Which Bike Rack?

Whether you cycle every day or only occasionally, investing in a good bike rack for your car can make biking a lot more convenient. Bikes are an expensive and cared for item so it is important that you pick the right rack for the job. With a towbar mounted bike rack you can take your bike anywhere. It is also by far the safest way to transport your bikes.

To choose the right bike rack consider the following: 

• The number of bikes you plan to carry
• What type of towbar do I have
• Type of carrier
• Ease of use
• Boot / tailgate access
• Security features
• Storage consideration
• Towing & Carrying bikes simultaneously
• Weight restrictions
• Which electrical connector is supplied 13 pin or 7 pin plug
• Compliant with Irish & European road regulations

We do not supply or recommend the ‘Strap On’ type carriers as these can often work loose and damage your vehicle or even worse, the bikes you are carrying. Most of these styles of carriers are sold without a rear lighting board which is required by Irish and European law if the bikes obscure the rear lamps of the vehicle.

Assuming you have a towbar fitted to your vehicle the information below will be relevant to all towbar mounted carriers which we recommend over all other options of bike racks.

If you do not have a towbar fitted to your vehicle, please contact us and our sales team can discuss the towbar options available and our specialised fitting service.

Number of bikes

Our bike rack ranges have capacity to take between 1 to 4 bikes to suit all your needs.
It is important to decide how many bikes you will need to carry now but it is also important if in the near future you may need to carry more. We do not recommend platform style bike racks where you can purchase additional kits to enable you to carry more bikes than originally planned as they will never be as sturdy as a specific carrier for a specific amount of bikes. Make the right decision once.

Ease of Use

Towbar mounted bike racks are by far the easiest and safest to use. They are at the ideal height to make loading and unloading simple and easy. The bikes are held away from the vehicle preventing damage to your vehicle and your bikes.

Contrast this to roof mounted bike carriers, which can be difficult to use and significantly increase fuel consumption or "Strap-On" carriers which are time consuming to install and can potentially come loose, damaging the vehicle and the bikes being carried.

Security features

While many bike racks include lockable clamps to secure the bikes and often have a lock on the tow ball mount itself, it is best not to rely on them to heavily. A sturdy cable looped through all the bikes and the rack itself and locked to the cars towing eye gives another layer of security.

Please see the product information page for full details. Additional locks are available in the Accessories & Spares section.

Storage Considerations

If you are going to be restricted on storage space for your bike rack it is worth considering that many of the carriers we stock are foldable without the use of tools.

Weight restrictions

There's a limit to how much weight you can apply vertically to a towbar, this is known as the nose weight rating. The manual for your vehicle will provide this information, alternatively you can contact our sales team who will advise you.

You should not exceed the recommended nose weight rating of your vehicle. This could limit the number of bikes you are able to carry on your particular vehicle, especially if you will be towing at the same time.

13/7 Pin electrical connectors

Bike Racks are supplied with either 7 pin or 13 pin plug. You need to be aware of what socket is fitted to your vehicle to ensure the plug on the bike rack you choose will be compatible. The range of carriers we supply will be supplied with a combined 7 / 13 pin plug or alternatively will be supplied with a conversion adaptor. Additional adaptors are available in the Accessories & Spares section.

The Law on using bike racks

Essentially, the Regulations require that vehicles be fitted with side lamps, head lamps, rear (including stop) lamps, direction indicators and identification (i.e. number plate) lighting. Such lamps are, at all times, required to be maintained in good order and in a clean and efficient condition so as to be capable of immediate use. There is also a general requirement that such lamps be shown duly lit when required. Therefore if a bicycle carrier (loaded with bicycles) were to obscure the lights and reflectors required to be fitted to the rear of a vehicle, then such lamps should be fitted to the bicycle carrier itself.

Note that since the 3rd August 2012, a number of lighting offences have come within the scope of the fixed charge driving offences system. This is where the driver of a vehicle who has been found committing certain offences can pay a fixed charge or fine instead of going to court. They carry a €60 fine if paid within 28 days and a €90 fine if paid within a further 28 days. A list of the offences is as follows:

•  Using a vehicle not equipped with prescribed lamps and identification mark lighting
•  Using a trailer not equipped with prescribed lamps and identification mark lighting
•  Using a vehicle not equipped with prescribed rear projecting load lamp or lateral projecting load lamp
•  Using a trailer not equipped with prescribed marker lamp

For other lighting related offences, the sanction is a summons to court. On conviction a fine (up to €2,500), a prison sentence, or both, may be imposed. With the exception of where it can be shown that the use of a vehicle is unauthorised, both the owner of the vehicle and whoever is driving it when the offence is recorded can be fined.

The same rationale applies in respect of registration plates under the Vehicle Registration and Taxation Regulations 1992, as amended by the Registration and Taxation (Amendment) Regulations 1999; that is if a vehicle towing a trailer (or in this case has a bicycle carried mounted on it) such that its rear registration plate is obscured by the trailer or bicycle carrier respectively, then the plate must instead be mounted on the rear of the trailer or bicycle carrier respectively.