Bicycle Rack suggestions - Disco4

[Crofty]

Hi guys, newbie here to the forum and glad to finally be a member!

No doubt there have been a few posts already on this and a bit of searching has revealed great feedback on the ISI bike racks.
I see new models have been introduced this year and was wondering if anyone has the new 4x4x4 version and any feedback on it?

I have no doubt it's a really well engineered rig but it's not the cheapest out there.

Anyone else have any other suggestions to throw into the pot?
Need a rig for the Christmas break [emoji106]

[Tombie]

ISI for sure.

[eddomak]

No doubt there have been a few posts already on this and a bit of searching has revealed great feedback on the ISI bike racks.
I see new models have been introduced this year and was wondering if anyone has the new 4x4x4 version and any feedback on it?


Hi Crofty, welcome to the forum!

I have an iSi 2016 and love it. I am using it to carry 1x29'er, 2 x 26'ers, and 1x 20 inch, with a another kid's bike in the rear cargo area. I also have a Yakima Frontloader for the roof bars where one bike will go if we are fully loaded.

Yes it is on the pricier side, but actually it is not more than the Thule or Yakima 4 bike equivalents, and those don't give you as much clearance, and are not as rigid at all. Those do, however, fold up smaller when not in use.

If you only need a carrier for around town duties, then you can probably go cheap and quick with something from Torpedo 7. They used to have a 4 bike version of this one on eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TORPEDO7-Towball-Mount-3-Bike-Channel-Rack-/321684915412?hash=item4ae5ea44d4). Whatever you do, don't go with the "hang on" style - I used these for many years and now am wondering why I bothered with all the struggling and manipulating of the bikes.

Someone else I know suggests the Swagman racks, including the Swagman Jacknife 4, but I don't know about their pricing and availability in Australia.


Also I just updated the main thread here: http://www.aulro.com/afvb/l319-discovery-3-4/176604-awesome-new-bike-carrier.html for my home made light board.

[laughto]

I use one of these Nexus Clip on Bike Carrier - #RBC049 | Rhino-Rack (http://www.rhinorack.com.au/products/bike-carriers/rear-clip-on/nexus-clip-on-3-bike-carrier_rbc049) A bit fiddly to set up but good if staying at a single destination for a period of time. A bugger if you want to move every couple of days.

Yes it is only a 3 bike carrier and we use this when towing the van, hence why I don't use my Thule Tow Ball mount carrier.

[Crofty]

Hi guys, cheers for your responses, very much appreciated. Good to here the feedback on the ISI gear eddomak, I'd prefer a rig with the extra clearance & should be able to stow it pretty easily. At the moment I've got two 19.5" bikes, a kids beginner bike (not sure of the exact dimensions) and a balance bike. In no time the kids will be stepping up so I need to cater for it. Question is can these fit on the ISI? Hopefully the pic attached is visible!
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/09/848.jpg

[eddomak]

That looks like a 16 inch and a 12 inch balance bike (hah, yes, I've been through them all).

I don't know the definitive answers, but can tell you they make different sized wheel loops to cater for varying ranges, and the ranges overlap (eg I got three pairs of the larger loops, and one of the smaller loops, but can still carry 4x26'ers, or 3x29'ers)

Pop a quick email through to George at iSi carriers and he will overwhelm you with his helpfulness and knowledge and sell you exactly the right combo as all parts are swappable. Maybe be prepared by measuring the wheelbases.

Other small points of feedback:
- you may want to budget for a light board (around $90 commercially) to make yourself legal
- you may want to lock the carrier to hitch, and the hitch to the receiver (see other thread) - maybe a simple cable through the holes will do it
- it can take a little while to setup so nothing touches, but once that is done, then loading/unloading is lightning fast
- it is heavy duty, but as a result is heavy to drop/lift when loaded with bikes to access the boot - I have done it once with all four bikes on it, but would definitely prefer to have had a hand

[Crofty]

Thanks for the info mate, I'll definitely hit up George with the questions. FYI, I wasn't able to view your link using the tapatalk app. I'll have to try view it on the usual webpage and see if it works. Appreciate your help, I'll update an let you know how things go. Cheers, Andrew

[PKD4]

Hi Crofty,

I have a 4x4x4. I use it currently for 2x26, 1x24 and 1 x20 Mtn bikes. When I first got the rack the kids had a 20 and 16, they have grown!

I have one set of smaller wheel loops which I find does help because it sits the 20 inch bike a bit higher - easier to get the bike on.

Overall, I think the rack is great once you have the set up routine right. I can remove the bike closest to the car very quickly and have access to the boot - open both top and bottom doors. I find that easier than tipping the rack.

I also picked up an extra unwanted tow hitch from on the forum markets and have the bike rack mount permanently attached to my extra hitch - easy to put on when I want it.

The only negative is the weight - my better half would not be able to put the rack on - I can live with that.

Pat

[Crofty]

Cheers Pat! Very handy info.

My next move is to contact George to cover off the requirements so I can get the order right first time. As I still have the spare wheel under the trunk the compact fitments are looking like the option for me, it's just the loops that I need to make sure are correct.
Cheers, Andrew

[Crofty]

Well gents, the ISI 4x4x4 arrived and I got her rigged up this weekend passed.
Those fellas at ISI-Carriers sure know how to engineer a master piece!!!
Utterly impressed!
Thought I'd share a few proud photos with you[emoji106]https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/92.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/93.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/94.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/95.jpg

[garbage]

If you switch the bikes around and have the kids bikes closer to the car and the handle bars on the drivers side, you might still be able to get the boot open with bikes on. Makes life a whole lot easier.

[Crofty]

@garbage. Good point and the rig also has a pivot system which I haven't tested just yet. Still got a bit of time before it gets used, I was a bit slow off the mark organising a license plate [emoji20]

[sctsprin]

What worked for me with my ISI was to tap a hole at the end of the galvanised 1" tubing and put a bolt in, then to remove the locking screws from one set of wheel loops for each bike. Remove say the left hand wheel loop bolts on the inner bike and the right hand wheel loop bolts on the outer bike. Then slide the other loops that still have locking bolts all the way out and lock them down. Then you can just slide the floating wheel loops to fit different bike combos without all the fiddling. I tri d every combo of bike we had and tweaked the locked loops until it worked perfectly, you do have to remember still which bike to put where

[eddomak]

What worked for me with my ISI was to tap a hole at the end of the galvanised 1" tubing and put a bolt in, then to remove the locking screws from one set of wheel loops for each bike. Remove say the left hand wheel loop bolts on the inner bike and the right hand wheel loop bolts on the outer bike. Then slide the other loops that still have locking bolts all the way out and lock them down. Then you can just slide the floating wheel loops to fit different bike combos without all the fiddling. I tri d every combo of bike we had and tweaked the locked loops until it worked perfectly, you do have to remember still which bike to put where

If I'm getting the right picture of what's happening here, you're basically saying that once mounted, each bike has one loop that is tightened down to the horizontal cross bar, and the other loop floats and doesn't offer any horizontal left/right resistance, but is kept from flying off the end (when not in use) by the stop bolt that you installed. Interesting idea, and I will keep it in mind.

In the end I have just put a quick label on each rack, vertical upright, and associated hole to remind me which order to put them in. I tend to remove each vertical upright from the base as it makes it easy to unload. I just stab it back in when loading, with no need to re-adjust the hook part itself.

[LRD414]

The symmetry of your bike sizes is very soothing to my OCD :p It's an aerodynamic wedge.

I find the pivoting quite heavy when using by myself with 2 full-size bikes.
So swapping the small bikes to the inside, allowing access to the tailgate without pivoting is a good tip.
Note that the pivot works really well, just easier with a 2nd person to steady things and in particular, help to lift it up again.

Cheers,
Scott

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/95.jpg

[sctsprin]

yep that's it exactly,

yeah i just drop the entire vertical hook thing including post into the carrier, rather than only removing the hook, makes it easier to get the bikes out



If I'm getting the right picture of what's happening here, you're basically saying that once mounted, each bike has one loop that is tightened down to the horizontal cross bar, and the other loop floats and doesn't offer any horizontal left/right resistance, but is kept from flying off the end (when not in use) by the stop bolt that you installed. Interesting idea, and I will keep it in mind.

In the end I have just put a quick label on each rack, vertical upright, and associated hole to remind me which order to put them in. I tend to remove each vertical upright from the base as it makes it easy to unload. I just stab it back in when loading, with no need to re-adjust the hook part itself.

[eddomak]

On a side note, I like putting the hitch as close to the car as possible as it reduces leverage/shake. One of the holes in the hitch is fine, whilst one hole closer needs me to shift the spare (slight nudge) and the hitch then just touches the rubber of the spare.

I also don't tow anything in general, so I leave the hitch part (aka Stinger) mounted in the hitch receiver (plough) all the time, and just store in the garage next to the rack (rather than store the plough in the rear cubby). This way all I do is insert the whole lot into the car, then attach the rack into into stinger.

Maybe one day I will get around to buying a spare plough to carry in the car "just in case",

[sctsprin]

yeah, i used to leave the plow bolted to the ISI carrier (no wobble washer) and lift the whole thing up and into the receiver, it worked well, but bloody heavy
Now i have a mitch hitch, it's much lighter to lift the ISI without the plow, but i have to do up the anti-wobble screw on the mitch hitch each time or it wobbles terribly.

I had to shave a tiny bit off the end of the ISI hitch, to get it to fit into the mitch hitch on the 2nd hole.

[eddomak]

Just a quick survey on behalf of a friend - does anyone find any lateral (sideways) movement with their ISI in the hitch?

He is using it in a TJM hitch on a Triton ute with a canopy, and on some tracks he is getting enough sway that the bike handlebars hit his rear canopy window. :o

I haven't had any issues at all, and it could be any of the other components, but just thought I'd pitch the question out there.

[Tombie]

Is he using the supplied bolt or just a hitch pin?

[eddomak]

Is he using the supplied bolt or just a hitch pin?

Using the supplied bolt.

He will be contacting George to see if there is any other experience with this and how to solve it. Happy with everything else on the rack except this one point (understandably).

[sctsprin]

when i first got my ISI, i struggled to get the two pins out, due to powder coat, so i ran a drill down them to remove the paint, now theres a bit more wobble than i'd really like, but not a huge amount, i should have used a slightly smaller drill or polished the pins or something i guess. Most of the wobble is at the hitch, which almost goes away with the mitch hitch adjustment bolt, or goes away completely if you use the ISI anti wobble bolt.

theres a 2mm gap on either side of the two ISI pivot pins, if that gap wasn't there and they used nice big bushes it's be tight and smooth i reckon.

[garbage]

I have no movement at all on my ISI rack and I've had it on both the Discovery 4 and my previous Prado. Both were with the original manufacturer hitches.

[Crofty]

@Steve, glad you liked the aerodynamic setup, I was going somewhere with it [emoji16]

I've certainly got the carrier going in as far as possible into the receiver (middle hole) which leaves a gap of around 4mm to the spare wheel. I doubt I can get it up to the last hole.

I noticed I had a slight bit of vertical play at the mount point between the receiver and the carrier. Dropped George a line and this was his response:

"The hitch stabiliser holds the pivot base stinger tube hard up against the inside side wall of the tow hitch receiver tube. Tighten the set screw through the stabiliser pad inside the stinger tube with all your might. And then some. Then just nip up the nut at the other end. The nut is just a secondary safety precaution.

The result I stable from side to side and rotation. There is a degree of vertical movement as a result of the 51mm tube inside a 52mm tow hitch receiver on the Discovery tow bar. There's actually a fair bit of engineering in that interface. We have designed a small amount of vertical float that is essential when travelling at speed over harsh corrugations. If the mount was rigid in the vertical plane, the vehicle would shake the bikes to bits. As the movement approaches the limits, the stinger tube radius climbs up the tow bar receiver tube radius and tries to pull off the side wall, thus cushioning vertical travel limits. It's just sensational Andrew and you'll appreciate it when you've been travelling up in the Gulf or the Kimberley and the bikes are always ready to ride. Hope that all makes sense."

No horizontal play at all.

Bit more buggering around on this weekend fine tuning it I reckon.

Glad to see the chatter on this topic it's been really helpful chaps [emoji106]

[eddomak]

Just a quick survey on behalf of a friend - does anyone find any lateral (sideways) movement with their ISI in the hitch?

Update: With some encouragement from George and me he tightened up the bolt really tight and now all lateral movement has disappeared. He is very happy again. Thanks all for your responses.

[Jimlr]

Well gents, the ISI 4x4x4 arrived and I got her rigged up this weekend passed.
Those fellas at ISI-Carriers sure know how to engineer a master piece!!!
Utterly impressed!
Thought I'd share a few proud photos with you[emoji106]https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/92.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/93.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/94.jpghttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/95.jpg

That looks neat. I am considering one of these, but would like to see how it tilts, people have said it is very heavy to lift? How heavy are we talking, and, practically speaking, what's involved in tilting it down and back up?

[loneranger]

I can do it on my own with 2 adult mtb's on board. It's all about having the right lifting technique. I find it easier to lift from the cross bar of the bike or one hand on the handlebars and one on the seat to lift into position.

To tilt to the ground it is easier than get the pin out if someone takes the weight of the rack of the pin from the back. I then hold the bike at the back and flick the retaining bar over with my foot.

I've tried a lot of different bike carriers and this is easily the best one I've used.

[eddomak]

That looks neat. I am considering one of these, but would like to see how it tilts, people have said it is very heavy to lift? How heavy are we talking, and, practically speaking, what's involved in tilting it down and back up?

How heavy it is depends on how many bikes there are. I can drop and lift it by myself (I am not a big guy, and of average strength) with 3 adult mountain bikes and 1 child bike but it isn't pretty, and I make sure I lift properly so that I don't strain anything.

Here is how it is done:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members/eddomak-albums-isi+carrier-picture5967-isi-drop.jpg

Actually you might need to swap steps 1 & 2...


And the end result can be seen from the iSi site:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/12/91.jpg

[eddomak]

Yes, it is definitely easier with 2 people. With the advantage of leverage, lifting from the furthest point from the pivot is easier.

Any having said that it is heavy, when I used a Yakima hang-on style rack that was a significant effort to lower and raise with 4 bikes as well.

[Korgi]

Hi

is it possible to lock the ISI bike carrier to the hitch? I'm concerned with someone being able to make off with my bikes while parked.

Cheers
Paul

[eddomak]

is it possible to lock the ISI bike carrier to the hitch? I'm concerned with someone being able to make off with my bikes while parked.

Hiya Paul - check out the main iSi thread here (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/l319-discovery-3-4/176604-awesome-new-bike-carrier.html). I had put some options there.

[eddomak]

I just put the rack on the car tonight and realised I had mislabelled the pin to remove in the previous diagram. Please find corrected version below.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/members/eddomak-albums-isi+carrier-picture5968-isi-drop.jpg

[Korgi]

Thanks!