Guys, Help required!

I have a 2008 Octy vRS Hatch and I'm desperately trying to find a bike carrier for the rear of the car. I don't want a roof one if I can help it. Does anyone know of one that fits on the boot over the spoiler or can recommend one? I’ve searched high and low, but to no avail.

Cheers

you'll be lucky if you can find one, only thing that comes to mind is a tow bar mounted one.. If you was a week earlier there was a tow bar on eBay that went for £20 was removable aswell

Was hoping not to have to fit a tow bar just so I could fit a bike rack. :'(

Maybe, just maybe someone might have the answer.

Have you done a search for bike carrier on here? There have been several threads asking the same thing, and I know in one of the recent ones there was a member who thought he'd found one that fits with out too much faffing or fouling.

Personal advice is to consider what you are carrying. If they are decent bikes then roof or tow bar mounted racks will not only do least amount of damage to the car, but also to the bikes!

If it's just speed of install, then I could put the roof rack & 3 carriers on my Octy hatch faster & safer than my neighbour could put his hatch mounted carrier on his Mondeo!

I'd not recommend using anything but a tow bar mounted rack. Expensive I know but I have done it on my last three cars and never towed either. A hatch mounted cycle rack is an accident waiting to happen.

I'd not recommend using anything but a tow bar mounted rack. Expensive I know but I have done it on my last three cars and never towed either. A hatch mounted cycle rack is an accident waiting to happen.

:rofl: :giggle:

Thanks for all the info and advice.

Don't fancy going down the tow bar route (expensive and ugly), so might have to go for the roof mounted option instead. Will keep investigating though.

Thanks for all the info and advice.

Don't fancy going down the tow bar route (expensive and ugly), so might have to go for the roof mounted option instead. Will keep investigating though.

Unless you have a need to fill the car with people- carry the bikes INSIDE the car

It won't affect your fuel economy, and the bikes won't get damaged

I can fit 2 large bikes, a tent, windbreak, stove, barbeque, bedding, coolbox and camping chairs in the back with the seats down

Guys, Help required!

I have a 2008 Octy vRS Hatch and I'm desperately trying to find a bike carrier for the rear of the car. I don't want a roof one if I can help it. Does anyone know of one that fits on the boot over the spoiler or can recommend one? I’ve searched high and low, but to no avail.

Cheers

Can I ask why you don't want a roof mounted system? Personally I wouldn't entertain anything other than a roof mounted system and have always used the roof mounts

Halfords do one, it even comes with a glass mount dumbbells although an extra set is really handy. It's their three bike one. I have a pic. Stay there.

This is it:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&productId=251011&categoryId=165515&langId=-1

Pics:

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Edited 26 August, 201114 yr by prolfe

unfortuantly i have to use both roof and boot , and i cant see an issue with either

we got to centre parcs 2 or 3 times a year so no space in boot so put girlfriends and little girls bike on roof and then mine and little boys bike on back

obviuosly roof is good as you can get in to boot (yes i have loaded boot then put boot rack on then girlfriend has come out with another suitcase and bags that she forgot.....)

boot is ok as well ... main thing is to make sure which ever you use that it is secured properly

just to say im intrested how prolfe connects his boot rack on

i usually fit it on to the bumper, can i ask is it quite secure fitting it just below the number plate ...

It's resting on the metal of the rear hatch rather than the plastic of the bumper. I say resting it sits above the bend of the metal and then when the bottom hooks and bikes go on it gets tightened down onto it.

All straps are very tight, no sideways or up n down movement. I then stick bikes on and temporarily tie them on, drive for about 10 mins, stop and tighten them all up properly.

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Edited 26 August, 201114 yr by prolfe

Can I ask why you don't want a roof mounted system? Personally I wouldn't entertain anything other than a roof mounted system and have always used the roof mounts

I would agree. Many years ago I had a rear hatch mounted rack on a 1.4 Clio, which had reasonable poke. However, with the hatch rack on I would struggle to reach 70. A vRS of course wouldn't have the same issue , but you would consume a lot of extra fuel due to the large extra drag.

On the roof they are in-line with the direction of travel and much lower drag. On my last car (not the Clio!) with roof mounted racks the mpg only dropped by about 5-10%.

Edited 26 August, 201114 yr by gsp

Have a look at a saris bone bike carrier. Really good and easy to use and to adapt to different contours of different vehicles. I have even attached it to my transit connect. Made of a plastic composite with a alu central spine

Unless you have a need to fill the car with people- carry the bikes INSIDE the car

It won't affect your fuel economy, and the bikes won't get damaged

I can fit 2 large bikes, a tent, windbreak, stove, barbeque, bedding, coolbox and camping chairs in the back with the seats down

Having the bikes in side the car is a no go as there are four of us and four bikes. Great idea if there is only two people with two bikes though.

Can I ask why you don't want a roof mounted system? Personally I wouldn't entertain anything other than a roof mounted system and have always used the roof mounts

I initially didn't want a roof mounted bike rack as I thought it would be a real faf trying to put it on each time we took the bikes out, however not wanting a towbar and looking at how prolfe has fitted his (looks a bit high and not the most stable), I think it might eat my words and go for the roof option.

Have a look at a saris bone bike carrier. Really good and easy to use and to adapt to different contours of different vehicles. Made of a plastic composite with a alu central spine

My borther in-law has one of these and we tried it but it doesn't fit over the rear spoiler. Great suggestion though!

I've finally made a decision. Just brought 2 Mont Blanc Scott Roof Mounted Bike Carriers. Had a good hunt on the net and found them on the Mont Blanc Outlet shop on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mont-Blanc-Scott-Roof-Mounted-Cycle-Bike-Carrier-728540-/270746997352?pt=UK_Sports_Leisure_Cycling_Bags_Panniers_SR&hash=item3f09c75268

Great price and will go nicely with my Mont Blanc roof bars.

Thanks for all the hints, tips and advice.

Sory but that just looks ridiculous and an accident waiting to happen. Are you seriously using this setup?

I saw a very nasty accident happen with a rear mounted carrier a few years ago which put me off them for life. Thankfully nodocy was killed but the consequence was two severely damaged cars and three wrecked bikes, not to mention some brown shorts.

Roof mounted or towbar mounted or best of all inside the car is the way to go. I use Altera bars with Barracuda carriers.

Halfords do one, it even comes with a glass mount dumbbells although an extra set is really handy. It's their three bike one. I have a pic. Stay there.

This is it:

http://www.halfords....65515&langId=-1

Pics:

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Sory but that just looks ridiculous and an accident waiting to happen. Are you seriously using this setup?

I saw a very nasty accident happen with a rear mounted carrier a few years ago which put me off them for life. Thankfully nodocy was killed but the consequence was two severely damaged cars and three wrecked bikes, not to mention some brown shorts.

Roof mounted or towbar mounted or best of all inside the car is the way to go. I use Altera bars with Barracuda carriers.

Tis safe.

All of the weight is on the frame/boot and not in the straps.

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Sory but that just looks ridiculous and an accident waiting to happen. Are you seriously using this setup?

I saw a very nasty accident happen with a rear mounted carrier a few years ago which put me off them for life. Thankfully nodocy was killed but the consequence was two severely damaged cars and three wrecked bikes, not to mention some brown shorts.

Roof mounted or towbar mounted or best of all inside the car is the way to go. I use Altera bars with Barracuda carriers.

I use roof mounted bars and after my first paranoid trip where I stopped after 5 miles of dual carriageway to check all was ok I just fit, double check with a rock of the bikes and forget about them. That setup with the straps... I'd be looking in my rear view mirror 90% of the time waiting ot see them disappear off into the distance!

I imagine that at speed the top straps get a fair bit of load going through them and the bottom part of the frame too.

What happens if you hit a bump while going round a corner? The rear plastic skirt is hardly a rigid item. I've had practical experience of such a set up letting go- even when tensioned up. You are just relying on friction and a prayer to keep those bikes in place. IMHO :wonder:

I went for a roof system as It can be used on roof bars on any car, is crash tested (TUV city test) and allows me to access the Hatch with the bikes on the car & doesn't put stress or pressure on either the car or bikes in places that weren't designed to take it. But I do use carriers a lot & for at least 3 bikes at a time. I'm aware that the system I use costs a fair bit more than the hatch mounted one, however as it's used a lot, so seemed like a better investment.

I've been able to use the same carries (and Thule bars) on all mine & SWMBO's cars over the last few years (MX5 excepted!) with only occasional changes of "foot packs". The down side is they do need a bit more storage space when not on the car; but this is still a small price to pay for security and safety IMHO!