I will definitely invest in some Autosocks and I have also noted your concerns about carrying bikes on a towbar. However, over the years I have already tried the alternatives of a flimsy carrier hooked onto the boot/tailgate obscuring the lights and numberplate (I know you should avoid this by expensively fitting electrics to hang a board over the bikes), and roofbars and carriers. The latter always felt safer but I am getting a bit long in the tooth to be lifting quite heavy machines to that height and don’t really want to go down the road of investing in mechanical hoists etc. I am very unlikely to carry more than two bikes at a time, and often only one. Is this really going to put more strain on the towbar or car than a caravan, on a properly designed carrier from Thule or similar? I would also value your opinion on a factory-fitted versus locally fitted towbar, regardless of comparative cost – I am apprehensive about a local fitter making a mess of a brand-new car.