General Cycling Discussion - ? about Yakima options

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wearyourtruth
11-24-07, 07:57 AM
so i think i'm going to treat myself to a yakima rack for the roof of my VW Golf (something i've wanted for a long time). i wanted some opinions from those who have one on which actual bike rack to get. i'm trying to decide between the copperhead, the steelhead, and the raptor. the copper and steelheads look exactly the same, yet the steelhead is more $$$ i'm not quite sure what the extra you are getting for your money is. as for the raptor, i kind of like the idea of not having to pull my wheel on and off every time, but i question the stability of the raptor's setup... anyone have experience with it? anyway, any help is appreciated. thanks!

rodrigaj
11-24-07, 09:07 AM
Forget Yakima, go Thule. Trust me. Sorry, but I am not a Yakima fan.

Taking a wheel off is not a big deal. Have you ever lifted a bike over your head with the front flopping all over the place? Then trying to position it on a narrow grove?

Make sure you put your garage door opener away (I put mine in my glove compartment) before you take off with the bike.
alloutdoors
11-24-07, 11:05 AM
I agree that taking a wheel off every time is not that bad and makes me feel more comfortable. It is seems more secure to me. The difference between the copperhead and steelhead is the amount of plastic used in the clamp head. I went for the copperheads (more plastic) and have not had problems with them over the last 6 years. If I had the money I probably would have gone with the steelhead, but copperheads work fine. Looking at the raptors just makes me cringe, I am sure they are secure but they don't look stable to me.

alloutdoors
11-24-07, 11:08 AM
The difference between the copperhead and steelhead is in the clamping head. The copperhead is all plastic with a steel insert for the fork bolt, while the steelhead is a piece of steel. I have the copperheads and have been more than satisfied with them over the last 6 years. As far as the raptors go, I would never be comfortable putting compression on the down tube to hold the bike secure. I am sure it works fine, but I would never get it. Taking the wheel off seems much more secure to me.