With your bikes safely secured on your motorhomes bike rack, it is a good idea to get a cover for the bikes. Bikes don’t actually do very well when left outside in the rain, which is why most people keep them under cover, in a garage or shed, when at home. So for the bikes on the bike rack, motorhome bike covers are a good idea.
Why Bother With a Bike Cover ?
The most obvious reason for covering up your bikes when your touring, with them on your bike rack, is to keep them out of the rain.
As with any vehicle when the road is wet, the back end get covered in dirty spray, coming off the wheels & getting caught in the turbulent air. This is especially true for motorhomes, so it’s a good idea to cover them up properly when your out & about with your motorhome.
Another important reason that is often overlooked is security. With a cover in place, no one can actually see what bikes are on the bike rack.
They don’t know if it’s just some cheap old mountain bikes or very expensive Electric bikes. Also they cannot see what security device is on the bikes & they cannot get to the bike racks securing arms to release the bikes frames.
How Much?
You can get a lightweight cover for a couple of bikes for less than £20
A top quality heavy duty cover for four bikes, will cost around £80
So for the protection that they give, they are very good value for money even for the top end covers.
Great Deals Online For Bike Covers – Click on the Links Below :
What Covers Are There ?
The main manufacturers of motorhome bike racks,
- Cover & Carry
- Thule
- Fiamma
- EuroTrial
have bike covers for 2, 3 & 4 bikes. So depending on your needs, they’ve got you covered (sorry I couldn’t resist that).
Cover & Carry- for 2/3 & 4 bikes.
These are deluxe covers that are designed & made in the UK.
They have Heavy Duty covers made from incredibly strong rubber backed green nylon.
The covers have a large 52cm x 52cm clear waterproof sign pocket for the all important warning sign.
The cover is secured with a thick bungee & metal hooks. They also come with a storage bag.
The standard covers are basically the same as the “Heavy Duty”, but are made from a slightly lighter waterproof 300D nylon.
Both of these are the sturdiest covers in the marketplace and should give years of service. They are a bit more money, but for a lot more quality.
Thule- for 2/3 bikes & 4 bikes.
These are made from extra strong Ripstop Polyester 210D with PU coating (3000mm) The covers are black in colour & come with a transparent pocket to take the all important warning signal.
The cover is held in place with a thick bungee cord & hooks. They come with a handy storage bag also in black.
Fiamma- have a choice of covers
Bike Cover S range, which a cover for 2 bikes & a larger size cover for 4 bikes.
Fiamma use a lightweight, waterproof and reinforced polyester material, which makes it lightweight and easy to fit properly around your bikes.
So if you have couple of bikes on the back or your a family with four, you can get a great fitting cover.
The Fiamma Bike Cover Premium S comes just in the one size, but it has fully adjustable straps, which means that you use it to cover up to four bikes.
This could be a great option to have, if you find that with family or friends the number of you have can vary.
It comes with self-lubricating side zippers and Velcro to form a completely enclosed cover around the bikes. these covers are placed onto the bike rack before the bikes are loaded.
They are a silver grey colour & come complete with a transparent pocket for the all important warning signal.
Euro Trail– for 2 to 4 bikes
The cover is secured with a thick bungee & 2 metal hooks.
Made from a strong, waterproof polyester material there is a transparent pocket for the warning signal. They are grey in colour & come with a helpful storage bag, made of the same material.
So What Should I Get ?
You need to think about how often you have your bikes on the rack, where you travel to & at what time of the year. If you have a couple of bikes, do a main holiday & half a dozen or so weekends, all in the summer months, then a lightweight cover could be just what you need.
If however you were doing extended touring, for months at a time & in all seasons, then it would make sense to invest in a heavy duty cover, that is capable of surviving the worst of mother nature.
When doing big mileage on auto routes to Southern Spain or over to Vienna, the last thing you need is to see the remains of your bike cover, waving around in your rear view mirrors.
Simply put, I see the choice is very much down to usage. All of the covers are designed for motorhome rear wall mounted bike racks & are simple to use. They are all light in weight & easy to stow away when not in use, so even if storage is at a premium, it’s not really something that you have to think about, when choosing your cover.
Having one with a proper storage bag is certainly handy.
Do get one that has the built in pocket for that all important warning sign.
Don’t Forget The Warning Reflector
The warning reflectors are required by law in Italy & Spain, recommended in France & a good idea for everywhere else
. With a lot of the bike covers they come with a square clear plastic pocket. The sign can simply be slipped into this, with no need to tie it on. Making life very simple.
You can get a sign for around £10 to £20 online. Depending on design/material.
Great Deals Online For Bike Cover Warning Reflectors – Click on the Links Below :
You Have To See This – To Believe It !
They can’t see what security device is on the bikes & they cannot get to the bike racks securing arms to release the bikes frame
I hope that you found this article helpful & if you have questions, comments or suggestions please leave them below.