Best Way to Haul 3 bikes on a 2009 Audi A4 Avant  

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Expert Reply:

I do have a few different solutions for you to be able to carry three bikes on your 2009 Audi A4, but using a hitch mounted 3 bike rack is not the way we want to approach this.

The reason that using a 3 bike rack is not advisable on a Class I hitch has to do with the weight distribution. Any bike rack that holds more than two bikes tends to stick out a little further from the hitch to accommodate the three bikes. If we load a 3rd bike on a Class I hitch it could end up doing some damage to multiple locations including the hitch, car frame, and bike frame.

The first option that I recommend looking into is the trunk racks instead of a hitch rack. A good trunk mounted bike rack is the Saris Bones 3-Bike Rack # SA801BL. This bike rack has adjustable arms and includes anti-sway straps to help keep the bikes stable. The weight capacity per bike is 35 lbs so you will be good to go there. The only other thing I recommend getting is the Saris Bike Beam Bike Frame Adapter Bar # SA3040. This is for alternative, women's, and kid's bikes whose frames might not fit properly on the bike rack. The Bones does not come with locks but you can add them using the Cable Lock # SA981 for your bikes and the Security Strap # TH533 for the bike rack.

The other approach that you can take is installing a roof rack so that you can mount a bike to your roof in addition to your 2 bike hitch rack. I recommend using the Thule Podium Square Bar Roof Rack which includes the Thule SquareBars # TH712400, the Evo Clamp Feet # TH710501, and Fit Kit # TH145084. You should also get the Thule One-Key System Lock Cylinders # TH450400 for added security.

From there the only other thing that you would need to complete the setup would be the Thule UpRide # TH599000. I recommend using the One-Key System # TH450600 instead if you go with this bike rack because it allows you to use the same key for both the bike rack and your roof rack..

The 2 bike rack that will go well with it, if you choose to use this setup, would be the Kuat Transfer # KU74FR. It features the tilting capability so you can still access your trunk while the bikes are loaded. The Transfer is a wheel mount bike rack which can accommodate any bike frame that does not have a fender. To ensure that you can use the folding feature you will need to have less than 5 inches from the center of your hitch pin hole to the outside end of your rear bumper.

I will include links to demonstration videos for the various products mentioned.

expert reply by: Jon G

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