Step-by-step plan for choosing the right bicycle carrier
HomepageHow do I choose the best bike carrier for my campervan?
How do I choose the best bike carrier for my campervan?
You have a nice bus camper that you have been enjoying for a while, you like to cycle, but you don't have a bicycle carrier for your bus camper yet. Where do you start looking and what considerations do you have to make in order to make the right decisions. Many fellow motor home owners have already had to make this choice and you are therefore certainly not the first. It is therefore also a known problem with vans and finding the right bicycle carrier.
Harold and Rosalie were also looking for a bike carrier that met their needs. They have a beautiful Possl (Citroën Jumper bus camper that has already taken them to the most beautiful camping spots. Yet they still lacked a wish and that was a solid bicycle carrier to discover the most beautiful places by bike during the holiday.
Before they started their search they wrote down some questions.
Checklist for determining the best choice for a bicycle carrier
What kind of bike carriers can I buy for my van?
Which bicycle carrier is suitable for my camper?
How many bicycles do I want to transport on my bicycle carrier?
Can the bicycle carrier also carry electric bicycles?
How do I want the bicycle carrier to be attached to my van?
Can I also detach the bicycle carrier from my camper?
How can I assemble the bicycle carrier myself?
Can I leave the bicycles safely on my bicycle carrier?
To get all these questions answered, they started a quest to gather as much information as possible and thus make the right choice for the bicycle carrier for their Bus camper.
What kind of bike carriers can I buy for my van?
The offer is huge and so are the different types of bicycle carriers. Many providers, each with their own description and wording, which sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish the types from each other. Rosalie and Harold's bus camper is a Pössl camper also called a Citroën Jumper. You also have this type of camper in other popular models such as the Globecar and Adria bus campers in a Peugeot boxer or an Adria in a Citroen Jumper.
First, you can look at the mounting of the bicycle carrier on a bus camper. You will then encounter the following options:
Garage fitting
Rear wall mounting
Directly on chassis / frame mounting
Towbar mounting
What types of bicycle rack mounting are there?
Garage mounting bicycle carrier:
Not suitable for a bus camper but for the larger campers. The larger motorhomes have a “garage” also known as a large storage compartment. A bicycle carrier can be mounted in this compartment so that the bicycles are stored securely.
Garage installation in short:
Not suitable for bus camper drivers. Takes up a lot of space that you might want to use for other things.
Rear wall mounting bicycle carrier:
Suitable for vans. You often see this way of mounting the bicycle carrier on vans, but it often puts too great a load on doors and hinge points. The rear of the larger motorhomes is equipped without doors, making this way of mounting ideal. This is not the case with a bus camper. However, the weight of the bicycles must be taken into account as this is not the sturdiest part of a camper. There are more options with a bus camper. Nevertheless, the doors of a bus camper must also be taken into account, which must be easy to open without removing the bicycles from the carrier.
Back wall mounting in short:
Suitable for vans, but often not flexible enough if you want to open the rear doors easily.
Bicycle carrier mounted directly on chassis / frame:
An extremely suitable way to mount the bicycle carrier. Low to the ground, sturdy and no load on the doors, making it very easy to carry several bicycles and also heavier bicycles. The rear doors with this option are easily accessible by a swiveling bicycle carrier, making you very flexible. This method of installation must be carried out by an expert.
Chassis / frame assembly in brief:
Extremely suitable for camper vans. Strong and very comfortable to use. Rear doors remain accessible when the bicycle carrier turns away.
Towbar mounting bicycle carrier:
Most vans are delivered without a tow bar, so in that case it will have to be mounted. In addition, it is impossible to open the rear doors when bicycles are attached to the bicycle carrier, making it a difficult job every time you want to open the rear doors. The space at the rear doors is a much used storage space that should remain easily accessible when you are standing on your motorhome or on the road.
Finally, you have an option to mount the bicycle carrier on your roof. Something you will not quickly see in practice with campers due to the height. You often see these bicycle carriers on cars.
Towbar mounting in a nutshell:
Less suitable as there is often no towbar and the rear doors cannot be opened.
Which mounting method of the bicycle carrier suits me?
After putting everything together, there are only a few options left for the bus camper. The option for a bicycle carrier mounted on the chassis on frame stands out because of the comfort of use, but also because of its strength. In addition, you are also very flexible, which will benefit a camper holiday.
Second, it is important to think about how many bicycles you want to take and which bicycles these are
There is quite a big difference in the type of bikes you might want to take with you. The weight and size determine how flexible the bicycle rack must be.
What kind of bikes do you have:
City bike
Electric bicycle / e-bike
Racing bike
Mountain bike
In addition, you have to consider whether it concerns adult-sized bicycles or whether you want to take children's bicycles with you.
City bike
Also called the normal bike if you want to go out to a reasonably flat area but do not want to make long trips. Also ideal for a small errand or for a tour of the campsite. These bicycles, just like electric bicycles, often have a reasonable weight and therefore more difficult to lift.
What to watch out for:
Often a bit more robust and heavier and therefore less flexible
Electric bike
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine life without electric bicycles. A big advantage is that you can often handle any terrain and make long bike rides. The disadvantage is that they are generally heavy and can weigh up to 25KG or more. Bikes with a high carrying weight, so that you cannot just lift up. In addition, it can be a major load for your bicycle carrier, which means that not all bicycle carriers are suitable.
What to watch out for:
Often a bit heavier and heavier than a city bike. Pay attention to the weight, especially with multiple e-bikes.
Racing bike
For the sporty cyclist who wants to explore beautiful hills and mountains, put new PRs on Strava or want to cycle a nice lap. The racing bike is a lightweight bike that is easy to carry. However, attention must be paid to the vulnerability of the fragility of the bicycles as the latest models are often made of carbon.
What to watch out for:
Lightweight and easy to disassemble and flexible, but also more vulnerable.
Mountain bikes
For the real adventurer with sporting ambitions. Available in different sizes and models and nowadays even in the electric version. The advantage is that you can easily adjust everything and are therefore flexible in the design of the bicycles. The disadvantage is mainly the electric version, which is often slightly heavier and therefore not so easy to lift and can be a considerable load for your bicycle carrier.
What to watch out for: Often a bit clumsy with a big difference in weight depending on the model. Heavy in the electric version and very light in the carbon version. The carbon variant is a lot more vulnerable.
Mountain bikes
For the real adventurer with sporting ambitions. Available in different sizes and models and nowadays even in the electric version. The advantage is that you can easily adjust everything and are therefore flexible in the design of the bicycles. The disadvantage is mainly the electric version, which is often slightly heavier and therefore not so easy to lift and can be a considerable load for your bicycle carrier.
What to watch out for: Often a bit clumsy with a big difference in weight depending on the model. Heavy in the electric version and very light in the carbon version. The carbon variant is a lot more vulnerable.
What kind of bikes do you want to take with you?
Think carefully about what kind of camper you are and what kind of trips / holidays you have planned.
Do you still have a city bike now, but an e-bike in the future?
Are you still taking your racing bike with you but are you planning to go mountain biking more?
Do you and your partner both want to be able to cycle?
Are there children's bicycles or should that be possible?
Do you want to leave the bicycles on the carrier or do you always take them off?
Most motorhome bike racks are equipped with the option to transport 2 bikes. Extensions to 3 or even 4 are often possible. Pay close attention to the expansion options, how the bicycles should be positioned and the maximum weight of the bicycles together.
Final verdict
Many considerations to take into account appear after the search of Harold and Rosalie. A camper is never in a hurry anyway, so there is also time enough to put everything together and let it sink in. The range of bicycle carriers is constantly increasing, making it difficult to make a suitable choice, especially because the wishes of the average motor home owner are becoming increasingly demanding. The rise of the e-bikes play an important role in choosing nowadays.
As you may guess, they ultimately opted for a BusBiker that perfectly meets the requirements and wishes. This may be different for you or you, but with the help of this article it should be possible to make a good choice that you can enjoy for a long time to come.
For more information about the BusBiker look here for the overview.
Find a dealer near you
BusBiker has a European network of dealers where you can go for all questions and installation of the BusBiker. Curious about the dealers in your area?
Find a dealer
NL
DE
FR
EN
