Bikes on the roof

fryup

Nevermind L drivers, I always give a wide berth to people with bikes on the roof esp on motorways...I always make sure to overtake them, feel nervous travelling behind them.

Surely they can't be safe with cross winds, low barriers etc

CiniO

fryup wrote: »

Nevermind L drivers, I always give a wide berth to people with bikes on the roof esp on motorways...I always make sure to overtake them, feel nervous travelling behind them.

Surely they can't be safe with cross winds, low barriers etc

Give me your reg. no so if i see you while I'm traveling with my bike on the roof, I'll give you way.

ThisRegard

What a dumb post. I travel with bikes on the roof and somehow I've managed to avoid being blown over onto my side with all the hurricane force winds and massive sail like objects I have on the roof. How much an affect do you think wind will have on a bike on a roof ?

And unless you're travelling too close behind someone who does forget they have bikes on the roof and goes through a low barrier it's of no consequence to you. You should worry about your own driving if you feel nervous around people like me.

paddydriver

Hopefully that was your passenger taking the picture... I would be more worried about lunatics taking pics as they pass me out on a wet road with only ditches to either side:eek:

fryup

ThisRegard wrote: »

And unless you're travelling too close behind someone who does forget they have bikes on the roof and goes through a low barrier it's of no consequence to you. You should worry about your own driving if you feel nervous around people like me.

:rolleyes: jayus man don't take it so personally..just having a discussion thats all

paddydriver wrote: »

Hopefully that was your passenger taking the picture... I would be more worried about lunatics taking pics as they pass me out on a wet road with only ditches to either side:eek:

its from the web

TestTransmission

paddydriver wrote: »

Hopefully that was your passenger taking the picture...

lol

I don't think it was somehow

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/new%20main/bikemain/832-bikes-on-the-roof.jpg

ThisRegard

You're the one that implied you'd give me, and others who carry bikes on the roof of a car, a wider berth than a learner driver :rolleyes:

si_guru

fryup wrote: »

Nevermind L drivers, I always give a wide berth to people with bikes on the roof esp on motorways...I always make sure to overtake them, feel nervous travelling behind them.

Surely they can't be safe with cross winds, low barriers etc

The drag of the bike is tiny.. now in crosswinds it is campers you need to keep away from.

philstar

ThisRegard wrote: »

And unless you're travelling too close behind someone who does forget they have bikes on the roof and goes through a low barrier it's of no consequence to you. You should worry about your own driving if you feel nervous around people like me.

well its a consequence to whoever is travelling behind:cool: and you don't have to be travelling too close to be hit

i think the OP has a point what if the driver doesn't attach the bikes properly to the roof or the rack...i'm also wary of them

Absurdum

The roof ones are a hell of a lot safer than the boot-mounted ones you get in Argos etc.

Ardennes1944

maybe the OP should just avoid driving altogether?

ThisRegard

philstar wrote: »

and you don't have to be travelling too close to be hit

You sort of do.

I don't think this is an endemic problem on Irish roads so there's little to be worrying about.

philstar

ThisRegard wrote: »

You sort of do.

oh ya, and how would you know what would and would not pan out if a bike came off a car on a busy motorway:cool:

ThisRegard

ThisRegard wrote: »

and goes through a low barrier it's of no consequence to you.

Just to refresh your memory on what we're talking about.

pajo1981

Sounds like someone's got an active worrier gene.

OP, chill the F out.

Watch some Spike Lee movies, and observe how the characters go about their day to day... do you think they would become nervous on approaching a car loaded with bikes? You bet your black ass they wouldn't.

ThisRegard

A guy in the cycling forum posted pics of his bike after it came off a rack, can't remember if it was roof or rear mounted though. And I do know of someone else who had a bike fall off their rear mounted carrier. But stuff falls off trucks and vans all the time too.

Stevie Dakota

si_guru wrote: »

The drag of the bike is tiny..

Not true, a boot rack with a bike will reduce fuel efficiency by about 30% at motorway speeds, I imagine a roof mounted one is even worse.

comanche_cor

ThisRegard wrote: »

A guy in the cycling forum posted pics of his bike after it came off a rack, can't remember if it was roof or rear mounted though. And I do know of someone else who had a bike fall off their rear mounted carrier. But stuff falls off trucks and vans all the time too.

I carry kayaks on my roof rack. I am constantly worried about them coming off, roof straps do loosen over time. Have to stop and check them regularly.

Bikes are typically safe but things do happen, straps loosen, roof racks fail... its not unwise to give people with gear on the roof a wide berth.

fryup

pajo1981 wrote: »

Sounds like someone's got an active worrier gene.

OP, chill the F out.

:pi'm chilled....no harm in being wary of potential hazards

LIGHTNING wrote: »

A friend of mines bike racks failed a couple of months ago on the N7 and spilled his two bikes on the road. Caused quite a panic for the people behind him!

ThisRegard wrote: »

A guy in the cycling forum posted pics of his bike after it came off a rack, can't remember if it was roof or rear mounted though. And I do know of someone else who had a bike fall off their rear mounted carrier. But stuff falls off trucks and vans all the time too.

^^^^^^^^^

you see:cool: sh!t happens

Cookie_Monster

fryup wrote: »

you see:cool: sh!t happens

yeah, it does, but probably no more chance of that than getting a blowout. You should keep you distance from your tyres, never know when one will go off :pac:

cython

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Not true, a boot rack with a bike will reduce fuel efficiency by about 30% at motorway speeds, I imagine a roof mounted one is even worse.

You'd be surprised. Just like cars, bikes (at least road ones) are designed to have a somewhat aerodynamic profile to the front of them, so the disturbance presented by the side on bikes mounted on rear racks may in fact be less than that of forward facing bikes on a roof rack.

keithclancy

Seen Hundreds of them here, theres more Bicycles than People in the Netherlands.

Never seen one fall off.

MugMugs

fryup wrote: »

Nevermind L drivers, I always give a wide berth to people with bikes on the roof esp on motorways...I always make sure to overtake them, feel nervous travelling behind them.

Surely they can't be safe with cross winds, low barriers etc

I drove from Dundalk to Achill and back with three kayaks on the roof and paddles too over the weekend.

I dont think I could have made them any safer and they were still AS secure when I got to the Island than when I left the slum. Why would bikes tied to a roof be any worse if they are tied properly.

Sod the Insurance claim, I am more concerned about making sure my lovely bike gets there safe and sound when I am putting mine up !

OldmanMondeo

comanche_cor wrote: »

I carry kayaks on my roof rack. I am constantly worried about them coming off, roof straps do loosen over time. Have to stop and check them regularly.

Your not tieing them on properly. I have been putting boats up about 15 years now and never had one come loose.

As far as bikes are concerned, they are less likely to come off than a kayak, their is less parts for the wind to catch and more places to tie it down with.

I doubt a car will topple over due to sporting equipment on the roof.

paddydriver

Boards is great... it always amazes me how a thread can grow legs all of a sudden!

Not wanting to go off topic, but did anyone see the X-wing Starfighters buzz down the M50 today; came fierce close to a few bikes on roof racks! I backed off mega quick:D:D

MugMugs

paddydriver wrote: »

Boards is great... it always amazes me how a thread can grow legs all of a sudden!

Not wanting to go off topic, but did anyone see the X-wing Starfighters buzz down the M50 today; came fierce close to a few bikes on roof racks! I backed off mega quick:D:D

No but I got rear ended by a Tie Fighter giving chase ! He didn't stop ! Got his reg though, "Vader 1"

-Corkie-

ThisRegard wrote: »

A guy in the cycling forum posted pics of his bike after it came off a rack, can't remember if it was roof or rear mounted though. And I do know of someone else who had a bike fall off their rear mounted carrier. But stuff falls off trucks and vans all the time too.

I was on the M6 about 6 years ago heading to London. The car transporter in front of me lost a car of the rear bottom deck. I nearly crapped myself...

cyclopath2001

keithclancy wrote: »

Seen Hundreds of them here, theres more Bicycles than People in the Netherlands.

Never seen one fall off.

Except when someone drives into a car park with a height restriction boom...

keithclancy

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Except when someone drives into a car park with a height restriction boom...

Ugghh, they don't really have those here, people don't generally stay with Caravans long term in Car Parks.

mcwhirter

fryup wrote: »

Nevermind L drivers, I always give a wide berth to people with bikes on the roof esp on motorways...I always make sure to overtake them, feel nervous travelling behind them.

Surely they can't be safe with cross winds, low barriers etc

I have travelled with bikes attached the the rear of car and also with bikes on the roof.

They are much more secure on roof and also more aerodynamic, on my car anyhow.