

Max number of bikes: 3 (4 with adapter 2611, shown below)

Fits bolt on tow ball: yes

Fits swan neck / detachable tow ball: yes

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

Weights: 14.5kg (+2.0kg with 4th bike adapter)

Max load weights: 45kg (63kg with 4th bike adapter). These are the loading weights excluding the weight of the bike carrier (see above)

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.

To find the spare parts you need, please click here or on the pdf symbol 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. Please not that older versions of the Strada sometimes require slightly different parts - it's best to check your instructions to be sure before ordering. We can still supply most older parts.

We try and keep spare parts in stock but if the part you order is not in stock we will get back to you ASAP to let you know how long it will take to order in.

Spare lights/light covers are available but there are a two different versions. It's important you order the correct version because they are not interchangeable, check the parts diagram (see the link above) to see the difference between the two types of lights.

Two different types of bike arms are available, the parts diagram above shows the current style arms (022 630 - 022 632). Older models of Strada will have different part codes for the bike arms (022 618 - 022 620). Check the instructions that came with your bike carrier to be sure you are ordering the correct part.

Item: Description: Our price (each): RRP:

We were delighted that the Atera STRADA DL3 won the Auto Express tow bar bike carrier test in July 2013. Click on the logo to view the test results:

Atera STRADA DL Tow bar mounting bike carrier


Add to Your Order Untick if not required:
Item: Description: Our price (each): RRP:
Returned item: £394.95 (rrp. )
Special offers:
Free lighting adapter: £0.00 (rrp. £20.00)

All our prices include VAT at 20% Total: £394.95
 Description 
 Delivery charges and Payment options 
 Specifications 
 Spare parts 
 Auto Express bike carriers test 
 Fitting instructions and videos