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Roof Racks and Bikes with 20mm Forks

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
I'm going to pull the trigger in the next week or so and buy a roof rack for my Civic. My only hesitation is whether to go with two High Rollers



or two sprocket rockets with 20mm "fork up" adapters



Advantages to the high rollers
-no front wheel removal/faster loads and unloads
-can accept any type of bike/axle/fork
-built in locks

Disadvantages
-bikes are more prone to sway (especially heavy DH bikes)
-Larger Frontal area of the bikes = more drag/lower MPGs?
-lower MPGs without a bike (not sure about this one)

Advantages to Sprocket rocket
-more secure mounting system, especially under spirited driving
-possibly better MPGs both with and without bikes

Disadvantages
-have to remove front wheel = longer load/unload times
-have to put wheels inside the car
-can't use the locks when using the fork ups


The majority of the time I would be transporting my trail bike which has a 20mm maxle but I also have a DH bike and over the summer could be traveling 3-5 hours with 2 DH bikes on the roof.

Looking for some advice/personal experiences.

Thanks!
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Remove wheel=PITA.

I vote hitch rack. Not helpful for you, but I've got one on my WRX and "spirited driving" is much less worrisome. Watching the bikes wobble through the sunroof was too unnerving.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
Remove wheel=PITA.

I vote hitch rack. Not helpful for you, but I've got one on my WRX and "spirited driving" is much less worrisome. Watching the bikes wobble through the sunroof was too unnerving.
Removing the front wheel is a PITA, I've been doing that for the past year with my XC bike and stuffing it inside my car. To transport my DH bike I have to remove both wheels :eek:

Unfortunately for a few reason a hitch isn't going to work. My car sits too low to the ground and I also live in downtown Baltimore and have to parallel park every day. So coming back from a ride I would always have to double park, unload the bike, run it inside, fold up/remove the rack, then go find a parking spot. Then I would have to do the reverse whenever loading up the car.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
I really like the slim edition as it will should be less drag when you drive around without the bike. I have the RS maxel QR on my boxxer so taking fron tire off takes no time (I currently have the bike inside the car).
 

skatetokil

Turbo Monkey
Jan 2, 2005
2,383
-1
DC/Bluemont VA
I have yakima king cobras on my bimmer. It handles twisty mountain roads with a dh bike just fine. May sway a bit, but it's not going anywhere. Also nice cause it locks.
 

Scrub

Turbo Monkey
Feb 4, 2003
1,453
119
NOR CAL, Sac/CoCo County
The King Cobra style rack would be the way to go in my opinion and experience. Its simple that you dont have to remove the wheel, forget to tighten the wheel or even worse forget the dang wheel when its removed. You're gonna be driving a Honda, how much MPG do you really think that you'd be losing? Not much with or w/o a bike on there. They are very stable with little sway issues just as you would w/o the wheel.
 

w00dy

In heaven there is no beer
Jun 18, 2004
3,417
51
that's why we drink it here
I did a downtube grabber rack on the roof of a civic for a couple years. The mileage dropped about 7mpg with the bikes on, and about 2 just from the rack. It was such a pain to take on and off that I just left it on most of the year. This was also because I had nowhere to store the massive thing.

I had a golf for a year that was worthless so I welded a hitch-style rack to it. That was phenomenal. Easy mounting, negligible mileage drop, and I just tilted it vertical to store it. I overloaded it a couple of times, and the car started blowing through rear wheel bearings. I think i bent the rear spindles.

I've got another civic now and I'm not going to bother with the roof rack. I picked up a saris bones, and I can fit that in my car along with one bike. If I need to take a friend or two I can just break that out. Much less hassle. If you mostly carry yourself around that's the way I'd go. You can get one of those and a good cable lock and still be under $100.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
I used the King Cobra for years - another version of the High Roller? Worked just fine w/ 2 DH bikes on the roof. No issues whatsoever.

Had to finally switch to a hitch rack after almost getting knocked off the edge of a cliff (post DH race & being wiped out, bike dropped on my head in upper Platty lot cliff side...that was scary for a second or two). Plus a hitch rack will save mileage - less wind resistance.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
You're gonna be driving a Honda, how much MPG do you really think that you'd be losing? Not much with or w/o a bike on there. They are very stable with little sway issues just as you would w/o the wheel.
You're gonna lose a lot more mileage with a Civic with very low torque numbers than you would with say a fullsize truck with very high torque numbers (comparitively).

I've lost as much as 10 mpg's out of my grand prix with my bike mounted in my king cobra, and another bike mounted in a fork mounted set up. My gf's grand cherokee on the other hand loses about 1-2 mpg with the same set up.

I really don't like how much my king cobra sways, with bigger/fatter tires it sways less, with skinnier/smaller tires it sways more.

It is WAY less hassle to use the king cobra than it is to use the fork mounts, even with out the adapter, add in the adapter and its even more of a pain.

I parralell park my crew cab long bed f350, no reason you couldn't parallel park your civic with a hitch rack.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
I used the King Cobra for years - another version of the High Roller? Worked just fine w/ 2 DH bikes on the roof. No issues whatsoever.

.
the high roller replaced the king cobra, the high roller is a little nicer than the king cobra, but a few $$ more.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
I parralell park my crew cab long bed f350, no reason you couldn't parallel park your civic with a hitch rack.
Parallel parking isn't the hard part, I can parallel park any size car. It's the simple fact that all the available spots normally aren't big enough to accommodate a hitch rack. I would say 90% of the spots I park in couldn't fit the addition of a hitch rack. My Si also sits about 1.75" lower than stock because of the coilovers so a hitch would scrape everything.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
Most cabs in Denmark use this simple hitch mounted rack which holds two bikes. What is nice about it that its easy to take off and put in the trunk. This would actually be something I would like so I don't have to drive around with it all the time. Anybody seen anything like that in the US? It only cost something like $60 but is very sturdy.



Have to agree now that roof mounted is crap especially with heavy DH bikes besides the mileage issues.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
Parallel parking isn't the hard part, I can parallel park any size car. It's the simple fact that all the available spots normally aren't big enough to accommodate a hitch rack. I would say 90% of the spots I park in couldn't fit the addition of a hitch rack. My Si also sits about 1.75" lower than stock because of the coilovers so a hitch would scrape everything.
I wasn't referring to being able to parrallel park due to driver skill, I was referring to parking spot size. I do take up every single inch of my spot when I do have to parallel park. I still can't imagine a hitch rack making your civic any larger than say minivan, or suv, but even still I do see the added difficulties in it. Espescially sitting lower, even at stock height I don't think I'd want a hitch mounted rack on my grand prix.

Do you drive more highway or city? If city than the high rollers won't make as big of a dent in your mileage. If it's highway you will certainly notice it more. Overall I think the tradeoffs of the high roller is worth it over the fork mounts IF you ride often, if you only ride here and there then taking the tire off isnt as annoying.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
Do you drive more highway or city? If city than the high rollers won't make as big of a dent in your mileage. If it's highway you will certainly notice it more. Overall I think the tradeoffs of the high roller is worth it over the fork mounts IF you ride often, if you only ride here and there then taking the tire off isnt as annoying.
I would say my driving is 80% highway. As far as riding goes, during peak times of the year I'll ride XC 2-3 times a week easily. The DH bike usually makes an appearance 2 times a month.

My current baseline is lugging the bike(s) in and out of the interior of my car so the idea of the fork mount at least sounds like an improvement over that. But I have owned a set of High Rollers before so I do know the ease and convience of them.

Previous car:

 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
2-3 times a week riding I vote highroller, but then the 2-3 mpg loss with out bikes comes into effect. Though, in all reality, I dunno that my king cobra killed me "that" much more than two standard trays had.

I probably average about the same (days riding), during the work week I hate the inconvenience of taking things apart. During a weekend trip I do not mind taking things apart to pack up.
 

C.P.

Monkey
Jan 18, 2004
547
8
SouthEastern Massachusetts
Another idea to investigate...
I dont know anything about the seasucker racks for automotive applications, but they have work really well in Marine applications; they hold a ton of windsurfing gear on a buddy's boat, and weve pounded all kinds of surf, with no problems.

So, if I had a car that had the unique requirement of being a lightly modded daily driver and something that needed to haul DH rigs occationally, I would check them out - they are easy to install and remove. Your only issue would be leaving the car un-attended with bikes on board (no way to lock securely) which I personally avoid...for good reason.

IMO, the best thing about the seasucker rack, is that they can be mounted anywhere on the vehicle, whereas a thule or yakima will only mount in certain spots. 'Course I would likely mod a seasucker so I could install a highroller...
 

Craw

Monkey
Mar 17, 2002
715
-1
I just bought a yakima roof system with a high roller bike mount. Haven't put it on yet. Maybe this weekend.

I'll report back if my bike flies off or if any sway issues roll my car over.
 

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
I've been rocking the king cobra for several years on the Audi. They are about as sturdy as you can get with Yakima (looks like the high roller is the new version).

Speaking of...I guess you decided not to get an S4? Probably a wise move.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
The high roller looks like a great rack, and I used to have King Cobras which were also pretty damn good. Hitch racks are just easier to load, and better for teh drivin'.

I parallel park all the time with my hitch rack. I've got the Thule T2 hitch and it folds up. It probably adds about 18" to the length of the car in the upright position. It also locks to the car, as well as provides bike locking capability. (Albeit not all that hard to bust through for a motivated thief)


Also, if you have a sunroof, it kinda sucks to have the roof rack in the way. And roof racks make noise...

Hitch rack all the way.

EDIT:
Posted the wrong bike earlier....
 
Last edited:

Gex

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2004
1,112
0
Seattle
Hey peach how much of a pain was it to put a hitch on your wrx? I'm assuming you went with 1-1/4". I'm getting a WRX in January and am debating on roof vs hitch. I'd prefer a hitch but I'm not sure how easy/cost effective it is to mount up.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Removing wheels is a pain in the butt and leaves you with less room in your car.

I occasionally end up with four DH bikes on my roof and have never had a problem with too much "swaying". I've got the old sportworks racks, pretty much the same as Thule. I just don't see any real advantage to the sort of rack that requires removing your wheel. Plus, next time axle standards change you'll need an adapter that may or may not be available.

For me the bigger question is roof vs. hitch mount. Hitch is easier, less drag, and no chance of driving your bikes into a parking garage. It's true that they take up a little more room though, and can create issues with access to your trunk.

So basically get whatever, enjoy it, and be happy that we live in a world where this is the sort of thing we have time to debate.
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
Hey peach how much of a pain was it to put a hitch on your wrx? I'm assuming you went with 1-1/4". I'm getting a WRX in January and am debating on roof vs hitch. I'd prefer a hitch but I'm not sure how easy/cost effective it is to mount up.
Not a pain at all, of course, I had it installed for me. I just did some comparative shopping at the local trailer hitch places and got a price match. Pretty sure it cost me about $250CAN installed.

I think they had to unbolt and lower the exhaust out of the way and drill a couple holes in the frame. Bolt everything back up and I was rollin' that afternoon. It is indeed the 1-1/4"
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
I use a roof rack on my Audi allroad with 3 Thule Sidearm upright bike trays. I used to have a Saris roof rack on my old car with fork mount trays, but once I started carrying bikes with 20mm axles it became to much of a pain to use the ForkUp adapters all the time. The wheels on rack is definitely quick and easy to use and the Sidearm is very stable for spirited driving.

A roof rack of any type will hurt your fuel economy some. It will make more a difference on a Civic then on a heavy gas guzzler like my Audi. If I am only traveling with 2 bikes and 2 people, then I just put the bikes inside and remove the rack for better security, stability, and improved fuel economy.

Some hitch racks are fairly stable (ex. Thule T2) but others are more wobbly than roof racks (ex. Yakima Holdup). The main advantage of hitch mounted is easier to load bikes, and less impact on fuel economy. Main disadvantage is can be in the way of cargo access and parking, and risk of bike damage in rear end fender benders...of course, with a roof rack you have to be careful not drive into garages, drive-throughs, etc.

Here is my car loaded up for a trip to Ray's last weekend:
 

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,681
4,904
North Van
High Roller works well with my all-mountain bike. Can't vouch for a heavy DH bike but it seems to be a good tray.
Yeah, I never had any issues with my King Cobras, but there are some threads on mtbr which have photos of "torn" trays where they attach to the rack. The high roller looks heavier duty. A guy I ride with has a set on the roof of his Bimmer. He had a Cove Shocker and and 951 on the roof while we zipped up the Sea to Sky to Whistler. He seemed to be convinced in car was faster. The bikes stayed on the roof, but I made sure to keep enough distance that I'd be able to not run over either of the bikes if they decided to tear loose... Wouldn't want to scratch my car.
 

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
I've actually had 2 trays break on me. Totally forgot about that. But they were replaced under warranty. If they break, the bike doesn't go flying or anything...more of a crack.