Carrying 3 or 4 Bikes - Best/Cheapest Option?

Hi,

While the English summer lasts, I'd like to be able to go on a couple of days out cycling with the wife and kids but I'm looking for the best way of transporting 3 or 4 bikes on my Evoque (I say 3 or 4 as I could possible get the youngest's in the boot). I know there's lots of separate threads on best bike carriers and best tow bars etc, but I'm really looking for some overall advice on whether I'm going to be able to transport 3/4 bikes with my Evoque without spending oodles of cash, as it'll probably be only used occasionally. The key thing is I don't have any roof rails/bars and I don't have a tow bar, so if they're going to be required I can see it getting a bit to expensive to be worth the outlay.

If I need a trailer board for the rear lights, I'm also not quite clear what the situation is - are the connections already there and I can just plug it in, or is more money required there too?

Any options/advice/ideas?

Thanks! Neil

As a benchmark, hunt out thule rapid system 754 for the roofbars and footpack , probably around £140 for the basic system. On this you add the thule freeride 532 bike racks at around £45 a piece. This set up would see you pretty much sorted. You can then chase around for deals. Halfords do their own thule bike rack copies and package them a lot cheaper in pairs.

You then fit 2 forward facing and 2 rearward. Should work. Oh, and add a set of steps if you're under 6 ft tall

I was looking for a cheap option to carry a couple of bikes. Looked at lots of systems and they were all crap. In the end spend a bit more and got the Thule. Could not be happier! Highly recommended! I use my bike a couple of times a week now because it is so easy to fit and remove.
Cheers John

Had to go with the tow bar option myself £400 for the bar and and another £150 for the rack.i looked into a standard rack but nothing fitted without obstucking the spoiler also British law requires you to have a trailerboard if your lights are obstucked.

Thanks all - I do like the rear-mounted options, but for occasional use I couldn't really justify the cost of a tow bar, the electrics, the trailer board and then the rack itself.

So I started to price up ChuckieB's recommendation, and remembered I'd got a couple of old Thule cross bars and two Thule bike carriers gathering dust in the garage from about 10 years ago (used on my Discovery II) - which I think are going to be compatible, so now I just need to add the right Thule feet (second hand from eBay) and fixing kit plus a third cycle carrier, and I think I should be set for not much more than £100 all in

You have a panoramic roof, would suggest that you are very careful putting bikes on the roof and even more careful adding a roofrack not originally intended for an Evoque.

Hey Neil, how tall are you?
I dont think i could lift a bike onto the roof of my evoque.

(15-07-2014 05:47am)XFullFatTim Wrote:  You have a panoramic roof, would suggest that you are very careful putting bikes on the roof and even more careful adding a roofrack not originally intended for an Evoque.

Yeah I hear you there Tim, this was already a concern though having read up on previous threads here and on other forums, coupled with the only occasional planned use over short distances with good roads I'm going to take my chances - I've not heard of anyone actually saying they've suffered glass roof damage with Thule feet/bars fitted.

(15-07-2014 07:07am)jph Wrote:  Hey Neil, how tall are you?
I dont think i could lift a bike onto the roof of my evoque.

Just a tad under 6' - so hoping I can get one of the kids' bikes in the middle to ease the handling!