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If you've got a towbar i'd get a towbar one, much more stable.  I've got a Maxxraxx, which is really good but if you've got a mountain bike with suspension and funny shaped frame you need a false crossbar to hang it from.  I'd probably go for one of the ones where the wheels go in grooves if i got another but then they've probably got their drawbacks too!

Well the best ones are roof mounted racks imho but there's no denying they increase fuel consumption. Best option if you're ever likely to be towing though.

If you've got a towbar already  the towball or towbar mounted ones are a darn sight more secure than a strap on one and a great deal less fiddly to use. We use an older design of Witter towbar mounted rack and it's not given us a moment of bother in the last 16 years, has been simple to move between cars when we've bought a new car and which is easy to fit and store. You can even buy a second mounting block if you have two cars. Strap on ones are less secure in general and have to be bought to fit the car in question so if you change to a radically different car you often need a new rack. Not economical. I wouldn't fancy carrying bikes all the way to the Dordogne on one tbh.

Oh, whatever you buy get one to fit three adult bikes. Big children's bikes often weigh as much if not more than adult bikes. Make sure your chosen design of carrier can accomodate unusual frame designs if you or your sprog prefers fat tubed Y-frame double suspension mountain bikes, or is likely to. And if you're thinking about another child anytime soon just get a 4-bike rack and be done with it. A good well chosen bike rack can last a very long time as we've found.

And remember to tick the box on the ferry booking form for rear bike racks. People have run into problems with this before now. An estate car is a pretty long thing even without adding a back bike rack.

Quote: Originally posted by kate w on 04/6/2011

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 I'd probably go for one of the ones where the wheels go in grooves if i got another but then they've probably got their drawbacks too!

 

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Speed bumps and ferry ramps, to name but two......

We have got a strap one and last time we used it it damaged our car, we pulled the straps too tight and it damaged the body work on the top of the tailgate rather badly so we will be looking at different options, never had a problem with having to stop to tighten straps but to be fair we havent really gone further than about an hour and halfs drive.  Trouble is you dont know its going to damage your car until it happens, we have used it on 3 different cars prior to this one and its never happened before but we darent use it again now just in case