Mont Blanc

Allroad 4 - four bike cycle carrier review

2011-08-06T01:29:00.000-07:00

The new Automaxi Allroad 4 tow-bar cycle carrier, supplied by Mont Blanc, is the ideal way to carry four bikes on the rear of your vehicle and takes the hassle out of transporting four bikes.

The light-weight bike carrier is easy to fit and clamps onto a rectangular aluminium casing which sits on the ball. With only a small amount of assembly required, all the tools you need are included in the box. Also included is a combined lighting board and number plate holder.

Unlike some four bike tow bar cycle racks currently on the market the Allroad 4 will lock directly onto the tow-ball and will fit onto detachable, swan neck and flange tow-balls.

The carrier folds flat so is easy to store when not in use and is fully tilt-able, with bikes mounted allowing access to the boot.

The adjustable wheel holders will hold tyres up to 6.5cm and individual frame
spacers ensure that the bikes are stable and do not come into contact with your other bikes.

With all of these great selling points in mind myself and my colleague Angela decided to try it for ourselves and test the features and benefits. So, on one of the hottest days of the year, we took it for a test drive.

The cycle carrier comes out of the box almost fully assembled, all we needed to do was secure a couple of brackets for the support frame to attach to and screw on the lighting board. We were then ready to put it onto the tow ball.

In order to attach the bike carrier to the ball an aluminium locating block is used. The block sits around the ball and the cycle carrier can be simply lifted on. Once in place the two bolts surrounding the block need to be tightened to the correct tension so that the bike rack is secure.

The lighting board has a 7 pin electric plug, which we plugged directly into our socket.
There were also two straps, which are used to support the carrier which we attached to the top of the boot lid.

We were now ready to load on our bikes; using two mountain bikes and two racing bikes. We lifted the first bike on and sat the wheels in the adjustable plastic wheel holders. The straps are threaded around the wheel holder in varying positions depending on the length of the bike, as the Allroad 4 is also suitable for child bikes. The straps then needed to be wrapped around the wheel and secured using the cam buckle. Once all bikes were on, we re-tightened all of the cam buckles to ensure they were secure.

The bike frames also needed to be secured to the cycle rack. To do this we used the supplied cam buckle strap to attach all of the bike frames to the main support frame.

We then used the two frame spacers between bikes two and three and bikes three and four. The spacers prevent the bikes coming in contact with each other when they are being transported. These supports are made of rubber so they do not damage the frame of the bike.

Once again we checked the tension on all of our straps. We checked that our lights were working correctly and that the number plate was secure. We were ready to go!

We drove to a nearby canal to take some pictures of the cycle carrier in action, the journey went well. Despite the extra weight the handling of the car was unchanged. We were even confronted with a few speed bumps but the cycle rack was fine.

One of the features of the carrier is that it is tilt-able and allows access to the boot when the bikes are attached which we were keen to test out. We removed the straps which were attached to the boot and undone the hand wheels which allow the bike rack to tilt. Once these are undone the cycle carrier and bikes can be tilted down which allows full access to the boot. As demonstrated, very gracefully, by me:

We were really impressed with the design of the Allroad 4 bike carrier. It was easy to assemble, easy to use, extremely light weight and the perfect way to carry four bikes on your car.

Siobhan Kos. Mont Blanc.

New Triton+ roof box

2011-03-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mont Blanc is launching quick attachment EaseMount that will fit the roof box to your roof bars in no time – and without problems

Mont Blanc is now introducing EaseMount, a new and unique quick attachment, on the popular roof box TRITON 450. The box will also be equipped with Dual Opening function, which easily opens the box from both right and left hand side.

Fitting the roof box to your car roof using Mont Blanc’s new quick attachment with a single-handed grip will only take a minute. The EaseMount attachment is already fitted to the roof box – all you need to do is to push the box in place on the roof bars and then, with a simple single-handed grip, tighten the four attachments to the roof bars.

The fact that the roof box easily opens from both sides does not only make the box even easier to fit to the car. The Dual Opening function also facilitates the loading and reloading of the luggage, since you can reach it from both right and left hand side.

Triton 450+ with EaseMount and Dual Opening comes in two colours. Both boxes have a black base section and a choice of elegant silver metallic or stylish black metallic lid. Load securing straps keeping the cargo safe in place are included.

This exclusive roof box is suitable for all kinds of leisure and sports activities all the year round; either you go for golf trips or a camping holiday in the summer or to the alps for a skiing holiday in winter.

FACTS / MONT BLANC TRITON BOXES

	TRITON 350	TRITON 400	TRITON 450	TRITON 450+ *(EaseMount & Dual Opening)*	TRITON 500	TRITON 650 *(Dual Opening)*
Size: length x width x height	162 x 88 x 41 cm	226 x 65 x 38 cm	197 x 83 x 38 cm	197 x 83 x 38 cm	221 x 80 x 40 cm	224 x 94 x 43 cm
Inner size: length x width x height	157 x 83 x 40 cm	221 x 60 x 37 cm	192 x 77 x 37 cm	192 x77 x 37 cm	216 x 75 x 39 cm	219 x 90 x 42 cm
Volume	380 litres	390 litres	430 litres	430 litres	490 litres	620 litres
Weight	15 kg	17 kg	18 kg	24 kg	21 kg	26 kg

FACTS / MONT BLANC

· Mont Blanc is a Swedish company established in 1947 and has since then designed and manufactured smart transport solutions for private cars.

· Another well-known product from Mont Blanc is the trendy bicycle carrier Barracuda

· All Mont Blanc products are manufactured to DIN 75302 and ISO 11154.

· A number of leading car manufacturers have chosen Mont Blanc products for their cars, for instance Audi, Ford, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota and VW.

Limited edition roof box winners

2011-01-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

Last year Mont Blanc, manufacture of roof bars, roof boxes and cycle carriers, launched a project where ambitious and promising young people got the opportunity to create their own version of the company’s products. First to be given this opportunity is Lovisa Malmström, a design student at Nordisk Designskola Sweden, who designed a flower patterned roof box.

Only a limited number of these roof boxes have been manufactured and, at the last A1 motor stores show, we gave our customers the chance to win one of these striking roof boxes. The lucky winner was Graham Goode Racing – performance specialists in Leicester. Graham Goode’s was established in 1976 and specialise in performance modifications. They have a fantastic website selling a wide range of products, 6000sq ft automotive superstore and full workshop facilities. For more information visit - www.grahamgoode.com

The limited edition flowery roof box has a retail price of £650 and is also available in plain white. For further information about this and other Mont Blanc products please visit www.montblancuk.co.uk

Mont Blanc Industri AB - Mont Blanc Group och Automaxi går samman - MyNewsdesk

2011-01-20T03:46:00.000-08:00

Mont Blanc Industri AB - Mont Blanc Group och Automaxi går samman - MyNewsdesk

Mont Blanc Group and Automaxi merge

2011-01-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

Mont Blanc Group AB, manufacturer of roof racks, roof bars, bicycle carriers, roof boxes and accessories,

acquired Access Auto Investissement SAS (France) which holds the company Automaxi

International (France) and its subsidiary Automaxi Roumanie. It operates under the

Automaxi brand name and is mainly active in France and Southern Europe within roof

racks, bike racks and other accessories. In 2010, the company has had a turnover of

12 million Euros and currently employs over 100 employees in two manufacturing

units: St. Malo, France and Brasov, Romania. The management of the acquired company

will become part-owner of the Mont Blanc Group as part of the transaction.

Automaxi, with its headquarters in the French city of St. Malo, was founded in 1955. The

company operates on the aftermarket and has sales in 20 countries. The company mainly

exports to Southern Europe, but sales are also made to other countries in Europe.

Together with Mont Blanc's units in Sweden and England and the logistics centre in Germany, a

strong and flexible partnership with joint sales of over 40 million Euros and 275 employees is

created. Through the acquisition, the Mont Blanc Group will further strengthen its position as

Europe's second largest manufacturer of user friendly load carrying solutions for consumers

who value function, quality and security.

"Through the acquisition, Mont Blanc is strengthening its position as number two on the

aftermarket in Europe. We hope to be able to contribute additional competence within quality

and security for the next generation of aftermarket products," says Per Zaunders, Chairman of

the Board of the Mont Blanc Group.

"Our customers are benefitting from this acquisition by gaining an increased range of high

quality roof racks, bicycle carriers and roof boxes that are well-adapted to the specific

requirements on function, design and security of different markets. Mont Blanc's recognised

strength as a direct supplier to car manufacturers and strong position among several

important customers within the aftermarket in Europe gives Automaxi a solid foundation for

continued expansion," says Jean-Yves Letanoux, Chairman of the Board, Access Auto SAS.

"Automaxi is a French company that has orientated and successfully adapted itself to

production that makes effective use of resources and created a strong offer for several key

customers on the French market. Our ambition with this acquisition is, together with the

management and the employees of the acquired company, to increase the growth on existing

and new markets through continued cost-effectiveness and a broader offer of good product

solutions to common and new customers," says Per Ekholm, CEO of Mont Blanc Group AB.

Mont Blanc lets young people take over design department in YAP

2010-09-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

On a previous post we introduced the Mont Blanc YAP scheme - a project where ambitious and promising young people will get the opportunity to create their own version of the company’s products.

First to be given this opportunity is Lovisa Malmström, a design student at Nordisk Designskola, who wants to renew and change our view on roof boxes.

The roof box was unveiled at the 2010 Automechanika trade show in Frankfurt, Germany and was well received by visitors to the show.

The limited edition roof box is based on our Triton 650 dual opening roof box and will be available early 2011. Make sure your visit www.montblancuk.co.uk or follow this blog to keep up to date on this box.

New Mont Blanc Website

2010-09-25T05:07:00.000-07:00

The brand new Mont Blanc website was launched last week at the Automechanika trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. The new site offers clear navigation, technical product information, fitting videos, local retailers, help desk and much more.
The new index page is fresh and allows users to make the most of Mont Blanc's social media.
Detailed product pages show features and benefits of our products and include comparisons, instructions, videos and technical specification in order to provide as much information as possible to the user.

The fit guide allows easy application for our vehicle specific products such as roof bars, cycle carriers and van racks. The results allow the user to access specific information and instructions on the selected product.
To view the new website visit either:
www.montblancuk.co.uk , www.montblanc.se or www.montblancgroup.de

Mont Blanc lets young people take over design department in YAP

2010-08-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Mont Blanc lets young people take over design department in YAP

Mont Blanc, manufacture roof bars and accessories for passenger cars, is now launching YAP (Young Active People) – a project where ambitious and promising young people will get the opportunity to create their own version of the company’s products. First to be given this opportunity is Lovisa Malmström, a design student at Nordisk Designskola, who wants to renew and change our view on roof boxes.

“Lovisa has had a free reign with our best roof box. We wanted to see what a young designer with fresh ideas could create. That is after all the basic idea with YAP; to bring out young and enterprising people” says Per Ekholm, CEO and initiator of this new Mont Blanc project.

An attractive accessory for the car
Lovisa Malmström is the first designer to work with YAP. She is 27 years old and studies Sports Design at Nordisk Designskola in Borås, Sweden.

“To be honest, roof boxes are quite boring. Always of a single colour and a small logotype on the lid. I wanted to do something to be part of the car, a neat accessory” explains Lovisa Malmström.

A flowery pattern will break the trend of dull roof boxes
Lovisa Malmström had her chance to set her own touch on Mont Blanc roof boxes. The result is a flowery pattern in black and white.

“I started with a thousand different patterns and motifs. But when I sketched out the flower pattern it felt right from the beginning and works well on the roof box” says Lovisa Malmström

A source of inspiration
The model in question is a Triton 650, the company’s flagship in this category. A limited quantity of 180 will be produced of this special edition.

“YAP is above all a venture on our part to get inspiration and new angles of approach. But it will also be interesting to see the response from the market” Per Ekholm concludes.

The roof box designed by Lovisa Malmström will be shown for the first time in Mont Blanc’s stand 4.0 D01 at the Auto Mechanika exhibition in Frankfurt September 19-24. Pictures will be posted after the show.

Automechanika 2010

2010-08-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Automechanika trade fair is the leading international meeting place for the automotive sector. In 2008 the Frankfut show attracted 161,00 visitors fron 146 nations.

This year Mont Blanc will be exhibiting at the Frankfurt Automechanika from 14 to 19 September. Come and visit in Hall 4.0 stand D01.

We have new and exciting products to show and we will be launching our new website.

Visit www.montblancuk.co.uk to view our product range.

Website preview

2010-08-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

There are only 39 days until we launch our new website at Automechanika 2010. Developement is well underway and we have a sneak preview of our new look site.

Website features to include easy a clear navigation and images, help desk area and where to buy.

In the meantime please visit of website - mont blanc
We will be providing more sneak previews in the coming weeks....

GTU - Bike rack test

2010-06-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Recently the Mont Blanc Discovery cycle carrier was used in a German GTÜ product test along with 5 other roof mounted bike carriers.

The Discovery bike rack did very well in all test elements and was rated “Recommended”.

The GTÜ aims to give customers and consumers indepth knowledge of product quality. They gained their experience in official vehicle inspection to determined thier expert evaluation critera.

To see the full review follow this link - Cycle Rack
For more information about the Discovery bike rack visit Mont Blanc

Muddy Dog!

2010-05-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Two things you can count on: It will rain on a bank holiday weekends and your dog will head for the biggest puddles while out for a walk. This is likely to result in ushering mans best friend into the boot in the hope that the walk has exhausted him and that he wont feel the need to ride up front with you! If you would like to keep your dog and the mud in the back, away from your nice clean upholstery then Mont Blanc have a great solution that will save those expensive valeting bills:
The K9E dog guard divides your boot from the rest of the car by securely attaching to the rear headrests, keeping the boot space free for a tired dog. However Mont Blanc cannot help you with stopping Fido from heading straight to your cream sofa when you get home.
For more information visit
www.montblancuk.co.uk

Auto Express - Cycle rack test

2010-04-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Mont Blanc Easy Grip H3 cycle carrier received 4 out of 5 stars in an Auto Express bike rack review and was recommended for its ease of fitting. See review

One of the main benefits of the Easy Grip carrier is the vehicle specific application guide which gives the user reassurance that the cycle carrier has been specifically tested on their vehicle.

There are three cycle carriers within the Easy Grip range giving the option to either have your bikes hanging or standing. For further information on the Easy Grip cycle carrier range or to find your local dealer visit - www.montblancuk.co.uk

Making the most of the weekend

2010-04-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

With no foreseeable end to the grounding of all UK flights due to the volcanic ash it is the ideal time to see what there is to do on a warm spring weekend in the UK.
If you fancy getting out on your bike there are organised events almost every week on http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=251

This weekend there is a 11 mile route in Salisbury. There is a charge to take part in all events but rides are fully-supported with clearly-signed routes, wayside marshals, first-aid cover, bike-mechanics and pick-up vehicles, they aim to create real social events, with music, refreshments and performers to welcome the riders when they cross the Finish line.

If you have no means of transport for your bike Mont Blanc have a wide range of cycle carrier and bike racks to help you get your bikes to any cycling event. You can carry up to 3 bikes on the rear or up to 4 bikes on the roof of most cars.

If you are unsure what you need for your vehicle we have an easy to use selector which will help you decided the easiest way to carry you bikes.
http://www.montblancuk.co.uk/inetpub/wwwroot/myweb/cycle/ex/cquestion.htm

Now, off to enjoy my weekend...

Vista 450 Black

2010-04-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Our limited edition black VISTA roof box will be available at the end of April and is already proving popular.

With the same sleek design and features as the silver box the VISTA 450 Black is the ideal upgrade.

Features include:

• Secure-Assure - keys cannot be removed until locks securely engaged
• 2 or 3 point central lock system
• Lock up struts - new improved design
• Side opening for ease of loading
• 80mm width fixings to suit most roof bar sizes
• UV resistant, high impact ABS
• Big volumes for lots of storage
• Load securing straps included

For more information visit -www.montblancuk.co.uk or call (44)01525 850800