Roofbar carrier

rippleman

anyone had any experience with these?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... E+RACK.htm

seems very cheap and too good to be true. I only need to carry one bike and cant see the need to buy a 3 bike carrier for the back of the car

jairaj

I think thats just the cycle holder, not the actual roof bars and the feet that attach to your car.

cooldad

Forum consensus seems to be Thule, but I bought a cheap rack and carriers off Ebay years ago and they are still working fine. Used weekly on backroads and motorways and only time I've lost the bikes was driving into a carpark with a height restriction.

nwmlarge

i wouldn't touch that argos rack with a barge pole
Thule 530 free ride is my choice and i regularly carry
kona stinky
orange patriot
giant trance
dmr rythmn
mongoose rocadile
normally 3 at a time
it adapts easily to all of these and only the trance has issues due to the down tube changing diameter but i strap that and it stays put even at 80-90mph

sofaboy73

bought something similar as a cheapo to go alongside two thule pro rides, when there were three of us on a road trip. can't speak for that one, but it worked ok on a lighter bike with thinner tyres. pain in the arse to use though.

if you can afford it, deff go for the thule. takes less than a minute to get your bike on the car, secure an locked post ride

leaflite

got a halfords advanced cycle carrier which is made by thule and identical to the freeride 530. it does the job perfectly-no issues yet

jairaj

this link might be of some use:
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12769611

S_J_P

From my experience of cheap vs. expensive bike-racks, it's all about convenience. The expensive (Thule) racks are simple to fit and use, the cheaper ones take longer to fit, and longer to securely mount a bike. It's all a question of the value of your time.

I use these CRUZ BiciRacks as they're cheap (around £20 for two racks plus the bars/feet) and accept that it takes me 15 minutes to mount the bikes.

Phil_D

S_J_P wrote:

From my experience of cheap vs. expensive bike-racks, it's all about convenience. The expensive (Thule) racks are simple to fit and use, the cheaper ones take longer to fit, and longer to securely mount a bike. It's all a question of the value of your time.

I use these CRUZ BiciRacks as they're cheap (around £20 for two racks plus the bars/feet) and accept that it takes me 15 minutes to mount the bikes.

I have those. They keep the bikes steady and I would say it was more like 2 minutes than 15. The only problem I can see with mine is that they are atteched to the roofbars using a u shaped bolt with two wind nuts on each side (effectively). I don't know if others lock on the bars but should someone want to nick your bike at a service station, they just have to unscrew 6 wing nuts and nick the whole lot.

jairaj

How easy is to take the actual roof bar and feet off the car roof?

Im thinking of getting a roof rack because they look more stable and convenient compared to a boot rack. but wouldn't want to go round with the roof bars on all the time.

Phil_D

jairaj wrote:

How easy is to take the actual roof bar and feet off the car roof?

Im thinking of getting a roof rack because they look more stable and convenient compared to a boot rack. but wouldn't want to go round with the roof bars on all the time.

Of course each different car has different fittings, but it's a quick job. 10 minutes tops.

Have a look at the roofbox company online - roofbox.co.uk. I did a fair bit of research originally and this is an excellent site and probably the best value. I have used them for bars and boxes and racks. Don't automatically go for Thule. Delivery is always fast and reliable. And if you happen to be a member of the Twins and Multiple Births Association, you can have an extra 10% discount.

rippleman

jairaj wrote:

I think thats just the cycle holder, not the actual roof bars and the feet that attach to your car.

i have the bars on the car already as i usually have a ladder on my car.

its the clamping system i am after advice on

diy

Thule 591 pro-ride. I have just come back from a 130 mile drive with 3 of them on my roof. You get a little wind noise, a few less mpg, than a tow bar mount or tail mount, but all the advantages of being able to access the boot. Fits a variety of odd shaped bikes too.