A change of car means fitting a tow ball carrier and putting the bike on the outside rather than the inside.
I was looking at the Thule carriers but came across the Pacific brand carriers which are a little cheaper and while the price isn't a big issue I figure a few dollars back in my pocket can never be a bad thing.
So the question I need answered is: Is the Pacific platform carrier cheaper for a reason?
If anyone has any experience - good or bad - with this brand of carrier I'd like to know before I commit the dollars.
Pacific Bike Carriers
- gorilla monsoon
- Posts: 3553
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:45 am
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby gorilla monsoon » Wed Jul 25, 2018 2:23 pm
Not my circus, not my monkeys
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby RonK » Wed Jul 25, 2018 2:30 pm
I've been looking at these too. My new e-mtb doesn't fit on my trusty old Thule rack very well.
Feedback from any current owners would be greatly appreciated.
Feedback from any current owners would be greatly appreciated.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...
-
- Posts: 1703
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 3:08 pm
- Location: Brisbane
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby RobertL » Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:20 am
I have a Pacific Square Hitch 4 bike rack. It cost me $209 from Velogear.
It doesn't get a lot of use, but it seems sturdy and well made. I'm sure that the Thule is extremely well made (I have some of their other products) but the Pacific rack meets all of my needs.
It doesn't get a lot of use, but it seems sturdy and well made. I'm sure that the Thule is extremely well made (I have some of their other products) but the Pacific rack meets all of my needs.
- find_bruce
- Moderator
- Posts: 10581
- Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 8:42 pm
- Location: Sydney
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby find_bruce » Thu Jul 26, 2018 12:16 pm
I have a towball carrier that I am looking to offload. Free to pick up for an outstanding chap like yourselfgorilla monsoon wrote:A change of car means fitting a tow ball carrier and putting the bike on the outside rather than the inside.
I was looking at the Thule carriers but came across the Pacific brand carriers which are a little cheaper and while the price isn't a big issue I figure a few dollars back in my pocket can never be a bad thing.
So the question I need answered is: Is the Pacific platform carrier cheaper for a reason?
If anyone has any experience - good or bad - with this brand of carrier I'd like to know before I commit the dollars.
It doesn't get easier, you just get slower
- gorilla monsoon
- Posts: 3553
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:45 am
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby gorilla monsoon » Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:26 pm
Aww, thanks Bruce but this afternoon I gave my credit card to the nice man at the bike shop and he gave me a Pacific bike carrier. Thanks for thinking of me though.
Not my circus, not my monkeys
-
- Posts: 524
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:45 pm
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby redned » Thu Jul 26, 2018 6:11 pm
A bit late to the discussion!
I have a Pacific brand 4 bike rack although mostly only use it for 2 bikes.
I think it is pretty good
I found on rough roads that the mounting bracket rotated a little on the tow bar tongue and the bike rubbed against the car. I now have a short tie so it can't rotate.
For my mountain bikes I found the conversion bar to be handy, especially for my wife's bike which has a slightly low-slung cross bar.
Don't tow a trailer with the mounting bracket fitted. I managed to bend the bracket, even though it is about 1cm thick.
I have a Pacific brand 4 bike rack although mostly only use it for 2 bikes.
I think it is pretty good
I found on rough roads that the mounting bracket rotated a little on the tow bar tongue and the bike rubbed against the car. I now have a short tie so it can't rotate.
For my mountain bikes I found the conversion bar to be handy, especially for my wife's bike which has a slightly low-slung cross bar.
Don't tow a trailer with the mounting bracket fitted. I managed to bend the bracket, even though it is about 1cm thick.
-
- Posts: 142
- Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:10 am
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby Neddysmith » Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:08 am
I have a pacific 2 bike carrier and the limited use i have used it for seems to be OK, wiring was a little dodgey so had to be rewired and the light rack part seems pretty cheap plastic but thats just small part and now rewired all works fine, seems sturdy enough for the trips i have done, but does bounce around alittle and i havent doing dirt roads and i dont think id be confident 4x4ing.
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby RonK » Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:25 am
Your fame has spread far and wide. I'm impressed that you have a bike named after you. A very nice bike toogorilla monsoon wrote:Aww, thanks Bruce but this afternoon I gave my credit card to the nice man at the bike shop and he gave me a Pacific bike carrier. Thanks for thinking of me though.
Gorilla Monsoon
Please report your impressions about the rack, I'm close to buying one too.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...
- gorilla monsoon
- Posts: 3553
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:45 am
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby gorilla monsoon » Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:15 pm
But don't forget, I borrowed that name from one of the old WWF (now WWE) greats.
Not my circus, not my monkeys
- gorilla monsoon
- Posts: 3553
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:45 am
- Location: Lake Macquarie
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby gorilla monsoon » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:59 am
Well, the story so far is that I collected the rack and started assembling it. Observations are that the unit itself is quite sturdy and that's a plus. The assembly instructions, on the other hand, are mostly illustrations so you need to be interpretive to work-out how it fits together.
For example, three types/sizes of bolts and nuts and no real indication of which one goes where; four unexplained screws; a wiring harness that is not mentioned anywhere in the instruction sheet; two big plastic bits that are also not mentioned in the instructions - like I said, interpretation needed and much head-scratching time taken.
The really annoying bit is the putting-together some of it only to realise three steps later it has to all be taken apart to fit something else not previously mentioned.
Still trying to work-out how the lightboard attaches to the rack and how many cable ties (not included in the pack) will be needed to attach the wiring harness.
* As an aside, it was nice to note that the retailer, Gateshead Cycles at Warners Bay, was happy to come close to matching the online price when I mentioned it.
For example, three types/sizes of bolts and nuts and no real indication of which one goes where; four unexplained screws; a wiring harness that is not mentioned anywhere in the instruction sheet; two big plastic bits that are also not mentioned in the instructions - like I said, interpretation needed and much head-scratching time taken.
The really annoying bit is the putting-together some of it only to realise three steps later it has to all be taken apart to fit something else not previously mentioned.
Still trying to work-out how the lightboard attaches to the rack and how many cable ties (not included in the pack) will be needed to attach the wiring harness.
* As an aside, it was nice to note that the retailer, Gateshead Cycles at Warners Bay, was happy to come close to matching the online price when I mentioned it.
Not my circus, not my monkeys
- RonK
- Posts: 11508
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:08 pm
- Location: If you need to know, ask me
- Contact:
Re: Pacific Bike Carriers
Postby RonK » Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:18 pm
After reading a comment from an owner that he had somehow bent one of the arms, I realised that this carrier probably wasn't up to the job of carrying my new e-mtb.
I ended up getting a (significantly more expensive) Buzzrack Scorpion, rated for e-bikes, which I ordered from St Kilda Cycles eBay store. It was priced significantly cheaper than all the competitors, was shipped for free, and eBay generously gave me an additional 5% discount.
It arrived on Monday, and I spent about a half an hour after work perusing the instruction diagrams, assembly (4 bolts), trialling the towball mounting and testing the lights (which all worked). First use tomorrow.
Oh - and I had to drill two extra holes in the light board to attach the small Queensland accessory number plate.
I ended up getting a (significantly more expensive) Buzzrack Scorpion, rated for e-bikes, which I ordered from St Kilda Cycles eBay store. It was priced significantly cheaper than all the competitors, was shipped for free, and eBay generously gave me an additional 5% discount.
It arrived on Monday, and I spent about a half an hour after work perusing the instruction diagrams, assembly (4 bolts), trialling the towball mounting and testing the lights (which all worked). First use tomorrow.
Oh - and I had to drill two extra holes in the light board to attach the small Queensland accessory number plate.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...
Return to “General Cycling Discussion”
Jump to
- General Australian Cycling Topics
- Info / announcements
- Buying a bike / parts
- General Cycling Discussion
- The Bike Shed
- Cycling Health
- Cycling Safety and Advocacy
- Women's Cycling
- Bike & Gear Reviews
- Cycling Trade
- Stolen Bikes
- Bicycle FAQs
- The Market Place
- Member to Member Bike and Gear Sales
- Want to Buy, Group Buy, Swap
- My Bikes or Gear Elsewhere
- Serious Biking
- Audax / Randonneuring
- Retro biking
- Commuting
- MTB
- Recumbents
- Fixed Gear/ Single Speed
- Track
- Electric Bicycles
- Cyclocross and Gravel Grinding
- Dragsters / Lowriders / Cruisers
- Children's Bikes
- Cargo Bikes and Utility Cycling
- Road Racing
- Road Biking
- Training
- Time Trial
- Triathlon
- International and National Tours and Events
- Cycle Touring
- Touring Australia
- Touring Overseas
- Touring Bikes and Equipment
- Australia
- Western Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Victoria
- ACT
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- Country & Regional
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot]
- All times are UTC+11:00
- Top
- Delete cookies
About the Australian Cycling Forums
The Australian Cycling Forums is a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.
Bicycles Network Australia
Forum Information
Connect with BNA
Brought to you by Bicycles Network Australia | © 1999 - 2024 | Powered by phpBB ®
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.
This website uses affiliate links to retail platforms including ebay, amazon, proviz and ribble.