Bicycle by car

The bicycle is in fashion not only among young people with a physique that can be seen everyday and during bicycle holidays.

The bicycle is in fashion not only among young people with a body, which can be seen daily and during the cycling festival, which is Warsaw's "critical mass". After the end of this event, many participants, having several tens of kilometers at their feet, mount two wheels on the trunk of a car.

There are plenty to choose from - specialized stores offer racks, handles and other accessories from the largest global and domestic manufacturers. And only there we advise you to buy from afar, avoiding supermarkets. Why such discrimination? With common sense and a pinch of ownership knowledge. In a specialized store, prices are not much higher, and the equipment is of a completely different class. In addition, there we can always count on the help of a specialist.

Fasten securely

Special holders are required for transporting bicycles. The bike racks look the same. They differ in weight, quality of materials, thickness of rails, details, technical solutions. The more expensive bikes have instead of bolt-on handles, for example, snap-on systems to facilitate quick assembly and self-tightening straps. In hypermarkets, they cost about 30 zlotys apiece. These are, of course, the simplest devices, very weak, with primitive straps for attaching a bicycle.

In specialized stores, the choice is much larger. The best-selling are branded pens of a good class at a price of about PLN 80. Self-tightening straps are also sold separately. for attaching bicycle wheels, which can replace the extendable plastic clamps attached to the cheapest holders.

Count on functionality

The fashion for bicycles made them transported - most often on the roofs of cars, but not only ...

The market for bicycle carriers is growing more and more, and accessory manufacturers are outpacing each other in their offerings, introducing newer and more original designs. Such a solution is a carrier for transporting two bicycles in a lying position on the roof of a car. The device can be installed on any type of roof beams.

Bicycles are loaded low on the side of the car. There, the bikes are placed on the rails of the holder. The wheels are attached to them with straps, and the frames are screwed with handles equipped with security locks. against theft. The bike rack can then be lifted up and inserted into the roof carrier system. This does not require much effort, since the whole system works on the principle of a lever.

Few rules

Theoretically, four bicycles can be placed on the car. However, not every car can withstand such a large weight. Vehicle manufacturers often list a roof rack load capacity of 75 kg and even 50 kg. Bicycles usually weigh 15-20 kg, but some are heavier. So it's worth checking how many of them can be placed on the car and, depending on this, buy an appropriate number of handles or lighter bikes.

Tall and soft top vehicles often use luggage racks at the rear of the vehicle. Mounting bikes on them is not difficult, since they do not need to be lifted high, but all moving parts must be carefully attached. Loose ones can damage the paintwork and even the body sheet. The trunk, attached to the back of the car, holds three lightweight bikes. More devices for their transportation, mounted on the towbar - from two to three.

The main safety requirement for cycling is a speed limit of 90 km/h and careful braking. You must be especially careful on difficult, bumpy and winding roads.