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Advice/info on roof rack

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  • 18-11-2015 8:37pm
    #1
    DUBintheSTICKS
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭


    I'm getting a new car in January and as a result getting roof rack to transport the bike.

    My question is - is there any major benefit to the Thule Proride 591 over the Thule Freeride 532?

    The 591 is €99 and the 532 is €50. should I buy two of the 532's or just one 591. The majority of the time I'll only be transporting one bike but if heading to sportive with a mate be good to have the second rack.


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    #2
    JBokeh
    Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭JBokeh


    I've a pair of 591, and previously had the halfords own version, which is similar to the 532, The big advantage of the 591 is how quick it is to get the bike up into it, just fire it up and clamp the arm down on the down tube, the halfords one involved rolling the bike back and forwards to manipulate it in, which can be a mammoth task after a long ride!

    My halfords one got very sloppy around where the bolts went through it, and it wasn't a great fit on the chunky down tube on some MTBs,and I imagine the same on some carbon road bikes though the Thule ones comes very close to the shock linkage on my DH bike, but I usually carry that in a van due to the weight.


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    #3
    mossym
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭mossym


    have the 591 on a set of thule bars on my car, it's been flawless, cant fault it. highly recommend


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    #4
    DUBintheSTICKS
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭DUBintheSTICKS


    I know it's only two replies but go for the 591 is the consensus

    Thanks folks


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    #5
    Jawgap
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,297 ✭✭✭✭Jawgap


    I'll add my endorsement for the 591.


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    #6
    Matt Bianco
    Registered Users Posts: 472 ✭✭Matt Bianco


    591 is excellent - got them in Halfords for buy one get second at 50% which seems to be an offer they run periodically so may be worth holding out to Black Friday/ New Year sales if not in any hurry


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    #7
    Dono1975
    Registered Users Posts: 110 ✭✭Dono1975


    Has anyone used the 561 where the front forks are clamped ?


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    #8
    mirrormatrix
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭mirrormatrix


    DUBintheSTICKS wrote: »
    I'm getting a new car in January and as a result getting roof rack to transport the bike.

    My question is - is there any major benefit to the Thule Proride 591 over the Thule Freeride 532?

    The 591 is €99 and the 532 is €50. should I buy two of the 532's or just one 591. The majority of the time I'll only be transporting one bike but if heading to sportive with a mate be good to have the second rack.

    plus 1 on the 591

    minus a million on the Thule wingbars. God they are crap. If you dont cover the holes when you don't have bikes mounted you can hear them whistling a mile away. Also, they don't provide as good a contact surface for other things, such as surfboards. Really miss my square roof bars..


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    #9
    Bikerbhoy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,093 ✭✭✭Bikerbhoy


    Dono1975 wrote: »
    Has anyone used the 561 where the front forks are clamped ?

    Excellant rack but stopped using them on longer journeys as after a while I realised my fuel consumption significantly increased when in use


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    #10
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    mirrormatrix wrote: »
    plus 1 on the 591

    minus a million on the Thule wingbars. God they are crap. If you dont cover the holes when you don't have bikes mounted you can hear them whistling a mile away. Also, they don't provide as good a contact surface for other things, such as surfboards. Really miss my square roof bars..

    You mean the aero bars? Or is there a third type?


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    #11
    mirrormatrix
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭mirrormatrix


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    You mean the aero bars? Or is there a third type?


    I mean the wingbar. Assume this is what you mean when you say aero bar.

    http://www.thule.com/en/ie/products/carriers-and-racks/roof-racks/racks-load-bars/thule-wingbar-960-_-960100


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    #12
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Ah, I didn't even know they existed, don't think they did when I bought mine. It seems they might have replaced the Aero Bars as they don't seem to be on the Thule website any more.

    I was wondering because the aero bar has a decent bit of surface area for the likes of surf boards, I can see what you mean by the wing bars.

    $T2eC16Z,!zQE9s3stvEIBRS)v9g5Zg~~60_35.JPG


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    #13
    mirrormatrix
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭mirrormatrix


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Ah, I didn't even know they existed, don't think they did when I bought mine. It seems they might have replaced the Aero Bars as they don't seem to be on the Thule website any more.

    I was wondering because the aero bar has a decent bit of surface area for the likes of surf boards, I can see what you mean by the wing bars.

    Ah ok, I see now. They would have been much better! I'd rather functionality over wind resistance any day.


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    #14
    mossym
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭mossym


    i have the wingbars and find them good, no whistling whatsoever, but i take off the bike rack and replace the rubber strips when not transporting the bike for a while. i've never tried anything but the bike on them though


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    #15
    mirrormatrix
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭mirrormatrix


    Yeah, this works. But it's a PITA replacing the rubber strips every time the bike is not in use. Personally, and this is just laziness on my part, I would much rather the increased fuel consumption if it meant not having to change those poxy strips


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    #16
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    The rubber strips are a PITA alright. What I did was cut mine to fit around the bike racks and roof box, so it's like a jig saw filling around them depending on the combination of bike rack, 2 racks, roof box, or box and racks.

    Surely Thule could come up with a better system, like those magnetic strips you get in the seals of fridges to hold the doors closed which can be broken into smaller pieces like lego to make the strips longer or shorter etc.


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    #17
    dave2pvd
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭dave2pvd


    I think the owner's cost of a roof rack is very high. Look at what they'll cost you in fuel economy over, say, 3 years. When I used one, I'd increase consumption by ~10% at motorway speeds. With a roof box, or 2 bikes, it was ~15%.

    I'd recommend looking into a proper wheel-mount hitch rack. The bike(s) sits in the draft and you can't shear it off by driving into a garage. No need to remove wheels. Very easy to load a bike on.


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    #18
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Are those figures based on leaving your racks on all the time? I only know of one person who does that. The costs are negligible in my experience. How much would a hitch cost to buy and get fitted?


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    #19
    dave2pvd
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭dave2pvd


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Are those figures based on leaving your racks on all the time? I only know of one person who does that. The costs are negligible in my experience. How much would a hitch cost to buy and get fitted?

    Yes, leaving the rack on all the time. The car was a Subaru WRX. Pain in the ar$e to unmount/remount the rack, so it got left on a lot of the time.


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    #20
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    My car has built in roof rails so so much easier than you to remove as all I had to do was unclip the bars which was quite easy with the quick release system.


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    #21
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    Are those figures based on leaving your racks on all the time? I only know of one person who does that. The costs are negligible in my experience. How much would a hitch cost to buy and get fitted?

    300-500 from looking about.


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    #22
    mossym
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭mossym


    costs were negligible in my experience as well. had them on May to Sept (the wing bar on for that duration, the bike rack on and off). Removed after my last race in Sept. since then my fuel efficiency has increased by a whopping 1.5%. hours driving every day, 90% motorway @ 120km/hr.


    I had the hitch mount on my old car. prefer the racks. if i pull into a garage/coffee shop i can keep an eye on the bike while inside. no fears of smacking off the ground on a speedbump or rise.

    nothing wrong with the hitch, if you have one i;d use it, but the roofrack is fine too. especially if like me you don't want to put a hitch on your car


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    #23
    dave2pvd
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭dave2pvd


    mossym wrote: »
    costs were negligible in my experience as well. had them on May to Sept (the wing bar on for that duration, the bike rack on and off). Removed after my last race in Sept. since then my fuel efficiency has increased by a whopping 1.5%. hours driving every day, 90% motorway @ 120km/hr.


    I had the hitch mount on my old car. prefer the racks. if i pull into a garage/coffee shop i can keep an eye on the bike while inside. no fears of smacking off the ground on a speedbump or rise.

    nothing wrong with the hitch, if you have one i;d use it, but the roofrack is fine too. especially if like me you don't want to put a hitch on your car

    If you search for info on this, you'll find differing studies. However, the consensus is that you take a considerable hit on fuel economy.

    Here's a well known unbiased source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/07/tests-show-bike-racks-can-ruin-your-mileage/index.htm

    Now maybe your rack is particularly aerodynamic?


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    #24
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    I have a roofbox on my aero bars the whole time and haven't noticed much difference in fuel economy. I have a hitch for the bike. It is much handier to take the bike on and off plus it doesn't get covered in flies. Plus you don't have to worry about barriers.
    The downside is the bike may get hit by other cars when parked up.

    Has anyone got caught at a toll with a bike/roofbox and being charged a van rate? The laser must think you have a van. Always go the cashier at the toll.


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    #25
    JBokeh
    Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭JBokeh


    I have the bike carriers on my pretty cheap rectangular profile thule bars on my passat estate, without the bars it would do 56-58 mpg driven easy (going by the on board display), with the bars only it goes down to about 52-53 but with the bike carrier it then goes back up to 54-56, it is a bit of an anomaly, that I suspect is due to there being only one roof bar getting the wind, the carrier blocks the second one. I worked out that if I commute in that car it adds just under 4 euro a week to my weekly fuel cost, which is the price of an overpriced coffee I no longer buy

    If you cruise down the motorway any faster than 140kmh it starts guzzling fuel, might as well be driving a hummer. I didn't get caught at the tolls, but going to bike park wales with 2 bikes on the roof on the ferry I got put in with all the trucks due to the height of the car. I don't think you'll get under the barriers for the automatic booth at tolls, aren't they 2.2m in height?


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    #26
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    JBokeh wrote:
    I don't think you'll get under the barriers for the automatic booth at tolls, aren't they 2.2m in height?

    No I am talking about the tolls with no cashier at them.


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    #27
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    I've never had issues with the box on it, the correct amount flashes up on the digital display. Is your car heigh enough as it is without the box on?


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    #28
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    I've never had issues with the box on it, the correct amount flashes up on the digital display. Is your car heigh enough as it is without the box on?

    No ordinary car. I got caught at the M6 toll booth. Had my 2.90 put in and ended up having to pay 4 something. I guess the roof box looks like part of the car to the toll system.


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    #29
    12 element
    Registered Users Posts: 718 ✭✭✭12 element


    Tigerandahalf wrote: »
    No ordinary car. I got caught at the M6 toll booth. Had my 2.90 put in and ended up having to pay 4 something. I guess the roof box looks like part of the car to the toll system.

    Pretty sure those things check your registration against the vehicle database to determine your vehicle class. Used to have a Toyota Yaris that showed up as a commercial occasionally, it must have had a similar reg to a van or something.


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    #30
    Tigerandahalf
    Registered Users Posts: 7,811 ✭✭✭Tigerandahalf


    12 element wrote: »
    Pretty sure those things check your registration against the vehicle database to determine your vehicle class. Used to have a Toyota Yaris that showed up as a commercial occasionally, it must have had a similar reg to a van or something.

    It was actually the M4. I never had the issue at tolls before but it is something I will keep an eye on.


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    #31
    mr spuckler
    Registered Users Posts: 3,107 ✭✭✭mr spuckler


    OP, in case you haven't yet bought these I am selling 2 of the 591 racks. could be a handy way to save a few quid :)

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=97900351#post97900351


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