Bikes on cars fill me with horror. I refuse to drive behind any vehicle bearing bikes on a motorway, as I fear a bike through the windscreen at any moment.
That said, I'm thinking of getting a bike carrier for my car. But I don't really have any idea of the options, pros and cons.
I want to be able to carry my bike (Traditional diamond frame Spa Steel Audax) and my wife's (Step thru hybrid Specialized Vita) in or on my car (Mercedes A Class 2009) Ideally, I don't want them to fall off and bounce end-over-end down the road. I do want to go on a ferry.
Seems like my options are:
Tow bar mount. I'd have to get a tow ball/tow bar thingy installed, and this would also provide me with a number plate/light bar. I have no desire to tow anything with my car so this seems a bit like overkill, but it also seems like the most secure bike carrier option, as well as the most expensive. I have even entrusted my own bike to one, on a couple of occasions.
Attach to hatch door by a hideous wonky Heath-Robinson mechanism consisting of a thousand straps buckles, string and spit. Like
this I don't like the look of this. It looks like the cheapest option - but with good reason.
Roof rack. Oh dear god. I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to drive at over 20mph with a bike wobbling about on the roof. I'm breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. That said, taking the front wheel out and attaching the front fork to an ersatz axle in the rack does seem quite secure. And it's how the pros do it. I could drive up alongside random cyclists and hand them bottles.
Any experience/advice?
Lastly, there's always the "ride there" option.
