Cyclists! Can you recommend a car rack carrier thing?

[OneHundredSecondsofSolitude]

I'm about to buy a bike. I will want to transport it, dh's and DS's tag along on the car

It seems there are a great many ways of doing this

I'd like something that doesn't cost £££ but is secure and won't damage the car (company leased, we get told off if they get marked)

Are you able to tell me what's good or what I should avoid?

Many thZnjs :)

Clunk. Tzzz. Whizzzzz

^ cycling noises

No help here, the one I got for my hatchback has wrecked the paint work. I did have a quick look at roof rack ones, but you need to buy the roof rack, and individual cycle bits as well, per bike, and it ends up being pretty expensive.
Thule do ones that go from the tow bar, expensive, but no paintwork damage thule towbar carrier

Depends how many bikes and how much cash you got to throw at it! :)

£177

No tow bar and although we need a roof box for camping the roof bars, feet and box add up to ££££ so we've just been taking two cars instead

If I did fork out for roof bars them they could double up as a bike carrier and earn their place more. But then the bikes wouldn't be able to come camping when the roof box was on

Basically we need a lorry. But only for the occasional weekend. Not sure where it would go the rest of the time

Hmmm it's tricky

I don't mind my car getting scratched but it's a convertible do I don't know if I could have one of those hang off the back ones

But thanks

If its a convertible where are you going to put the roof bars?????

Tow bar ones are good

The roof bars could go on dp's car. The one we can't scratch but which is a normal roofed car

Miy car can be scratched so from that perspective could have one of those on the boot racks but I'm not sure it can because its a convertible to the boot's a bit weird

Neither has a tow bar :(

Bikes go inside the car, get a roof box for the other luggage.

It'll be cheaper in the long run - bikes are really bad for fuel economy outside, and you'll have a roofbox for the camping trips where you don't need the bikes.

Saris Bones.

I have no tow bar and use this. Once you've done it the first time it is so simple. I can have it on the car and bikes on in 5 mins no problems.

I was going to say Saris Bones too.

Thanks all, will keep an eye out for a second hand saris bones, it's a little bit pricey new

fredfred the car is barely big enough for a pushchair let alone bikes

Can I ask viva and bikerunski does your saris bones obscure your number plate \ lights?

I'm leaning towards this one as actually they're all really expensive

No, that's the beauty. We actually have a "mini bones" called a Solo, but you can only put 1 bike on it. We had a Bones, then got a roof mounted carrier, now supplemented by the Solo.

I can also recommend the Saris Bones, this is what I would buy for transporting 3 bikes. I have got a Saris Solo and it is so simple to use :)

I have a towbar Thule and it is easy to pop on and off the tow ball. You just have to watch that you don't leave a wheel over the exhaust and melt the tyre
I use a plug in lighting/number plate as the bikes obscure the car number plate

Can you use a saris bones on a hatchback? I've got an ancient Ford KA and can't find any info to see if it's compatible.