Cycle Carrier

[bennetj]

I have just taken delivery of my new D5 (185) XC90. I probably should have thought of carrying bikes etc in advance but did not.

Can anyone recommend a cycle carrier, either roof or rear. Ideally for carrying 3-4 bikes - thanks

[StevePritchard]

I've got a Halfords 3 bike doofah which was on special offer recently. I can make it sit pretty high so the bikes don't obscure the number plate, and only marginally cover a brake light on one side with the back wheels - hopefully showing enough not to warrant a talking to by PC Plod (so far, so good).

The guy at Halford was concerned that it might damage my spoiler (there are a couple of straps that come from inside the car, over the top), but it's fine, so don't worry about that.

I've got a factory tow-bar fitment, and that's very useful for the lower straps, but without it, I'm sure you could attach them to bodywork under the car, or even just the rear bumper.

Hope that's helpful.

Cheers,

Steve.

[sarge]

Do you have a towbar? If so you could go with a towbar mounted rack. With these you don't have to worry about the straps rubbing on the bodywork and as they come with lights and number plate holder you don't have to worry about obscuring the rear of the vehicle. I use the Volvo carrier but it's made by Thule.

Sarge
'99 V70 AWD

[Marmoset]

I'd second the towbar mounted rack. Not only are they more secure mounted to the car this way, but the wheel trays mean that any shape of bike can be accommodated. They also only take about 30 seconds to install as opposed to 5-10 minutes for a strap mounted rack.

[bennetj]

Thanks for the replies

Unfortunately I do not have a tow bar fitted. I have used a Halfords carrier on a previous car (Saab 93) with it fastening under the back bumper and it was pretty stressful as it kept coming lose.

Sounds like my choice is to either fit a tow bar and then use a tow bar bike rack or to go for a roof mounted carrier. I would be interested to know if anyone has used any roof mounted carriers other than the standard Volvo ones and if so if they would recommend them

thanks

[StevePritchard]

Thanks for the replies

Unfortunately I do not have a tow bar fitted. I have used a Halfords carrier on a previous car (Saab 93) with it fastening under the back bumper and it was pretty stressful as it kept coming lose.

Sounds like my choice is to either fit a tow bar and then use a tow bar bike rack or to go for a roof mounted carrier. I would be interested to know if anyone has used any roof mounted carriers other than the standard Volvo ones and if so if they would recommend them

thanks

For anybody following this thread - careful of tow-bar mounted racks on the factory fitted tow-bar. I was cautioned against it because a) it doesn't have the ball on all the time which means b) it sits further under the bumper which could be an issue.

The 3 bike Halfords one I have seems to be fine - I travelled about 340 miles to/from Scotland and about 40 while I was there on twisty roads, and didn't have any problems with it coming loose (with 2 mountain bikes on it).

Cheers,

Steve

[sarge]

I have a Volvo removable towbar and have not experienced any problems with using the Volvo cycle carrier on it.

Sarge
'99 V70 AWD :Banane45:

[StevePritchard]

I have a Volvo removable towbar and have not experienced any problems with using the Volvo cycle carrier on it.

Sarge
'99 V70 AWD :Banane45:

I would expect the Volvo cycle carrier to work just fine, I was warning with regard to 3rd party carriers.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Philip Fisher]

I must admit to hating these rear screen mounted cycle carriers, they strap on to areas of the car which are never designed to be load bearing.

I would only consider either tow bar mounted or roof mounted. If they are on the towbar then any rear end shunt, however minor, writes off the bikes. If they are on the roof, you have to be careful going in to car parks with a hoop over the entrance - and don't forget that they are there!

I have chosen the roof option for both my previous V70 and current V50. I used Volvo bars and Thule carriers on my V70 and now use Thule bars and carriers on my V50. Very happy with the set up and it is very stable.

The carriers are Thule 511 which are very stable, but you do have to store the wheel somewhere. If the bike has front disk brakes, you will need the Thule 511-1 which has better clearance for the calliper.

Oh, and only get aero bars, the ones with a square box section as soooo noisy!

Finally, Halfords was always more expensive in my experience than a local Thule dealer - check out the web site for your nearest dealer.

Hope this helps.

Philip

[DCO]

I must admit to hating these rear screen mounted cycle carriers, they strap on to areas of the car which are never designed to be load bearing.

I would only consider either tow bar mounted or roof mounted. If they are on the towbar then any rear end shunt, however minor, writes off the bikes. If they are on the roof, you have to be careful going in to car parks with a hoop over the entrance - and don't forget that they are there!

I have chosen the roof option for both my previous V70 and current V50. I used Volvo bars and Thule carriers on my V70 and now use Thule bars and carriers on my V50. Very happy with the set up and it is very stable.

To anyone considering a roof mounted cycle rack, before taking the plunge, I suggest you do a practice run lifting the cycle(s) up as high and as far over as would be required to put them on a rack. In case of a mishap, if you want to do this over the actual vehicle, then make sure it is well protected, otherwise it will probably end up with a big dent / scratch.

It is easy to load on top of a V50 or V70, but an XC90 is another matter, unless you are pretty strong or about 6'8" tall! I'am about 6' and I know that there is no way I could safely put a cycle onto a roof rack when standing next to the vehicle.:)

[Philip Fisher]

To anyone considering a roof mounted cycle rack, before taking the plunge, I suggest you do a practice run lifting the cycle(s) up as high and as far over as would be required to put them on a rack. In case of a mishap, if you want to do this over the actual vehicle, then make sure it is well protected, otherwise it will probably end up with a big dent / scratch.

It is easy to load on top of a V50 or V70, but an XC90 is another matter, unless you are pretty strong or about 6'8" tall! I'am about 6' and I know that there is no way I could safely put a cycle onto a roof rack when standing next to the vehicle.:)


That is a very good point, I saw an XC90 up close in a car park last night and was suprised at the height and size of the thing!

Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention, if the roof is the chosen option, make sure that the carrier is compatable with the bike. Many mountain bikes have thin walled down tubes which are not suitable for use with cycle carriers that clamp on the down tube - hence why I use on a thule 511.

Philip

[Marmoset]

You can actually buy a Thule roof mounted carrier that has it's own hydraulic ram which lets you load the bike onto the carrier at the side of teh car and then swing it up to the roof where it's locked in place. I've never seen one in the flesh though, only in the catalogue.

I've not had any problems with my Thule towbar rack mounting on the Volvo towbar - one point to bear in mind is to look at the nose weight capacity of the towbars, I did notice that some removable ones have a lower rating than fixed ones (mines a fixed) and 3 mtn bikes plus the rack can easily go over the 50kg limit set for some of them.

[sarge]

Yes, Volvo also do the hydraulic lifting arm (probably the same as the Thule one anyway) which makes lifting the bikes onto the roof much easier. The only thing is it means you have to have reasonable clearance at the side of the car - but then I guess you would need that anyway for manual lifting. Have seen them in the dealer but never used one.

Sarge
'99 V70 AWD :Banane44:

[tedm]

I went for the Thule tow bar mounted rack. Takes 4 bikes, has it's own lighting set and I can still open both parts of the tailgate with the bikes fitted.

Very pleased.

[JohnGoode]

Interesting to read your answers.
I have just bought a XC90 with a detachable towbar already fitted. Unfortunately this towbar is not a swan neck which could accommodate several carriers (see www.towsure.com). It does seem that we are restricted to using the strap solution. Glad to read that it will not affect the roof spoiler.
Note that halfords sell plastic stops to put on end of straps inside car so as to not mark paintwork with metal ends etc.
One last thing, when you mount the carrier on the rear window, take care not to activate the rear windscreen wiper as it will hit the rack. So turn off the wiper before you reverse!
Hope the above helps.
Regards
John.

PS
Just found Thule 970 Express (2 bikes) that fits directly onto ball, with no other fixings. Will advise after I've tried it.

[JohnGoode]

PS
Just found Thule 970 Express (2 bikes) that fits directly onto ball, with no other fixings. Will advise after I've tried it.

Thule 970 Express (2 bikes) works very well - easy to fit - just make sure the towball is clean. And it cost less than £50. Good solution.

[timclifford]

I have Volvo Aero Roof bars and the Thule Bike racks which work very well and feel secure but yes reaching up without standing on the door step or using a step is impossible.

Have been thinking about fitting the Volvo Side steps but at £600 fitted I keep thinking and not doing it! Does anyone who have them find that they help for loading the roof? I worry that they might be too slippy to stand/step up on?

My kids also have quite a step to climb in - do they help with this?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Many thanks

[BFC001]

I had them fitted by volvo cost £500 all in.

Perfect for either washing top of car or loading roof rack. Not rearly slippy at all.

regards

[ianu]

http://www.bostonvolvo.com/ ...I've just received some bona fide black rubber 'XC' foot steps (x4) from Boston Volvo - look great.
$41.74 + shipping.
Not sure if you can get them in the UK - but this site has loads of great stuff - even with shipping it's pretty good value if you order several items.
They are 5 hours behind us and John in the parts Dept is the person to speak to regarding internet orders.
You'll still need to get the side steps this side of the lake though...


Cheers
Ian.

[Patrick lince]

Great call Ian!

The website has alot of cool stuff on it. What was the shipping costs like?

[ianu]

Hi Patrick,
It does give details on the site somewhere - depends if you use standard US parcel post (which I did) or UPS.
For the last items I got - Foot steps/rear tailgate trim & and some interior odds and sods which arrived in 3 seperate packages - total shipping charged was $33.75. You can get shipping ref number and track your delivery too.

I spoke to them a few weeks ago as the rubber steps aren't listed on their site - they have only recently started internet ordering and he said it's gone absolutely bananas - they sending stuff all over the world.

Happy shopping....

[mburgher]

I have just fitted a towbar to my XC90, Does anyone know if there's a 5 bike towbar mounted carrier out there.
I have three children 6-10 years, I have been looking at the 4 bike thule carriers with a view to squeezing and extra one on, anyone any ideas.

[chb]

I have the posh thule 3 bike one (no need for optional 4th carrier).
The quality is great.
In your position I would buy the same and either put one of the kiddies bikes in the boot, or use a roof mounted rack to supliment the towbar rack.

Best thing with the towbar rack (other than the looks, which are great with the chunky Alu rails) is that it has minimal effect on MPG. I drove from Leeds to Dalby and back the other week and got 39MPG taking it steady.

[Ron_XC90]

I have just fitted a towbar to my XC90, Does anyone know if there's a 5 bike towbar mounted carrier out there.
I have three children 6-10 years, I have been looking at the 4 bike thule carriers with a view to squeezing and extra one on, anyone any ideas.

I've got the Thule with 4th bike adapter, but considering weight of the bikerack itself and the 4 bikes I don't think adding a 5th bike would be a safe option (no space either really). I was looking for a 5 bike carrier, but only suitable ones I believe are the trailers, which makes driving awkward again.
Decided for this 4 bike option and 5th goes in the boot. Very happy with it, very sturdy rack!

[chb]

Thats the same rack as mine. It's a fantastic bit of kit.

[mburgher]

Thanks for the sound advice, I will look at buying a thule 4 bike towbar carrier, I still have roof mounted carriers from my previous car, but the xc90 is just a tad too tall to comfortably get the bikes on and off.