Car rack for bikes

[Sixmile]

Not everyone's cup of joe but I've been using a Seasucker rack since Spring and have found it to be perfect for my needs. I priced towbars and roof rails for both cars but ultimately decided that I didn't want a semi-permanent addition to either so although a little pricier, the Seasucker has been a great buy. Currently £275 on PRK (10% off first order).

http://www.probikekit.co.uk/cycling...ith-2-rear-wheel-straps-2-bikes/10946230.html

 

[Milkfloat]

I've just bought a Theraplay /Triad motability tricycle, delta style. As we live in a retirement apartment, my car is my garage for the trike, but when we are off on a trip I would like to mount the trike on the car roof. My car is a Citroen Picasso factory fitted with roof rails, I have sourced a pair of cross bars to span the roof rails from Ebay, but need 3 locking shoes to locate the wheels. I've done some searches on various site but can't seem to source exactly what I want. Anyone with a similar situation overcome it?

Why not just use 3 of these, but remove the bar clamp arm, so in other words, just use the gutter. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-EU-MA...RIER-UPRIGHT-MOUNTED-CYCLE-RACK-/142030496164

 

[stearman65]

Hmmmm. I would still need the cross bars to fit on my rails, so the cross bars at £36 plus £42 for 3 of those, it's more than I wanted to spend. With interest rates dropping, my pension is getting smaller. Incidentally, we've just been having a trial assembly & pedal session. We also measured the bike & the wheelbase is 5ft & the working area of the roof rails 3ft, so the center rail would have to extend 2ft to mount it on 3 wheels. Also the weight of the trike is too much for the wife & I. The only way to get over that would be to dismantle it, get the parts on the roof & re-assemble it.
Don't stop suggesting, the ideas are fueling by creative juices.

 

[Milkfloat]

HMMM Maybe I should have mentioned I'm on a strict budget. I already have the roof rails on the Picasso, the bars from Ebay in aluminium around £35, so all I need are the 3 shoes or whatever the technical term is to lock the wheels onto the bars. I cant post links yet, but the item numbers on Ebay are
351651871877 for the bars, & something similar to this for the shoes 381028839894 .
Stearman65.
PS remember it's a trike!

If you can get the spacing right can you not just strap the wheels directly to the bars?

 

[stearman65]

If you can get the spacing right can you not just strap the wheels directly to the bars?

I'm a belt & braces chap. I've come up with an idea of a couple of pieces of ali' or rigid plastic channel fixed to the rear bar with one of the Milkfloat rails fixed central to the front & rear Ebay 351651871877 bars, Extending forward 2ft for the front wheel to sit in. Depends how strong the milkfloat rails are. (sorry I can't post pics or links yet.)
Stearman65

 

[lazybloke]

Roof mounted is pretty easy, and you can stand on the door sill or the rear wheels to reach. Heavy mountain bikes are more challenging than road bikes. I have some Mont Blanc roof mounted carriers.
But occasionally I need to take 4 bikes AND a roofbox, so I've just taken the towbar and Altera Sport M3 option. I couldn't think how any rack would be secure on a towbar, but it clamps on really securely. It's a heavyish carrier but I manage to fit it without assistance.
I like it. I like the way it doesn't hammer fuel economy. I hated the cost.

 

[ufkacbln]

[QUOTE 4399569, member: 45"]@Cunobelin?[/QUOTE]

Thanks

The problem with most trikes on roof racks is getting them up there in the first place as they tend to be heavy and unwieldy

I load several trikes, and in this case I refer to the single wheel as the front (Kettwiesel) or rear (Catrike Expedition / Gekko)

To load the trike, I find the simplest way is to lean the trike against the back of the car with the two wheels uppermost. THen "run the trike up the rear and on to the roof.

I then have a combination of the Seasucker (above) and a Thule rack

I place and secure the single wheel on a centrally placed Thule cycle carrier, then use a pair of the cheap(ish) Seasucker rear wheel straps to secure the other two wheels. Although these are quite capable of securing the rear wheels, I reinforce this with a pair of webbing straps to secure the boom and central frame to the Thule rack


Another option is to place the cross bars so that the crossbeam over is aligned where you want the trike to be.

Then again use webbing straps with a ratchet to secure the trike

Foam sponges will protect the roof from the tyres.

You can even secure with no roof rack at all!

This is the Terratrike system, that can easily be duplicated

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