Skodas and tow bars

[KWICKS]

My two foam-pronged rack takes 4 bikes and I haven't found one we can't load yet.

[brad]

Maybe I just have weird shaped bikes - they're all adult size and every frame is different

[wfdTamar]

With those braces that go between seat and handlebars?

[oxmo]

Asked dealer about tow bars for the Octavia wagon is Australia and was quoted $1,000 "because it takes 5 hours to fit". Told it was a Hayman Reese bar. Called HR and was told they haven't developed a bar as not enough demand and no request from VW. If they started one now would take a couple of months at least with compliance folders. Has anyone fitted a bar yet, who made it, and what was the cost?

$1000 for a tow bar? Although, I recently met a bloke who drives an X5 and he had a tow bar fitted and apparently it was about $5,000 including installation. Go figure...

[donweather]

My HR on my MK 2 cost $1500 fitted.

[GTR27]

$1000 for a towbar, fitted isnt that bad. My last car (holden statesman) which most people assume would be cheap as chips, due to being common as muck (commodore) was ~850-900 fitted for a "heavy duty" HR style towbar (2100kg). Would have been 750-800 fitted for the 1500kg one. Roughly a 1/3 was labour (cost about $300 to fit), which I imagine is similar in the skoda. So the bar itself is really only $200 more expensive than a commodore. I'm sure I could have found a cheaper bar, but if you wanted a decent quality australian one, with the wiring done properly then thats what you pay.

[brad]

With those braces that go between seat and handlebars?

Tried those without success. The bikes just trash each other.

One of these:

and


hardtail version of this


and a ladies frame cross-bike.

YMMV but for me I find the wheels sitting in a cradle much easier to keep the bikes where I want them

[wfdTamar]

I'm waiting for a Thule Xpress 970 2 bike one to turn up, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes. With the light board & mount for it, total was about $300. For an extra few hundred may have been better off with a wheel support tilting type.

[wfdTamar]

Incredibly annoyed to find after spending $365 on the Xpress 970, 976 light bar, 9761 adaptor and two 981 bar adaptors that there is no way to mount two mountain bikes on it!

The inner bike is too close to the car (could scratch it or break the rear window). The two mounting points are too far apart to get inside the frame.

The two bikes are too close together. Seats and handlebars clash.

I am following the instructions correctly. I have the bikes facing each way. I have used adaptors, and tried without. They just do not go on.

These are strictly for road bikes only and it should be stated in the advertising. Feck.

[brad]

Welcome to my world. Bummer

[donweather]

These are strictly for road bikes only and it should be stated in the advertising. Feck.

Sorry, why are road bikes narrower than off-road bikes? Agree the handle bars will be narrower on a road bike, but can't you swap (head to tail) the bikes around so the handle bars don't clash with each other?

Surely it's then just down to the crank/pedal extension and I can't see how a road bike will be really any narrower in that department than an off-road bike. You could always take one pedal off if you're worried about that scratching the car? Or if it's a hitch mounted bike rack, can't you get an extender piece to move the bike carrier out from the car more?

[brad]

Sorry, why are road bikes narrower than off-road bikes? Agree the handle bars will be narrower on a road bike, but can't you swap (head to tail) the bikes around so the handle bars don't clash with each other?

Surely it's then just down to the crank/pedal extension and I can't see how a road bike will be really any narrower in that department than an off-road bike. You could always take one pedal off if you're worried about that scratching the car? Or if it's a hitch mounted bike rack, can't you get an extender piece to move the bike carrier out from the car more?

He said he has them head to tail.

I think youll find that the arms are to wide & the distance from the headset to the downtube is too small to stradle the arms whereas on a roadie there's a bit more length.

Even nose to tail & with a bottom mount rack I have to move my seat higher so that the other handlebars don't cut the leather.

Sometimes (esp these days) bikes are just too weird a shape no matter what carrier you have.

[daft1014]

This pic shows the 970 with two mountain bikes.... maybe it could help?

[brad]

This pic shows the 970 with two mountain bikes.... maybe it could help?

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They are really "traditional" bikes - have a look at the headset, etc - very old fashioned.

The photo reminds me of the serving suggestions on a packet of food - they don't put the photos of the stuff that isn't perfect.

[wfdTamar]

Have the bikes head to tail. The seats and bars clash. With the bars straight they're too close to the rear window (20mm). Pedals and cranks aren't the problem.

That photo (above with the white car) does show the old fashioned type of mountain bike which has more room up at the headset end. Also they look like 26" wheels. Mine are 27.5", so hang down a lot lower. You'd really have trouble with 29" wheels.

I finally got it worked out, but it's a pain in the bum. Wish I'd sprung for the other type, despite the cost, as I can see this is going to drive me nuts what with the palaver to get them on and off and having to do it to get access to the boot.

Here's the process -
I have one medium bike and one small. The medium bike just goes on next to the car (as it says to do in the instructions - heaviest bike closest to car), though it’s handlebar is too close to the rear window for my liking. Lucky the Octavia has a sloping rear window or there’d be no chance.

The second, smaller bike seemed to not go on no matter how you try. I thought of taking the racks arms off and putting them on the inside of the uprights, but you can’t remove them.







As you see below, barely enough width between seat and handlebars for the rack arms to go in.




However I did get it on. I have to leave the front clip of the cross bar undone, lift the bike onto the rack, then clip on the handlebars. It does go on, but there is only about 20mm between handlebars and rear window - no good, particularly as I have those metal ended hand grips (which are very good BTW).