washed up

I'm in the market for a new roof rack and was wondering what most of you are using,Thule or Yakima?
Used primary for hauling bikes. Any input would be appreciated. thanks

rcams

Need to know your car model as manufacturers often have specific rack models to fit cars. If you can get this type of custom model the fit and performance will be much better than a one size fits all approach

For example, I have VW Golf that Thule makes a specific rack for. Nothing works as well...

Blastinbob

Free advice, when you have bikes on the roof, put your garage door opener in your trunk.

Shifty

Amen brother, I would have paid you for that advice about 15 years ago. Hear that kids, always take free advice.

WildBill

I have a Performance XPort roof rack on my focus and it works just as good as the more expensive brands IMO.

Leviathan

Rocky Mounts
check that out. Half the price of the Yakima and Thule ripoffs. Excellent customer service, and I do mean excellent. Had yakimas in the past now I have the RM Noose, never been more pleased.

ed073

Rola or Thule.

and ditto on the garage advice...or verandas, or car parks.

badsac

Hope you fellas don't mind me hijacking this slightly.

What do you all do with your front wheels when you're carrying your bikes on your roof racks? I've got to do a trip soon with 4 bikes on the roof of my Impreza sedan with the 4 dudes who own the bikes in the car and their luggage in the boot. I've seen in pictures the front wheel sitting on one pedal strapped to the bikes frame, but I'm worried that will hack up the frame some.

Is that a valid concern? What do you fellas do?

ed073

You can do that, just wrap the frame in some of that packing foam new bikes come in, your LBS will give it away.

badsac

Thanks ed.

For those that care I've got Rola. Very happy so far.

ed073

If it's a long drive, try to cover as much of the bike as possible (especially the bits hitting the wind, h/bars, forks etc) in foam or bubble wrap.

Insects are nearly 100% protein and cleaning them off is a b!tch.

badsac

Bathurst to Charlottes pass is a fair hike so I'll take that tip. Having the bikes looking like we pulled them out of a garbage dump when we turned up wouldn't be so cool.

ed073

cut the bug-encrusted foam etc off with a sharp stanley knife and keep it out the back of the house or something....simply tape the same bits back in place for the return trip.

monogodo

I've only ever had Yakima. Even the rack I bought through Subaru for my old Impreza Ouback wagon was Yakima (and half the price of the same rack through a bike shop).

Cycleman1958

I am from Washington State. Chose Yakima out of sheer loyalty. A superior product on the car for 365 days a year without a problem. I dont do car wash machines however out of concern for the racks. Cant comment on others.

geekgirl

That's nice, but I'm pretty sure that Yakima is a company out of California...they just use the name Yakima...

More on topic, I have a Yakima roof rack with the Steelhead and Viper racks as well as two wheel forks to hold the front wheels (to answer the other poster's question) that I am very happy with. They're on a VW Passat wagon, using the Lowrider clamps on the factory roof rails. I think the racks that hold the bike by the front fork are the most stable, versus the systems that clamp onto the frame or pedal.

Jakey

I use rocky mounts on both my subaru, and pontiac montana van.... They aren't really secure though, so if I stop to go in a resturant or something I run a cable around the bike and padlock it...

barleyrocket

I have to agree. I've had a Yakama for a while and with the fork clamps I've never felt like the bike was unsafe on the roof. However I think any would probably do a good job.

telenick

Bikes go in the car whenever possible.

I have Yakima bars and two yakima king cobra racks.

My car doesn't accept a receiver hitch. If it did, I'd opt for the hitchfork or a like model. I think that they're safer for the bikes and better for gas mileage than bikes on top.

Fox Farm

I've been using Yakima for 17 years now and they are fine. I like the interchangability of parts, extra mountings for Yak Boxes, skis, fairings, etc. I use the steel head locking fork mounts. They are a nice California company that was started by an older coulple many years ago and purchased by the current owner in the 1980s I belive. You can get parts most every where and everything seems over designed to last.

Thule, made in Sweeden are fine to and frankly you probably won't go wrong with either. I personally prefer the round cross bars over the box shapped Thule and Performance design. I have loaded a tremendous amount of weight on my roof rack and the round tubes are nicer for fastening thinkgs to and cinching rope down. They also accomodate the ratching web strap hooks very nicely because the cross bars are round the hooks are shapped like a question marks. Again, you will be happy with either system - my preferene is Yakima just as I prefer Camy over Shimano. Both are good and it's a personal thing as to which you like better.