Bike rack for 4 bikes

mr spuckler

mr spuckler wrote: »

Thanks, on that basis I might give it a go so.

Well my Peruzzo Pure Instinct rack which I ordered at 1 o'clock yesterday from Micks Garage arrived at 10 o'clock this morning. So top marks so far!

I'll assemble later and will give some thoughts on it then for anyone that's interested.

mr spuckler

Selling my 3 bike towbar mounted platform type rack here if anyone interested

Scruff

uphillonly wrote: »

We've had this one for a few years. Carried 4 adult road bikes with no problem many times. It drops down allowing access to the boot with bikes still attached. Very handy on long trips with overnight stops or when you've just forgotten to pack something after fitting all the bikes.

https://www.malcolms.ie/cycle-carriers/witter/zx704

Malcolms (Dublin) installed towbar as well as selling the rack.

As mentioned already it looks like a Peruzzo rebrand. Do you use the boot strap when carrying 4 bikes? This is putting me off it at the moment, thought the whole point of a towbar carrier was it wouldn't be damaging your boot with straps!
Other than that it looks great for the price and you can buy accessories and spares directly off Peruzzo, eg extensions for bigger bikes/wheels
https://www.peruzzosrl.com/en-gb/spare-parts/

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

You can buy foldable 4 bike tow bar racks that tilt down.
I have one. They are very handy as you can leave it on the car throughout the summer if you wish.

The clamp arms simply fold down when not in use.

To open the boot for shopping you then tilt it down. A handy option if you would be doing a lot of family trips throughout the summer months but don't want to be lifting a heavy platform on and off.

https://www.altitude.ie/accessories/bike-storage-transport/buzz-rack-moose-4-bike-towbar__1291?currency=EUR&chosenAttribute=77-057&gclid=CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jg-vKeKBzdN88ixAXvIpheM7RVvtKKc-BS610Eri1256pEuMfeAOGiBoCdrcQAvD_BwE#miv-1

This is the trade off of platform vs hang that is holding me back! might end up buying the two types altogether :rolleyes:

mr spuckler

mr spuckler wrote: »

Well my Peruzzo Pure Instinct rack which I ordered at 1 o'clock yesterday from Micks Garage arrived at 10 o'clock this morning. So top marks so far!

I'll assemble later and will give some thoughts on it then for anyone that's interested.

So largely positive although a couple of quirks to note!

- The rack came largely pre-assembled, thankfully. So pretty much straight away I was able to mount it on the towbar. The mounting system is very straightforward also, a lever system with adjustable tension/tightness.
- Both the wheel holders and the light board fold away when not in use so it's much narrower to store than my existing 3 bike Thule rack.
- There's an extender included for one of the wheel arms, to cover very large bikes which is good. I'm 6' 2" so ride large bikes and mine are fine even without the extenders.
- It includes an adaptor for the lights connector as the supplied connector is newer (maybe European standard type). Light board also seems to have a reverse light although I haven't tested this yet.
- The main things which aren't pre-assembled are the arms for securing the bikes to the rack and the instructions for those are vague at best! Once I cleared my head a bit though I figured this out fairly quickly.
- The tilt function seems really handy (lever at end of rack which you use your foot to control), although I'm hoping there's a knack to using it as it seems a little temperamental. This has probably been my biggest frustration so far.
- It seems heavy at 20kg, though other 4 bike platform type racks seem to come in at a similar weight.

I haven't actually driven with it yet but hope there won't be surprises when I do!

Scruff

mr spuckler wrote: »

I haven't actually driven with it yet but hope there won't be surprises when I do!

So have you driven with it yet?

mr spuckler

Scruff wrote: »

So have you driven with it yet?

Ha no! Not expecting to have the bikes on the car until mid June maybe.

Keggers74

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

You can buy foldable 4 bike tow bar racks that tilt down.
I have one. They are very handy as you can leave it on the car throughout the summer if you wish.

The clamp arms simply fold down when not in use.

To open the boot for shopping you then tilt it down. A handy option if you would be doing a lot of family trips throughout the summer months but don't want to be lifting a heavy platform on and off.

https://www.altitude.ie/accessories/bike-storage-transport/buzz-rack-moose-4-bike-towbar__1291?currency=EUR&chosenAttribute=77-057&gclid=CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jg-vKeKBzdN88ixAXvIpheM7RVvtKKc-BS610Eri1256pEuMfeAOGiBoCdrcQAvD_BwE#miv-1

Have been looking at this one. How have you managed with fitting four bikes on? We've three full size bikes and a 10 year old's bike, but wondering if they'll actually fit ok. And is the tilt function manageable with the bikes on?

Did you look at the Buzz Rack Buffalo too? I would probably have gone for it, but seems to be sold out everywhere, but the Moose seems to offer most of the functionality anyway.

Don Juan II

I originally created the thread here so wanted to get back with a quick update.

I borrowed one of these from a friend:
https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bike-racks/towbar-mounted-bike-racks/halfords-4-bike-towbar-mounted-bike-rack-548658.html
It was OK - it probably would be fine for the occasional use but our family brings our bikes pretty much everywhere.
It was relatively easy to put on the tow bar, it needed a wrench however.

I eneded up getting this (with the extension for the 4th bike)
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/bike-rack/towbar-bike-racks/thule-velocompact-3-7-pin-_-927002
Delighted with the purchase. No tools required to get it on the towbar and it's incredibly sturdy! Feels so much better on the car that the Halfords bike rack.

Tigerandahalf

Keggers74 wrote: »

Have been looking at this one. How have you managed with fitting four bikes on? We've three full size bikes and a 10 year old's bike, but wondering if they'll actually fit ok. And is the tilt function manageable with the bikes on?

Did you look at the Buzz Rack Buffalo too? I would probably have gone for it, but seems to be sold out everywhere, but the Moose seems to offer most of the functionality anyway.

I think I might actually have the Buffalo one.
I am not sure what the difference is. There appears to be a pad on the Buffalo one which I have.
Here is a video of it in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BI0xQ-9eHg

The bit at 1.30 is a retractable cable that you pull out, wrap around the bikes and then lock it. It saves having to take an extra cable to lock the bikes.

I didn't get the tail light board. It cost extra. I ended up getting a cheap tail light board at Halfords and they put on the reg plate for me. If I was buying again I would probably get their tail light board as it looks well and seems to fit on very quickly whereas I am using bungee chords to put on mine.

Overall they are very convenient and the ability to tilt is so handy on a journey where you might need to pull out a bag or whatever from the boot.

Keggers74

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I think I might actually have the Buffalo one.
I am not sure what the difference is. There appears to be a pad on the Buffalo one which I have.
Here is a video of it in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BI0xQ-9eHg

The bit at 1.30 is a retractable cable that you pull out, wrap around the bikes and then lock it. It saves having to take an extra cable to lock the bikes.

I didn't get the tail light board. It cost extra. I ended up getting a cheap tail light board at Halfords and they put on the reg plate for me. If I was buying again I would probably get their tail light board as it looks well and seems to fit on very quickly whereas I am using bungee chords to put on mine.

Overall they are very convenient and the ability to tilt is so handy on a journey where you might need to pull out a bag or whatever from the boot.

Thanks Tigerandahalf. I think the locking cable is unique to the buffalo, so it does sound like that’s the one you have. Still interested in how you have found getting four bikes on, or if it is challenging to fit them, if you have tried this?

Tigerandahalf

I wouldn't be putting four adult bikes on it so can't really tell you.

I do notice in the video they didn't show him putting on the 2nd and 3rd bikes so maybe it is a squeeze.

It should be fine though. You might need to reverse two of the bikes to help them fit together better.

The bike holders on the arms can also be pushed in and out to suit. If you are concerned about scratching you can buy foam dividers to protect the bikes but they may take up extra space.

Keggers74

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I wouldn't be putting four adult bikes on it so can't really tell you.

I do notice in the video they didn't show him putting on the 2nd and 3rd bikes so maybe it is a squeeze.

It should be fine though. You might need to reverse two of the bikes to help them fit together better.

The bike holders on the arms can also be pushed in and out to suit. If you are concerned about scratching you can buy foam dividers to protect the bikes but they may take up extra space.

Thanks for that. Very helpful.

Scruff

mr spuckler wrote: »

So largely positive although a couple of quirks to note!

- The rack came largely pre-assembled, thankfully. So pretty much straight away I was able to mount it on the towbar. The mounting system is very straightforward also, a lever system with adjustable tension/tightness.
- Both the wheel holders and the light board fold away when not in use so it's much narrower to store than my existing 3 bike Thule rack.
- There's an extender included for one of the wheel arms, to cover very large bikes which is good. I'm 6' 2" so ride large bikes and mine are fine even without the extenders.
- It includes an adaptor for the lights connector as the supplied connector is newer (maybe European standard type). Light board also seems to have a reverse light although I haven't tested this yet.
- The main things which aren't pre-assembled are the arms for securing the bikes to the rack and the instructions for those are vague at best! Once I cleared my head a bit though I figured this out fairly quickly.
- The tilt function seems really handy (lever at end of rack which you use your foot to control), although I'm hoping there's a knack to using it as it seems a little temperamental. This has probably been my biggest frustration so far.
- It seems heavy at 20kg, though other 4 bike platform type racks seem to come in at a similar weight.

I haven't actually driven with it yet but hope there won't be surprises when I do!

Went with the same. Was a bit nervous of whether it would be secure enough on the hitch, even after adjusting but it was fine on 1st trip at weekend. Takes quite a lot of force on my hitch to close when tightened enough to get rid of movement.
Did use the straps to connect to boot.
Tilt function works great. just enough room, an have to be careful of pedal positioning on 1st bike. Lift rack up slightly before pressing the release pedal to take the weight off the catch pins.
I need the extenders for my bike so great they were included.

mr spuckler

Scruff wrote: »

Went with the same. Was a bit nervous of whether it would be secure enough on the hitch, even after adjusting but it was fine on 1st trip at weekend. Takes quite a lot of force on my hitch to close when tightened enough to get rid of movement.
Did use the straps to connect to boot.
Tilt function works great. just enough room, an have to be careful of pedal positioning on 1st bike. Lift rack up slightly before pressing the release pedal to take the weight off the catch pins.
I need the extenders for my bike so great they were included.

That's good to hear all round - I'll finally get to test mine in anger with a 4+ hour drive this weekend.

mr spuckler

So I drove Dublin to Kenmare return over the last week with the Peruzzo rack - I added an extra balance bike to the outside so made it into a 5 bike rack for it's first outing - as per the photo the car just wasn't loaded enough at that stage :pac:

I tightened the tension on the lever to secure to the tow bar as there was a little bit of movement previously. Once that was done, as Scruff said, it requires a bit more strength to close the lever but is fine.

I used the straps to hook it to the boot lid too and felt better for having them tbh. The rack is really heavy but once you get over that my main gripe is with the tilt mechanism which just doesn't seem to be working correctly for me, even when unloaded.

Despite the roads being fairly crap in places there was no issue with movement of the bikes and everything was fully intact at both destinations! So in general I'm pretty happy with it, if I can sort the tilt function I'll be much happier.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but no point starting a new one after such a short period of time......

But, all these racks appear to be towbar mounted. Has anyone gone with the non-towbar option or are they just rubbish? Would it be better off just having one installed and go from there? I presume there are places who would do both a rack and a tow-bar at the same time? How much are we talking for such a job, typically?

Thanks in advance.

Fann Linn

And can I jump in here also as it concerns bike racks. I've a boot mounted bike rack saloon model. Can anyone recommend a secure way of locking the bike to the rack as I'll be travelling a fair bit by road and ferry. And could someone recommend a protective cover that won't end up ripping off or blowing onto other vehicles?

Thanks.

larson12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058175250/bike-rack-for-4-bikes

I had researched these tilting tow ball mount bike racks and I have had past experience of going for a cheaper roof-mounted bike rack to which I regretted when whilst I was fiddling about fixing my bike in my bike rack my brother in law rocked up on his bike and loaded his bike up on to his roof into his Thule bike rack in no time leaving me some what vexed standing in the rain fighting with my cheaper option, at that I was a fan of Thule. My first and only use of my tow ball mount bike rack was from our home in Cumbria down to Poole in Dorset with a couple of night stops at hotels to which the tilt function came in very handy and the bikes and bike rack just sat there no problems, happy days and it all folds up into a nice little package so we could store it under a static caravan bed once at our holiday destination.

randombar

Heading to France on the Ferry on Saturday, all last minute here, 2 adult bikes, 2 child bikes. Looks like the halfords platform is winning out.

Anyone have any issues with the length of it on the Ferry? Car is 4.4m and this is 0.9m so over the 5m length slightly.

Need to get a bloody license plate too I guess.

ruffmut

I got this platform rack a few months ago and I am happy with it. I am carrying two adult and two junior size bikes on it.

BuzzRack BuzzyBee 4 Bicycle Carrier for 4 Bicycles - Bikable

Birka

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120812297#Comment_120812297

Depends on your ferry company but I know that Brittany Ferries are clamping down on undeclared rear-mounted bike racks. They gave mine a quick glance on check-in a couple of weeks ago and checked that it had been declared and paid for.

randombar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120815778#Comment_120815778

For anyone reading, got onto BF and just added the bike rack onto the booking (no cost for some reason?)

vidapura

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117529735#Comment_117529735

Hiya,

I knoiw I'm restarting this thread and I apologise… I'm just lookin at the Peruzzo Pure Instinct and saw your mention of the tilt mechanism… is it now working for you? Or is it a disappointment?
Thinkin maybe I should go for a buzz instead of the peruzzo?

Thanks

this.lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269305#Comment_122269305

I have one it tilts fine

vidapura

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122270326#Comment_122270326

Oh grand, and what do you think of it generally? Solid build?

Yer man in the bike shop was pushing the buzz eazzy pretty hard.. but i don't like the way the tilt works.. havin to lean in between the bike and the boot to unscrew a retaining knob..

The Peruzzo seems to be a lot easier.. having the bar you just step on…

this.lad

I've had it up and down the country with no issue. Have it a year. Looking at the theme ones, they seem a bit better, they tilt from the centre and seem a bit higher quality. But the price!

mr spuckler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122269305#Comment_122269305

Yes it's working fine, I think the issue at the time was as much me as it was the rack! When it's fully loaded in particular it needs a slight lift to take the pressure off the lever for it to engage properly.

vidapura

Ahh great cos I ordered it last night ! Heh !!

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117104124#Comment_117104124

Does anyone have a recommendation for a place that does both towbar and bike rack installation? You have to reach out to these guys to get a quote and that crap puts me off using any supplier normally. Just put the feckin' prices on your website, ffs.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122277858#Comment_122277858

I know a guy who does towbars (just had one installed, actually), but what do you mean by bike rack installation ?