Bike racks

Vicky123

Does anyone know if bike racks fit any towbar?
TIA

AdrianC

Towball-mount racks, I presume...?

Basically, there's two styles of towbar - some are swan-neck, some are two-bolt flange.

Flange left, swan-neck right.

So long as the rack fits the type you have, it certainly should be pretty much unversal. Towballs are certainly a standard 50mm diameter.

If you've got a two-bolt bar, and you're going to be using the rack a lot, look for one that bolts onto the flange behind the ball - it'll be a more stable fitment.

Vicky123

I have the bike rack and changing car, apparently the ball thing is specific to my current car so I know that won't move but wondering if the racks are universal so when I get another towbar I won't have to get another rack as well, if you see what I mean.

molerat

How does it fit, there are several types of "tow ball mounted" carriers ?  Does it mount on the ball or is there a bracket fitted to the flange that the ball is bolted to.  If it clamps on to the actual ball then it should fit, there may be an adjustment on the clamp to ensure it is still a good fit on a worn ball.

AdrianC

Vicky123 said:

I have the bike rack and changing car, apparently the ball thing is specific to my current car so I know that won't move but wondering if the racks are universal so when I get another towbar I won't have to get another rack as well, if you see what I mean.

Indeed the towbar itself is car-specific.

But, as I said, the ball-mount racks are pretty much universal, with that one caveat.

Let's see a pic of your current towbar...

Vicky123

It's the swan neck on the picture above, when I went to Halfords they sent me to Volvo as apparently only their one fitted the car.   So now 6yrs down the road and still transporting bikes but changing the car I know I'll have to get another ball but the carrier itself was also very expensive and it would be great if that will just slide on the ball I get fitted to the new car.   Not sure if I'm making any sense but you'd think those balls would all be the same size even if the fit to the car itself is different.

AdrianC

Yes, they are.

You don't have to buy a trailer or caravan to suit your car, do you? The ball is standard...

Vicky123

AdrianC said:

Yes, they are.

You don't have to buy a trailer or caravan to suit your car, do you? The ball is standard...

Ah OK, I was just surprised when I found out I needed to fit their own towbar and they certainly didn't advise me that any Halfords carrier would've gone on it so I ended up paying silly money for their own one which is why I wanted to make sure I could use it again, otherwise I'll end up buying a car to suit my bike rack lol.

molerat

Volvo are Swedish

Volvo don't make their own cycle carriers

One of the largest cycle carrier brands in the world is also Swedish and that is Thule

Volvo cycle carriers are made by Thule and are the same as the universal ones you can buy from any Thule stockist

Surprised Halfords couldn't supply one.

facade

AdrianC said:

Yes, they are.

You don't have to buy a trailer or caravan to suit your car, do you? The ball is standard...

There are actually 2 standard 50mm 2-hole towballs. The standard standard one has a short wide neck beneath the ball, the other- designed for a friction damped hitch, has a longer narrow neck like that on a swan neck factory bar.

The difference is because the friction damped hitch covers more of the ball, and needs a bit more clearance to give the articulation to stop it popping off when you tow over a speed hump.

Whether this will affect the bike rack depends on what stops it drooping down. At the worst you could simply buy the narrow necked towball (more expensive obviously )

Here's one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Long-Neck-50mm-Towball-Suits-Alko-Hitch-Head-Stabilsers-Black-Finish/174398735155

Vicky123

molerat said:

Volvo are Swedish

Volvo don't make their own cycle carriers

One of the largest cycle carrier brands in the world is also Swedish and that is Thule

Volvo cycle carriers are made by Thule and are the same as the universal ones you can buy from any Thule stockist

Surprised Halfords couldn't supply one.

It was the tow bar that Halfords couldn't fit, had to go to Main dealer, the car is a Cross Country and that specific model required it's own tow bar which will not transfer to any other Volvo never mind any other make.    The Main dealer didn't tell me that any old carrier will do so I just assumed it needed the specific one they sold me to go on their tow bar.    If Halfords had said they just couldn't fit the tow bar then I would've got the carrier from them but so long as it will now fit on the next ball then I'm happy.    It is a nice carrier, takes 3 bikes, I like it as bike carriers go.