Bike rack covers, fitted or not

[Jester]

Do you fit your cover whilst in transit and if not why, specifically a rack with a tow ball fitting.

Your response will decide if I should purchase an expensive or cheap one.

Thanks.

 

[sapto]

Do you fit your cover whilst in transit and if not why, specifically a rack with a tow ball fitting.

Your response will decide if I should purchase an expensive or cheap one.

Thanks.

Good morning Breeze1

I had black one (Thule Bike cover with a pocket for a sign) and sold it because it was flaffy, not really covering the bikes:
- Bars are too wide (720 mm, yes I could have turn them)
- At the bottom it‘s open and I guess „from there comes the road dirt“
- We seldom use the bikes in winter and in summer: when they get dirty we either clean them at home or they get anyway dirty on the track/trail/in the bikepark (here I could clean them first - never did)
- However to cover them and keep them a little bit hidden away it is a superb thing in particular if you have some expensive bikes

I hope that helps.

Picture with our cheap/old bicycles

 

[SailSki]

Hi @Breeze1, I have an Atera towbar rack and two of the Fiamma bike covers from the club shop.
When using the rack in short trips I don’t use the covers, but on a long trip or when expensive bikes or paddle boards are on the rack I use one or both covers to both hide what is on there and protect from water and dirt (when both are on they make quite a good cocoon - I put the rear one on first then the other over the bikes/boards at the front and they work well.
I have had a little area of delamination of the waterproofing due to flapping but it is not noticeable.
For reference I can carry 1-2 bikes on the rear most positions and 2 rolled paddle boards towards the front, each bag standing up either side of the bars holding the bikes and secured by roof rack straps.
The Fiamma covers also have a pocket for a rear warning sign, and one covers 2 bikes quite well on a “covers handlebars, saddle and back of bike” basis. Even just one fits quite snugly without any parachute effect and minimal flapping.
I’ll see if I can find some photos

 

[kurienp]

On safety, out of sight, out of mind. A cheap cover does the job.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Jester]

Good morning Breeze1

I had black one (Thule Bike cover with a pocket for a sign) and sold it because it was flaffy, not really covering the bikes:
- Bars are too wide (720 mm, yes I could have turn them)
- At the bottom it‘s open and I guess „from there comes the road dirt“
- We seldom use the bikes in winter and in summer: when they get dirty we either clean them at home or they get anyway dirty on the track/trail/in the bikepark (here I could clean them first - never did)
- However to cover them and keep them a little bit hidden away it is a superb thing in particular if you have some expensive bikes

I hope that helps.

Picture with our cheap/old bicycles

Hi Sapto

Thank you for reply I ask this question really to find out it the cover when fitted over them disintegrates due to wind pressure, I feel that I should transport without a cover and only cover when we have arrived on our campsite.

Thank you.

 

[Jester]

Hi @Breeze1, I have an Atera towbar rack and two of the Fiamma bike covers from the club shop.
When using the rack in short trips I don’t use the covers, but on a long trip or when expensive bikes or paddle boards are on the rack I use one or both covers to both hide what is on there and protect from water and dirt (when both are on they make quite a good cocoon - I put the rear one on first then the other over the bikes/boards at the front and they work well.
I have had a little area of delamination of the waterproofing due to flapping but it is not noticeable.
For reference I can carry 1-2 bikes on the rear most positions and 2 rolled paddle boards towards the front, each bag standing up either side of the bars holding the bikes and secured by roof rack straps.
The Fiamma covers also have a pocket for a rear warning sign, and one covers 2 bikes quite well on a “covers handlebars, saddle and back of bike” basis. Even just one fits quite snugly without any parachute effect and minimal flapping.
I’ll see if I can find some photos

Great Idea re paddle board had not thought of that, it was also the flapping that would have bothered me to.

Thank you

 

[GastardWilts]

I had a Fiamma cover that lasted 2 years and around a dozen trips (4 long distance) over 3 bikes. The internal laminte basically disintegrated.

Last year I bought a bike cover from Taylormade Screen Covers (Huddersfield) and also got 10 metre length of 6mm bungee cord (lashing) based on post I found on-line. You need to but hooks to attach to the end of the bungee. 10 Meter x 6mm BLUE ELASTIC BUNGEE ROPE SHOCK CORD TIE DOWN, ROOF RACKS TRAILERS BOATS - FREE UK DELIVERY

If you take the time to wind the bungee around the covered bike it eliminates the flapping. I would also call out the Taylormade covers are a much thicker material than Fiamma.

Last summer drove to Slovenia on one trip then another to Girona and back at motorway speeds and with some heavy rain very happy with the performance of the cover. The cover is the one slit push bike option and it works fine on the VW rack and you won't get more than two bikes under it. Given the height of bikes on the rack anybody under six feet (or so) will need something to stand-on to get the cord over the top while maintaining tension on the cord of the covered bikes if loading on your own. If you have somebody to help you then it is much easier. I think you'd get away with 8 metres... I just haven't been bothered to cut the cord!

 

[andrejab1]

We have the original bike rack, but we cover the bikes only when stationary - just to 'hide' them from sight. We find driving with the cover impossible, since the bikes sit over the cali an the wind would rip it off.
The 4 bikes cover sits nicely over 2 mountainbikes.