Noisy straps on car rack

tricky_dicky

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/109155.html

got one of these - the straps that fix into the side of the boot vibrate like crazy and transfer the vibrations into the car with the boot acting like a boom box. The sound is almost unbearable. Its the first time I have owned a bike rack so it may be that they all do this but its more than a tad annoying! Any ideas to remedy?

ride_whenever

traps tighter or put some pip lagging under them

Anonymous

The straps on my Saris bones were buzzing crazily last time I went to Llandegla, very strange. I kept stopping the car, 'cause I thought the bike's front wheel was bussing against the bodywork.

Hasn't happened before or since :?

Joe_Pineapples

Easiest way to fix it would be to buy a roof rack.

tricky_dicky

ill try pipe lagging... a new roof rack aint really a possibility when ive just forked out for the boot rack! And im planning on ordering elixirs tomorrow so need the dosh for them!

Anonymous

I had a look at those thule roof carriers, and it doesn;t look as though it would actually fit my bike.
Regardless, I'm not spending THAT much money to cart my bike around.

alfablue

If you twist the straps a few times (maybe even so they take on a cylindrical profile) they won't vibrate in the wind. Experiment.

Anonymous

alfablue wrote:

If you twist the straps a few times (maybe even so they take on a cylindrical profile) they won't vibrate in the wind. Experiment.

I did this once years ago, just to waste time whilst the others turned up - it whistled!!!

alfablue

Oh! I used to carry surfboards on the roof, the straps really howled, twisting cured it. Try different twist ratios!

geordiefreerider

Twist ratios sound awesome !!

nicklouse

got to love my Thule racks/bars etc nice and quite.

Andy B

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I had a look at those Thule roof carriers, and it doesn't look as though it would actually fit my bike.
Regardless, I'm not spending THAT much money to cart my bike around.

So you spend a over a grand on a bike, but you won't pay £65 for a top quality bit of kit to carry it on, even if it did fit?

Personally I wouldn't trust anything other than a Thule with my bikes, worth every penny.

geordiefreerider

Dunno like, I use a el cheapo halfrauds bike rack, had two bikes on today and had a bit of B-road motorsport today on the way back from dalby forest and when I got home I still had two bikes ha ha

Joe_Pineapples

Like most people, I used a boot mounted carrier when I first started taking my biking a bit more seriously and venturing further afield, and I can tell you that my old RockLobster took more damage due to being on a carrier than it did when out on the trails.
Roofs are the future.
Once you've tried rack you'll never go back.

ratty2k

Roof mounted racks are all well and good, until you forget the height restriction barriers on some car parks- and I've even heard of people driving into their own garages...
It has happened (not to me!)
And best of all is a nice little van like my Connect, bikes are out of sight for the apres ride pint, and I get a changing room as well... 8)

Anonymous

Andy_B wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I had a look at those Thule roof carriers, and it doesn't look as though it would actually fit my bike.
Regardless, I'm not spending THAT much money to cart my bike around.

So you spend a over a grand on a bike, but you won't pay £65 for a top quality bit of kit to carry it on, even if it did fit?

Personally I wouldn't trust anything other than a Thule with my bikes, worth every penny.

£65 quid? you're having a laugh.
I priced everything up once, and it came to well over £300 :roll:
The bike carrier ALONE are £75, let alone the cost of the roof rack feet, bars, and fitting kit.
muppet.

On top of that, the only roof-mounted system that will take my bike, requires that I take the front wheel off, and stick it in the boot. When I have the bikes on the back, the boot is free to carry luggage, helmets, camelbaks etc.

Joe_Pineapples

Roof rack on ebay - £30.
Bike carrier on ebay - £38

Are you sure your bike wont fit a carrier, McGee?
I presume it's the new wolf you're talking about?
I thought my Patriot wouldn't fit my carrier, but now that I've moved to a twin ring and bash guard setup it does. I can sneak the carrier clamp arms between the bash ring and the pivot.

Anonymous

nope, it won't fit. The shock mount gets in the way of the downtube clamp.

I've never seen a thule rack that cheap anywhere, and to be honest, I'm not botheres, because I have a great, tailgate mounted rack that fits on pretty much any car or van.

tricky_dicky

ill try the twisting then!

I personally just dont like the idea of putting my bikes on the top of my car let alone the cost (lbs wanted £300 for Thule set up for 2 bikes). I therefore just preferred the boot rack. It has got marked by the bars but as soon as you buy a bike it gets scratched and marked. It does hold them very securely.

alfablue

I have used roof racks, boot racks, towbar racks and bikes in boot.

Towbar racks are the outstanding winner - and Thule make a 2 or 3 bike towbar rack for around £100 including built in light board and electrics.

The downside is of course, you need a towbar, but given the advantages I would consider it well worth getting one to use this sort of rack. Might cost £150-£250 depending on car.

The bikes stay put, the rack can be locked to the towbar and bikes locked to the rack, no difficult lifting of bikes above head height, minimal fuel economy penalty, no contact between bikes and car bodywork, no straps to buzz, boot can still be opened (rack hinges down when fitted), can be fitted in under 5 minutes, can be stored in boot etc. . .

Using a roof rack, dreadful effect on mpg on long trips, probably used 1/3 more fuel on a driving trip to Pyrenees - a significant cost, penalty on mpg even when no bikes fitted, public car parks and other areas with high restrictions prohibited (and I did on one occasion wedge the bike seat under a car park roof, when I forgot). Sometimes hard work lifting bikes on roof, not great for shorter, weaker people (those of a juvenile or smaller female persuasion).

Boot rack with straps - can sway alarmingly, obscure lights and number plate (I would only use with a separate light board and number plate, and this is a legal requirement if the rack or bikes obscure the on car ones), easy to mash your bike onto bodywork when loading, boot can't be opened when in use, takes a while to fit, and I did carve big chunks out of the boot lid on one car when it wasn't secured tightly - very expensive mistake which would have easily covered a complete towbar system with the cost of towbar.

RichMTB

+1 for what alfablue said.

Tow bar mount is definitley the best solution, shame my car won't take one

Roofrack is definitely a better option than a boot rack but it does mean burning extra fuel.
I take my rack off for long trips where I won't be taking my bikes and I notice an improvement in fuel economy and perfromance from not having the extra drag on the top of the car.

But despite the fuel drawback I wouldn't trust my bikes or the paintwork on my car to a boot rack

Andy B

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Andy_B wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I had a look at those Thule roof carriers, and it doesn't look as though it would actually fit my bike.
Regardless, I'm not spending THAT much money to cart my bike around.

So you spend a over a grand on a bike, but you won't pay £65 for a top quality bit of kit to carry it on, even if it did fit?

Personally I wouldn't trust anything other than a Thule with my bikes, worth every penny.

£65 quid? you're having a laugh.
I priced everything up once, and it came to well over £300 :roll:
The bike carrier ALONE are £75, let alone the cost of the roof rack feet, bars, and fitting kit.
muppet.

Maybe if you actually posted that you priced up the whole set up not just "looked at the Thule roof carrier" which you can get for less than £75 if you shop around rather than throwing handbags on a forum :roll:

bails87

To be fair I don't think you can assume that most people have the entire 'set up' apart from the bike holder itself. I mean, you can use a van to transport your bikes for absolutely nothing.....assuming you already own a van!

dave_hill

tricky_dicky wrote:

Any ideas to remedy?

I used to have a similar problem with a worn drive shaft. Oddly enough, I found that it stopped if I turned the radio up.

I actually stopped using a rack and bought an estate. Genius.

Anonymous

The towball mounted option is one I'd like to try out. Just so happens, my sister's got the same model of car as me, and is selling it, so I can get her towball fitted onto mine.

But, for up to three bikes, I've not had a problem with boot mounted rack - and I can still open the boot as well.

Anonymous

Andy_B wrote:

Maybe if you actually posted that you priced up the whole set up not just "looked at the Thule roof carrier" which you can get for less than £75 if you shop around rather than throwing handbags on a forum :roll:

Oh, I'm sorry, I don't live in your crazy little world where everyone has a roof rack. :roll:

idiot.

lochussie

Yeah, try twisting the straps. Works for kayaks and surf boards.

tricky_dicky

sorted! thanks guys - twisting worked a treat!