BIKE RACKS AND CARRIERS FOR CARS MEGATHREAD - all questions asked and answered here

[ChopSticks]

yehhhhh, def see its advantages for large objects like canoes or those roof storage boxes

does the side arm wheel version rub against the stanchions? or parts of the bike? rotors?
I know its been thoroughly designed etc etc... but the way the arms hold/clamps the up bike seems rather concerning
Imagine taking a turn too fast and the bikes fall out of the clamps...still strapped in at the wheels..... it then pivot at the wheelbase and the handlebars smashing into the side of the car?
(fuck i need to stop drinking and scaring myself) LOL

had a few to many drinks (as slyfox knows well) and stupidly bided on a 591 despite having no racks...so I ended up using it as a garage mount (yes im serious LOL)
so im not that far off from having a 'transport' solution




the cars I drive are Merc E-classes (w210 and w211)
normally fold the seats down in the newer car and slide the bike in...and use the saris on the older one (assuming im riding alone)

 

[EXSSVE]

How does the boot-mount go as far as stone chip's and dust into crevices?
Kinda baulked on the idea of a tow-bar/ or boot mount due to this.

Jebus, ol' mate in the falcon didn't leave ya much room.

 

[ChopSticks]

How does the boot-mount go as far as stone chip's and dust into crevices?
Kinda baulked on the idea of a tow-bar/ or boot mount due to this.

Jebus, ol' mate in the falcon didn't leave ya much room.

bahahaha true! the parking spots are Lake Parramatta are a joke !

stone chips/dust in terms of where? the car, the rack? the bike?
I really cant fault the Bones 3...except the fact I would struggle to fit 2 FS bikes comfortably on the 3 bike version (hence why I want the thule 9003)

 

[MARKL]

594/Side arm - The way I set mine up is to have the clamp pull down on the tyre/fork arch junction. The part of the arm that goes over the tyre is rubber coated and doesn't mark the fork arch. I have seen some guys set it up so it pulls down on the top of the tyre - I think the way I run it is more secure and deals with the concern you were expressing. I have done thousandss of km's with the 594 (multiple trips to Thredbo/Stromlo with 6+ bikes in 594's). They are really reliable - take 15 seconds to load, 5 seconds to check and you are good to go. For really long trip such as Thredbo we throw another strap over the front wheel (this is more because the suspension on the trailer is so rough - not an issue on a car)

What rubs / doesn't rub with 594/side arm?

Rub
Forks (lowers) on forks over 36mm. Only rubs on the top of the lowers. I just stick a small square of fluffy velcro on the fork where it rubs and all sweet - again I have seen other set ups with pieces of rubber, velcro is easier. And you have black lowers so no one will ever notice the velcro.:cheer2:

Doesn't rub
Doesn't go anywhere near brake rotors, stanchions, or forks below 36mm (my 36's seem to just miss...mostly).

 

[wombat]

Only problem I've seen with a 594 was where the end of clamping arm kept pressing against the brake line where it went through the guide on a set of 888s. Ruined a couple of brake lines before the owner twigged and put some foam over the end.

 

[ChopSticks]

thanks heaps for the input guys !!!!

a minor concern is the mentioned rubbing with the 594.... but the way it clamps in the lowest part of the wheel/fork arch vs the highest part of the wheel itself is only 1inch~ which makes me skeptical


I spend a few hours checking every know bike store in Europe and the US
and found CompetitiveCyclist to have the cheapest shipped price

$365USD posted (fuck the aussie dollar has taken a dive.....)

has anyone purchased from them before?
they seem to have alot more prompts in the checkout menu regarding duties/VAT/tax etc etc fees ...whats the chances of having 'charges' incurred with UPS

will the quoted $365USD ($395AUD) become $450-500+ upon delivery?

 

[redbruce]

I know its been thoroughly designed etc etc... but the way the arms hold/clamps the up bike seems rather concerning
Imagine taking a turn too fast and the bikes fall out of the clamps...still strapped in at the wheels..... it then pivot at the wheelbase and the handlebars smashing into the side of the car?

They are well designed but only as good as the operator.

I know of at least three people who have had this happen (Lexus, BMW330ci, Holden R8). Cheapest repair was $3000.

Lesson learned: it pays to double check the clamp and be careful using thick foam to protect the bike paint work.

Because of this (and the need to be able to carry DH bikes occasionally) I use the older tour model (515?) which clamps both sides of the downtube rather than top and bottom. Its also more stable due to the triangulated design.
Thule no longer make it but I think Yakima have a similar version.

 

[teK--]

that's the shop!

I also bought pro rack whispbars from another Sydney shop on eBay.

seller store name?
noticed 'roofrackcity' seller listing super cheap brand new 591's posted for $189
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/360592940392?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649
get on it guys !!!!



yehh... haunt cars dont do it for me



yehhhh, Im aware of the fairing attachment... even envisioned sticker bombing it with my bag of bike stickers lol ...but comes back to the wrong car for the job....
honestly not worried about noise... or fuel economy (hell it costs me $120~ per tank of 98 and I only get 500kms~) ... they were just 'reasons' for not having roof racks ontop of the main concern of aesthetics hehehe

the sliding feature I speak of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9SoCDccVeM

I had my initial concerns but the saris has been rock solid.......so solid it has kinda bent my boot lid out of whack LOL
slight hesitation when closing the boot

 

[MARKL]

Only problem I've seen with a 594 was where the end of clamping arm kept pressing against the brake line where it went through the guide on a set of 888s. Ruined a couple of brake lines before the owner twigged and put some foam over the end.

Was that Mike? Rides a Norco Team DH (2007/8?) with 888 ATA WC's. If so it was what we put down to 'a Mike thing'. I had exactly the same fork and rack and never had an issue, did most of the same trips. The problem was that he had the end of the clamp clamping down on the brake line (this kids is user error) and it eventually wore through the rubber on the clamp and then cut through the brake line. The fact he did it twice...Mike thing.

In my view no reflection on the rack.

 

[wombat]

Was that Mike? Rides a Norco Team DH (2007/8?) with 888 ATA WC's. If so it was what we put down to 'a Mike thing'. I had exactly the same fork and rack and never had an issue, did most of the same trips. The problem was that he had the end of the clamp clamping down on the brake line (this kids is user error) and it eventually wore through the rubber on the clamp and then cut through the brake line. The fact he did it twice...Mike thing.

In my view no reflection on the rack.

Haha, sounds like the same guy. I know he had one line let go and replaced it, when the second one went he figured out what it was.

 

[pharmaboy]

thanks heaps for the input guys !!!!

a minor concern is the mentioned rubbing with the 594.... but the way it clamps in the lowest part of the wheel/fork arch vs the highest part of the wheel itself is only 1inch~ which makes me skeptical


I spend a few hours checking every know bike store in Europe and the US
and found CompetitiveCyclist to have the cheapest shipped price

$365USD posted (fuck the aussie dollar has taken a dive.....)

has anyone purchased from them before?
they seem to have alot more prompts in the checkout menu regarding duties/VAT/tax etc etc fees ...whats the chances of having 'charges' incurred with UPS

will the quoted $365USD ($395AUD) become $450-500+ upon delivery?

Btw, bike24 sells thule. Think 591 s are 80 eur plus 20eur bulk shipping cost per unit. Aud hadn't declined as much versus the euro. Realistically, bike carriers are a $100 product , but charged out at $250 in good old Australia . Frankly I d rather pay Dhl for shipping than to reward the local distro pricing on thule as if its made of platinum

 

[willsy01]

......so I dont want to weld something on that I cant take off

Towbars bolt onto the car dude......no welding.

 

[ChopSticks]

I know of at least three people who have had this happen (Lexus, BMW330ci, Holden R8). Cheapest repair was $3000.

Because of this (and the need to be able to carry DH bikes occasionally) I use the older tour model (515?) which clamps both sides of the downtube rather than top and bottom. Its also more stable due to the triangulated design.

ouch !!!! thats gotta hurt !!! lol
does the older 515 have potential issues with larger downtube sizes?

Btw, bike24 sells thule. Think 591 s are 80 eur plus 20eur bulk shipping cost per unit. Aud hadn't declined as much versus the euro. Realistically, bike carriers are a $100 product , but charged out at $250 in good old Australia . Frankly I d rather pay Dhl for shipping than to reward the local distro pricing on thule as if its made of platinum

I looked at bike24 already, but they dont stock the 9003
591's at bike24: 71.21 Euros + 19.93 (S+H) + 20 bulk surchage = $159AUD~

Towbars bolt onto the car dude......no welding.

now I know.
I later realised its bolted onto a bar underneath the bumper (chassis). However I'm still not keen to have a hole cut into my bumper

there is this which caught my eye...but $$$$
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-xJG7evyk

 

[MARKL]

Haha, sounds like the same guy. I know he had one line let go and replaced it, when the second one went he figured out what it was.

A bit more background then. We had six bikes on a 7x4 trailer set up as 2 rows of three. Bikes at the front facing forward, bikes at the rear facing backwards. The bikes overlapped in the middle and as a result some of the bikes had to be angled a bit to give clearance between all the bikes. This resulted in some of the bikes not being square to the clamping mechanism - on Mike's bike it resulted in the clamp coming down on the brake line and as per story eventually cutting through it (twice). Depending on the trip there were five other bikes on the trailer without any issue including 1 or 2 other bikes with 888's, a set of 66's pus 40's or Totems.

As I have said it was entirely preventable and was simply user error - one for the fuckwits thread!

 

[MARKL]

ouch !!!! thats gotta hurt !!! lol
does the older 515 have potential issues with larger downtube sizes?

Hey Chop's I have two 515's in my garage that I don't use - $100 and they are yours! They are well used but still work.

 

[jett_e]

Thule Bike Carrier

Looking at a Thule Helium 971xt bike carrier. Has anyone had any experience with this type?

45 kg max so strong enough for the once a year trip to Thredbo with 2 DH bikes but more useful for the multiple trips per year with the trail and kids bike.

 

[John U]

http://www.thule.com.au/details.php?p_id=247

$470 seems pretty expensive for what you're getting. It looks like a pretty basic rack. With a rack like this I don't think the ability for it to fold should be a major factor in your decision. With these racks if you don't have bikes on them they need to be removed from your car. You could just go for a fixed one. I would probably be cheaper and may do a better job.

 

[jett_e]

Thanks for your input John.

I started this thread whilst waiting for a new tow bar to be fitted and they were willing to throw a bike carrier in on the deal, so I was going to get it for around $400 which made it more attractive. Of all the brands and carriers they had, the Thule was the most solid and not so cumbersome of the lot so that's why it got my interest. I have been doing research for quite sometime now and was expecting (hoping) to pick one up for half the cost but after seeing a few in the flesh, I think it might be better spending the extra coin.

To be honest, for that sort of money it puts it up in the price range of a GripSport 'Hi Ride' carrier which was my preferred style of carrier but that one looks like it would be too big for stowing as that is an issue I have at home. The Thule carrier does fold up and can be stowed quite easily and although the tilt option wasn't a feature I wanted , it may come in handy on those long trips where you need to access the trunk (SUV). It would be a two person exercise but it would be better than unloading the bikes.

 

[gcouyant]

Had an absolute blast this weekend with some great 4WDing and sensational riding. Just sensational.

Trip up to the peak of Mt Matlock in the Vic High Country and then blast down to the river valley floor a long long way away. A bit of everything including snow, mud, rock, slush and stuff too steep to ride (well too steep for me). Took the fat bike, a 6" travel Giant Reign and along with a driver for the Land Cruiser, we were never far from support on the climbs and a heated cabin for the really steep stuff.

Here are a bunch of pictures taken from the bike carrier web site:

Climbing and climbing means lots of downhill fun. The track however is becoming quite the challenge.

Every now and then one comes across a surprise. A wonderful waterfall by the side of the road on the way to the summit of Mount Matlock Vic (Australia).

Lots of really steep little pinches that demand attention - but it's great to be able to concentrate on driving the track instead of worrying about the bicycles.

If the car gets through, then the bikes do too.

When you can get away from the regular tracks and trails, there are so many great little places to stop and have a rest and to play around on the bikes.

The higher you go the whiter it becomes. On the way to the tower at the peak of Mount Matlock Lots of altitude to ride down from.

There's no shortage of mobile phone reception here.

At the peak getting ready to head off and down to the river valley below.

Bonus - when you're descending and the trail is just too steep and slippery to ride, just load up and drive it - with the heater on.

You know that you've had a cold ride when you finish after dropping over a thousand metres in altitude and there's snow still packed into the pedal.

And when you want to get into the back of the car for a frosty one, you just lower the carrier and it's all there. Takes 10 seconds if you're thirsty, 20 if you're not.

Plenty of room to move around too - even with the horizontal tailgate down.

 

[gcouyant]

George, do ISI make an offroad rack capable of carrying 4 downhill bikes?

Sorry I missed this earlier.

Yes of course, the 4x4x4 carrier family is designed to allow you to travel with four downhill bicycles on board pretty much anywhere you dare to drive. That's quite a load on the back of a car but no problem at all for the bicycle carrier.

The 4x4x4 carrier is about the only carrier used by many of the thrill cycling film makers who need to travel to exotic locations with a bunch of bicycles on 4WDs. The carriers are about the only thing that doesn't break out there and they need to deploy the bicycles quickly to catch the right conditions.