4 Bike Towbar Mount

[SoliD]

Hi,

Just looking around for 4 bar towbar bike racks. Recently been out to the alps and it was a godsend using the borrowed 3 bike one, but going forward 4 would be best. Following using this one I'd like an easy tilt mechanism and a good frame holding, it had hoops which you lifted up and all they kept doing was hitting the cranks or getting in the way so the bikes never mounted straight. What suggestions have you got?

I've seen the Thule Velocompact or the Buzzrack which seems to fit this criteria. Ideally 300 to spend if possible.

[bigdom]

I have one of these, stable at continental speeds, it's a little bit over budget, although being German well built and engineered.

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.ph...

[MDMA .]

Plenty choice with PFJONES -

https://www.pfjones.co.uk/cycle-carriers/tow-bar-m...

I deal with them weekly. Great service too.

[SoliD]

Thanks guys, will take a look.

[J886ATV]

bigdom said:

I have one of these, stable at continental speeds, it's a little bit over budget, although being German well built and engineered.

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.ph...

This - all day long. Atera Strada DL is superb

[cavey76]

I have a 5 bike varrier from MaxxRaxx. They do a 4 bike one too. Is towbar mounted but via a flange plat. Means you could still use your towbar if you also had a trailer. Like tge previous poster, sit very stable hanging off thee back of my Hyundai i800 at 85mph on thr L'autoroutes

https://maxxraxx.co.uk/

[JQ]

J886ATV said:

bigdom said:

I have one of these, stable at continental speeds, it's a little bit over budget, although being German well built and engineered.

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.ph...

This - all day long. Atera Strada DL is superb

Without doubt above is by far the best solution. I borrowed one for 12 months then had to hand it back. Couldn't bring myself to spend the money on one and got the Buzzrack. The buzzrack is great for the price but the Atera is massively easier to use. I really really really regret not getting the Atera.

[aberdeeneuan]

We have the strada dl, it's just brilliant! Easy to use, solid, expensive but does the job so well.

[SwissJonese]

I had a Thule EuroClassic G6 929 + 4th bike extension. It was a strong bit of construction, easy to use and the arms to hold the frame came off so easy to load bikes on and secure. Sadly I had to sell it due the tilt mechanism didn't go far enough to open the VW T5 barn doors. Adding the 4th bike was a simple clip on job.

I now have a Atera DL Strada 4 bike. Seems a much cheaper bit of kit, but it is smaller and less heavy and the tilt works. You can't take the arms off so takes much longer to work out a method fitting the bikes on and securing them. The arms on the Thule where of secure strong claw like mechanism the Atera are thin plastic and it won't take much to cut through and steal the bike? The mechanism to tilt the bikes is a bit flimsy, feels like it will break easily, much simpler/stronger on the Thule. The 4th bike adapter has to be screwed onto the main unit, and the screws didn't come in the package so still waiting on replacement. The wheel holders are 45degree angle connectors, which doesn't work for my kids 14inch wheels (no problem on the Thule).

So if you can get a 2nd hand Thule I would defiantly recommend it over the Atera but the new price difference is quite large.

[DJFish]

I'm sorry to be really dull and boring but it's worth noting that the max bike weight on a G6 929 is 60kg, so your bikes need to be fairly light so as not to exceed this, most decent bikes will be under 15kg but throw in an electric or a couple of Tesco Specials with accessories bolted on and you could go a bit over.
Plus the weight of the rack itself is 21kg so you need to make sure you don't exceed your car's nose weight (currently 80kg on the mighty Yeti).

Having said that I have a G6 929 and it's great, I got it from a chap in Ipswich, you could do worse than emailing [e-mail] to see what he has in stock.....

I have no affiliation to the above business, just a very satisfied customer

[SoliD]

Thanks DJFish, the bikes likely to be used would easily weigh under that limit, none of that cheating Electric in sight here Will drop the guy an email.

Thanks al for the advice.

[CraigBroadbent]

A bit late to the topic. Be really careful about 4 bikes on a towball. No original equipment manufacturer sells one. The German tuv authority expressly forbids them. The towballs can fail.
There are no laws to regulate, but I would recommend to stay clear.
If you must then please cable through the frames back to the safety eye on towbar.
YOU are responsible.

[Watchman]

CraigBroadbent said:

A bit late to the topic. Be really careful about 4 bikes on a towball. No original equipment manufacturer sells one. The German tuv authority expressly forbids them. The towballs can fail.
There are no laws to regulate, but I would recommend to stay clear.
If you must then please cable through the frames back to the safety eye on towbar.
YOU are responsible.

Rubbish. I've had a heavy one on the back of 4 cars now with no issues. Bloody thing is rated to pull 3500Kg. And yes I know all about the direction of forces.

I can't even find an internet report of one failing.

[smifffymoto]

The forces are very different,a trailer hitch moves on the the ball,a bike rack doesn't.
Also the current trend is to criminalise the consumer where no clear rules are defined.

[SwissJonese]

CraigBroadbent said:

A bit late to the topic. Be really careful about 4 bikes on a towball. No original equipment manufacturer sells one. The German tuv authority expressly forbids them. The towballs can fail.
There are no laws to regulate, but I would recommend to stay clear.
If you must then please cable through the frames back to the safety eye on towbar.
YOU are responsible.

Yep not sure that is true as my Atera STRADA DL is TÜV certified, pretty sure they can't sell such a product in Germany without on. As on their websites it suggest that 2 straps are used to prevent movement side to side.

Auto BILD car magazine tested a few under extreme manovers and braking. The cheap ones where frankly dangerous but proper manufactures like Thule and Atera where fine.

[paulrockliffe]

I can't see how you can get 4 bikes on the back of a car without exceeding the Max nose weight. It's not just the weight added up, because that assumes the weight is all acting directly down on the ball, which it can't be. The fourth bike will have quite a bit of leverage at, what 60cm away?

No idea about the specific products, but wouldn't be surprised if TUV approval included some maximum weights for the bikes that's impractical for adult bikes?

Having put 3 light adult mountain bikes on the back of one of these I wouldn't even think about 4!

[SwissJonese]

paulrockliffe said:

I can't see how you can get 4 bikes on the back of a car without exceeding the Max nose weight. It's not just the weight added up, because that assumes the weight is all acting directly down on the ball, which it can't be. The fourth bike will have quite a bit of leverage at, what 60cm away?

I agree, the worse is when you pull down the unit and the 4 bikes are leaning over even further. Luckily I only have 2 adult bikes and 2x 12inch kids bikes so they are on the end of the unit. I'm not sure I would want to put 4 full heavy mountain bikes on this either.

[Watchman]

This max nose weight thing...

Trust me when I tell you that during the movement of a 3500Kg trailer, it MASSIVELY exceeds the static nose weight limit.

4 bikes do not even register as a flea on the back of a rhino. Have you ever felt the weight of a modern towbar and towball? Bridges are made from that stuff.

[SoliD]

Thanks for the advice guys, managed to find a Witter ZX412 for £150, will keep an eye on the weight, but this has supporting straps and if used for 4 bikes it will only ever be for Road bikes, easily under 60kg.