BikeBiz

Rack 'n' Roll

PENDLE

Pendle Bike Racks has been manufacturing cycle carriers for years at its Lancashire-based factory. This year’s range of bicycle carriers suits a variety of needs, ranging from racks for 4x4s, people carriers, saloons, hatchbacks and estates.

One of the Pendle tow bar racks has been designed for 4x4s and uses two bike rack arms, which simply slot into the sockets on the mount and are secured in place by the patented securing pin. The bikes are then hung over the arms and are secured with straps provided. The rack will fit estates, hatchbacks and saloons and is capable of carrying up to four bikes.

There are offset versions of the Pendle Tow Bar Rack – one called the Discovery Rack, which is offset by six inches, and the Landrover rack, which has an offset of ten inches. The Discovery rack is more suited to flat-backed vehicles and 4x4 vehicles with smaller rear spare wheels. The Landrover rack is more suited to 4x4 vehicles with larger rear spare wheels.

Also, the Pendle Wheel Support Rack is a platform-style tow bar rack, which supports both the bike wheels and frames. Each bike is held separately in its own support and is separated from the other bikes by individual vertical support arms. This ensures non-contact between bikes during transit. The Wheel Support Rack also uses the same quick release patented securing pin as the Tow Bar, Discovery and Landrover Racks to remove the rack from the tow bar mount.

The Pendle Strap On Rack has a patented adjustable height mechanism to help clear the lights. The rack won the Auto Express 2006 ‘Best Buy’ Awards for ‘rear door mounting carrier’ and is ideal for vehicles which do not have a towbar fitted. The adjustable positioning of the main frame means that it will fit most vehicles on the market with the exception of 4x4s with rear spare wheels. The Strap On Rack fits onto the back of the vehicle with six strong straps with plastic coated hooks on the ends and comes fully assembled and folds up flat for storage.

Other racks include the Pendle Strap On Tyre Rack, which is a rack designed for 4x4 vehicles with rear spare wheels and a rack which bolts through the centre of the spare wheel called the Spare Wheel Rack.

MAXX RAXXThe Maxx Raxx is a bike rack which has been designed and engineered by cyclists to ensure it is strong enough to carry up to five bikes safely and securely, while leaving the tow ball free to tow if needed.

The MaxxRaxx cycle carrying system can be used on all vehicles fitted with a tow bar, including those with a rear mounted spare wheel.

The foot is attached to the tow bar and remains in place ready to accept the rack whenever you want to carry your bikes. While a standard foot is easily fitted to a conventional flange ball tow bar, an adapter is available which makes the rack compatible with swan neck tow bars. The ball of the tow bar remains free to allow simultaneous towing while carrying bikes.

Thanks to the integral security cable and padlocks that are supplied with each rack, bikes stay firm and virtually theft proof.

The MaxxRaxx Product range has three models: the premier, the 4x4 range and the discovery model. The 4x4 and discovery models can be used on top of a spare wheel.

FISHER OUTDOOR

The Fisher Outdoor range consists of 13 bike racks, ranging from a six strap boot rack priced at £49.99, to a top of the line Quattro bike carrier, which is billed as a  family lifestyle solution for safe and secure cycle transportation, up to the Quattro rack, which weighs 15kg and is priced at £399.99.

The Quattro comes supplied with fittings for both Swan neck and bolted towballs. The rack takes four bicycles and comes with lighting as standard.

The Fisher Outdoor products come designed with every circumstance and vehicle in mind. One rack in the Fisher range is capable of carrying up to four bikes, while more than half in the range offer a respectable three places.

Many of the racks can be set up within minutes and several can be flat packed or folded away after use. Stronger Fisher racks are made with heavy duty steel tubing, while lighter options that will put less stress on small cars are available from only 9.9 Kg.

The higher into the range you go the more features a Fisher rack will give you, for example, bike separators, locks and number plate clearance.LYON EQUIPMENT

Lyon Equipment has developed a Tubus carrier called the ‘Tubus Airy, which is a contender to be one of the lightest and strongest racks on the market. Lyon recently announced a super strong bike rack made from titanium weighing 197g, which has a retail price of £125.RALEIGH

The Avenir range of car racks from Raleigh are exclusively made from strong yet lightweight aluminium.

This range holds a strong percentage of overall car rack sales in the UK. They come fully assembled. This allows retailers to offer a fitting service for customers with the minimum of staff down time. You can also be safe in the knowledge that the customer will be able to fit their new rack without fuss.

The comprehensive Avenir range spans boot fitting racks, roof racks, spare wheel mounts and tow bar mounted racks. There’s even a tandem roof carrier to complete the range.

The Raleigh AVR800 Montana rack can hold three bikes and is Raleigh’s best seller. The rack retails for £69.99 and features six strap fastening, bike hold downs and a flat pack storage system. The rack fits saloons, estates, hatches and vans.

Also from Raleigh, the AVR801 Arizona High Rise model holds three bikes and retails for £79.99. The design is similar to the AVR800 aside from the fact it has extended lower frame work, which lifts bikes above number plate and light clusters.   

Finally, the AVR820 Tandem Roof Carrier model retails for £99.99.

This rack is specifically designed for tandems with a maximum wheelbase of 182cm.