Locking the 4th arm?

[mac98aojp]

Hey everyone

Treated myself to the VW tailgate bike rack (the one that sits above the plates, folds up etc).

But... I cannot for the life of me work out how to use the detachable 4th arm?! I fear I'm being hugely thick.

I can see how it secures to the 2nd bike, but it has no lockable handwheel which means bike 4 is totally stealable.

Yet, the manual says outermost bike is to be locked?

What am I doing wrong?

Any tips appreciated!

Adam

 

[Max-Felix]

You're correct - it only links third and fourth bike together. But if you think the lock on the arm would stop even a ten year old with a screwdriver think again!

Big topic on here a while back on locking bikes - in short use a big Sold Secure grade 8-12mm hardened chain and matching padlock round the whole lot.

Built in 'locks' are worse than useless.

 

[mac98aojp]

Thanks Max, really helpful.
Still puzzles me then, why VW manual instructs us to ensure the outer bike is the locked one.
I was out there hours. If it was the Crystal Maze, I was locked in for sure!

 

[hirsty]

Isn't the outermost bike on the longest & lockable arm?

As above, D-Lock or big ass motorbike chain for me, depending on which bikes & how many etc. Fairly sure the arm itself wouldn't put up much resistance to cutters or a junior hacksaw.

 

[mac98aojp]

The lockable arm is No.3, and No.4 is an extension, secured to bike 2 but not lockable.
Good point about the security. I guess it's only the opportunist thief the built in lock might prevent - and unlikely that'll happen whilst queuing at Dover. That said, I'll carry the padlock for when we're all in Intermarche looking for loos and croissants in the early hours.

So glad to have found this site....

 

[mac98aojp]

You're correct - it only links third and fourth bike together. But if you think the lock on the arm would stop even a ten year old with a screwdriver think again!

Big topic on here a while back on locking bikes - in short use a big Sold Secure grade 8-12mm hardened chain and matching padlock round the whole lot.

Built in 'locks' are worse than useless.

Thanks for this Max-Felix

Turns out, I can't even get the lockable arm to secure to bikes 2 and 4! There is only a tiny amount of 'give' in the length of the arm, and turns out that two kids seat posts are too thick, but other parts of the frame are too thin. It will only hold, if the clamps can fully close, even a few mm bigger and there's not enough thread on the bolt. It seems completely illogical and unadjustable in comparison to the other 3 'built in' arms and clamps.

Could it be that the arm they've sold me with it is at fault, perhaps? Unless one has two bikes of the correct tube width for this arm, there's no way at all that one can secure them.

!?