I am looking to get a roof rack and am wondering which is the best. Don't lecture me on driving the car in the garage with the bike mounted as I don't have a garage to drive into.

Yakima or Thule?

and why if possible.

Any reason RockyMounts is not listed?

Thule and Yak are both awesome. I've owned both. Thule is a little better fit on the car, but in 8 years, my Yak never left a mark on my 4Runner (roof pillar type, not factory rack). The Yak is a little easier to remove the bike trays, but the Thule Echelon is an incredible design when it comes to mounting and removing bikes.

RockyMounts are ok. They aren't the best at anything but price. They are solid, but not as easy to use as something like the Echelon.

I have two Echelons and three RockyMounts in case I'm carrying more bikes.

That's essentially why I got mine. The RM Noose with long tray works well for my bent as well as my racing bike. Yak and Thule offerings that can haul a bent cost way too much because they're designed for tandems.

I actually have a mix..

Thule for rack to car and my fork mount for the road bikes.

But I have a Yak for my mnt bike (keeps the muddy tire out of the car)

I like Thule trays, but use Yakima Rails because they are round and will accept either Thule or Yak accessories. Thule rails are rectangular.

Thanks for all the responses. As for why RockyMounts weren't listed it is because I have never heard of them untill now.

I plan on using the roof rack for my road bike but also carrying surfboards so not sure if the RockyMounts are still an option.

As far as which to get I guess a big factor is fitment. I have a 1999 Honda Civic Coupe so I want to make sure it fits well and is secure. I hear a lot of things about coupes and different mounting options and roof mount extensions ect. Would one of these companies fit better on a small car like that?

Thule now has the rapid aero bars which are round, I have the system and it is pretty nice. My only complaint is that it is not as low profile as other Thule/Yak systems that I have seen around.

I like the flat Thule rails for strapping down lumber and such when the bike racks are off. Either work fine though.

I use Yakima because it came with my Subaru. Been very happy with the system during the three years I've had the racks. I use them to carry my road bikes, mountain bikes and kayaks all without issue.

20 year Yakima user, both bike and ski, never even the slightest problem.
Plus, the word Yakima is more pleasing then Thule.
Also, just how often are we presented with the chance to buy any bike related item made in the USA?

That is an interesting assessment. I wonder if a focus group would confirm it. I think that hard "k" sound might do it in, not to mention the connotation of the "yak" syllable. I am just looking at this from a product marketing perspective based on what you wrote. There is no way to confirm it without a blind study though.

^^^ I agree. Yak sounds a lot harder on my ears than Thule, which sounds exotically Euro..you know, the people who use the hard K

Rapide Aero is actually squashed-round. Many Thule attachments require adapters (additional $$). Rapide Aero also doesn't have as many bar-width options. I wanted to fit two cars with one rack, and the Aero would have required two sets of bars, even though our cars are only 2" different width.

+1 to lumber on the flat-top Thule bars. I feel better about the canoe up there too -- just more surface contact means less stress.

Just to add one more thing:
I have a Viper fork mount. It has easy one-hand operation and seems very secure. It also has a built in lock.
I like it more than the older style Yakima for mounts I had. It's really easy to use, which is important when I'm balancing a $3000 bike on my tip toes and trying to reach higher than I really can.

I have a Thule rack with three peleton bike mounts. I have the flat bars. I have to say I love the thing. My riding buddy has a very similar setup on the Yakima, and I love his rack too. (Did that sound dirty?). In any case, I picked Thule because it was $20 cheaper at the time, and that was about all the differentiation at the time.

One suggestion is to get three bike carriers instead of two (or two instead of one). I do a lot of supported rides with my wife, and having a third carrier means we can invite a friend and all take one car. This is nice if you have to drive a significant distance to get to the ride.

is it possible to rack both a snowboard and bicycle? not necessarily at the same time.

Saris Bones.

Be kind to your garage door overhang, don't run your bikes into it.

Yes it is. Bike racks and snowboarding racks can be purchased seperately. And as long as you have the space on the roof rack, you can put as many things as the rack allows you to fit.

Oh! And I voted Yakima, just because it's the one I bought and I love it. With that being said, I haven't tried the Thule yet.

Yakima! Why? Because I have a Yakima system for sale. (It's only been used once.)