Roof mounted bike?

[SmellyTofu]

Maybe! but I've done it for years, and will continue to do so. It just seems this place is a congregation of scare mongers and quite funny to read grown men sxxt scared of a little height on their car.

[GraemeL]

I'm sorry and I don't mean to offend but you guys sound like a bunch of goldfish. I've never had a problem having bikes up above and always aware of the height. Wearing bike clothes and gloves whilst driving is a dead giveaway not to mention driving to the load conditions.

You may not have had an issue yet and I hope you don't, but you never know. There have been a lot of others who have, even though they have taken precautions to avoid an accident.

I don't think myself or anyone here is a goldfish (stupid?), we are human and as such, we make mistakes.

Graeme

[SmellyTofu]

Goldfish = forgetful (and in fact quite smart).. 3 second memory yada yada (which I know was proven false on Mythbuster).

Someone might T bone your car as well (hope not) but we don't go all scaring ourselves not to leave the house.

Get some perspective here. It's a load on a roof. Be cautious yes, but don't scare yourself silly and just deal with it like anything else in life that has a risk element to it.

[master6]

Get some perspective here. It's a load on a roof. Be cautious yes, but don't scare yourself silly and just deal with it like anything else in life that has a risk element to it.

If ever this impossible event involves you Smelly, would you let us dills know?

[il padrone]

I'm sorry and I don't mean to offend but you guys sound like a bunch of goldfish. I've never had a problem having bikes up above and always aware of the height. Wearing bike clothes and gloves whilst driving is a dead giveaway not to mention driving to the load conditions.

Hmm....

I was not wearing my bike gloves, but I was well aware of the bike on top - right up to the last corner before home due to a creaking coming from the roof-bar mounts. Home was the problem . The cat lay in the driveway and wouldn't move. Asked my wife to get out and move him.... then auto-pilot took over - driveway - carport -.....

[SmellyTofu]

Get some perspective here. It's a load on a roof. Be cautious yes, but don't scare yourself silly and just deal with it like anything else in life that has a risk element to it.

If ever this impossible event involves you Smelly, would you let us dills know?

For sure! Hope you won't mind the wait.

[Slow6]

Really like the water wall stop sign at the mouth of the tunnel in the vid above.

Most situations (apart from your own driveway and the odd tree while parking) are clearly signed with height warnings. I find these perfectly sufficient to remind me to "think up" famous last words I'm sure!

[Wicksie]

So we're just about to get a roof rack for the new carbon beauty in our lives and my beloved old Pinarello (and probably the other irreplaceable bikes). I'm a bit terrified of putting the bikes outside the car but have been informed that roof racks are better than rear racks. Would you agree?
The other worrying factor is that we don't have a budget for this so probably can't afford Thule or other reputable brands. Can anyone recommend cheap options?
Thanks all.

[GraemeL]

So we're just about to get a roof rack for the new carbon beauty in our lives and my beloved old Pinarello (and probably the other irreplaceable bikes). I'm a bit terrified of putting the bikes outside the car but have been informed that roof racks are better than rear racks. Would you agree?
The other worrying factor is that we don't have a budget for this so probably can't afford Thule or other reputable brands. Can anyone recommend cheap options?
Thanks all.

Behind the car is much better than on the roof. I carry two of our bikes on the back using an iSi Town & Country rack, it is literally seconds to load and unload the bikes, the wheels fit into wheel hoops, the rack slopes up so the bikes don't get hammered with debris and the rack also tilts down to allow access to the rear of the car while the bikes are mounted.

If you are able to afford it, I highly recommend it and it will give you years of use.

Graeme

[Wicksie]

Interesting, thanks. I was advised against rear racks from 3 bike shops however.
Think I need to do more research.

[bychosis]

Rear racks are OK, so are roof racks. Each has a different disadvantages.

Roof racks:
Danger of running into something overhead
Bug splatter on longer trips (pain in the proverbial to remove dried bug splatter)
Lifting bike onto a tall car.

Rear racks:
Road debris impact (especially bad on wet dirt roads)
Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.
Difficult to fit many kids bikes on beak racks
Potential for rear ender crash impact
Reduced access to tailgate on wagons

I have both styles, use the rear rack when we need to take 2 or more bikes, will probably use the roof rack if I ever find some cheap racks for my forester and use the interior space whenever possible (ultimately my preferred option)

[boss]

Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.

What concerns are there with hanging bikes from the top tube?

(From a common sense point of view you wouldn't want to hang multiple bikes on a rear rack if any of the bikes on the rack are carbon.)

[il padrone]

Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.

What concerns are there with hanging bikes from the top tube?

+1

Been hanging my steel and aluminium bikes from rear bike-beaks for the past 30+ years, with no concerns at all. Maybe a bit of paint rub on one bike that had exposed cables along the top-tube and travelled on the bike rack a lot, but that's it. Never any damage caused at all.

[boss]

Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.

What concerns are there with hanging bikes from the top tube?

+1

Been hanging my steel and aluminium bikes from rear bike-beaks for the past 30+ years, with no concerns at all. Maybe a bit of paint rub on one bike that had exposed cables along the top-tube and travelled on the bike rack a lot, but that's it. Never any damage caused at all.

Same here, since I was a kid we always hung bikes on a boot rack. Now, admittedly I have not hung my carbon bike on there, but only because it has an ovalised top tube that doesn't fit the rack.

[RonK]

Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.

What concerns are there with hanging bikes from the top tube?

(From a common sense point of view you wouldn't want to hang multiple bikes on a rear rack if any of the bikes on the rack are carbon.)

Why not? I regularly carry two carbon bikes on this rack. It's a bit of a squeeze but I've carried three bikes on several occasions. There is a fair bit of capital invested in these two bikes, and I don't take any risks with them.


To carry carbon bikes don't use a single-arm rack - use a two-arm rack to properly support the frame. TheThule rack I'm using supports the frame close to the seat tube and head tube and has rubber cups and retainers to insulate road vibrations from being transmitted into the frame.


It's a towbar mounted model which can be mounted or removed in seconds, and folds flat when not in use. Thule also make several models of clip-on racks if you don't have a towbar fitted to your car.

I aware of quite a few incidents where roof-mounted bikes have been destroyed and cars damaged. Most involved experienced cyclists, two involved bike shop personnel. So a rear-mounted rack is the only way I'll carry our bikes.

[il padrone]

That looks to be very similar to the rack I currently use - a Thule tow-bar mounted job. Except mine doesn't fold flat very easily, but does take up to 4 bikes.

[boss]

Concerns with 'beak' style racks and hanging your bike from the top tube.

What concerns are there with hanging bikes from the top tube?

(From a common sense point of view you wouldn't want to hang multiple bikes on a rear rack if any of the bikes on the rack are carbon.)

Why not? I regularly carry two carbon bikes on this rack. It's a bit of a squeeze but I've carried three bikes on several occasions. There is a fair bit of capital invested in these two bikes, and I don't take any risks with them.

My reasoning was to avoid scratching the carbon. If you can make it work then that's great. I'd be very careful if I had to mount a couple of carbon bikes on the back of my car!

To carry carbon bikes don't use a single-arm rack - use a two-arm rack to properly support the frame. TheThule rack I'm using supports the frame close to the seat tube and head tube and has rubber cups and retainers to insulate road vibrations from being transmitted into the frame.

It's a towbar mounted model which can be mounted or removed in seconds, and folds flat when not in use. Thule also make several models of clip-on racks if you don't have a towbar fitted to your car.
I aware of quite a few incidents where roof-mounted bikes have been destroyed and cars damaged. Most involved experienced cyclists, two involved bike shop personnel. So a rear-mounted rack is the only way I'll carry our bikes.

I agree, roof mounted bikes seem to be a ticking time bomb if you don't have a system to remind you there's a bike on the roof.

Moving forwards we will be moving to a smaller car (currently have a wagon and large sedan) and I believe a roof rack solution is a part of that. I will definitely be working out a good system to remind me that a bike is on the roof, I've been known to vague out with catastrophic consequences when tired or drained. Catastrophic is probably overstating it, but still, I don't trust myself

[il padrone]

That sudden "CRASH" from above is not a good way to end a trip

[Phil]

I stick the bin in front on the garage door when I have bikes on the roof. The chances of you not noticing the bike(s) on the roof when you get out to shift it are pretty slight.

Done it once - fortunately I back in slowly and the bike was a dual-suspension mountain bike (which compressed on the suspension) so the only damage was a bottle cage destroyed.

[Wicksie]

Great food for thought. I'm wondering why all 3 bikes shops shook their heads vigorously when talking about rear racks then.
We would need to get roof bars then racks which would be pricey, so rear would be better.
Although I'm prepared to wait and get the right one as our bikes are precious!
Saris bones look good for rears?

[RonK]

I stick the bin in front on the garage door when I have bikes on the roof. The chances of you not noticing the bike(s) on the roof when you get out to shift it are pretty slight.

But not much use when you decide to drop in at the shopping centre on the way home. As I've suggested in other threads, a rope with a small flag or streamer attached from the bike across the bonnet to the front of the car might serve as a reminder, but I'd rather not take the chance.

[Sparx]

I got a towbar fitted and Thule rear carrier for around $600. Its great, easy to get on and off and never have to worry about bikes on top. I got the Thule 970 Express. I was worried when I saw it as it looks kinda flimsy but it is solid and has carried two mountain bikes no problem.

[il padrone]

What I use - Thule Hang On 9708. I have often carried 3 not-so-light touring MTB bikes on it

[hewey]

I also was a little worried about the security of the bike when on the rack. I secured it per the instructions, but noticed a fair bit of wobble, I haven't had a chance to drive with the bike up there as yet, but I must say I was surprised at just how much movement there is. It is not loose, it's just not rigid.

I’ve got a Thule 591 too and I find it fantastic. Over Christmas we drove from Sydney to Brisbane for some camping with the inlaws, drove some rough firetrails, and then came back, and the 591 handled it all with aplomb with a bike on the roof pretty much the whole time. You just need to make sure the downtube of the bike is sitting snug in the bottom ‘V’ of the support arm. The critical thing is to make sure the arm is basically perpendicular to the bottom tube, and that the downtube is seated in the ‘V’ of the bottom of the clamping jaw thing. I find I tighten up the jaw, give the bike a good jiggle to make sure its centred in the jaw, then tighten it up a little more. If you’re not feeling comfortable drive for 5 minutes pull over and just check its okay. After the 12-13 hour drive from Sydney to Brisbane in one day, it was just as firmly attached as it was in the morning. While it does have some wobble, with the locked jaws and the straps for the wheels you’d have to do a pretty piss poor job of putting the bike on there to have it come off.The other bonus is that the rack locks, so its secure in the carpark or whilst camping I can see how it would be a pain if you’ve got an SUV/4WD in terms of putting bikes on though!

The bikes we usually carry are beach cruisers or my dual suspension mountain bike. Because of their frames many conventional bike carriers dont fit, and because it takes so much more time to take the wheels off a beach cruiser (bolted on, drum brakes on front, back pedal brakes on rear) we wanted a carrier the whole bike would fit straight on. The 591 was the best of our options for our needs. I place a garbage bin in the carport to stop me accidently driving in, and I rarely go into underground carparks pre or post ride so figured that risk was relatively low.

[Marx]

Whiteboard marker on your windscreen in full vision saying : “ Bike on roof!!!”

I forget too much & cannot weather the worry, so I have erred to rear mounted bike racks regardless of all their shortcomings over roof racked bikes.

Carbon framed bikes can take their own weight (up to 13kgs??) by being braced from their top tube. Considering they are burdened with a net additional load of 100kgs on average (biddons, cleats, gear, bananas & fatso).