Is there a good, budget, bicycle carrier that anyone can recommend for a Rapid Hatchback (not spaceback)? - I'd like to carry a couple of kids bikes and maybe one adult bike (so 3 bikes total). Would only need to be for very occasional use so one that can be fitted Rapid-ly (arf arf!) would be ideal. If anyone has pictures I'd appreciate that too.

 

Can anyone suggest a good solution? Not sure I want to go the whole roof-rack and carrier route (unless there is a cheap, used, roof rack out there!) and I don't want to fit a tow bar.

I'm using this one. It should fit the normal Rapid as well as the Spaceback.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005Q5VC92?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

Hi Chris,

It would be good if we had some photos, especially how it fixes to the glass hatchback/ ;<)

Won't be putting it on the car at the moment, not in this weather.

The 2nd pic on Amazon shows very clearly how it attaches to the car. Hooks on the bottom that grip the base of the boot lid, and two straps that go over the top of the rear spoiler and into the car, where they connect to two dumb bells that you pull tight against the interior trim. That's about it.

I'm using a bones 3 with additional hatch hugger adapters. I had the bones for our last car, however although it is capable of carrying 3 bikes bones only recommend carrying 2 on the rapid.

https://www.saris.com/product/bones3

So, I tried halfords today as they had an offer on a rear mounted rack £50 instead of £70. The assistant took one brief look at my car (rapid Hatchback, NOT sportback) and said nothing would fit because of the glass top edge. I had to take him out to the car and show him that it wasn't actually a saloon...

I'm not convinced.

I went to the skoda dealer next door, their only advice was to pay nearly £300 for a full roof rack system. No chance.

Has anyone else fitted a bog-standard (ie <£100) bike rack to a Rapid Hatchback and will it fit securely?

Edited 1 April, 201610 yr by PerArdua

There is no problem with a rear-mounted bike rack pressing on the glass at the top, it's the bottom bar that is load bearing (and that needs to b in metal. Similarly, side straps are there to steady the rack, not carry load, so are also fine against glass.

My Mottez rack doesn't have side straps, just top and bottom.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited 1 April, 201610 yr by chrisgreen

So no problem with strap hooks fitting between the glass (and rubber seal) at the top edge of the hatch and the roof?

Correct - on the top edge you don't use hooks - you connect the straps to mini dumb bells that come with the bike rack, these sit inside the car and are pulled tight against the interior of the closed boot lid.

You only hook onto the edge of the boot lid on the bottom, where you are hooking onto metal.

Cool - thanks. I found the halfords high mount 3 cycle rack instructions online as a PDF and this concurs with what you say about dumbells. Back to Halfords I go...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Halfords own brand (seems to be a rebadged Mottez/Saris) seems to have exactly the same fittings as mine.

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk, please excuse any typos.

Fits quite well. Stayed secure throughout 45 min journey, I checked partway and it was still all taught. Not marked or damaged anything on the car either.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That looks like a tidy fitting to me, all seems to be resting on the right bite of the car.

Need to get mine back out and on the car, doing the Tweed Run in May and need to drive my big bike into East London for it. Would rather hang it on the back than stuff the bike in the boot.

Another shot - doesn't obscure lights or plate.

(The other car isn't mine before you ask!)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk