The Best Bike Racks For Towbars

Adding a bike rack to your car can allow you to take your cycling adventures much further afield. So, if you have a towbar fitted already, a towbar-mounted bike rack is a great way to transport your bikes around, rather than fitting a rear-mounted bike rack to the boot or a roof-mounted bike rack.

In this guide, we'll teach you about the different types of towbar bike racks as well as help you to choose the best towbar bike rack for your car. We'll cover:

• What is a towbar bike rack?
• What are the different types of towbar bike racks?
• The best bike racks for towbars

What is a towbar bike rack?

Towbar bike racks are, quite simply, bike racks that are mounted to your towbar. They provide a reliable way to transport your bikes securely and safely with a steady platform or hanging feature. Depending on the style of towbar bike rack you choose, you can secure it in place with either a ratcheting strap or a wheel locking mechanism that locks the bikes in place.

When using a towbar bike rack, your number plate and lights should always be visible and in working order. This could mean you need to attach a lighting board and towbar electrics so you can still be seen clearly on the road.

What are the different types of towbar bike racks?

There are a few different types of towbar bike racks available and the one best suited to you might depend on the type of towbar you have, how you want to attach the bike rack and whether you want to access the boot while towing. We've explained the difference between each type of towbar bike rack below.

Towball Mounted

Towball-mounted towbars are attached to your towball. They are available in either bolt-on or clamp-on styles with the bolt-on bike rack being bolted to the towball with an adjuster screw and clamp-on bikes racks using a clamp-on feature to secure the bike rack around the towball.

Towbar Mounted

Towball-mounted bike racks are mounted to the towbar faceplate. These can only be attached to the faceplate of a flange towbar and are often 'hanging' bike racks. Some towbar-mounted bike racks allow you to tow and carry bikes at the same time. Platform Carrier

These are generally towball mounted and have a flat platform for you to load bikes to. Some platform carriers also have a tilting feature so you can tilt the bike rack forward, while the bikes are loaded, and still have easy access to the boot.

What are the advantages of towbar and towball bike racks?

If you're thinking of buying a bike rack for the towbar you already have installed on your car, there's some things you will need to consider:

• How many bikes are you looking to carry?
• Are you planning to carry bikes at the same time as towing a caravan or trailer?
• Do you need easy access to the boot of your car?
• How big or small is your vehicle?

Consider the list of advantages and disadvantages below, so you can decide which type of bike rack is best for you.

Advantages of a Towball Mounted Bike Rack

The advantages of of towball mounted bike rack are:

• Carry 2, 3 or 4 bikes
• Mounted directing to your towball making it easy to lift bikes onto the rack
• The bike rack tilts outwards allowing easy access to the boot of your vehicle
• Comes with a lighting board
• Fits securely to most vehicles

Disadvantages of a Towball Mounted Bike Rack

The disadvantages of a towball mounted bike rack are:

• The bike rack will need an extra number plate
• The bike rack cannot be removed easily

Advantages of a Towbar Bike Rack

The advantages of a towbar bike rack are:

• Carry 2, 3 or 4 bikes
• Mounted directly to your towball making it easy to lift bikes onto the rack
• Simple and easy to use
• Allows you to carry bikes and tow a caravan or trailer
• Fits securely to most vehicles with a towbar

Disadvantages of a Towbar Bike Rack

The disadvantages of a towbar bike rack are:

• Bikes cannot be securely locked to your car
• Doesn't allow easy access to the boot of your car
• The cycle rack will need an extra number plate

The best bike racks for towbars

There are hundreds of towbar bike racks to choose from but with so much choice, finding the right one for you can be tricky. So, we've narrowed down our favourite towbar-mounted bike carrier to accompany you on your next cycling adventure.

1. Westfalia BC 60 Towball Mounted Tilting Bicycle Carrier

The Westfalia BC 60 Towball Mounted Tilting Bicycle Carrier is a platform bike carrier which has a tilting feature for easy access to the boot. With easy coupling and adjustable wheel holders, it is suitable for most towbars and can carry most bikes, including eBikes.

It carries two bikes but an expansion rail is available so you can carry up to 3 bikes. It is also available with a carrier bag, platform and transport box.

2. Witter "Pure Instinct" Towball Mounted Bike Cycle Carrier with foldable rails

Our towball-mounted Pure Instinct bike carrier is high quality and can be easily attached to your towbar with a clamp mechanism. It is available as a 2, 3 or 4 bike carrier and has foldable rails for when they are not in use. It can also be tilted for easy access to the boot but is not suitable for Buy noweBikes.

3. Witter Bolt-on Towball Mounted Bike Cycle Carrier

Fixing to your towbar with a bolt-on mechanism, this Witter Bolt-on Towball Mounted Bike Cycle Carrier has a low platform for easy loading as well as easy coupling that fits most towbars. It can be tilted forwards for easy access to the boot and has an adjustable wheel holder that holds most bike sizes, apart from eBikes.

4. Witter Clamp-On Towball Mounted Bike Cycle Carrier

Our Witter Clamp-On Towball Mounted Bike Cycle Carrier has a clamp-on mechanism. Much like the bolt-on version, it has a low platform so bikes can be easily loaded as well as easy coupling that fits most towbars. It can also be tilted forwards for easy access to the boot with adjustable wheel holders to fit most bike sizes. It is not suitable for eBikes.

5. Flange Towbar Mounted Cycle Carrier

The Flange Towbar Mounted Cycle Carrier is a hanging bike carrier that fits to the towbar faceplate. It allows you to tow and carry bikes at the same time and is suitable for carrying eBikes. You can carry up to 3 bikes at a time and the weight of the bikes is fully supported by the towbar.

6. Westfalia Bikelander Classic Towball Mounted Tilting Bicycle Carrier

Suitable for carrying eBikes and with a tilting feature for easy access to the boot, the Westfalia Bikelander Classic Towball Mounted Tilting Bicycle Carrier is easy to mount and very compact. It has an easy coupling that fits most towbars and a low platform so bikes can be mounted easily too. The adjustable wheel holders allow it to carry most size bikes and it can carry 2 bikes. It is available with an extension for a 3rd bike, LED lights and a carrier bag.

The best towbar cycle carrier for you will ultimately depend on your individual needs. If you want to tow and carry bikes at the same time, a faceplate-mounted hanging carrier will be best. But, if you want easy access to the boot then a tilting platform carrier will suit your needs. Take a look at our full range of towbar bike racks here and find the best one for you.