Cover for bicycles on a bike rack

[barryd]

Thanks folks

What - if anything - did you chaps do when travelling in Italy or Spain regarding the red/white angled sign that is required there?

This thing...

Kampa Bike Rack Reflective Warning Sign

The Kampa Bike Rack Reflective Warning Sign is an aluminium safety marker that meets legal requirements for carrying rear cargo loads in European

www.funkyleisure.co.uk

Drove over it and destroyed it in Italy.

 

[geordy paul]

We’ve tried lots over the years, some cheap and some not so.
By a long way two makes have been the best, easiest to use and not expensive.
Firstly, Oxford, hard wearing and has covered our bikes over many thousands of miles and is still going strong.
Secondly, Decathlon two bike cover. Bought one in France because they were only £20. And to be honest it’s the one I now use all of the time. So good I bought another as a spare.
Both are a bit baggy when fitted so I just use some straps tied around them to take up the slack.

 

[GMJ]

As you've probably found, most bike covers for motorhomes are designed for use with a rack on the rear wall of the van, which means a large gap at the back.
Having read reviews about how flimsy some of the alternatives were, I eventually bought this one
It has survived frequent use, including two trips to France and Spain, no rips or other damage.

My mate used to have one he got from Taylormade (the company that make the windscreen covers) - it was very expensive, and very sturdy. In fact it was too sturdy, it weighed a lot and the thick material made it very difficult to handle and store. It was also far too large, but he may have ordered the wrong size!

This thread is still live as I've a couple of weeks before getting the MH with the tow ball on it.

@bartman - can I ask how you fitted your reflective warning sign to the back of your bike cover when you went to Spain? I'm tempted by it given the price point.

 

[GMJ]

Hi Graham,

We bought a [German] Hindeman Bike Cover for our 2 ebikes.

Steve

Hi Steve

Sae question as above. presumably you used a warning sign in Spain. Can I ask how you fixed it on your Hindeman cover?

 

[bartman]

This thread is still live as I've a couple of weeks before getting the MH with the tow ball on it.

@bartman - can I ask how you fitted your reflective warning sign to the back of your bike cover when you went to Spain? I'm tempted by it given the price point.

I just used fairly long bungee hooks, looped around the back of the cover. Behind the cover they can be hooked onto whatever is available. They also double up as a way of taking up the loose baggy areas of the cover, as it is a bit larger than necessary

 

[barryd]

I've never really understood how a foot square bit of white plastic with red stripes on suddenly makes a massive white motorhome with bikes on the back suddenly more visible. I think the plastic one I had I just tied on with looped string. Probably why it fell of and I drove over it.

 

[bartman]

I've never really understood how a foot square bit of white plastic with red stripes on suddenly makes a massive white motorhome with bikes on the back suddenly more visible. I think the plastic one I had I just tied on with looped string. Probably why it fell of and I drove over it.

I assume that it's supposed to signify that you have an item projecting beyond the rear lights of the vehicle. If so, in the case of a towball mounted rack there is a full set of rear lights on that, so it's arguably not necessary to have the sign. However, I wouldn't want to argue the point at the roadside with a Spanish or Italian rozzer

 

[saxonborg]

Hi Steve

Sae question as above. presumably you used a warning sign in Spain. Can I ask how you fixed it on your Hindeman cover?

The Hinderman cover has a clear plastic pouch fastened to the cover big enough to take the warning sign.

 

[barryd]

I assume that it's supposed to signify that you have an item projecting beyond the rear lights of the vehicle. If so, in the case of a towball mounted rack there is a full set of rear lights on that, so it's arguably not necessary to have the sign. However, I wouldn't want to argue the point at the roadside with a Spanish or Italian rozzer

Yes I have often pondered that. I'm not sure if Graham will have a trailer board or not though. My rack has a proper set of lights though beyond the scooter so I've never been 100% Sure if I need the red and white board thing. Never had one in Spain or Italy after I destroyed the old one but then I wasn't there much after that.

 

[GMJ]

I assume that it's supposed to signify that you have an item projecting beyond the rear lights of the vehicle. If so, in the case of a towball mounted rack there is a full set of rear lights on that, so it's arguably not necessary to have the sign. However, I wouldn't want to argue the point at the roadside with a Spanish or Italian rozzer

We have 2 adult E Bikes - so not small - would I be Ok with the 2 bike version you have or pay the extra fiver for the 3 bike one?

 

[GMJ]

Yes I have often pondered that. I'm not sure if Graham will have a trailer board or not though. My rack has a proper set of lights though beyond the scooter so I've never been 100% Sure if I need the red and white board thing. Never had one in Spain or Italy after I destroyed the old one but then I wasn't there much after that.

I bought a Thule Outpace 2 which comes with lights and reg plate holder etc, so well lit up if needed. I'm only concerned about the warning board in Italy and Spain as we visit both regularly and as mentioned, wouldn't want to argue the point with foreign dibble!

 

[mark61]

Still required to have the warning sign in Spain even if you have an additional set of rear lights and a number plate.
Italy, I think it all depends if the bike rack is attached to a trailer coupling or not.

It's not meant to make sense.

 

[bartman]

We have 2 adult E Bikes - so not small - would I be Ok with the 2 bike version you have or pay the extra fiver for the 3 bike one?

We have 2 folding eBikes, the cover is more than adequate size. The rack we have is designed for eBikes so I think the bikes are spaced further apart than normal

 

[GMJ]

Thanks

What size wheels are on yours?

Our folding ebikes are way smaller than our new full size non folding ones, hence my asking.

 

[bartman]

Thanks

What size wheels are on yours?

Our folding ebikes are way smaller than our new full size non folding ones, hence my asking.

They're 20" wheels. I think they're going to be the same height to the saddle & handlebars as a non-folder. We never fold them!
I got folding bikes thinking that they would fold small enough to put inside the van if necessary. They didn't fold anything like small enough!

 

[marchie]

Hi Steve

Sae question as above. presumably you used a warning sign in Spain. Can I ask how you fixed it on your Hindeman cover?

Hi Graham,
The Hindeman Cover is fitted with a sturdy [if a little tight!] plastic pocket that *just* takes the required aluminium warning sign - I think that the plastic versions, which do not comply with the law for Spain, slide in a little easier. It's 2-3 minutes of jiggling to get the warning sign inserted and adjusted to look level. If we're moving a short'ish distance and the weather's ok, I leave the cover in the shower, and use 4 pieces of Chinese shop cord to tie the warning sign to the bike frames [I carry a couple of lengths of foam pipe insulation that I hack lumps off as needed, to wrap around the frame of the rearmost bike to prevent scratches, with the added advantage that the foam enables a tighter grip for the Fiamma support arms to limit the scope for movement in transit

Steve

 

[gabby82]

Bike rack covers seem to work ok when stationary but on the move spray tends to rise from below the Motorhome and is very difficult to protect the bikes from spray. The cover tends to ballon also.

 

[marchie]

Bike rack covers seem to work ok when stationary but on the move spray tends to rise from below the Motorhome and is very difficult to protect the bikes from spray. The cover tends to ballon also.

The Hindeman has extensive elasticated hooks and robust brass eyelets; the trick is to ruffle the material up to the maximum tightness, and then hook the ties horizontally round the back [ you can use the mid-positioned eyelets as a temporary hitch to enable you to move from one side to the other without losing the tautness, and also over the top, with the cover protecting the wheels in full. The only drawback is the water that gets into the bottom of the cover, but a couple of drainage holes drilled into the bottom section [a tested fix shown on the purchase feedbacks by [mainly] German buyers, solves the problem

Steve

 

[bartman]

Hi Graham,
The Hindeman Cover is fitted with a sturdy [if a little tight!] plastic pocket that *just* takes the required aluminium warning sign - I think that the plastic versions, which do not comply with the law for Spain, slide in a little easier. It's 2-3 minutes of jiggling to get the warning sign inserted and adjusted to look level. If we're moving a short'ish distance and the weather's ok, I leave the cover in the shower, and use 4 pieces of Chinese shop cord to tie the warning sign to the bike frames [I carry a couple of lengths of foam pipe insulation that I hack lumps off as needed, to wrap around the frame of the rearmost bike to prevent scratches, with the added advantage that the foam enables a tighter grip for the Fiamma support arms to limit the scope for movement in transit

Steve

The plastic signs do comply with the regs in Spain, but in Italy they have to be metal. Having said that, it appears that Italy may have abolished the requirement for the sign when the bikes are on a towbar mounted carrier!

Italy abolishes the warning sign again, at least almost

Anyone who regularly goes on vacation in Italy will be familiar with them: the red and white warning signs that can be seen on many cars and motorhomes with mou

www.grandcali.com

 

[barryd]

The plastic signs do comply with the regs in Spain, but in Italy they have to be metal. Having said that, it appears that Italy may have abolished the requirement for the sign when the bikes are on a towbar mounted carrier!

Italy abolishes the warning sign again, at least almost

Anyone who regularly goes on vacation in Italy will be familiar with them: the red and white warning signs that can be seen on many cars and motorhomes with mou

www.grandcali.com

How on earth does that make sense? So a carrier thats mounted on a towbar does not need a sign but the same carrier or similar thats mounted into the chassis like mine does? WTF!