Tow ball cycle carrier and lighting board

[francovendee]

Basically, and afaik, the best way to think about it is that having something mounted on the back of your car doesn't change anything, in that in that condition, all the original requirements still apply.

There are a couple of extras in that the load mustn't project more than a foot (probably expressed as 30cms) on either side and it has to be securely mounted. I'm getting too idle to dig out the relevant con and use regs. and they may have changed, but if they have, they won't be less onerous.

DIY number plates may be ignored by the police, but the current regs only permit plates to be manufactured and sold by authorised sources on production of sufficient documents to justify the transaction. Again, I'm too idle to dig out the regs, but anywhere like Halfords will have a notice up explaining them. (I'm not saying dodgy plates aren't available eg on the internet, but that doesn't make them legal.) Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems seem to be having a growing influence but that's all after my tiome.

Finally, my expert on all things motoring - Honest John - reports that the police in France lurk near the Channel ports waiting to pounce on GB drivers who don't comply with their rather less laidback interpretation of the regs.

I'm sure the regs. are much the same on the French side as the UK.
In 15 years of travelling with bikes, using a home made number plate I have never once been stopped or cautioned, even at random document checks when one of the force wanders around the car while the other is looking at your documents.
I suspect another Honest John report of a rare incident.
My home made number plate is rather good, although I say it myself

[thirdcrank]

Is it a requirement for cycle carrier lighting boards in the EU to also have a fog light and a reversing light?
I was checking the details of the Thule G2 carrier, and the German version (Model 920) has them, while the UK spec (Model 921) does not.
Is it an EU/German legal requirement to repeat all the car's rear lights?

Welcome to the forum. My own interpretation is that the carrier when fitted is part of the vehicle and must comply with the regulations, specifically lights and reg plate. If it complies in the country where it's registered, it can be used elsewhere as a bona fide visitor. There's nothing to stop the minimum specified by the regs being exceeded, so long as those extras don't, in themselves, break the law, so it sounds as though a German-standard board would be ok to import and use on a GB car because it complies with the regs and exceeds them. The opposite would not apply because a GB board would not meet the more stringent German regs.

(This assumes that the different German model isn't marketed because of varying consumer tastes.)

PS Another consideration is always the attitude of the user. If you are san fairy ann that's one thing but for habitual compliers / worriers then no amount of assurance that nobody bothers these days will make you feel better.

[gaz]

If you are san fairy ann that's one thing ...

San Fairy Ann, not a member myself .

[thirdcrank]

ça ne fait rien

I see from gaz's link that the club was formed in 1922. I'd have presumed that the expression san fairy ann was imported by troops returning after one of the world wars. A coincidence that the initials mean pretty much the same thing SFA.

[rmurphy195]

I have always used a trailer board when carrying bikes on a rear mounted rack, whether a towball mounted one or strap-mounted. Even on my current car - an MX5 - I do this and have had the "N" electrics fitted to allow this (the cable tucks away in the compartment for the jack when not in use, and is long, and thin, enough to go between the boot lid and the edge of the opening when in use.

In the days of going to France on hol, I used to remove the left-hand red triangle to reveal a GB plate which was stuck onto the board behind it! - probably not needed/not legal these days with the GB as part of the number plate itself.

Never,ever try to mount the bike(s) high up so they don't obscure lights etc - you only have to follw a car with such a setup to uderstand why. And always put s strap between the bikes front wheel and the downtube to hole the bike's steering still - It still scares me when I see a rear-mounted bike with its steering oscillating and banging the bike wheel against bits of the car!

[mjr]

Never,ever try to mount the bike(s) high up so they don't obscure lights etc - you only have to follw a car with such a setup to uderstand why.

I've never followed my own car so can you tell me why you don't like my high mount?

And always put s strap between the bikes front wheel and the downtube to hole the bike's steering still - It still scares me when I see a rear-mounted bike with its steering oscillating and banging the bike wheel against bits of the car!

The steering's held still by strapping the wheel to the rack bottom and top tube to the rack top.

[rmurphy195]

Never,ever try to mount the bike(s) high up so they don't obscure lights etc - you only have to follw a car with such a setup to uderstand why.

I've never followed my own car so can you tell me why you don't like my high mount?

And always put s strap between the bikes front wheel and the downtube to hole the bike's steering still - It still scares me when I see a rear-mounted bike with its steering oscillating and banging the bike wheel against bits of the car!

The steering's held still by strapping the wheel to the rack bottom and top tube to the rack top.

Whenever I've followed a car with bikes mounted up high, I've noticed the a great deal of instability when at motorway speeds, and from turbulence from passing trucks and other large vehicles which you don't tend to see so much when bikes are mounted lower down. This also applies to roof-mounted bikes where the "wobbles" set up as they catch turbulence off trucks has to be seen to be believed! Plus of course following them around corners can be fun to watch.

[mjr]

It depends on the rack. Ours doesn't move around as traffic passes. The biggest drawback is fly squashes on the side of the saddle, then there's the expense of buying a good one and the increased fuel.

Tow ball racks aren't immune from some junk examples...

[millimole]

An issue (at least for me over the years) has been the rapid failure rate of bulbs in light boards. I put this down to the increased vibration the board gets, and the less than gentle treatment of the board. Always check the lights on your lighting board regularly, both for bulb failure, dodgy connector pins and frayed wiring DAHIKT


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[[XAP]Bob]

LED replacements?

[Toffee]

I am sitting on a ferry in Calais at the moment. All cars entering the port had to open their boots. Cars that had cycle racks that's did not allow the boot to be opened had to get everyone out of the back of car do that a soldier could check it. There were two of these check points.

[CraigB]

There are no official standards for cycle racks, so you have to take care. There is a requirement that your load is secure, and there are requirements to have license plate and lights visible.
Damage to bikes and cars seems quite common. NB. Car companies don't sell tailgate strapped racks, or racks with more than 3 bikes attached to a towball.