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Original poster

How hard is it to use a roof rack bike carrier

20 replies

Livinginchaos · 03/08/2020 19:13

I am planning to get a bike carrier for my car and the easiest option to get is the roof rack type. But I am worried about lifting the bikes onto it. I would have my son to pass them to me but not sure how it is done. Is it really difficult? Do you need two adults?

Can anyone help me please?

OP posts:
cannaethink · 03/08/2020 19:37

I manage it myself. I’ve got a small folding stool I keep in the boot, and my car isn’t massively high.

DelurkingAJ · 03/08/2020 19:39

Please be very careful...last week we saw one blown off on a motorway...miracle was that it didn’t cause a crash. I realise that you would always load them properly but it’s freaked me out.

Burnthurst187 · 03/08/2020 19:53

You can't beat putting a bike in the car

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Pizzapromotion · 03/08/2020 20:05

I can do it with my road bike but my mountain bike is too heavy for me. I need a step to put it on the 4x4 and must always remember to take it with me for the other end

With DS, try lifting the bike above the height of the car. It's not fiddly once you get it up there but it is quite high on some cars and some bikes are heavy.

cantstopsinginglittlebabybum · 03/08/2020 20:08

I can't do it. I do have carpel tunnel though, my husband can do it but does need our sons help as one of the bikes is quite heavy.

We're trying to find a boot bike rack that fits our car.

pinkbalconyrailing · 03/08/2020 20:09

never mind getting the bike up there - it changes the driving behaviour of the car a lot.
a back rack is easier to drive with.

Landlubber2019 · 03/08/2020 20:12

I can't get mine on or off, these are kids bikes too ! Mostly my dh is in charge, but on the one occasion he wasnt, I had to ask a stranger for help!

Original poster
Livinginchaos · 03/08/2020 21:01

Oh thanks everyone.

The problem I have is that I can't seem to get a boot rack that is suitable. And I dont have a towbar so my options are very limited. I will find out how much it will cost to get a towbar fitted.

delurking that's really scary!

OP posts:
paddingtonbear1 · 03/08/2020 21:08

I'd get a towbar if you can.
My dad used to use a roof rack. It was OK until he forgot he had bikes up there and drove under a low barrier.. he never used one again after that!

Littlemissweepy · 03/08/2020 21:11

I had this exact same dilemma a couple of weeks ago. No tow bar, no boot rack to fit my car. So I got a roof one one and OMG I nearly cried fitting it and the kids bikes to it. Took a couple of hours before I was cut and bruised and covered in oil and knocking on a neighbors door for help. With 2 people it is easy enough. Taking bikes off myself was ok. We were up North and loads of people had them.

Original poster
Livinginchaos · 07/08/2020 00:22

Argh. I don't know what to do! My kids bikes are quite light luckily and I can lift them above my shoulders fairly easily. But I can imagine fixing them onto the roof rack is not easy.

I got a quote to get a tow bar fitted and it was £££. Far too much for me. Which means its roof bars or nothing.

OP posts:
pinkbalconyrailing · 07/08/2020 06:52

op
do you have a warehouse nearby where you could park next o the loading 'step' to load the bikes up?

fartyface · 07/08/2020 06:56

How would that work? How would she get the bikes there? And what about the other end.

Op bike racks are the bane of my life. We have 5 of us, a 4 bike towbar rack and a bike rack for 3 on our caravan. We obviously can't use the towbar rack at the same time as the van and it is too heavy to just put in the boot.

I am seriously starting to consider a truck instead of our suv. As I just can't see how it will work in the future and it is a bodge now. Our car has a rear spoiler which rules out a rear mounted rack..

BikeRunSki · 07/08/2020 06:57

@cantstopsinginglittlebabybum - have you looked at a Saris Bones rack?

@Livinginchaos
Roof bars do take practice, but you’ll get there. I have an Ikea step stool that I use to reach up. DH has a van!

Original poster
Livinginchaos · 07/08/2020 09:00

Thank you. I think I will just go for it!

Really appreciate your help everyone! Smile

OP posts:
blacktop · 07/08/2020 09:13

I didn't realise you needed a tow bar to attach a rear rack! I'm following for ideas as I am in the same situation re a roof rack but I had planned to get a back rack

pinkbalconyrailing · 07/08/2020 09:15

you can get rear racks that attach to the door. but those are for single bikes and not as secure as the towbar kind

FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack · 07/08/2020 09:23

I open the door and step onto the door sill while holding the bike over my head. It helps to get enough momention that you end up leaning braced against the roof. I can manage the kids and mine like that but not DH's.

Original poster
Livinginchaos · 07/08/2020 09:48

blacktop there are 3 kinds of bike carrier. The safest and easiest seems to be one that you attach to a tow bar. Then there are the ones that go on the roof. The cheapest usually are ones that attach to your boot door and they can carry up to 3 bikes I think. But you need a high one to avoid blocking out lights and reg plate. And you may not be able to use the boot door when the rack is attached. It all depends on your car. I popped into halfords this week and they were so helpful. On their website you can enter your reg number and it will tell you what boot racks are suitable but if you go in store, they have a more accurate version.

OP posts:
blacktop · 07/08/2020 09:53

Thanks, I didn't realise they were so different! I will probably pop into Halfords next week and see what they say

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