Buzz Rack 'Buzz Quattro' 4 Bike Car Rack According to Roofbox.co.uk, this is possibly the best 4 bike wheel support rack on the market for less than £300. It's mounted on the towball, and folds flat for easy storage. Find out more and enter out competition to win one!
Have you got one of these? Have you seen these? Would you buy one of these?
I don't have ANY experience of these type of racks, so the following are only general comments..
I suppose it depends what they'll be hanging off the back of?...
I'd want to make really sure that, when loaded with 4 bikes and with probably 4+ people on board(..along with any luggage etc?), that the set up wasn't overloading the rear axle..?
We've all see the "family saloons/hatchbacks", blatting down the motorway on a B/holiday... kitted out with a roof-box and bike rack and rammed to the gunnels with kids, camping gear, luggage etc...with the ar*e of the car virtually scrapping the ground...
I have one and I think it's great. If you need a four bike rack and have a towbar already then I'd highly recommend it. It's a bit heavy to lift on and off but it's very secure when fitted and you can still gain access to your boot when it's fully loaded due to a clever tilting mechanism.
Clearly it's not as quick to use as roof bars which you can leave on all the time but if you already have a roof box and you want to carry four bikes then this is a good option and much more secure than the sort of. Racks your bikes hang off.
------------- Manor Park Farm, Cromer every august, but somewhere different every may/June.
4 years of superior packing yet still no room in the car
Camdm025 when you say heavy....is it manageable for an average sized female to manoeuvre do you think? I will be packing up camp without the help of hubby this year and I had just about decided on a maxxraxx but this looks a lot more sturdy?
I don't really know what I need to be honest......any help would be gratefully received
Kelper I think you're right. I'm going to go with a MaxxRaxx. Do you use the crossbar extension thingumies for ladies bikes or do you just have them wonky? I spoke to The RoofBox Company who said they were purely for aesthetic reasons......
My 2p:
The trouble with hanging racks like MaxxRaxx is you will have to buy a number plate/lights unit, cos there's no way yours will be visible through 4 bikes! The lights/number plate combo is a faff to hang on, and I'm told the bikes bounce around a lot more on hangers, and ladies/kids bike with sloping top tubes are difficult to fix on.
I would go for a wheel support rack every time - they cost more for a reason ;-)
Quote: Originally posted by Pinkpigeon on 06/5/2014Kelper I think you're right. I'm going to go with a MaxxRaxx. Do you use the crossbar extension thingumies for ladies bikes or do you just have them wonky? I spoke to The RoofBox Company who said they were purely for aesthetic reasons......
Yes, I do use the crossbar extension thingummies!
Also put foam pads (halfords) between the bikes and run a strap through the bikes to tighten them together ... also adds to security.
You get precious little 'swing' with the MaxxRaxx design ... it's very clever ... I thought it would swing a lot when I first saw it .... but the ratchet strap provides a very firm 'hold', Not had any paint contact in three years.
The other bonus is the ability to lower hinge the rack down to allow for opening the boot/rear hatch in emergencies, without having to unload everything.
Yes, you will need to sling a number/light board on the back ... a doddle with a couple of small tightening straps ... adds about three minutes to the job ... of course, if you're towing, then you don't need to as the trailer/van/FC acts as the light board.
I won't pretend it's not heavy and whether or not you could manage it depends on you. I would guess you could do it but you wouldn't think it really easy. The benefit though is once it's on it's really secure , the bikes are secure, your rear view isn't blocked, you can access the boot and you don't have to muck about with a desperate lighting board or risk getting pulled over by the police.
------------- Manor Park Farm, Cromer every august, but somewhere different every may/June.
4 years of superior packing yet still no room in the car
We'll be using it with a Vivaro van so we probably won't be able to open the rear doors but can access via the side door. I wonder if we will need a number / light board, I'll have to have a look at the van.....do I buy that from MaxxRaxx if so? I hope I can sort it all out....hubby has to be home for work so he's leaving me to pack up and drive home. Job lot of red bill required!!
I would say you probably wouldn't want to keep it on for your whole trip but you should still be able to access the boot and pack up with the rack fully loaded by tilting it down.
I can't talk for the other maxx rack style carriers but keep trying and you may get someone with both.
It may come down to do you want the bikes on quickly (maxx raxx) or do you want them on securely ( buzz rack).
I met someone in Cromer two years ago who had a bike fall off whilst they were on an a road and it's not a pleasant experience.
------------- Manor Park Farm, Cromer every august, but somewhere different every may/June.
4 years of superior packing yet still no room in the car
I have only heard good things about the MaxxRaxx as well though from a secure fixing point of view. Kelper will be along at some point hopefully to share, and the chap at The Roofbox Company seemed to think they were very secure? Why do you think they aren't secure camdm025?
We certainly won't want it on for the duration as we'll (I'll) be away for five weeks but just for the journeys
I lost two bikes from a Halfords rear mounted rack ... securely fixed and checked ... but not pot hole proof!
Is why I switched to Maxx Raxx.
MaxxRaxx are VERY SECURE, and QUICK ... that's the beauty of their design.
You will have to have it fixed by one of their own licensed fitters ... there's a good network ... they won't allow you to fit it yourself ... I like that.
Phone them up and have a chat ... they are exceptionally helpful, and will answer all your queries.
You can easily remove most of the unit when the bikes are off .... only the mounting bracket remains fixed to your tow bar (allowing you to tow at the same time ... should you ever require that).