How To Choose The Best Bike Carrier For Your Needs
With the summer in full swing, there has never been a better time to get out on your bike, exercise, explore and enjoy the wonderful country that we live in. Whether you are a passionate cyclist, have recently been bitten by the bug, or your family has gotten to the age where everyone can go out cycling together, there is much to be seen and enjoyed.
The problem is that as you and your family become fitter, you are always limited by the distance you can travel during the day. This means that inevitably after a few days, weeks or months, it can quickly feel like you have covered every cycle route within 100 miles of your home, and that is when boredom can set in. To prevent this and broaden your experiences, the best option is to invest in a cycle rack.
This opens the door to the entire country, or at least the UK is virtually your oyster. But before you rush off to buy any old cycle carrier, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.
This guide will help you plan your purchase enabling you to make an informed decision to enhance your hobby further.
How Many Bikes Do You Need To Carry?
There are essentially three different styles of bike racks - roof bike racks, towbar bike racks, and rear-mounted bike racks.
Roof and rear bike racks can typically carry three bikes at once, and towbar bike racks can carry up to four bikes, so if you need to carry four bikes or plan to in the future, then a tow bar cycle carrier may be your best option.
What Are The Benefits and Drawbacks of a TowBar Cycle Carrier?
The most significant disadvantage of a towbar style cycle carrier is that you will need to have a towbar fitted to your vehicle to facilitate this type of carrier. That brings additional expense, and some people believe that it can slightly reduce the value of the car.
The most significant advantage of a towbar carrier is that you can carry four bikes with ease, and of course, once fitted, the towbar delivers numerous other benefits aside from transporting bikes around the country.
Towbar Cycle carriers also tend to be easier to load and unload, can cater for a more comprehensive range of bike styles, and have better security systems, making your bikes a little bit more secure.
What Are The Benefits and Drawbacks of a Rear Mounted Cycle Rack?
With both a towbar or a roof cycle rack, you need to have additional equipment added or already installed, such as a roof rack, roof bars or a towbar. The best option is a rear-mounted cycle rack for people who either don't have those accessories or have no inclination to install them. A rear-mounted cycle rack is quick and easy to install on your vehicle, making it the perfect option for casual riders who might only need to transport their bikes once or twice a year. It is easy to store and does not take up a lot of space when not in use.
The biggest negative of this style of cycle rack is that once installed, it will completely block your rear view, so this is something to think about if that would worry you. Additionally, if you have a lot of large bikes, they may not all fit on this style of carrier, These types of rack increase the risk of damage to the vehicle as they generally hang from the car bodywork and finally there are a number of cars that simply aren’t suitable for this type of rack so it’s advised to check before you buy. Towbar or roof-mounted cycle rack might be a better option.
What Are The Benefits and Drawbacks of a Roof Mounted Cycle Carrier?
In layman's terms, a roof-mounted cycle carrier gets your bikes out of the way; it ensures that your vision is unobstructed, and for this reason alone, many people favour this style of carrier. However, as with all types of cycle carriers, there are potential drawbacks. Perhaps the most significant issue which people need to consider is the effort involved in lifting a bike above the height of your vehicle to attach it to the cycle carrier. If your upper body strength is not the best, or you are concerned about lifting heavy objects above your head, then this could be an immediate deal breaker.
Additionally, you will either need built-in roof bars or will have to invest in roof bars; otherwise, there is nowhere to anchor the cycle rack. You will have slightly increased fuel consumption due to wind drag and you’ll need to be mindful of low barriers with your much higher vehicle.
Northwest Towbars - Your Locally Owned and Operated Specialist
Northwest Towbars is a locally owned and operated company that has been established within Manchester and the surrounding areas for over thirty years. The company is family owned and operated and focused on delivering old-fashioned customer service. This covers everything from helping our customers to choose the right equipment for their specific vehicles leading to a smooth and simple installation process and then providing market-leading aftercare support.
In addition to selling cycle racks, we also fit and install towbars and have a wealth of experience in the field. We are more than happy to give advice based on that experience, but we do not believe in the hard sell, so you can come to our premises safe in the knowledge that you will not be pressured into buying something. We understand that as a company, we are only ever as good as our last customer, which is why we continue to strive for perfection. Ninety per cent of our new customers come from previous customer recommendations or referrals, so we are confident that we are delivering that customer-focused approach.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Northwest Towbar family. We are confident that you will never use any other cycle accessory or towbar company once you experience our friendly and helpful staff and high-quality products.
Call us today on 0161 474 7474 or pop in and see us choose the right cycle carrier for your needs.