Car Bike Rack Recommendations
-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:53 pm
Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby MetalToby » Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:58 pm
Looking for a new bike rack and need some recommendations.
Needs to carry 4 bikes, 2 adult and 2 kids.
Car is a Skoda Kodiaq with a "swan neck" tow ball. Not a square hitch and not one where the ball is bolted to a metal tongue.
I've seen racks that seem to just clamp on to the round metal ball. How sturdy are they? Do they just use friction to clamp onto the ball and stop them moving around???
Thanks
- P!N20
- Posts: 4056
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:50 pm
- Location: Wurundjeri Country
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby P!N20 » Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:06 pm
It says it is suitable for European swan neck tow bars.
I love my Buzz Rack - easy to install and easy to get bikes on and off. The Enduro is slightly better as it has ratchet straps to secure the bikes.
I’ve had no problem with the rack moving around, but I have a normal tongue type tow bar and there is a bracket that gets installed under the tow ball to stop the rack rotating - I’m not sure how that’s addressed with the swan neck.
- bychosis
- Posts: 7273
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby bychosis » Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:19 pm
After today, I’m looking for a better alternative. It’s taking too long to load and unload despite holding everything from a 12” glider to a 20kg big w fat bike securely with only occasion minor rubbing due to poor loading.
- Retrobyte
- Posts: 1556
- Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2020 5:43 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Retrobyte » Sun Jan 23, 2022 9:24 am
I have a Skoda with the European tow bar as well, and am also happy with my Buzz Rack - I have the 2 bike version of this .... https://buzzrack.com/galleries/new-buzzybee-4/P!N20 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 8:06 pmI have a 4 bike Buzz Rack, which is very similar to this: https://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/ezigr ... gLo5vD_BwE
It says it is suitable for European swan neck tow bars.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:34 pm
The Buzzybee mentioned above does (not my knowledge) NOT have a tilt function, but they do make a model that does tilt.
I have just ordered a new Subaru Outback Touring with towbar and I ordered a Thule Velocompact 2-bike rack as well since their price (strangely enough) was cheaper than anywhere else I could find it - $804 (and I got a decent discount off that).
https://www.thule.com/en-au/bike-rack/t ... -pin-_-925
Other options may include;
https://www.pushys.com.au/thule-921-eur ... rrier.html - $650
http://buzzrack.com/galleries/eazzy-2/
https://www.roofracksgalore.com.au/cruz ... ns-940-506
I have no experience with any of these as I currently have a hatch mounted rack on my Passat wagon. I just happened to find them while comparing what else was out there with the Thule offered by Subaru.
-
- Posts: 14447
- Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:40 pm
- Location: Bendigo
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby warthog1 » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:20 pm
https://shinglebackoffroad.com.au/shop/ ... ical-rack/
Looked practical any way.
- bychosis
- Posts: 7273
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby bychosis » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:47 pm
-
- Posts: 14447
- Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:40 pm
- Location: Bendigo
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby warthog1 » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:55 pm
-
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:53 pm
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby MetalToby » Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:50 pm
Lots to think about there.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:11 pm
Just out of interest, can you get the Outback with a 50mm square hitch for the tow bar? I see a lot of the previous MY models with a square hitch, but the MY21/22 Seems to have a swan neck fixed tow ball arrangement, and that really restricts choice with the bike racks.Andy01 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:34 pmIt is worth noting that it MAY be worth the extra dollars to get a model that allows tilting the rack down to get access into the boot.
The Buzzybee mentioned above does (not my knowledge) NOT have a tilt function, but they do make a model that does tilt.
I have just ordered a new Subaru Outback Touring with towbar and I ordered a Thule Velocompact 2-bike rack as well since their price (strangely enough) was cheaper than anywhere else I could find it - $804 (and I got a decent discount off that).
https://www.thule.com/en-au/bike-rack/t ... -pin-_-925
Other options may include;
https://www.pushys.com.au/thule-921-eur ... rrier.html - $650
http://buzzrack.com/galleries/eazzy-2/
https://www.roofracksgalore.com.au/cruz ... ns-940-506
I have no experience with any of these as I currently have a hatch mounted rack on my Passat wagon. I just happened to find them while comparing what else was out there with the Thule offered by Subaru.
I have a Mazda6 with standard towball and a Thule Euroway 3-bike rack. To get 4 bikes you need the newer Velospace XT (https://www.thule.com/en-au/bike-rack/t ... k-_-939001) with adapter, but there’s also other options from Gripsport etc that take 4 bikes but only with a hitch mount.
I am down in Bright at the moment and I see the Shinglenack racks everywhere. Also lots of racks like mine, and heaps of Subaru Outbacks (looking at this as my next car, but waiting to see if the Wilderness model with the Turbo engine makes it to Australia)
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:02 am
The Subaru Outback genuine towbar is a "modified" gooseneck - it is a gooseneck style ball that is removable, so not a 50mm square, but the ball can easily be taken off (unlike the Subaru Forester that has a fixed "phallic-shaped" gooseneck). There are some after-market (like Towbars Australia from memory) towbars that are a 50mm square style but it was only $120 cheaper for the DIY kit than a Subaru fitted towbar (that was off the RRP and I got a $3100 discount off the car and I suspect a chunk of that came off the towbar and bike rack as they are usually marked up more than the cars, so potentially it was less than the DIY kit), and the Subaru towbar definitely disables the rear sensors whereas (at least some) DIY kits may not.queequeg wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:11 pmJust out of interest, can you get the Outback with a 50mm square hitch for the tow bar? I see a lot of the previous MY models with a square hitch, but the MY21/22 Seems to have a swan neck fixed tow ball arrangement, and that really restricts choice with the bike racks.Andy01 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:34 pmIt is worth noting that it MAY be worth the extra dollars to get a model that allows tilting the rack down to get access into the boot.
The Buzzybee mentioned above does (not my knowledge) NOT have a tilt function, but they do make a model that does tilt.
I have just ordered a new Subaru Outback Touring with towbar and I ordered a Thule Velocompact 2-bike rack as well since their price (strangely enough) was cheaper than anywhere else I could find it - $804 (and I got a decent discount off that).
https://www.thule.com/en-au/bike-rack/t ... -pin-_-925
Other options may include;
https://www.pushys.com.au/thule-921-eur ... rrier.html - $650
http://buzzrack.com/galleries/eazzy-2/
https://www.roofracksgalore.com.au/cruz ... ns-940-506
I have no experience with any of these as I currently have a hatch mounted rack on my Passat wagon. I just happened to find them while comparing what else was out there with the Thule offered by Subaru.
I have a Mazda6 with standard towball and a Thule Euroway 3-bike rack. To get 4 bikes you need the newer Velospace XT (https://www.thule.com/en-au/bike-rack/t ... k-_-939001) with adapter, but there’s also other options from Gripsport etc that take 4 bikes but only with a hitch mount.
I am down in Bright at the moment and I see the Shinglenack racks everywhere. Also lots of racks like mine, and heaps of Subaru Outbacks (looking at this as my next car, but waiting to see if the Wilderness model with the Turbo engine makes it to Australia)
https://www.subaru.com.au/outback/accessories - unlock it and turn the knob and the ball drops off.
https://www.towbarsaustralia.com.au/tow ... /outback-6 - note that it says that an "auto-cancel" harness will be supplied "if available".
My BIL has a Thule 4 bike carrier (similar to the Velocompact - not sure of exact model) and it is a ball-mount rack and he has never had a problem with it moving.
The engine is certainly the "weak" point with the new Outbacks and it will take some getting used to after a diesel Passat (with 380Nm of torque) that has heaps of grunt. The Touring is a very nicely appointed comfortable car and at least it has genuine Nappa leather unlike nearly the majority of the medium SUVs that "claim" to have leather (Toyota Rav 4 Cruiser Hybrid, Kia Sportage GT-LIne, Hyundai Tucson Highlander etc - all "man-made" leather - ie. vinyl). I would rate the performance as acceptable rather than "exciting". I owned a Outback diesel 6 speed manual for 5 years from 2010 and it performed very well - much better than the standard petrol at the time.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:40 pm
My Mazda6 has a removable attachment for the towball, but not an square hitch.Andy01 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:02 am
The Subaru Outback genuine towbar is a "modified" gooseneck - it is a gooseneck style ball that is removable, so not a 50mm square, but the ball can easily be taken off (unlike the Subaru Forester that has a fixed "phallic-shaped" gooseneck). There are some after-market (like Towbars Australia from memory) towbars that are a 50mm square style but it was only $120 cheaper for the DIY kit than a Subaru fitted towbar (that was off the RRP and I got a $3100 discount off the car and I suspect a chunk of that came off the towbar and bike rack as they are usually marked up more than the cars, so potentially it was less than the DIY kit), and the Subaru towbar definitely disables the rear sensors whereas (at least some) DIY kits may not.
https://www.subaru.com.au/outback/accessories - unlock it and turn the knob and the ball drops off.
https://www.towbarsaustralia.com.au/tow ... /outback-6 - note that it says that an "auto-cancel" harness will be supplied "if available".
My BIL has a Thule 4 bike carrier (similar to the Velocompact - not sure of exact model) and it is a ball-mount rack and he has never had a problem with it moving.
The engine is certainly the "weak" point with the new Outbacks and it will take some getting used to after a diesel Passat (with 380Nm of torque) that has heaps of grunt. The Touring is a very nicely appointed comfortable car and at least it has genuine Nappa leather unlike nearly the majority of the medium SUVs that "claim" to have leather (Toyota Rav 4 Cruiser Hybrid, Kia Sportage GT-LIne, Hyundai Tucson Highlander etc - all "man-made" leather - ie. vinyl). I would rate the performance as acceptable rather than "exciting". I owned a Outback diesel 6 speed manual for 5 years from 2010 and it performed very well - much better than the standard petrol at the time.
I am in bright now, and there are Outbacks everywhere. Almost all of them have a square hitch towbar, with the hitch receiver plugged with an official Subaru branded blank (like our Santa Fe). However, when i spoke to the Subaru dealer in December, he said you can’t get a square hitch for the Outback.
My current Thule rack is good, but if I want to get a different style of rack like the Gripsport GS4 or GS4+ (https://www.gripsport.com.au/product/gs ... ing-option ) or the Shingleback, it requires a square hitch (50mm). For this trip i needed to take 4 bikes and my rack can’t take the 4th bike adapter, so I ended up putting roof racks on the Santa Fe along with a Thule ProRide rack. That was a far cheaper option than upgrading my whole rack.
I have seen a lot of cars with the Shingleback racks (the car in the house next to ours in the compound has one attached, a 6 bike version that swings out of the way so they open the rear of the car - which is a Kia Carnival), and an equal number with the Thule or Yakima platform type racks. Lots of cats with the ProRide roof carriers and roof pods.
I need the ground clearance of the Outback for our driveway. My Mazda can’t exit the driveway with the rack attached so i have to load/unload on the street and carry the rack up the driveway.
We’re a year off getting the new car anyway as the Santa Fe still has a year to run on finance. My wife will get a new car first and ride me the Santa Fe (which is already registered in my name as the bank would only give finance approval that way, even though my wife pays the loan lol). I’ll then sell the Mazda and use the Santa Fe until I can sort something.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:39 am
The towbar on the Outback is a Westfalia removable ball and is pretty neat. When the ball is dropped out (it literally falls off when it is unlocked and the locking pin is pulled out and turned - the ball assembly fits vertically into the "housing" behind the car's bumper) and the plastic blanking plug is fitted the only evidence of the car having a towbar is the wiring harness connector plate - the towbar assembly is completely invisible until to bend down and look up under the car behind the bumper. It is rated for 2000kg and 200kg ball weight.
When the Thule VeloCompact rack is fitted it extends the "overhang" (from centre of rear wheels to the rear of the rack) to 1800mm and has a clearance below the lowest part of the rack to about 350mm. My driveway is not stupidly steep but there is a reasonable gradient change (because it is only 10m long and raises about 1.2m from street to garage) and I measured it yesterday at the worst point and still had around 250mm clearance, so it would have to be a pretty abrupt gradient change to cause a problem.
I haven't actually used it to carry bikes yet since I have just received the QLD auxillary plate for the rack, but it all looks good and tilts well out of the way to allow the rear hatch/boot to open with the rack attached to the car (with bikes on it).
I know that most of the aftermarket towbars for the Outback (even the new Gen 6 model) are 50mm square types, and perhaps the older model (Gen 4 & 5 ?) models had square genuine Subaru types as well ?
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:02 pm
I just put a deposit on the Outback Touring on Monday, and they have given me a delivery ETA of June 13th (but said it could be late May as it's scheduled for April build). I've added the Explorer pack with the Tow Bar, and before ordering I did ask again about the square hitch but the current genuine towbar is towball only. Previous generations were square hitch. You can do after market, but the genuine Subaru towbar is the only one covered by the warranty and when it comes to the electrics on a car like this, I am not taking any chances. So, we'll be keeping the Thule 3-bike carrier I have on the Mazda now, and I will transfer the Thule ProRide 598 from the Santa Fe roof rack over to the integrated crossbars on the Outback. I just have to go and buy the adapter kit as the Outback does not use T-rails like the rack on the SantaFe. I use the roof rack for the smaller kids bikes.Andy01 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:39 amI thought I might update now that I have received my Outback Touring (ordered on 21/01/22 and arrived at dealership on 17/03/22 and took delivery on 24/03/22 - pretty good in the current climate - Toyota Rav4 Hybrids are 10-12 months wait) and Thule VeloCompact 2 bike rack.
The towbar on the Outback is a Westfalia removable ball and is pretty neat. When the ball is dropped out (it literally falls off when it is unlocked and the locking pin is pulled out and turned - the ball assembly fits vertically into the "housing" behind the car's bumper) and the plastic blanking plug is fitted the only evidence of the car having a towbar is the wiring harness connector plate - the towbar assembly is completely invisible until to bend down and look up under the car behind the bumper. It is rated for 2000kg and 200kg ball weight.
When the Thule VeloCompact rack is fitted it extends the "overhang" (from centre of rear wheels to the rear of the rack) to 1800mm and has a clearance below the lowest part of the rack to about 350mm. My driveway is not stupidly steep but there is a reasonable gradient change (because it is only 10m long and raises about 1.2m from street to garage) and I measured it yesterday at the worst point and still had around 250mm clearance, so it would have to be a pretty abrupt gradient change to cause a problem.
I haven't actually used it to carry bikes yet since I have just received the QLD auxillary plate for the rack, but it all looks good and tilts well out of the way to allow the rear hatch/boot to open with the rack attached to the car (with bikes on it).
I know that most of the aftermarket towbars for the Outback (even the new Gen 6 model) are 50mm square types, and perhaps the older model (Gen 4 & 5 ?) models had square genuine Subaru types as well ?
- bychosis
- Posts: 7273
- Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby bychosis » Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:20 pm
I hear what you’re saying, but an aftermarket towbar will come with its own warranty, and most towbar installs are plug and play. They simply piggy back off an existing rear light plug. No cut and shut wiring or dodgy crimp terminals. If in doubt, ask the supplier.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:51 pm
Cheers. The only concern was that if the electrics on the aftermarket towbar did something to the electrics in the car, it won't be covered by the car's warranty (that's what I was told when I asked about doing this anyway!)bychosis wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 3:20 pmI hear what you’re saying, but an aftermarket towbar will come with its own warranty, and most towbar installs are plug and play. They simply piggy back off an existing rear light plug. No cut and shut wiring or dodgy crimp terminals. If in doubt, ask the supplier.
I went and had a look and the Hayman Reese Outback Hitch Mount (for example) is $500 more expensive than the genuine one (though I can see them online for the same price as the genuine one). It's not a huge issue for me other than not being able to fit one of the larger heavy 4 bike racks that require the hitch receiver. We'll probably just wait till we upgrade the other car in another 3 years and get a hitch on that one.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:00 pm
I was a bit surprised (perhaps I shouldn't have been) that when the rack is fitted (even no bikes) and the car is put in reverse the reverse warning beeper (from parking sensors) goes continuously - I thought that there might be something in the electrics to prevent it beeping continuously. Maybe if I folded down the vertical "U" bar on the rack it would stop ?
The weight isn't an issue for the towball as it is rated for 200kg, but I have no idea if a towball mounted rack can realistically hold 4 bikes ? According to the Thule website there is a 4th bike adapter for the 3 bike VeloCompact, so I guess it is possible ? The load capacity is 60kg and it weighs 20kg, so only 80kg all up, which is well within the 200kg downball weight limit of the towbar.
Something that did come as a surprise with mine was that I was charged GST on the accessories (towbar, bike rack & carpet mats) as well as the stamp duty - I knew about the stamp duty but not the GST. I have actually asked Subaru Australia if their RRP prices on accessories includes GST but it has been 9 days and no response yet. They did give me a $3,000 discount on the car which was pretty good.
I really like the genuine towbar because it is so neat when the ball is taken off, but I guess if you were leaving the ball on it wouldn't make a difference.
- P!N20
- Posts: 4056
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:50 pm
- Location: Wurundjeri Country
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby P!N20 » Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:41 pm
Not sure if you're talking about Thule specifically, but my Buzz Rack takes four bikes without any issues. Sure, two are kids bikes, but kids bikes aren't exactly light!
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:38 am
Sadly, GST is charged on top if everything (including the stamp duty and dealer delivery charges, which is pretty cheeky but that’s the govt for you. Their website lists the price inclusive of GST, your invoice will list it without GST and then add the GST figure on at the end (at least that is how it looks for mine).Andy01 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 7:00 pmThe other thing with the electrics is that the genuine one disables the rear emergency braking / rear cross traffic alert thing (maybe other rear safety features as well - not sure yet) when something is plugged in - an aftermarket may or may not do that (I was told that most do not). Some of the towbar supplier sites I checked said that it may work if a suitable adapter was available and to contact them.
I was a bit surprised (perhaps I shouldn't have been) that when the rack is fitted (even no bikes) and the car is put in reverse the reverse warning beeper (from parking sensors) goes continuously - I thought that there might be something in the electrics to prevent it beeping continuously. Maybe if I folded down the vertical "U" bar on the rack it would stop ?
The weight isn't an issue for the towball as it is rated for 200kg, but I have no idea if a towball mounted rack can realistically hold 4 bikes ? According to the Thule website there is a 4th bike adapter for the 3 bike VeloCompact, so I guess it is possible ? The load capacity is 60kg and it weighs 20kg, so only 80kg all up, which is well within the 200kg downball weight limit of the towbar.
Something that did come as a surprise with mine was that I was charged GST on the accessories (towbar, bike rack & carpet mats) as well as the stamp duty - I knew about the stamp duty but not the GST. I have actually asked Subaru Australia if their RRP prices on accessories includes GST but it has been 9 days and no response yet. They did give me a $3,000 discount on the car which was pretty good.
I really like the genuine towbar because it is so neat when the ball is taken off, but I guess if you were leaving the ball on it wouldn't make a difference.
i too was given a $3k discount if I was willing to wait until August/September. If I wanted one from stock it was basically full RRP. I split it down the middle and took a slightly less discount to take delivery in 70 days. Only did that as every day something new goes wrong with my 15 year old Mazda. This week it’s leaking water through the chassis where the water drains through the windscreen, and the water is pouring down over the fuse box inside the front passenger compartment. I guess there’s a rubber bung or something that’s popped out or perished but it will require either exterior panel removal
or dash removal to find it…and now the water ingress has made the electrics play up. The doors won’t unlock with the remote (but will lock), and rather bizarrely the alarm that hasn’t worked in years has suddenly decided to reactivate. I just lost it like Basil Fawlty beating his mini with a tree branch lol
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:10 am
Car price + Towbar + Thule rack + Carpet mats + Dealer delivery - Discount = $46,412.41 and GST was charged as $4,641.24 (so it works out exactly to the cent).
I was not charged GST on Rego fee, CTP, Plates & Stamp Duty
I could not find anywhere on the Subaru website that clarified whether there was GST included in the accessory RRP, hence the email to them (which I have still had no reply to).
I was not given the option of when I wanted to get the car. They had nothing in stock and I was told that it would take 2-3 months (it took 9 weeks), and the $3,067 was the discount offered. They also gave me a decent trade-in price on my 7 year old Passat Highline wagon (about $1,500 above the top-end of the range on CarSales for trade-in valuations). I was a little surprised how long it took to get the car from the factory to the dealer - car built on 12/01/22 and arrived at dealer on 17/03/22 = 66 days (the actual at sea time from Japan to Brisbane is 12-14 days)
My Passat's infotainment computer was starting to play up - around Christmas it wouldn't start up and just went through the start-up cycle loop repeatedly. VW took it in and warned me that they can recover it with a software and firmware reload around 50% of the time and that a new unit was over $4,000 (which would have been ridiculous for a car worth around $15,000), so I paid the $180 and took the chance. I got lucky and it worked, but I figured it was a sign, hence the new car. The unit was starting to glitch occasionally again just before I handed it over, so I dodged a bullet thankfully. Because the unit was linked to the parking sensors (front & rear), rear camera, A/C controls, Bluetooth handsfree, Sat-nav and some other settings, as well as being the radio and media player, it was basically impossible to get an aftermarket unit that replaced it for everything, so the only way to get everything working again would have been a new unit.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:17 am
I hadn't looked at other towball mounted racks but it looks like the Thule 3 bike rack can take 4 bikes with the adapter but the weight limit seems to be the same for either 3 or 4 bikes (60kg).
I don't need either 3 or 4 bikes, so I was just responding to queequeg's comment about wanting a 50mm square hitch so he could get a 4 bike rack.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Thu Apr 07, 2022 3:08 pm
I was specially looking at the locally made Gripsport GS4+ (https://www.gripsport.com.au/product/gs4-plus-bike-rack)Andy01 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:17 amI hadn't looked at other towball mounted racks but it looks like the Thule 3 bike rack can take 4 bikes with the adapter but the weight limit seems to be the same for either 3 or 4 bikes (60kg).
I don't need either 3 or 4 bikes, so I was just responding to queequeg's comment about wanting a 50mm square hitch so he could get a 4 bike rack.
It holds 30kg per bike max weight. For the Subaru with a 200kg tow ball downforce limit, it would be perfect. It also converts between a 2 bike and 4 bike easily so you don’t end up carting around a mostly empty rack when using a single bike.
Problem is, it requires a 50mm hitch receiver. Now, i know that i can always change the tow bar later down the track because the genuine one will come with the appropriate electrical harness. Our Santa Fe has a hitch receiver but is limited to 100kg on the towball. With the rack itself weighing a hefty 40kg empty for the full 4 bikes and light bar, i’d have 60kg split between 4 bikes which is still pretty decent, but is only half the actual rack load limit. It’s still an option but I don’t want to have two bike racks. At the moment I just use the one rack and swap the Aux plate depending on the car I use.
- queequeg
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby queequeg » Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:00 am
Looks like my timing was impeccable. Just saw that Subaru is increasing the price of all Outback models by $1000 on Monday (11/04) but will honour the pricing of all current orders regardless of delivery date. Phew, I snuck in by 7 days!Andy01 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:39 amI thought I might update now that I have received my Outback Touring (ordered on 21/01/22 and arrived at dealership on 17/03/22 and took delivery on 24/03/22 - pretty good in the current climate - Toyota Rav4 Hybrids are 10-12 months wait) and Thule VeloCompact 2 bike rack.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Fri Apr 08, 2022 8:58 am
Nicequeequeg wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:00 amLooks like my timing was impeccable. Just saw that Subaru is increasing the price of all Outback models by $1000 on Monday (11/04) but will honour the pricing of all current orders regardless of delivery date. Phew, I snuck in by 7 days!Andy01 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:39 amI thought I might update now that I have received my Outback Touring (ordered on 21/01/22 and arrived at dealership on 17/03/22 and took delivery on 24/03/22 - pretty good in the current climate - Toyota Rav4 Hybrids are 10-12 months wait) and Thule VeloCompact 2 bike rack.
-
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:31 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Car Bike Rack Recommendations
Postby Andy01 » Fri Apr 15, 2022 10:08 am
I thought I would let you know that I eventually heard back from Subaru Australia and they said that all accessories listed on the website INCLUDE GST already, so make sure that your dealer isn't adding another 10% on top. My dealer did and now that I have confirmation from Subaru, I have queried it with them as I believe they overcharged me by $222.queequeg wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:38 am
Sadly, GST is charged on top if everything (including the stamp duty and dealer delivery charges, which is pretty cheeky but that’s the govt for you. Their website lists the price inclusive of GST, your invoice will list it without GST and then add the GST figure on at the end (at least that is how it looks for mine).
Return to “Bike & Gear Reviews”
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users
- All times are UTC+10:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.