Message Forums

Hello

Last yeare we went down to the South of France with our Bailey Pageant, and I stupidly stored 4 bikes in the van as we travelled.  The problem was that the van was full every time we stopped & the odd scratch in the van.

I'm pulling with a Honda CR-V.

What's the best way to get 3 or 4 bikes ( & Van) down to the South of France this year?

Replies appreciated

Thanks

Geraint

Why not buy a bike rack for the rear of the caravanvan - My Dad has one that holds up to four bikes - I think it made by Fiamma - We've used it loads  - frees up space in the van.

well mr rees

what you could do is ride one of the bikes youself, let mrs rees drive the crv and fold down the back seats to put the oher bikes in

otherwise just do what i will have to do this year which is put all four on the roof on roof bar mounted bike carriers. two facing foward and two facing backwards

ps apologies this is in lower case but i am holding a 6 week old baby in one hand!

regards to all

Roof for definate. Four bikes will weigh upwards of 120 lbs and if you put them inside the van you won`t be carrying much else. Also if you hang them off the back of the van they`ll unbalance it, surely?

Back racks? Well, we carry three bikes on a back towball mounted rack, but it`s still very tight clearance when we tow the trailer tent. For preference we use the roof rack on our estate car.

Quote: Originally posted by landsdowngolf on 21/2/2007

---

30+lbs a bike??? 50+years ago my racing bike weighed in at 22lbs find it difficult enough these days to push 22lbs - I'd give up if I had to pedal 30+ lbs   Denis

---

Ball park average for a Halfords "mountain" bike or hybrid, alas. Look at the catalogues if you need convincing. The reall killer is some of the Y-frame kids bikes...they can weigh even more. Cheap bikes=cheap materials=more material required to give them strength.

We both have touring/audax bikes (Mercian and Longstaff) and they touch the scales around 30lbs, what with 28 gear transmissions, mudguards and two racks on board. Plus 40 spoke wheels for my big Hubby, and he rides a 25" frame. Our rather elderly hybrids weigh a couple of pounds more. It`s not fair to compare the majority of even good quality tourers or hybrids  with a stripped down (single speed?) racer with best quality lightweight materials and 32 spoke racing wheels. Nowadays a class racing bike will almost float and come in at the 18lbs range. But I`d hate to take one out on a French towpath!

I don`t think most non-bikie people even consider how much their bikes weigh, either when buying or loading. (For the uninitiated, lighter bike=easier use, and it counts far more than you might think.) To hear of folk shoving 120-130lbs of bikes into their caravans, often on top of their carefully calculated payload I expect, makes me worried. Even the roof bars on cars have a maximum load weight, usually 70-100 kg. (In handbook.) Fill a roof box up to the maximum weight and even if it`s a half width one, you`d better not be putting your two heaviest bikes up there.

Easy way to find out the weight of your bike? Bathroom scales, weigh yourself, weigh yourself holding bike. If you ride a supermarket special, folks, be prepared to be amazed. There`s plent of bikes that top 40lbs out there.

Quote: Originally posted by landsdowngolf on 21/2/2007

---

30+lbs a bike??? 50+years ago my racing bike weighed in at 22lbs find it difficult enough these days to push 22lbs - I'd give up if I had to pedal 30+ lbs   Denis

---

all bikes weigh 50lbs

for example

my ti litespeed is 16lb + lock(34lb) = 50lb

MTB from the tip is 45lb + lock(5lb) = 50 lb

We too like Piglet have a MaxRax it is superb and you can't tell the bikes are on the back. It holds them very rigid. The system is a bit pricey though but we think it was worth every penny.