Meticulously trimmed hedges, smooth front gardens and dust-free bookshelves. We Germans are known to love order. So it's quite surprising how many a bicycle is transported. Open the tailgate, stuff the bike in the back, close the tailgate. In the best case scenario, the fat travelling bag ends up on the sensitive wheels. It is not uncommon for the bike or the interior of the vehicle to be badly damaged in the process. But we wouldn't be Germany if there wasn't a proper solution to this problem. Interior bike racks position the bikes in the boot, neatly lined up, just like the sergeant in the company positions the recruits at morning roll call. The basic requirement: the right car. It has to be an estate car or a mini-van. We took a closer look at the transport systems from Radfazz and Veloboy.
The Veloboy consists of a foldable base carrier with rollers and a support leg. The bikes are always transported on it in the direction of travel. Radfazz offers different solutions depending on the vehicle type. The fork mounts are attached either to the seat brackets or to a rail. The bikes can therefore be transported in or against the direction of travel. For our test vehicle, a VW Touran, we chose the rail solution in the rear. However, before deciding on a system, you should determine the space requirements. If the bike fits upright in the rear with the front wheel removed, there is usually a suitable system from Radfazz. There should be about five centimetres of space left under the fork for the wheel carrier. It may be necessary to remove the seat post.
Veloboy carrier holds up to three bikes
With Veloboy, you only have to decide how many bikes you want to transport. Up to three bikes are possible. The width of the base carrier always remains the same at 66 centimetres. Both systems slip out of the packaging completely pre-assembled. However, two holes must be drilled in the interior panelling in order to fit the Radfazz rail correctly in the boot. The base carrier is then fixed in place using two pins. However, before you drill holes in your vehicle, you should mount the bikes on the rail once and then determine the correct position. To avoid difficulties with leased vehicles, we advise you not to drill holes. The system is given the necessary stability anyway by tensioning straps, which must be used to secure the bikes during transport.
The bikes are particularly easy to mount on the Veloboy. The carrier is placed on the loading sill and the bikes are conveniently secured outside the boot. The carrier and bikes are then pushed into the rear and secured with a lashing strap. A small disadvantage: high loading sills and uneven loading floors interfere with handling. As the fork mounts can be rotated 360 degrees on both systems, the bikes can be stowed away in a space-saving manner with a little practice. Only on bikes with fairly flat steering angles do the mounts tend to wedge slightly.
In addition to the standard quick releases, both suppliers also have thru-axle adapters in their range. Radfazz offers a mount for Lefty forks. And while others are still pondering how best to stack the load in the car, the BIKE test crew is already on its way to the trail - complete with three bikes, luggage and riders.
In the free PDF download you will find the technical data and individual descriptions of both systems.
Downloads:
Stefan Frey
Editor
