is it realistic to strap three cycles onto the back of a car, and then drive five hundred miles north from london?

[stitch]

or am i living in cloud cuckooland?
would it be better to try and rent cycles whislt there?

We drove to France from Yorkshire last summer with four bikes (2 adult, 2 kids') on the back of the car. It slows you down a fraction, but is much cheaper than hiring them.

Well once they're on it makes not much odds if you drive 100 or 500

We took bikes from Lancs to the Dordogne one year...

thats what i thought. hiring is os expensive, i just know we wont end up doing it.
do you need special cycle racks? we just have a cheap one from halfords. i have used it twice, and each time i was not too sure about the way the cycles were loaded on. they shook a bit on humps and bumps

Ours was a cheapy with those sticky-out arms. If you're likely to make a habit of it, the kind with a rack that they sit on at the back is probably more secure (or the roof-rack kind, but they make life tricky if you want to go on a ferry any time)

But fwiw we had a weekend in the Cotswolds in May and hiring bikes there was a ludicrous amount of money, hang on, will look up...

YOu can use a cheap rack from Halfords, just make sure it is well tightened and use LOTS of straps. They will shake a bit no matter what.

We took the plunge last year and bought a 'towbar' rack and towbar. We can now carry our 4 bikes on the car and it is fab. Although all in all it cost £300, we have saved nearly that in 2 holidays. We always take or bikes on holiday as we prefer not to drive anywhere. Now the kids are big enough to go on the road it is fab

Ours is also a sticky-out arm one (copyright WendyWeber ). They are meant to bump a bit, but check tension in straps every time you stop to make sure they haven't started to work loose.

here - £50 for 8 hours for 2 adults, a large child and a small child (large/small size not specified). It does say longer-term rates available on request but for just having one available when you want it, you can't beat taking your own!

yikes! those prices.
i want to take our cycles. i am just scared that dh, and df wont let me. yes, i know, i am a wuss.
but you guys are giving me strentgh.
i bought my cycle rack from halfords for 54 poud,s and it has th esticky outy arms. i should practise taking th ebikes on smaller routes perhaps?

What kind of car do you have, stitch? We had ours on a Toyota Space Cruiser (predecessor to the Previa) which is quite high at the back but still managed effortlessly at one point to let one wheel dangle in front of the exhaust pipe and melt the tyre

Other than that the sticky-out arms are fine - just be sure you have the thing hitched as high as poss and the straps really taut (and check & retighten every time you stop)

alpha romeo. not sure about the exact shape or model, but i can imagine that happening quite easily.
what a horrible thing to happen on holiday. did you have to waste time and a lot of money getting it fixed?

does anyoine know if these rack things can take 4 bikes or do i have to get tow bar variety do you think?

i dont think they can take four bikes.
dd has still got stabilisiers on her bike, and i know we wont get that on. although i wil l try this weekend

Thanks, stitch

Luckily it wasn't on the French holiday - we had gone up to Center Parcs at Whinfell for the day to visit friends who were staying, and it was one of those solid tyres, so although it went bu-dum bu-dum bu-dum as the wheel went round DD2 was able to ride it (was funny though. Sort of. I blamed DH of course )

Have you actually unpacked the Halfords rack? If not, could you maybe return it and swap for a towbar rack like Crunchie's? Even at £300 it would pay for itself in a week compared with hire charges, & you'd have it for the next umpteen holidays...

sadly, yes.
we bought it last year when ds's cycle had to be transported to the lcoal park for his beavers cycling activity. he had onlyl just learnt how to ride without stabilisers.
this year, rather than faf f with the rack, which was only used twice last yearm i made him cycle their. in all, he did just under three hours straigh tcycling.(aged not yet 7)

bugger.

However having seen your minibus thread, buying a decent bike rack would be much less than your share of minibus hire

lol

We use one of those cheapy £50 ish racks on the back with 2 adult bikes and 2 child bikes. We have used it for years and had no problems. You just have to tie it all on really well.

We have loads of kayaks and windsurfers on top too which are more faffing than the bikes. We don't have a very streamlined look.

cheers fennel - not sure i fancy driving behind you but glad you found a gadget for 4 bikes that doesnt cost more than the value of teh 4 bikes put together in my case ! i will do some more research

We did loads of research about 4 bikes and decided the best option was the towbar one. YES it is pricey BUT we were going down to the dordogne and wanted to be really safe - DH Is a Health and Safety nut!!

However we costed a eurocamp holiday for 10 days at nearly £1000, so we used tescos vouchers, booked the campsite direct, bought a tow bar and bike rack, new tent AND a roof box and still had change from £1000.

we take 4 bikes (and one in boot) to holland or belgium every autumn to centerparcs, and use a Pendle bike rack.

Not read the whole thread incase anyone has said already, but they are fantastic. Quite expensive but well worth the outlay. None of the worrying if the bikes are bouncing against the paintwork, or coming off the rack. very sturdy.

Thule racks are also v good - we currently have a roof mounted one that can take 4 bikes. It's very secure and no rattles.

thule 591 pro ride

This is the pendle, it goes with a towbar.

www.pendle-bike.co.uk/nulldet.asp?Rack=Tow%20Bar%20Rack

hope the link works. No idea how you do it with the word 'here' !!

thule 591 pro ride