Towbar Fitting for Bike Racks
Want to carry your bikes on a towbar-mounted rack? We supply and fit the towbar and electrics at your home or work, across the Midlands.
Carry your bikes the easy way
A towbar-mounted bike rack is one of the easiest ways to take your bikes with you. There’s no lifting bikes up on to the roof, the bikes sit low behind the car, and the rack comes off when you don’t need it. All you need is the right towbar and the right electrics for the rack’s lights and number plate. That’s the part we do.
Which towbar suits a bike rack?
Most towbar bike racks clamp on to the towball, so they work with all three main types of towbar. Some carriers bolt on to the towbar instead of clamping to the ball – these need a fixed flange towbar. If you’re not sure which kind you have or plan to buy, check the rack’s instructions or email us and we’ll help you choose.
Fixed flange towbar
The most common type of towbar in the UK. The towball is bolted on, so it suits clamp-on racks and carriers that bolt on to the towbar.
- Suits clamp-on and bolt-on carriers
- Also good for trailers and caravans
Fixed swan neck towbar
A neater look, with the electrics tucked in line with the bumper. It suits racks that clamp on to the towball, but not carriers that need a bolt-on plate.
- Suits clamp-on bike racks
- Less likely to set off parking sensors
Detachable swan neck towbar
Take the neck off when the rack isn’t on, and on most vehicles you can’t see the towbar at all. Like the fixed swan neck, it suits clamp-on racks but not bolt-on carriers.
- Suits clamp-on bike racks
- In most cases fully invisible when removed
Want more detail? See our guide to the types of towbars.
13-pin or 7-pin electrics for your rack
A bike rack covers your car’s rear lights and number plate, so the rack carries its own lights and plate. These are powered from the socket on your towbar, so the socket needs to match the plug on the rack’s cable.
13-pin electrics
The newer single socket. It covers all the road lights, including a reverse light, with room for extra feeds as well.
- Matches racks with a 13-pin plug
- Covers reverse light as well as road lights
Single 7-pin (12N)
The traditional UK towing socket. It carries the road lights only – indicators, brake lights, tail lights and fog light – but not a reverse light.
- Matches racks with a 7-pin plug
- Still common on older racks and trailers
Dedicated electrics
On many modern cars we fit dedicated (car-specific) electrics. The kit is made for your vehicle and plugs in at the manufacturer’s intended points, so it works with the car’s own towing features – such as switching off the rear parking sensors with the rack plugged in, where your car has that feature.
- Made for your exact vehicle
- Any coding your car needs is done as part of the fitting
Not sure which socket you need? Have a look at the plug on your rack’s cable, or read our 7-pin or 13-pin electrics guide.
Nose weight: check before you load up
Nose weight is the weight pressing down on the towball. With a bike rack, that’s the rack and the bikes on it, all hanging off the back of the car.
- Check the maximum nose weight for your vehicle in the vehicle handbook.
- Add up the weight of the rack and every bike you’ll carry on it.
- Make sure the total stays within your vehicle’s nose weight limit, and within the rack’s own limit too.
- Heavier bikes, such as e-bikes, add up quickly – check the figures before you set off.
Mobile towbar fitting across the Midlands
We’re based in the Midlands and we come to you. We fit the towbar and electrics at your home or workplace, so there’s no need to take your car to a garage and wait around.
- Towbar and electrics supplied and fitted
- Fitted at your home or work, across the Midlands
- Questions? Email sales@thetowbarman.com