Bicycling Australia
It seems there are plenty of solutions on the market for carrying bikes by car either via roof rack or towball mounted hitch. Unfairly and ignobly named, the Buzzybee 2 is one of the cradle species in the latter genus. The Buzzybee is certainly worthy of consideration if you’re looking for a towball mounted rack.
The Buzzybee secures your bike whole with no need to remove wheels. It simply sits on its wheels in the rack, balanced by and secured to an upright support that folds away when not in use. The wheels are tied down to the cradles with spring loaded nylon straps; the frame is also secured to the upright mast with these and there are soft rubber blocks on the mast that slide up and down to protect your frame where you secure the straps.
Attaching the rack to your 50mm towball is simple enough, there’s a coupling with four flared wedges that tighten onto the ball and provide a secure grip on the ball. Once tightened the rack is rock solid, and there’s also a keyed lock on the coupling to ensure it stays where you left it. It’s a simple effective system.
A very handy feature of the Buzz rack is the brake and indicator light panel that is easily installed or removed. The panel has space for a number plate and the appropriate (legally required) illumination for the plate as well. It’s easy to completely ignore the legalities around a bike rack…or if you do think of it, discount the matter as no big deal. However last year I was cautioned by a member of the Highway Patrol (greetings to the crew at Coffs Harbour) for carrying bikes on a towball mounted system that obscured the number plate fully, and partially covered the blinkers and brake lights. Suitably chastised, and soul searched I now use roof racks, but if you have a towbar already and no roof racks, a setup like this is significantly less expensive than a full set of rooftop racks. There are the other considerations of lifting the bikes onto the roof, higher clearance and the possibility of bike damage, and tailgate access to consider apart from price, but overall the Buzzybee 2 scores quite well in my book. There’s also a four bike Buzzybee available for $499.
The Buzzybee is made of tubular steel and weighing in at just 7.5kgs itself can carry two bikes of up to 15kg each. The ‘cradle’ at each wheel is adjustable sliding ‘east’ or ‘west’ on the frame to accommodate wheelbases from 53cm to 119cm.
The Buzzybee is lighter and less strongly built than some others on the market, but that is less a criticism of the Buzzybee and more a statement that some are significantly over-engineered (with pricing to match). The Buzzybee is well-capable of handling your race bike with ease, is good value for money and has the brake and indicator light safety issue resolved with a full complement of lighting in place.
RRP: $299
Distributed by Southcott
