Aero roofbars - rubber strips?

adrenalinemunki
adrenalinemunki Posts: 213
edited September 2011 in MTB general
I'm curious guys, do you just attach the bike carriers with the "T" connections then leave the channel open to the elements or do you cut down the rubber strips?

I've got Atera bars with Thule 591s... Not that that makes a difference...
My 2011 Rockhopper Comp

Comments

  • 99thmonkey
    99thmonkey Posts: 667
    I used the other set of standard fit ones with my Thule Aero bars so save cutting them
  • quattrojames
    quattrojames Posts: 157
    I cut mine down. It's not a huge issue as the carrier stays fixed to the bars all the time and I lift the whole lot off as one. I might get a replacement pair of strips one day, just in case.
    2011 Cannondale Trail SL 29er HERE
  • Briggo
    Briggo Posts: 3,537
    Leave it open to the elements, its only a big lump of metal, it can take it.
  • aidso
    aidso Posts: 493
    I leave mine open to the elements although this is something I have never really considered. I thought the strips were to fill in the channels when you DONT have the carriers attached.
  • j4mesj4mes
    j4mesj4mes Posts: 138
    I put the strips in when not in use. Helps with aerodynamics and cuts out the drag noise when driving.
  • neilrosser
    neilrosser Posts: 236
    Cut n fit :D

    Neil
    Trek Fuel EX8
  • thelonegroover
    thelonegroover Posts: 1,073
    j4mesj4mes wrote:
    I put the strips in when not in use. Helps with aerodynamics and cuts out the drag noise when driving.

    Wouldn't it be even more efficient if you took them off altogether?
    Planet X Kaffenback 2
    Giant Trance X2
    Genesis High Latitude 2x10
    Planet X n2a
    Genesis Core 20
  • aidso
    aidso Posts: 493
    Thelonegroover wrote:
    j4mesj4mes wrote:
    I put the strips in when not in use. Helps with aerodynamics and cuts out the drag noise when driving.

    Wouldn't it be even more efficient if you took them off altogether?

    Aye but how often do you do this? I bought my car last year and it took me ~2 hours to fit the rails and the carriers. The carriers sometimes come off, but the rails never do!
  • adrenalinemunki
    adrenalinemunki Posts: 213
    aidso wrote:
    Thelonegroover wrote:
    j4mesj4mes wrote:
    I put the strips in when not in use. Helps with aerodynamics and cuts out the drag noise when driving.

    Wouldn't it be even more efficient if you took them off altogether?

    Aye but how often do you do this? I bought my car last year and it took me ~2 hours to fit the rails and the carriers. The carriers sometimes come off, but the rails never do!
    2 hours :shock:

    My Atera bars took a bit longer than I'd have thought since you can set them up perfectly for the car using the allen key bits, but after that its a 10 second perfect-fit job :) - still only took 10 minutes tho...
    My 2011 Rockhopper Comp
  • thelonegroover
    thelonegroover Posts: 1,073
    I leave the bike racks on the roof bars and I take the whole lot off in one go. It take less than 5 mins.
    Planet X Kaffenback 2
    Giant Trance X2
    Genesis High Latitude 2x10
    Planet X n2a
    Genesis Core 20
  • j4mesj4mes
    j4mesj4mes Posts: 138
    Yeah the instructions and the actual fit of my car did not match up. So it probably did take an hour or so to get it to fit correctly.

    Its a faff to take the roof bars on and on but I do remove the cycle carrier, which is a 30 sec job.
  • Beanhead Bucko
    Beanhead Bucko Posts: 98
    My aero bars and single 591 bike rack stay on the car all the time, it gets used at least once a week.

    I have trimmed the rubber strips to fit, just cut out a few inches to allow the gap for the 591
    2011 Lapierre Zesty 314

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