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Roof-rack bike-rack


Matts 300

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Posted

Hallo

 

My mother wants to buy a bike rack for my father and because they normally have a trailer when going on holiday she is thinking of buying a roof rack bike rack. 

 

My first question is, is it easy to load the bike on to the roof? No scraping of the bike against the car or so on?

 

Secondly, what manufacturer to use?

There is two or three options:

  • Holdfast:

I've got one for my car but is one that clips onto the back of the car. Don't know if they make a rooftop model?

 

  • Thule:

Is a bit more expensive fishrax? But i think it is a bit more trusted than fishrax, or i've just not heard of fishrax before. The Thule proride 591 is about R2300.

 

  • Fishrax:

The SB01 Bike rack is the Single roof mounted bike rack we have available which fits onto the FISHRAX 15 Roof rack.

SB01 Price R1200. 

www.fishrax.co.za

 

So there is quite a difference in price, but can you guys please advise on the quality, because as said i've never heard of fishrax before.

 

Kind regards

Posted

I've got the Thule and am very happy with it. On the Fortuner you need a stepladder to load it, but it is easy enough - without scraping the car...

Posted

A bike can be stolen off any rack probably easier than that, so I don't see the point of that video. They great racks and they can be mounted on top of the trailer if you wanted to.

Posted

Perhaps not - 

 

Never mind the dent in your roof from the yobbo climbing on it.

 

I know quite a few people who have driven the bike into an overhead obstruction. Wrecks the bike, the rack and the car. I would never trust myself to have one of these, just too high a risk.

 

Plus your bike is sitting getting buffetted at 120km winds constantly. Behind the car the wind effect is less because of the car aerodynamics.

 

Seriously consider a ride on or hang on rack from the back. Edit: Just saw your trailer requirement. Forget what I said.

Posted

If you have a bakkie, and no canopy, my mate loaded the roof carriers onto the roof racks which were clampped onto his load bin. Makes me jealous everytime I see them.

 

I think the roof rack type racks are excellent, but not for an SUV or bakkie as your height is a massive issue. I have the new Ranger, and just to get up to the roof I would need a ladder, so to load bikes on top of roof racks onto a bakkie would be a serious mission.

 

I would rather find a way to put roof racks onto the trailer then you can mount the racks onto them, much simpler. Only issue you then have is you can only transport your bikes using the trailer.

Posted

Never mind the dent in your roof from the yobbo climbing on it.

 

I know quite a few people who have driven the bike into an overhead obstruction. Wrecks the bike, the rack and the car. I would never trust myself to have one of these, just too high a risk.

 

Plus your bike is sitting getting buffetted at 120km winds constantly. Behind the car the wind effect is less because of the car aerodynamics.

 

Seriously consider a ride on or hang on rack from the back. Edit: Just saw your trailer requirement. Forget what I said.

Agree , I wont go for a roof rack , to much risk .

Posted

A nifty trick for roof-mounted bikes and deadly garages is when you have your bike (or anything) on the roof. Put your garage opener in the glovebox of your car. so when you get home, you remember. magic.

 

As for other things: trees, toll booms, bad aerodynamics. I cannot save you or your bike.

 

put your bike on the trailer? See that all the time.

Posted

A bike can be stolen off any rack probably easier than that, so I don't see the point of that video. They great racks and they can be mounted on top of the trailer if you wanted to.

I have a Trapezium rear rack which fits onto the towbar. It locks onto the towbar and the bike is locked onto the rack. The bike is 100% safe although the wheels could be removed.

Posted

I also remember seeing a fuel economy test a few years ago done at Girotek, they took a Subaru Forester (If memory serves me) and put a bike on the roof and behind the car.

 

Turns out that a roof mounted bike gave worse fuel economy than the rear mounted.

 

I will try and find the test and post it here.

Posted

Thanks for all the replies. We'll look at the bikes on the trailer. The thing with the bikes on the trailer is that you then have to take the trailer with all the time. Which has an effect on the petrol usage. But we'll see

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I'm also looking at getting some racks to mount on my hilux load bin.

 

I would love to get Thule but I need 3 and that's going to cost and kidney and maybe a spleen.

 

Thinking of getting the Fishrax, has anyone used or bought from those guys before?

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