Post Tagged with: "rear bike carrier"

If you want to transport your bicycles, a rear-mounted bike carrier is one of the most practical and convenient solutions. Compared to a roof rack, it offers numerous advantages, especially loading. The bicycles don’t need to be lifted overhead, which not only saves energy but also reduces the risk of damage to the vehicle or the bicycles. The rear-mounted bike carrier is mounted directly onto the tow ball of the trailer hitch and is usually ready for use within minutes. Practical loading ramps allow you to easily slide the bicycles onto the carrier and then securely fasten them. This is a great advantage, especially for heavy bicycles such as e-bikes or mountain bikes. And then you’re almost ready to go, right? Not quite, since a license plate for the rear-mounted bike carrier is essential.

The license plate for the rear bike rack

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple; there’s one more hurdle. You have to equip your rear bike rack with a third license plate. An additional license plate is always required if the vehicle’s rear license plate is obscured. This is always the case with rear bike racks, regardless of whether the rack is loaded or unloaded. Taillights and turn signals must also not be obscured, which is why many rear bike racks have their own lighting unit.

Homemade license plates are not permitted; you must obtain an official third license plate. You can get this from your local vehicle registration office. The cost varies depending on the location, but is generally manageable and typically costs between €20 and €40. The license plate is identical to your vehicle’s regular license plate, including stickers, and can remain permanently attached to the rear bike rack. Most rear bike racks on the market have an integrated license plate holder.

Fines for non-compliance

If you are driving with a rear-mounted bike rack and don’t have a third license plate, you risk a fine if stopped by the police. This can be up to €40, and you will also receive a point on your driving record. Depending on the situation, further warnings may follow, for example, if the lights or license plate are poorly visible. To avoid trouble, unnecessary costs, and potential delays, you should therefore always check before starting your journey that the rear-mounted bike rack is correctly installed, fully illuminated, and properly equipped with a third license plate.

Anyone driving with a rear-mounted bike rack on their car must comply with certain legal regulations. In Germany, the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) and the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) stipulate how a rear-mounted bike rack may be used. The basic principle is that the rack and the bicycles being transported must not impair road safety. This means they must be firmly and securely mounted so that they cannot come loose or slip during the journey.

Increase visibility with appropriate lighting on your rear bike carrier

An important factor for safe riding with a rear bike carrier is the visibility of the lights and license plate. Obscuring the taillights, turn signals, or license plate with the carrier is not permitted, so an additional light bar with all required lighting functions and a license plate holder is mandatory. The license plate must always be clearly legible and properly illuminated. In Germany, a third, so-called repeater license plate should also be used on the rear bike carrier for this purpose; this plate must match the official license plate number.

Pay attention to the dimensions

The (new) dimensions of the vehicle are also relevant when using a rear-mounted bike rack. In Germany, the load may extend a maximum of 1.5 meters beyond the rear of the vehicle. For journeys under 100 kilometers, this overhang can be increased to up to 3 meters, in which case special markings with flags are required. The total width of the vehicle, including the rack and bicycles, must not exceed 2.55 meters. Care must always be taken to ensure that no sharp edges or protruding parts endanger other road users.

Caution regarding speed!

In Germany, there is no general legal speed limit for driving with a rear-mounted bike rack. The manufacturer’s specifications for both the rack and the vehicle are decisive. Many manufacturers recommend a maximum speed of 120 or 130 km/h.

This applies outside of Germany 

In other EU countries, regulations may differ. For example, in Italy and Spain, a red and white warning panel is mandatory whenever cargo protrudes to the rear. This also applies to bicycles on a rear carrier. Austria may also have marking requirements, and in France, the visibility of license plates and lights is particularly strictly monitored.

Anyone traveling with a rear-mounted bike rack, both domestically and internationally, should therefore inform themselves about the respective national regulations before starting their journey in order to avoid fines and safety risks.

During the holiday season, rear-mounted bike racks are popular companions to easily transport your own bikes. Depending on where you go on vacation, different rules than in Germany apply to this transport.

In Germany, for example, a third license plate must be used if the carrier covers the license plate on the vehicle. In addition, the carrier may protrude a maximum of 150 cm at the back and the bicycles may protrude a maximum of 20 cm on the sides. Special labeling for the bicycle racks and/or their load is not required in Germany. However, any lamps that may be hidden on the vehicle must work on the rear bike carrier.
It’s similar in Austria too: In Germany we are allowed to protrude 20 cm on the sides of bicycles. If the license plate is not readable and is covered up, a third license plate must be used. If taillights and reflectors are used, it is mandatory to use a light bar.

Rules for rear bike racks in Belgium and the Netherlands

In Belgium it is a little different, where the width of the vehicle with a bike rack cannot exceed a total of 255 cm. In addition, the vehicle’s license plate and lighting must be fully visible; if this is not the case, both a separate lighting bar and a third license plate are required. What is also special is that a bicycle rack with its own rear fog light is also required for vehicles with a Belgian license plate.
In the Netherlands, bicycles are also allowed to protrude 20 cm, so the maximum width is 255 cm. The rear bike carrier may protrude a maximum of one meter to the rear. A third license plate and extra lighting must be used if this is obscured by the use of the rack on the vehicle. As in Germany, special labeling of the rear bicycle carrier is not required.

Rear bike rack in southern Europe

In Italy, bicycles may protrude a maximum of 30 cm on each side when transported; a red and white marking board is also mandatory there. This must have dimensions of 50×50 cm. We have summarized all the information about this in a separate blog post. When it comes to the license plate and the lighting, in Italy you have to remember that both have to be fully visible. If this is not guaranteed, you will have to use a separate light bar and a third license plate.
Also in Spain, light bars and the third license plate are required under the same conditions. In addition, a square, red and white striped sign measuring 50×50 cm is mandatory there, even if there are no bicycles loaded on the rack.

In Spain’s neighboring country Portugal, it is initially advised to transport bicycles on the roof with a roof rack. If a rear bike carrier is used, the carrier and the bicycles must not be wider than the car. It must also be proven that the carrier is approved for the transport of bicycles and that the carrier is demonstrably suitable for transport. At the rear, the rear bike rack is only allowed to protrude 45 cm, which is significantly less than in all other countries. Important to know: For carriers that are mounted on the towbar, this is measured from the trailer hitch. In addition, in Portugal the necessary measures apply if the license plate and lighting are obscured (use of third license plate and light bar). The warning sign is also mandatory.

Regulations in Northern Europe

In Northern Ireland the regulations are quite simple, bikes are only allowed to protrude a maximum of 30.5cm on each side. If the license plate is covered, it must be replaced by a third license plate; the same applies to the lighting.
In Sweden, bicycles are only allowed to protrude a maximum of 20 cm on each side and a third license plate must always be attached. The lighting must also be fully visible, otherwise a light bar is required. There are also country stickers.

Italy is also a popular holiday destination during the holiday season, especially Lake Garda and Lake Como are popular travel destinations. Both are also popular destinations for beautiful bike tours including Italian dolce vita. However, there are special rules in Italy for transporting bicycles on the rear bicycle rack.

Keep this in mind when transporting items with overhang

In Italy there is a basic rule for transport: goods being transported that protrude beyond the rear, trailer or rear bicycle rack must be provided with a warning sign. To do this, you should use red and white striped warning signs; you need at least one. However, if the goods to be transported take up the entire width of the vehicle, you will need two warning signs, which are attached to the left and right at the end of the goods to be transported.

Why warning signs are important for rear bike racks

In Italy, bicycles are classified as hard to detect cargo when transported on the rear bike rack. This makes it mandatory to mark this difficult-to-recognize load during the journey, especially if the load is wider than the vehicle, i.e. if your bikes on the rear bike carrier protrude beyond the width of the car. However, what is important is not the width of the vehicle from mirror to mirror, but rather the width of the vehicle measured at the tail lights.

Mark the rear bicycle carrier with a warning sign

Regardless of whether you transport your bikes on the rear bike rack in summer or your skis and snowboarders on the towbar for winter sports in the north of Italy, warning signs are mandatory in Italy. This regulation is independent of whether the rear bicycle carrier is illuminated and has a license plate. Previously, rear-mounted bicycle carriers with a so-called repeat license plate (the vehicle’s license plate is repeated on the rear bike carrier) were excluded from the warning sign regulation, but this is now also mandatory for such transports.

Choose the right warning sign

The warning signs you need for such cargo in Italy should be red and white striped and made of metal. The dimensions should be 50×50 cm. If you do not use a warning sign, violations of the labeling requirement are usually punished with fines; more rarely, only a warning is issued.

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Of course, rear bike carriers are particularly suitable for transporting your bikes. What you should consider when driving with a rear bike carrier in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, can already be read in our blog post. Today we are putting together a checklist for you to assemble and set up your rear bike rack.

This is how you mount your rear bike carrier

The rear bike carriers from our shop are all mounted on the ball rod. You use a practical lever system for this: If the lever for attaching the rear bicycle carrier is moved upwards, the carrier’s mouth opens. So you can easily put the carrier on the ball bar. By lowering the lever on the rear bike carrier, you close the lock, which then grips the ball bar and secures the carrier to it.

Many rear bike carriers have additional security in the form of a lock so that the lever system can no longer be opened when locked. You can tell whether the carrier is securely mounted by the fact that the rear bicycle carrier cannot be moved to the left and right.

Important: Make sure you have a third number plate ready for the rear bike carrier.

The best way to load the rear bike carrier

Loading the rear bike rack can be cumbersome, especially e-bikes are often very heavy and unwieldy. You can make loading easier with loading ramps, these allow you not to have to lift the bike, but to be able to slide it onto the rack. You should then first attach the bike frame to the middle attachment point of the rear bike carrier. This attachment point provides the most stability and allows you to have your hands free to attach the tires. With all attachment points, make sure that the contact surface of the attachments is as large as possible and that the bike is as straight as possible.

If you always transport the same bikes, you can of course leave the settings of the attachments as they are after the first ride and save yourself the effort for the next few times.

Safety first

It will of course be easier if there are two people to load the bikes. Then one person can hold the bike on the carrier, the second person can align and fasten everything. In any case, make sure that you tighten all fasteners well and align any pre-installed protection against scratching the wheel. With many rear bike carriers, the attachments are also lockable, so you can make sure that nothing can come loose while driving.

Bonjour Luxembourg! We are particularly pleased to present our new shop to you today: You can now find our shop for customers from Luxembourg at www.mvg-ahk.lu. In our new shop we offer you our towbars and electrical kits in the usual MVG quality. The range is rounded off by rear bicycle carriers, as well as practical accessories and spare parts for driving with the trailer.

We are pleased to be able to intensify the existing contact to our customers from the neighboring country with our own shop for Luxembourg. The shop is available in English and French, making shopping convenient.

“With our new shop, we are now getting even closer to our customers from Luxembourg and are looking forward to hopefully even closer personal contact with our neighbors,” says Michael Pütz, Managing Director of MVG. “Of course, our entire MVG range is also available to our Luxembourg customers in French – for an uncomplicated shopping experience at MVG.”

Uncomplicated operation is not only important to us in our shop, our trailer hitches are also characterized by a high level of ease of use and can be operated in just a few simple steps. As a family business, we are already in the third generation and are now happily facing the challenges of a new market in Luxembourg, both for end customers and for specialist dealers.

For transporting bicycles, the rear bicycle carrier is above all practical and uncomplicated. But so that your journey goes without problems, you should definitely keep a few points in mind when driving in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

The third license plate is compulsory in Germany

Once your rear bike carrier is loaded, it mainly covers the license plate. According to the German StVO, the license plate must always be visible. In Germany it is therefore mandatory to attach a third license plate, i.e. a replacement license plate, to the rear bike rack. When buying the carrier, it is best to ensure that it has a way of attaching the license plate. You can easily get a third license plate from the Road Traffic Office. The best thing to do is to mount it firmly on the carrier so that it cannot be forgotten. Important: It is not necessary to stamp the license plate.

Also make sure that the lighting of your vehicle is not covered when transporting the bicycles. Since this often cannot be avoided, your rear bike carrier should also have lighting that can be connected to the vehicle electronics via the socket at the rear.

In Austria you need a red license plate

In Austria, too, you have to mount a third license plate on the rear bike rack if your cargo covers the original license plate. The specialty, however, is that you need a red license plate. You also have to pay attention to the lighting on the rear bike carrier, which is already known from Germany.

The load securing and loading of the rear bike carrier in Switzerland

In addition to the third number plate and the lighting, there is a special focus on loading the rear bike carrier and securing the load in Switzerland. The bicycles must explicitly not be wider than the vehicle and not pose a risk to road traffic. There is an interesting special rule with regard to the dimensions: the bike must not exceed the total length of two meters, but it would also be okay if the bike protrudes 20 cm on each side above the vehicle. If you have an accident in Switzerland due to an incorrectly secured load, you will have to pay for the damage in any case. In our neighboring country, make sure to lash the bikes tightly and use all the safety measures provided on the rear bike carrier. Uninstall any other parts on the bike that could easily fall off, such as air pumps, saddle pads or baskets, and avoids the use of a cover. Above all, the latter would also affect the driving behavior of your vehicle.

The speed limit with the rear bike rack

Most European countries do not have a speed limit for driving with a rear bike rack, but you should pay attention to what the manufacturers of the rack specify and you should not exceed these values.

Make sure to also pay attention to the rules for transport on the rear bike carrier in other EU countries.

If you want to take the bikes with you on vacation or are planning a bike tour far away from home, the best way to transport the bikes is by car. You have various options for the transportation as you can use the rear bike carrier on the one hand. On the other hand, you have the option of transporting bicycles on the roof of most vehicles. But which of the two options offers which advantages?

Transport with the rear bike carrier

Of course, you need a towbar to transport your bikes on a rear bike rack. The rear bicycle carrier is placed on the towbar and fixed to the ball head. At the same time, you have to make sure that your rear bike rack has a lighting system and is equipped with a license plate, as both can be hidden on the vehicle when the bikes are being transported. Before driving off, you should also check the width of the vehicle with the bicycles on the carrier, the bicycles should not protrude beyond the width of the vehicle. Make sure that you do not overload your rear bike carrier and that you secure and fasten the bikes well.

The German ADAC also recommends paying special attention to the speed at which you are driving with the rear bicycle carrier. The driving behavior of your vehicle can change due to the carrier and its load, also due to the increased air resistance. TheADAC recommendation is therefore not to drive faster than 120 km / h and not to use a cover.

Your bicycles for transport on the roof

The first requirement for transporting the bicycles on the roof is a roof rail on your vehicle. The carrier system is attached to this. As with loading the rear bike rack, you have to make sure that this and the vehicle are not overloaded when transporting with the roof rack. You should therefore always keep an eye on the roof load and also know the weight of your individual bicycles.

The loading of the roof rack is a little more complex than with the rear bike rack and the loading height is of course more uncomfortable for you. It is best to protect the car with a blanket while it is being loaded and make sure that the two of you load the roof with the bicycles.

When driving with a roof rack loaded with bicycles, you should also make sure not to be traveling too fast. Of course, this transport option also changes the driving behavior of the car accordingly. When driving into underground garages, tunnels or under locking beams, you should make sure in advance that it is also possible to drive in with the bicycles on the roof.

You have to pay attention to this when you are abroad

In some countries protruding cargo must be marked. In Germany we do not know this from the ride with the rear bike carrier, but it is necessary in Spain, Portugal, Austria or Belgium, for example. The type of marking for protruding cargo is regulated individually for each country, it is best to inform yourself before your trip in order to avoid fines during your journey.