bike racks and tow bars

Hi all.

does anyone know if you can attach those towball clamping bike racks to the removable towing brackets? We are wondering of it can be fitted to the Factory fitted removable towbar on the Audi A4 avant.

 

If you can tow a caravan with it...
I've got a Thule one - very good but the bikes block your rear lights so you should have a light board. This is the reason you see a lot of racks mounted on the rear hatch.

 

I got this towbar bike rack for xmas, I need to fit a numberplate and its got lights fitted to it and tilts if you need to open the tailgate or engine lid, I tried it for size the other day

 

Yes a few of the lads I ride with have detachable towbars and Thule clamping type racks. They are the muts nuts with built in lights and tilting facility and its amazing that they can hold 4 MTB's just on a ball clamp!

 

I've got a monster of a 4 bike Thule carrier that fitted on the towbar of my old Volvo very nicely. I had a removable tow hitch fitted by Indespension and it was safe as houses. Better yet it could even pivot so you could open the tailgate without unloading the bikes.

 

ive been looking into these.. my bus isnt near roadworthy yet but still.

ive got a £1800 bike, and my mates bike is worth more... so want something sturdy. mostly for peace of mind.

I dont fancy watching my hard-earned bounce down the motorway haha.

 

Cheers all

 

We've got a Thule one that fits to the tow bar, is very secure, has a light bar and hinges down to clear the tailgate. Got it from Halfords when on sale a couple of years ago, was around £100.

 

Got a Thule one as well, Euro classic something or other, had it for 7 years now, great bit of kit as others have pointed out clamps to the tow ball, tilts etc. mine carries two bikes but also extendable to carry three (I have the extenders and occasionally use them).

The only downside being that at this height they are easy for bike thiefs to work on without getting noticed, one mate had his secured with three cable locks and they cut through all of them and stole his bike, need a chain, u lock to the rack frame or something ...

 

Another vote for the clamp-on Thules - got one on my van and it's fine.

 

We sell the Thule range at work and the clamp on type will fit any 50mm tow ball. If you can afford it I would recommend the G2 Euroway range.

 

i have always used the fiamma one that fixes to the tail gate, takes 2 adult bikes and is totally secure. Can be left on when the bikes aren't fitted and folds up quite flat so its out of the way and gives you access to the engine lid when the bikes are on or off.

A cautionary tale:
My mate would have had his splitty burn to the ground if one of the tow bar style ones were fitted as he would not have been able to get to the engine bay to put the fire out! he had a firetec system installed which dowsed the fire initially and probably saved his pride & joy, but he still needed to get to the engine to put it out completely with his hand held fire extinguisher - and all this happened on a petrol forecourt after he had just filled with fuel, van full of stuff, wife and four children - what a nightmare!

just something else to consider when you choose your style of bike rack.

 

I have the four bike version of this. Check out how easy it tilts. These are the Mutts Nuts

http://youtu.be/uOuFj4ZnIIY

 

Thats a super duper version of mine but same principle