08-09-2018, 12:28 PM
davester wrote:
However, the higher quality newer hanging racks have mounts that hold both the top and seat tubes of the bikes. I ride with a friend who has one of these (either a Thule or Yakima, can't remember which) and it is very secure. My bikes have very fancy paint too, so I'm very wary of paint damage. It's also a swing-away, which is fantastic because we can easily get into the back of the car even when fully loaded. Also, it doesn't weigh almost 100 lbs like the 4-bike platform racks.
That sounds like a big improvement over ours. I've generally found Thule products to be well designed, and was surprised that our rack didn't do a better job protecting the bikes. The mount point for the bikes is well padded, but even relatively soft silicone is going to wear at the paint if the bikes swing as the car moves.
Maybe I should take a look at ours and see if there is a way to adapt it to a two-point support, like the one you described.
I did find some adjustable bars which attach to the handlebar and the bike frame to keep the front wheel from moving around, but that doesn't stop the entire bike from swinging from the top bar mount.
One other thought: My wife has a bike where the upper tube curves down ("step through" frame?). There is not an easy way to attach this bike to a carrier where the bike is meant to hang from the upper tube. A platform mount would be usable for just about any bike, assuming there is some adjustment available for differing wheelbases, such as for a child's bike.
Good luck.
- Winston