Boot Rack or Roof Rack ?

K2 · 06-08-2004 01:38PM #1

I'm getting a couple of mountain bikes in a few weeks for fooling around on forest tracks. My motor is a saloon so I will need either a boot or roof rack. My preference at the moment is the boot rack, based on price and ease of loading, but does anyone have any experience or opinion on either methods of carrying bikes on a car which might change my mind.

(Apologies if this has come up before but I could not find anything using the search facility)

uberwolf · 06-08-2004 09:18PM

hmmmm,

I reckon the trade off is something like this,

Roof rack - easier mounting, if it's a permanent fixture, otherwise it's prob 6 of 1 half a...

Roof rack - protects bikes from damage, they're securely placed away from the other bikes. But there's a much greater drag factor, it definitely removes from your top speed and adds noticably to your fuel costs.

Rear Mounting - bikes knock off each other, rub constantly - unless you're consistently border line anal re: having padding in place (this is easily done once you figure out the best way to do it. I found pipe lagging/insulation to be v.good at this. A bike shop might be able to sort this out as well though because they come in the boxes with some of it on them ). I have gouges into carbon fibre to testify

- obviously the drag factor is negated though.

I'm not sure how I'd swing TBH.

K2 · 07-08-2004 05:56PM

thanks for the reply uberwolf, I think you are right, its much of a muchness. Price and easy loading will decide, the bikes I'm getting are pretty basic so I'm not too concerned about scrapes and dents.

Raam · 17-08-2004 03:41PM

I bought a boot rack for about 80 euro and I have no problems with it.
It fits 3 bikes and I've never seen any noticable scratches on the bikes after a trip. You just have to be careful to position the bikes so that they don't damage each others derailleurs

KR

Genghis · 18-08-2004 02:00PM

Boot racks were on sale in Aldi a few weeks back €34.99. I personally know of two people who individually managed to pick up one at two different stores as late as last weekend (Thurles and Tullamore). If you are near an Aldi that isn't Parnell St, then I'd give them a shout. In each case there were only 2/3 left in stock, so expect them to be all sold out later this week.

Good quality, too.

ednwireland · 18-08-2004 03:14PM

i remember a bike mag article a few years ago where the drove a hatchback along a cobbled street at 20mph with 3 bikes on a boot rack and it pulled the hatch off which is why i always use a thule roof rack (lockable )with lockable bike carriers (locks just paranoia on my part but when you've shelled 300 yoyo on racks ad carriers i'd hate someone to nick them and then theres the bikes !
personally wouldn't use a boot rack. you can take roof rack off as quickly as a boot rack in my experience.

dandare · 18-08-2004 03:33PM

I use a boot carrier -> usually for one light weight.
I keep my eye on it but I can drive as normal.
Last weekend I had two on it and was not at all confident driving with it.
It wobbled quite a bit more -> even though I has it secured as well as I usually do.
I was put off a roof rack as I would be afraid I would pull into a car park -> under one of the height restriction barriers and open the car like a tin of beans. I have also witnessed a bike not secured properly comming of a roof rack and the following traffic smashing it up -> true story!

So Im no nearer to awnsering ur question. The boot carriers are fine for me for 1 lightweight (approx 10kgs). I dont think you could be confident of their 45kg limit -> and I wouldnt dream of carrying 3 bikes.

Ideal solution -> large estate car of people carrier -> keep the bikes inside!

Raam · 19-08-2004 08:30AM

dandare wrote:

The boot carriers are fine for me for 1 lightweight (approx 10kgs). I dont think you could be confident of their 45kg limit -> and I wouldnt dream of carrying 3 bikes.

have you had a bad experience with the boot racks?
When I'm using my one I constantly check the mirrors, but like I said, I've used it with three bikes on it and it does the job no bother. The rack I have has six separate hooks to attach to the car (two for the top, two for the bottom and two for either side), so if you tighten them correctly you should be ok. The arms on the rack have a slight tilt at the very end to stop the bikes slipping off, and it has a rubber coating on it to keep the bikes in place. Finally, it came with some loose 'ties' to secure the bikes to the rack.

I have never used a roof rack, so I can't comment on them but I think a boot rack is fine!

KR

dandare · 19-08-2004 06:51PM

Ive not had a bike fall off or anything like that, but as I said I dont feal very confident driving with more than 1 bike at a time. Mabey because thats all Im used to.
Your rack sounds like its the same as mine with its hooks etc. I find that no matter how tight u pull the straps the bike always has a bit of play also.

sarenka · 18-05-2011 11:07AM

is there anything that could be put inside car/van to lock the bikes in secure position while driving?
We have a small van and boot/back rack is not an option as we would have to loose the door. Roof rack is just very expensive as we would have to buy 2 and install roof bars.
The best idea seems to be keeping bikes inside but don't want them to move around too much.
Any advice?

ednwireland · 18-05-2011 11:16AM

http://www.bikeinside.de/en/

sarenka · 18-05-2011 11:23AM

Thanks endwireland.
That's extreme! Great stuff for real fanatics! :-)

I'm after sensible (not so expensive) solution to putting bikes as they are (both wheels on) inside to van and just ensuring they don't wobble and fall around...

Peterx · 18-05-2011 11:36AM

If you have a towbar the towbar mounted bike racks are rock solid. I had a strappy boot rack before but it was a constant worry watching it bounce about in the rear view mirror.

The peace of mind with the towbar mounted one is nearly worth the price of geting a towbar fitted!

the pendle one I have http://www.pendle-bike.co.uk/shopping/towbar-racks.php is very neat when not in use, the two bars the bikes sit on lie flat in the boot. Thule and others have fancier ones which take up much more space in the boot but have the advantage of keeping the 3 bikes apart.

+1 on the pipe lagging for keeping the forks ungouged. Regrigeration lagging is denser than waterpipe lagging too.

The roof ones are cool and great until you drive into a barrier or low rise carpark. bang!

sarenka · 18-05-2011 11:50AM

Thanks Peterx
Will check out this option, sounds interesting.

cython · 18-05-2011 11:55AM

If you just want to put the bikes inside a van, then you could probably get a lot of mileage out of some bungee cords, and maybe a sheet or 2 of decently thick foam padding, or even something like an old duvet? Assuming, of course, that you have something in the cargo area of the van to lash the cords too? A group of friends of mine have used the same strategy for small and large numbers of bikes in the past, including bringing a load of bikes to France by ferry, so it is well doable.

sarenka · 18-05-2011 12:02PM

Thanks Cython.

I was actually thinking of an old think blanket covered with plastic cover (to keep van relatively clean) and two heavy but small bike stands (catching front or back wheel to support from falling over) and bungee cords.
I'm probably a bad researcher as i can't find bike stands I'm after...

I just had a look at tow bar racks, but they all are seem to be design to go outside the car/van.
We really want to keep bikes INSIDE the van.

smacl · 18-05-2011 12:04PM

dandare wrote: »

So Im no nearer to awnsering ur question. The boot carriers are fine for me for 1 lightweight (approx 10kgs). I dont think you could be confident of their 45kg limit -> and I wouldnt dream of carrying 3 bikes.

We regularly carry 4 bikes around on one of these racks. Had some scraped paint on one of the bikes and the boot of the car, you have to watch where the pedals are pointing to avoid the latter. The trick seems to be getting the bikes very close together and tied up tight so there is no movement whatsoever. You also need to tighten the straps after the bikes are on, as the load causes weight re-distribution.

If I had a car with a tow bar, I'd most likely go for one of these.

langdang · 18-05-2011 12:18PM

For those interested in carrying bikes inside a van/mpv/4x4 you could try the PVC diy approach

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/TruckbedBikeRack.htm

ednwirelands link looks very promising too. Some people knock up a DIY version of that with some 2x4, dunno where they get the bits to bolt the forks to tho...

Just bought a new (to me) bike carrying wagon, can't wait to try getting the bikes in..

lennymc · 18-05-2011 12:23PM

My bcw (bike carrying wagon) is an oul hatchback with the seats down. COmfortably carries 1 bike, however, I will need to carry 2 bikes soon, so am going for the roof mounted ones. I have the boot mounted racks but they allways seem to scrape something (car or bike) so I dont really like using them. The towbar and rack option is just too expensive for me at the moment, so i think the roof is the best way for me to go. I just need to watch out for low bridges :eek:

ednwireland · 18-05-2011 12:33PM

langdang wrote: »

For those interested in carrying bikes inside a van/mpv/4x4 you could try the PVC diy approach

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/TruckbedBikeRack.htm

ednwirelands link looks very promising too. Some people knock up a DIY version of that with some 2x4, dunno where they get the bits to bolt the forks to tho...

Just bought a new (to me) bike carrying wagon, can't wait to try getting the bikes in..

2x4 and a couple of these then

delta%20hitch%20pro.jpg

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/delta-hitch-pro-fork-mount/

langdang · 18-05-2011 12:40PM

ednwireland wrote: »

2x4 and a couple of these then

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/delta-hitch-pro-fork-mount/

thanks for the link, some price for what they are tho, aren't they?
How much PVC pipe could I buy for 40yoyo I wonder? If I can get the bikes in upright with front wheels on then I'm definitely gonna try the PVC rack...

ednwireland · 18-05-2011 12:55PM

langdang wrote: »

thanks for the link, some price for what they are tho, aren't they?
How much PVC pipe could I buy for 40yoyo I wonder? If I can get the bikes in upright with front wheels on then I'm definitely gonna try the PVC rack...

god you cant please some people get an old axle and skewer and make your own then

langdang · 18-05-2011 12:57PM

Recession recession lad;):D

manwithaplan · 18-05-2011 01:11PM

I have bars on the roof of my car but, on long family trips, they are usually fully occupied with a large roof box. I use a boot-mounted rack for those longer trips - six strap model - I find it secure and it does the job well. The problem is that it's slow enough to fit, load and tie everything up and it stops the kids being able to hop into the back seats (it's an MPV) so I can't leave it on. There's no way I would use it to carry bikes regularly.

I can flatten my rear seats and a number of bikes fit comfortably inside so that's my solution for heading to races etc when I don't have to carry any more than one passenger. If I didn't have that option, I would definitely go with the roof-mounted rack for regular use.

ThisRegard · 18-05-2011 01:25PM

I have a quarter width roof box and two roof bike carriers, although I haven't tried yet I reckon I'd get all 3 on the roof.

Remembering low bars is an issue though, you even have to avoid express lanes on toll roads.

cdaly_ · 18-05-2011 03:00PM

sarenka wrote: »

Thanks Cython.

I was actually thinking of an old think blanket covered with plastic cover (to keep van relatively clean) and two heavy but small bike stands (catching front or back wheel to support from falling over) and bungee cords.
I'm probably a bad researcher as i can't find bike stands I'm after...

Don't use stands that hold the wheel for transporting a bike. The wheels will end up subject to forces that they're not built for and you'll end up with buckles. Support the frame in some fashion instead.

sarenka · 18-05-2011 03:04PM

cdaly_ wrote: »

Don't use stands that hold the wheel for transporting a bike. The wheels will end up subject to forces that they're not built for and you'll end up with buckles. Support the frame in some fashion instead.

Never crossed my mind so thanks for pointing it out!

Lumen · 18-05-2011 03:17PM

cdaly_ wrote: »

Don't use stands that hold the wheel for transporting a bike. The wheels will end up subject to forces that they're not built for and you'll end up with buckles. Support the frame in some fashion instead.

Several types of high quality roof rack support the bike only by the wheels. I'm not convinced it's a bad idea; unloaded bikes are light and the forces are small.

I dislike boot racks intensely. They are terrible with deep section wheels and unusable with a disc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4wNQzqrbhs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHZCUXiqRA

barrabus · 18-05-2011 07:18PM

i have a tow bar rack and love it . It is unbelievably convenient on and off in two seconds, really handy picking people up avec velo.. rock solid.
I also have roof system, would really only use for trip to france or something. had a bad moment on a rainy day once when every thing was going wrong a few years ago, beware height restrictions!

@Lumen I dont get your intensity?

Lumen · 18-05-2011 07:25PM

Tow bar rack is a load less hassle than boot rack, but isn't there still the issue of bikes knocking together against each other and the rack structure?

barrabus · 18-05-2011 07:32PM

Lumen wrote: »

Tow bar rack is a load less hassle than boot rack, but isn't there still the issue of bikes knocking together against each other and the rack structure?

not on my one, there is a rubber U shaped things on the bar and you sit the cross into it..so no knocking..
also less noisy driving.

Boot Rack or Roof Rack ?

Comments