Originally Posted by
patentcad
I don't know about that top tube (I'd bag that frame myself, but that's debatable), what I want to know is what specifically failed on your roof rack.
Roof racks do suck for a number of reasons, sometimes they are hard to avoid, but there are other options. For an external rack I greatly prefer trailer hitch or hatchback mounted clip on racks. Get the bikes off the roof where they don't lower your mpgs and get blown off in high winds.
I have been kicking around the pros and cons of rook and hitch mounted racks. I would prefer a hitch rack but I know several people that have been rear ended. I have had people bump me but not very hard. A guy at my work was rear ended twice. The first time the car was totalled. The second time it put the car in the shop for a month. My bike would have been distroyed.
A roof rack does kill gas mileage and it is probably a pain to load and unload bikes. I could also drive into my garage with the bikes on the roof but at least I have control over that. I would no control if someone rear ends me.
So, this is why I have only owned cars where bikes go inside.