General What cycle carrier?

[sludgeguts]

Took son & his mate up the hills to burn off some energy on their bikes & it took me ages to mount my old cycle carrier on the back - bottom straps not long enough to mount the rack against the rear window, in the end I had to mount it immediately above the rear wiper with the wiper sticking out!
I didn't really feel too comfortable about having the weight of the bikes strapped tight to the back window.
Aside from fitting a towbar & buying a towbar carrier, does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm wondering if there is something with long arms, hinged so you can mount the top ones directly to the roof rail holes & bottom arms propped on the bumper?
BTW, I've not got roof rack/rails & if I did, I'd need to be world's strongest bloke to lift a bike that high.

 

[Ozzie1989]

I bought one from Tesco for £25, the top bar of the carrier sits on the glass, and the bottom bar just below the wiper on the door metal. I find it to be pretty stable, but loaded up with 3 bikes it does move a bit because the door is so straight, you can't get a good enough pull on the 6 straps to stop the top bar sitting off the window. There's bound to be a way to do it, I believe we sell metal bars rather than straps in Halfords for flat-backed cars like the Doblo but I'll have to investigate when I'm in work next.

 

[sludgeguts]

I bought one from Tesco for £25, the top bar of the carrier sits on the glass, and the bottom bar just below the wiper on the door metal. I find it to be pretty stable, but loaded up with 3 bikes it does move a bit because the door is so straight, you can't get a good enough pull on the 6 straps to stop the top bar sitting off the window. There's bound to be a way to do it, I believe we sell metal bars rather than straps in Halfords for flat-backed cars like the Doblo but I'll have to investigate when I'm in work next.

Thanks for that.
I'm mulling over getting some rails anyway but it'd be a hell of a job hoiking a bike up there.

You know how you can mount bikes upright on the roof, would it be possible to do similar on the back door - so the back wheel sits on the bumper, the front wheel sits high on the window?

May be easiest to buy a cheap towbar off feepay and buy a towbar bike mount?

 

[Kevin S]

what do you want a cycle carrier for? when according to this review. "Fiats Doblo - a van with a mission, to seat five and still have space left over to accommodate their mountain bikes."

Let the flaming commence :nerner:

 

[sludgeguts]

what do you want a cycle carrier for? when according to this review. "Fiats Doblo - a van with a mission, to seat five and still have space left over to accommodate their mountain bikes."

Let the flaming commence :nerner:

And according to http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/fiat-doblo-2005051.html ... "the Doblo includes some thoughtful touches such as front and side airbags, pop-up roof rails and a swivel-opening roof hatch"

pop-up roof rails????
swivel opening roof hatch???

It's not a f lippin submarine (although driving home tonight I thought it might have been once or twice - glad I have a diesel.

Seat five - yes, today I had five 'generous' adults in the motor, the back seaters commented on how comfortable the car was, bags of room.
Bikes in the back? When I brought son's home from Halfords last week, I had to drop one of the back seats to fit it in - so I think they are being over generous with their description.
Mind you, my first words upon sitting in a high roof dobbie - "It's like a f/kin tardis in here...here...here...here" I reckon Pavarotti & his pals should buy one, great for practising their yodelling (what with the cavernous interior) & heaps of space for their lardasses