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02-16-2005, 02:50 AM
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#1 |
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the oncoming storm
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: the quiet place
Posts: 3,124
Rep Power: 21587   |
roof rack vs. hitch rack vs. trunk rack
so in preperation for roadtrip / biking trip season, im in need of a source to mount my bike to the ol automobile.
my car: 89 jetta 2door ... the fact its 2 door is important for a roof rack, i have looked and not had much success on finding one that is compatible to my car. generally they have 2 cross members, one front, one rear and they clip into the door jams. the problem is i cant open my back windows and i dont have rear door jams. is it possible to get a roof rack up and running? are there any major advantages to having a roof rack other than those thule boxes to stash all your shit ... (extra trunk) hitch rack. i know i can get a hitch from u-haul and install it on my own time. if i cant mount this up myself i probably shouldnt be driving or riding a bike. what are good that can hold preferably 2- 3 bikes. its not a big deal if they are on the table thing or kind of suspended on bars. the table is better tho, or so i think ... it seems more secure. trunk rack. these suck, i dont really want one because i cant get into my trunk and its a lot of stress on flimsy trunk metal. im kind of leaning to a hitch rack, and possibly run a roof rack at the same time, but i dont know what works and google seemed hopeless. damn hell ass 2 door. .evets
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Eye on the TV 'cause tragedy thrills me Whatever flavor It happens to be like: "Killed by the husband" "Drowned by the ocean" "Shot by his own son" "She used the poison in his tea and kissed him goodbye" That's my kind of story It's no fun til someone dies |
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02-16-2005, 02:52 AM
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#2 |
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O RLY?
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: left-wing alberta.
Posts: 1,225
Rep Power: 6489 |
one word.
thule! i have never in my life seen such a complex rack system with all these crazy attachments and stuff.... its nuts. |
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02-16-2005, 02:55 AM
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#3 |
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Team Shuttlewhore
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: in the fog
Posts: 5,250
Rep Power: 59034 |
steve, we ran a thule system on an old 2 door celica.
call Rack Stop/Attack... i'm pretty sure you can get some "extender bars" that will work with you car... but it will be $$'s as with anything thule. |
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02-16-2005, 03:03 AM
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#4 |
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Dodge City
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Courtenay, BC
Posts: 4,392
Rep Power: 835026 |
Thule has a kit where both the sets of clamps hook in on the front doors but the second rear bar sits on roof alone.. its pretty good but I would use that system mostly for light objects, boxes, skis, boars, road bikes and stuff..
the rear hitches hopefully are strong or you'll be bending it down... rear racks are different leverage than a trailer on the ball but chekc a store like rackattack for all the help you need.
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Play : Comox Valley Mountain Biking - www.cvmtb.com |
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02-16-2005, 03:04 AM
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#5 |
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the oncoming storm
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: the quiet place
Posts: 3,124
Rep Power: 21587 |
holy eff, these things are money ... ok lets try to stay on the cheap(er) end of things. i cant really afford to drop 500 on racks.
__________________
Eye on the TV 'cause tragedy thrills me Whatever flavor It happens to be like: "Killed by the husband" "Drowned by the ocean" "Shot by his own son" "She used the poison in his tea and kissed him goodbye" That's my kind of story It's no fun til someone dies |
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02-16-2005, 03:09 AM
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#6 | |
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Dodge City
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Courtenay, BC
Posts: 4,392
Rep Power: 835026 |
Quote:
cheap rack for cheap stuff.. . if you've got an xc bike you might be ok with a cheaper rack but if you want to carry a big bike around better to get a truck or dish out the cash for something that won't eject at 100km/h
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Play : Comox Valley Mountain Biking - www.cvmtb.com |
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02-16-2005, 03:18 AM
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#7 | |
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the oncoming storm
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: the quiet place
Posts: 3,124
Rep Power: 21587 |
Quote:
whats a good weight capacity?
__________________
Eye on the TV 'cause tragedy thrills me Whatever flavor It happens to be like: "Killed by the husband" "Drowned by the ocean" "Shot by his own son" "She used the poison in his tea and kissed him goodbye" That's my kind of story It's no fun til someone dies Last edited by NooNer; 02-16-2005 at 05:07 AM. |
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02-16-2005, 04:49 AM
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#8 |
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MTB rider
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lethbridge/Calgary
Posts: 2,022
Rep Power: 49 |
I have a 4dr jetta, I went with a yakima set-up with 2 x sportworks racks. Pretty expensive. But I like my bikes the way they are. Yakima also sells the stretch kit.
Oh and if you get a roofrack, you will one day drive under somthing you dont clear because you will not think about it. IT WILL HAPPEN. 
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02-16-2005, 05:04 AM
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#9 | |
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the oncoming storm
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: the quiet place
Posts: 3,124
Rep Power: 21587 |
Quote:
__________________
Eye on the TV 'cause tragedy thrills me Whatever flavor It happens to be like: "Killed by the husband" "Drowned by the ocean" "Shot by his own son" "She used the poison in his tea and kissed him goodbye" That's my kind of story It's no fun til someone dies |
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02-16-2005, 05:10 AM
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#10 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: North Vancouver
Posts: 317
Rep Power: 16793 |
I'd go with the roof rack, if you shell out the bucks for a thule system you can usually move it from car to car with only buying small fit parts.
One of the reasons I chose a roof rack was in case i ever get rearended, I don't want to deal with trying to get ICBC to shell out for a 5K bike. I have yet to attempt to drive under something that i would not fit under.
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it IS possible that you are faster or slower than anybody else who is having at least as much if not more or less fun |
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02-16-2005, 05:13 AM
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#11 |
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Harvester of Loam
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Campbell River
Posts: 2,478
Rep Power: 762705 |
Trunk rack/hitch rack means you bike/s is toast if you get rear ended in traffic. Happened to me in vancouver once. ICBC has a max payout of $1500 or something for bikes, so insurance wont cover a $4000 dually. I feel a lot safer with my bike on the roof when crawling along highway one in bumper to bumper traffic.
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River City Cycle Club - www.rivercitycycle.ca Comox Valley Mountain Biking - www.cvmtb.com |
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02-16-2005, 05:19 AM
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#12 |
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Made in England
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Nelson, BC.
Posts: 1,083
Rep Power: 2292 |
I have a Ford Focus Wagon. I had the same problem in deciding. I was living in Nelson at the time, which has lots of trees, so no roof mounted bikes. I went with a hitch mount in the end.
If you go with a hitch, since a Jetta has similar ground clearance, I'd go with a Yakima Hitch, as they seem to be the only ones with a rounded bar at the bottom. It should make a bit more difference, when you come across some bumps. I have a square bottomed rack and it grounds out on large kerbs and bumps (bike's still ok though).  Since my home contents insurance doesn't fully cover my bikes, they're insured seperately, so I'm not that bothered about some idiot rear-ending me Last edited by Danksi; 02-16-2005 at 05:25 AM. |
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02-16-2005, 05:58 AM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: central B.C.
Posts: 10,981
Rep Power: 6350181 |
everything is a trade off in some way
I got the hitch mounted rack on a TDI golf ,fantastic milage, I can carry 3 bikes pretty safely but a bighit bike with a 8" travel fork will hit ... only 4" clearance and front wheel will drag on driveways and dips in the highway at speed .I am thinking of extending the center pool by 6" at the hitch shop You can get extender bars for roof racks but I wonder about the load capacity with a system that is only being held by 2 clips?Shuttling with roof racks I find to be a real drag, And while I havent hit any clearance probs with a roof rack its something to remember after safteymeetings or even just being really blissed after a ride Ya its expensive but thule lasts |
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02-16-2005, 06:04 AM
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#14 |
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MTB rider
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lethbridge/Calgary
Posts: 2,022
Rep Power: 49 |
I really had no choice with my car. I could hae retro fitted a 2 inch hitch on it. But I did some reasearch and many people said not to. I carry a v10 and an aline on my roof all the time. I am under the weight limit and the sportworks racks are SOLID.
Racks are expensive, it sucks. But its one place where the money is well spent. |
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02-16-2005, 06:44 AM
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#15 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: central B.C.
Posts: 10,981
Rep Power: 6350181 |
The new VW have a BIG rivet under the body molding that the rack harware loops around for a VERY solid fit ...I bet you could pick a >99 golf or jetta u[p off the grounf with the thule rack
It is fucking expensive,I figure between the xtra wide thule bars ,adventurer box,kayak stacker, roof rack for 1 bike,trailer hitch, bar to carry monoqoce frame bikes and hitch rack about 2K , fortunatley some of that came with a used SUV I bought and some was a a tax write off but at 55mpg I have saved ALOT of fuel to pay for making an SUV I can afford to drive.In 4 years bet I saved close to 20K on fuel over the 4-runner I used to drive |
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