How all do you carry your bikes......

[dustboy]

I'm currently developing an expedition-grade bike rack system. I can't tell you much about it until it's ready for sale, but you won't have to worry about looking in the rear-view and seeing your Specialized under a dump truck.

Stay tuned..we are due to launch in the Fall.

 

[TCM]

For those with the bike's on the roof rack, how hard is it to get bike up on top? I've seen a step that goes on the tire to help put the bike up there does anyone use that? Have you notice any increased drag or reduction in mpg?

I find it easy to get the bike up on top. I hold the bike in one hand and pull myself up to the rack with the other hand while stepping on the door sill. The hit to my fuel economy is 1-2 mpg at 65 mph.

 

[dustboy]

I find it easy to get the bike up on top. I hold the bike in one hand and pull myself up to the rack with the other hand while stepping on the door sill. The hit to my fuel economy is 1-2 mpg at 65 mph.

Call me a sissy, but I've nearly killed myself several times trying to do that with my 45 lb downhill bike. "Ow, there's a spoke stuck in my spleen."

 

[TCM]

Call me a sissy, but I've nearly killed myself several times trying to do that with my 45 lb downhill bike. "Ow, there's a spoke stuck in my spleen."

My bike is 27 pounds, but at 45 pounds I have to agree, injury is likely.

 

[XJMatt]

yakima hitch rack, it has worked perfectly for many years

 

[ttora4runner]

Went to REI yesterday (great store by the way:sombrero and looked at the bike racks. They had both Thule and Yakima models for the roof and hitch and after looking at them both I may just end up going with a hitch mounted one.

Since I really don't feel like lifting my bike up and over and head. Knowing my luck I'd drop and damage my vehicle or myself.

Thanks for the replies guys. Ebay here I come.:elkgrin:

 

[Cackalak Han]

Good call on the hitch mount. My neighbor recently proceeded to drive straight into his garage with his $3000 bike on the roof. Ouch. You'd also have to watch for tree branches, parking garages, etc. I'd be just too paranoid. In my Tacoma, I am fabbing up a 2x6 with a QR fork mount to put in the bed. (I think $20 total cost).

Maybe you can get a custom swing out carrier with a bike mount. That would be awesome.

 

[Christophe Noel]

My neighbor recently proceeded to drive straight into his garage with his $3000 bike on the roof. .

In '91 I was driving our team van with 6 dudes sleeping in the back and 12 bikes complete with at least 20 wheels on the roof. I pulled into a small drive through burger place at about 11 PM exhausted after a month of racing and traveling... and.....crunch. I took out the first 5 bikes.

Guess what 6 angry dudes in a van looks like.


And as luck would have it, that wasn't the last time I did that. You do have to watch what you're doing with a roof rack, not that several people haven't backed into stuff with hitch racks.

 

[Cackalak Han]

Wow, that must have sucked. I hope dinner was on you!

This is why I really like my idiot proof truck bed. But I'm sure I'll think of some way of damaging the bike.

 

[Corey]

I ran bikes on my roofs of two vehicles for years with Yakima mounts.

While it was pretty easy to lift them up there, I almost hit the bikes once following a friend through a drive-thru on our way up to go mountain biking at a ski resort one summer.

I did not think anything about it until I was already in line.
Luckily there was room by just inches for me to go through.

The hitch rack on my FJ earlier in this thread is so much easier to load/unload the bike now.
Plus I think it is more protected from road debris this way too.
With them up on the roof they are subject to anything flying through the air.
Long ago my black Raleigh above took out a bird in Spokane.
What a mess.

With them on the back of the rig (my first hitch mount), they are somewhat protected by any debris from the rear door shielding them.

 

[85CUCV]

I just assembled our new Thule T2 this morning. Looks well built. I'm looking forward to trying it out. After using cheaper racks for years I think this will be a nice change.

 

[Corey]

Congrats on the T2.

Keep the two wheel straps for the T2 in your rig so kids do not take them.
They can come off pretty easy since they are not connected all the time.

 

[Cody1771]

http://northshoreracks.com/

 

[mauricio_28]

Thule

 

[FLnative]

I use Rocky Mounts.