Bike rack spare parts: Thule, Peruzzo, XLC

Bike rack spare parts put a car bike rack back into service when an arm, a clamp or a strap has broken, or add an extra place to it. They are specific to each brand and often to each model: note the name and version of your bike rack, on the label or in the instructions, before choosing from the Thule, Peruzzo, XLC and Mottez parts.

Finding the right part for your bike rack

Three pieces of information are usually enough. The brand and the model, with its version: a VeloSpace XT does not take the parts of a VeloCompact, nor an Azura Xtra those of an Almada. The position: first, second or third bike, left or right side; XLC thus distinguishes its cc-x14 and cc-x15 wheel holders, and Peruzzo its short and long arms. Finally, the shape: compare the worn part with the product photo.

Adding a bike: adapters and extra arms

Several towbar-mounted platforms accept an extra bike. Thule sells an adapter that adds a place to its VeloSpace XT, up to 15 kg per bike, and another that takes the VeloCompact from three to four bikes. Peruzzo offers a long arm for the third bike on the Pure Instinct and a third bike kit for its Saturn base. Before adding a bike, check the load accepted by the bike rack and the vertical load on the towball, also known as nose weight, bike rack and bikes included.

Arms, straps, foam pads: the wear parts

The arms that hold the frame and the wheel straps are the first parts to wear out or go missing. On a boot-mounted bike rack, foam pads protect the bodywork and the rear window: replace them as soon as they harden or split. Mottez and Peruzzo offer these protections, as well as bar end caps.

Electrics, locks and mounting adapters

If your car's socket has thirteen pins and the bike rack's plug seven, an adapter restores the connection for the lights, like the one from Mottez. Spare keys and lock barrels put a lock back into service when its key has been lost. On the roof, Thule's T-Track adapter fixes a bike rack in the groove of profiled roof bars, and a fork mount adapter lets a holder designed for a quick-release fork take a fork with a thru-axle.

Bike rack spare parts by brand

Mottez, a French bike rack manufacturer founded near Lille, supplies protective foam pads and pairs of foam-padded straps for its boot-mounted racks with 25 mm tubes, a transport fixing bar and a 13 to 7-pin electrical adapter.

Peruzzo, an Italian manufacturer that names its models after cities, supports its ranges with the short and long arms and the lever cover of the Pure Instinct, the supports and third bike kit of the Saturn towbar base, and the protections of the Verona, Venezia, Milano and Arezzo boot-mounted racks.

XLC, a components brand of the Winora group, lists every part of the Azura Xtra by reference: short and long frame supports, wheel holders, cc-x25 extensions; for the Almada, a central rail protector and a strap.

Thule, the Swedish carrying brand, offers the extra bike adapters for the VeloSpace XT and VeloCompact, the ClipOn adapter for cars with little space between the roof and the tailgate, a left-hand clamp for the FreeRide and keys for its locks.

Bike racks, trailers and bike bags

To replace the whole bike rack, see towbar, tailgate and roof bike racks. Trailer spare parts follow the same logic for bike trailers, and a bike bag protects a dismantled bike when travelling. Transport clearance and new arrivals complete the range, ahead of the holiday departures that follow the seasonal sales and the summer sales.

Frequently asked questions

Where can you find your bike rack's reference?

On the label stuck to the chassis or under the platform, in the instructions and on the invoice. Thule numbers its models, for example 926 and 927 for the VeloCompact: note this number before looking for a part.

Can you add a third bike to any towbar bike rack?

No, only to models designed for it, with the adapter or the arm provided by the manufacturer. The total load must stay within the limits of the bike rack and of the towbar.

Is a part from another brand compatible?

Rarely: arms, clamps and rails are designed for a specific model. Stay within the original range.

My car has a 13-pin socket and my bike rack a 7-pin plug: what should I do?

A 13 to 7-pin adapter, plugged in between the two connectors, powers the lights and the number plate lighting of the bike rack. Check each function before setting off.