"Roof racks are great, you don?t have bikes in back where someone can bang into them and they aren?t obstructing your rear view. There are disadvantages you need to remember when using them. This is what I do to help myself remember I have bikes on top of the car. Buy a pack of stickies. Those note pads that have an adhesive edge to stick on a page. Write, ?Bikes on top? and put the sticker on the windshield where you can see it when you transport bikes. They make a gadget that when the car stops a sign comes down to warn you that there are bikes on the roof. Whatever method you use to remind yourself, do so and avoid being one of those people who forgot they had bikes on the roof of the vehicle and drove into a carport or garage, causing serious damage to the bikes, car and building. It comes in handy too when you pull into a fast food place to order from the car. Some don?t have the clearance for bikes on the roof of a vehicle. Make sure you can clear before going under any overhang. If you put wheels in their carriers, they?ll spin while driving. A bungee cord placed through the spokes will stop that. The most common error with placing bikes on a rack is to over tighten the quick release that holds the front fork. It only needs to be snug when the handle is engaged. Tighten the quick release enough to pull the lever back without forcing it to do so. If you bend the arm, the quick release won?t hold and you?ll have to replace it. No matter how careful you are, there will be some nicks in the paint on your car over time. The worse possible thing is that you over tighten the clamps and damage the roof. Remember, just enough to hold it secure, more in this case is not better but expensive repairs."
