Did a quick forum search for this but no-one seems to have mentioned it. I'm looking for a safe, sensible and practical way to carry bikes on my S60. Bikes are likely to be one or two adult bikes and maybe a 20" child's bike too. (One child's bike will fit in the boot. I'd been assuming that roof-mount carriers would be best - I already have the crossbars and I'm tall enough to be confident in lifting bikes onto the roof.
Then I went to the proper, old-fashioned cycle shop in town and the knowledgeable blokey there recommended the Hollywood F10 - although they also stock the Thule carriers - and said that he'd been happy with it on his own car. This set me wondering: it ought to be quicker to fit than roof bars and carriers, which might encourage me to use it more often. Does anyone here have experience of this model, good or bad?
Much obliged,
WdB
>:---)-8
This link is to a dealer's site, who has reproduced the pictures from the product packaging. Helpfully, one shows the F10 fitted to an S60. www.chwhite.btinternet.co.uk/html/hollywood_f10.ht...l
|
Similar topic.
I own and use a hollywood F4. I would thoroughly recommend hollywood racks because:
They are strongly built, the almost resemble scaffolding poles!
The webbing straps are strong
They are quick & easy to fit to your car, no tightening of screws etc.
I've carried 2 adult & 2 childrens bikes on mine with no problem.
I would recommend that you buy a pack of plastic pipe insulation from a diy shop & use lengths of this on parts of the bike frame that touch to prevent damage.
Lastly, I would look on ebay as the frequently appear for sale.
|
|
We bought a Saris Bones for our New shape civic, Toyota Avensis and Volvo S60. I haven't tried it on the Volvo yet, but will have a go at the weekend and let you know. Around £80 from wiggle.co.uk.
|
I'll probably be buying a rack soon so I'll check these out, great to have a recommendation.
I'll definitely be avoiding the roof bar versions though, too easy to forget you've got them on and drive under a car park bar. That could be expensive as mine and the wife's bikes would probably cost more to replace than the cars we usually drive!
|
Thanks everyone. Key benefit of the F10 that I forgot to mention is that it raises the bikes above the level of the rear lights and number plate, so you don't need a separate board. Of course, you have to be (cave)man enough to get the bikes up and over those prongs, but I still have my off-the-shoulder sabre-tooth skin and Great Big Club, so no problems there. (Might be a problem for those newfangled motors with the lights at window level, of course, but not for me.)
Disadvantage of all this, of course, is that the view in the mirror will be all aluminium tubing and stainless steel spokes, rather than road and following traffic. I'm anticipating using this thing for day trips within a half-hour radius of home, so I expect I can live with that. I'll take my bike over to the shop next week, try the thing for size and, who knows, even post a few a pictures if folks here are interested.
|
|
Don't like the look of that;bar rests on boot and straps everywhere;I use one that comes out from plate behind towball-done thousands of miles with bikes on.I saw a video a few years ago on roof mounted bike racks being tested thro' a slalom course.Most of them failed in about 2 or 3 runs thro' the slalom-the bolts joining the rack to the roof bars were the main failure point-pulling thro' the metal of the rack.I spent a pleasant half hour sitting outside a bar in France watching someone trying to fit a bike-rack to the back of his car-unfortuneately I had to leave before he completed the job-if he ever did.
|
|
|
|
I have a 5 year old Hollywood towbar-mount rack. I can't fault the construction or ease of use but the finish on the bracket that lives on the towbar is definitely looking scruffy.
Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
|
No comment on this particular item but a search should turn up several in depth discussions of the merits of tailgate v roof carriers.
Personally I'd go for the latter on the grounds of retaining access to the boot and ease of loading. I can have four bikes on the Xantia's roof while mate with tailgate carrier is still fiddling with miles of webbing. The Xant's abiity to kneel down helps but provided you work out exactly how you are going to do the lift and stick to the plan its dead easy. Need to watch roof weight limits though. Allowing 15kg for bars/racks and 14kg per bike the 50kg limit of some cars is soon used up.
|
|
|
|
|
On the subject of bike racks, I just bought something similar to the Hollwood elevator on Ebay, but I have an immediate problem. The rack fits my car okay (Audi Avant) but my daughter has one of those mono-shock style childrens bike with 24" wheels. Not having a crossbar and what there is of the frame being highly oval it is difficult to get onto the rack bars as it normally would. Has anyone else had this proble and have any suggestions ?
|
I have 3 children and when they were young we often went camping in France, which meant taking bicycles. Over the course of many years I tried every permutation of carrying them on a car. Bear in mind that there were often 5 bikes to carry in addition to camping kit and luggage.
My observation are as follows :
On the roof - pros : out of the way leaving access to boot, and also most secure method; cons : lifting the bikes onto the roof, & remembering they are there (leave sunroof blind open is a tip).
On a rack on the back - pros : cheapest option; cons : very fiddly to fit the rack & the bikes, not very secure & often had to stop to retighten strap.
On a rack fitted to a towbar - pros : quick & easy to fit; cons : puts weight all at rear of car & requires separate number plate board.
Summary - a rack on the back is fine for short distances, but on the roof for longer hauls.
Final tip - bungy cords & pip insulation very useful to prevent rubbing & wheel/pedal rotation as appropriate.
|
|
Speaking as someone who has driven into a multi storey car park with the bikes on the roof, get a towball carrier! I blame the wife, I parked out side and she said "just drive in I dont want to walk to my car" and in a moment of madness I forgot the 2 bikes. Just glad I have never seen the CCTV footage on You Have Been Framed.
|
|
The other thing to remember about those racks that hang off the back is that they are no good on plastic tailgates, and a surprising number of cars have plastic tailgates these days, or at least plastic spoilers at the top of the tailgates (as I found out almost to my expense with my previous E320 Estate).
|
Doing that revive-an-old-thread thing again - but at least this is one of mine. Sober reflection led me to bottle out of buying the Hollywood rack and to order a pair of Thule 530 roof carriers instead. They'll be here tomorrow.
Reasons for eventually preferring roof carriers:
* The Hollywood rack would prevent access to the boot, where at least one child's bike will be if we go out en famille; that would mean mounting and dismantling it twice on every trip.
* Despite the helpful pictures of the F10 rack attached to a car like mine, I was uneasy about the way it transfers all the weight - 35kg or so of bikes, plus its own weight - onto the bumper cover (painted plastic) and boot lid (aluminium, I think - maybe not even that.)
* I hadn't tried but I didn't like the idea of a heavy load, as wide as the car, obscuring the view at window and mirror level. I'm used to carrying a load on the roof, so I feel happier that way. It may be significant that Volvo offers Volvo-badged Thule carriers for roof and towbar but not for boot/bumper mounting.
Reasons for choosing the 530:
* Didn't see the need to pay extra for aluminium over steel;
* Like the highly praised Fapa Velo, which costs about the same, the 530 has a configurable quick-release frame holder, so I can set it once for each bike and not have to adjust it again;
* Unlike the Velo, the 530 can be locked to the roof bars, so I can leave it securely on the roof while we're out cycling.
* I already have Thule locks for the Volvo-branded roof bars, and Thule will sell me matching locks for the 530s, so one key will fit them all.
It's taken me a long time to reach this decision but it feels like the right one. Thanks to everyone here who contributed advice and experiences. I'll report again when I've had a chance to try the things properly.
|
|
|
|
