Rear Bike Carrier

[rogerco]

What options have people come up with for a rear mounted bike carrier on the MG5? We will want to carry 2 bikes not on the roof (to much hassle to lift them up)(and anyway I see we're not supposed to use the rails!). The top of the tailgate door seems to be metal, not plastic like on some cars, so the hooks on a tailgate carrier should be ok, but there is a plastic spoiler beyond it which the straps would go over. Is it necessary to contrive something to spread the load on that? Has anyone any experience of fitting a rear carrier?

 

[NellieEV]

Though I'll probably get flamed for it.... I detest the bike racks that fit to the rear door/tailgate. The boot/tailgate door is not designed, rated or even tested for these devices, and you would also need (to comply with the law) to have a lighting board strapped to the rack to provide the necessary brake/indicator lights which means having a electric point / coupler fitted (like a caravan towbar has). Yes the roof rails are not (currently) rated to take a load, but my understanding is that MG are trying to have some rating provided... I doubt that the rear tailgate will get such a testing.

 

[rogerco]

Though I'll probably get flamed for it.... I detest the bike racks that fit to the rear door/tailgate. The boot/tailgate door is not designed, rated or even tested for these devices, and you would also need (to comply with the law) to have a lighting board strapped to the rack to provide the necessary brake/indicator lights which means having a electric point / coupler fitted (like a caravan towbar has). Yes the roof rails are not (currently) rated to take a load, but my understanding is that MG are trying to have some rating provided... I doubt that the rear tailgate will get such a testing.

Not a flame, but I have been stopped by the police with bikes on the back of the car and told that I needed to have a numberplate but not a lighting board as the lights are visible through the spokes of the bike wheels but the numberplate was obscured (couldn't be reliably recognised by cameras .)
A bit of hardboard, some yellow and black paint and a couple of bungy cords and that was sorted and have never had a problem since.

Having said that I wouldn't use a tailgate carrier on a fast motorway drive, particularly if wind gusty, as it can cause them to wobbly alarmingly (haven't lost one yet though).

Roof bike carriers are very impracticable I find, plus massive windage hits your mpg/mpkw.

 

[Cocijo]

I would have thought you MG5 guys could get two bikes easily inside your cars with the seats folded Is you wanted to instead of a bike rack?

 

[Jonhklee]

Might just use this if you are going to use a rear mounted bike rack..... don’t see how that is more “legal” or more safe than a roof rails and Thule bike carriers....

 

[Cocijo]

Don’t let Les see you!

 

[rogerco]

View attachment 2694Might just use this if you are going to use a rear mounted bike rack..... don’t see how that is more “legal” or more safe than a roof rails and Thule bike carriers....

Yes but if one of you is only 5ft tall they find it blooming difficult getting even their lightweight road bike up on the roof.
As a matter of interest what have you carried on it so far?

 

[Jonhklee]

Nothing other than the bars and a small roof box. The plan is to carry dogs bedding and bulky lightweight items, +/- 13kg mountain bike. Will let you know how it goes. Got to say it’s all very sturdy.
Only doing local trips for now to test it out.

 

[Archev]

I’m not into serious road or mountain bike stuff but I’ve recently bought a folding electric bike. I find it lifts easily and fits into the boot of my ZSev and is completely hidden with the rear seats in position and the boot screen in place.

 

[Jonhklee]

I think with the increase popularity of ebikes, load limits of carriers / roof rails will need to increase too!

 

[rogerco]

An alternative plan is to fit a towbar without a ball or electrics and use an old towbar bike carrier from a Landrover Discovery I happen to have lying around. This simply uses the two bolts that normally hold the ball to the bracket - it used to be sandwiched between the ball and the bracket with longer bolts, but could equally well work with no ball.
Looking underneath the MG I can see a couple of ways a tow bar could be attached to the frame. It'll probably be a question of making something to fit as I doubt if any other car will have similar width and mounting points (and obviously no-one is making a towbar as such for the MG5 since it is not supposed to tow anything).
Some more research needed, but it seems the best way to go. Haven't yet found any tailgate bike carrier that looks like it has the right angles to clear the plastic spoiler and press securely against the window and door. The landrover towbar carrier was a good solid bit of kit (which is why I hung on to it).
If there is no ball or electrics then obviously it is not a towbar, but a bike carrier frame.

 

[Archev]

Intriguing- wasn’t the Corsa or some similar car available with a pull out bike carrier frame in the rear bumper?? Obviously no use for towing anything. How did that get on with the legal vultures??

 

[meezmg5]

View attachment 2694Might just use this if you are going to use a rear mounted bike rack..... don’t see how that is more “legal” or more safe than a roof rails and Thule bike carriers....

Looks smart, we plan on doing the same. Which thule footpack are you using? Ty

 

[Hairyfool]

Do the Chinese go in for towing at all? I know the Japanese don't.

As an electric car the MG5 EV is a little unusual in that it still has the spare wheel well and has not lost it for the batteries. Therefore if such a product is made the bar for a Roewe i5 could well fit.

Curiously when looking into this I see that the i5 (saloon) has both a longer wheelbase and overall length than the eI5 (estate).

 

[Jonhklee]

Looks smart, we plan on doing the same. Which thule footpack are you using? Ty

Look up VW Tiguan for the same Thule foot pack.