[whale]

i just traded in my getting old and going out of extended warranty 2001 vr6 gti (oh god, i will miss it , but not the maintenance $$) for a 2005 scion xA. i had a thule/yakima bike rack setup with my old car: thule car mounts and bars with yakima king cobra and viper racks. as of right now, thule doesn't make mounts compatible with my car and i'm not about to drop another $250 to get yakima mounts, clips, and bars to keep my current setup. i want to get away from slugging a heavy ass bike on my roof.

ideally, i'd like to get a receiver installed so i can put a hitch mount rack. unfortunately, they don't make receivers for my car right now (maybe a few months down the road).

in the meantime, i'm thinking of getting a cheap trunk (well, hatchback) mounted rack. what do you recommend and what experiences have you had with yakima/thule trunk mount racks for HEAVY bikes? any on a specific model? this will save me from taking the wheels off and stuffing the bike in the back of car...

thanks for your !

here are some pics of the new rides (car and bike)... not just an excuse to show off pictures of the new car and bikes neaky:. just thought it would put a perspective on what and with what i'll be hauling around. BIG thanks to DW for the deal on his bike!



2005 scion xA from the front

the side

the back

2004 ironhorse sgs fr team from the front

the side

the back

 

[CBJ]

Is that the new DW cable routing?

Forgot to say that a trunk mount works fine with two DH bikes unless it two BMW TMX with 3.0 Gazza but who rides that anymore.

 

[Jm_]

i wouldn't suggest a trunk rack for heavy bikes, they just dont work well in that application. If you are going to carry ONE bike than it might be ok, but two heavy bikes are simply out of the question. I have a saris "bones" trunk-rack and it is ok, but I am looking to upgrade soon to a hitch rack.

 

[CBJ]

JM you are wrong and Boxxers are great forks.

 

[whale]

Is that the new DW cable routing?

sorry... cables weren't cleaned up in the pics quite yet.

 

[whale]

JM you are wrong and Boxxers are great forks.

what do you use? i'm looking a the yakima locojoe (it's cheap, $85) or the thule speedway 961 (about same price as the yakima).

again, this is a TEMPORARY solution for hauling bikes... but i also don't want to see bikes go bouncing down the road on my way to snowshoe. i'd like to keep the bikes out of my car because i have to push up the front seat to make them fit which effectively makes the car a one-seater and OH the MUD!

 

[me89]

JM you are wrong and Boxxers are great forks.

:eviltongu :eviltongu :eviltongu :eviltongu :eviltongu :eviltongu

the trunk mount on the back of my car wouldnt have worked with a fork that had more than 120mm of travel up front. but also it wasnt a hatch back and als that bike will bounce around more than a mexican jumping bean with a trunk mount so i dont really think its that much of a big deal to put your 4000 dolar sgs in jepordy like that. be a little patient and wait to get the money and bring a tarp and towel to wrap the bike up. its not too to bad to get the front wheel off and leave the rear on. i would suggest waiting.

 

[CBJ]

I have just used some generic models on my wagon, and I ride with friends who use them on a Jetta and Galant and they hold two bikes with no problem.

 

[The Kadvang]

Though a hitch mount is alot nicer, we have used generic trunk/hatchback mounts many times with DH bikes, without a hitch... This might just be luck, but we have made it to N* twice (4 hours) with 2 DH bikes and Sandhill multiple times (2 hours) with the same. We even got three on once, but that was definitly pushing it. My car is definitly gonna get a hitch mount though.

 

[quickneonrt]

I would stay far away from a trunk mount, I had a Thule trunk mount on my neon and I almost lost my girlfriends ht and my enduro. Straps came loose while going over a bridge w/ no place to pull over. I went straight to the bike shop and bought a thule roof mount set up w/ the super g trays. best money i spent. no my fussing w/ top tube adapters ,worrying about scratching frames or forks or loosing a bike on the highway. Sucked to lay out the cash but I know my bikes are safe now. Not to mention the scratches on the trunk or ruined rear bumped, weight of the dh bike caused bumper to sag and miss align the trunk lid

 

[DVNT]

this has probably already been posted but has anyone used the new THULE SuperG roof mounted carrier or the Yakima one?

thinking about buying one.

Also as an Alt. anyone now what company makes hitch mounts that let's the bike rest on it's wheels and not the top tube? It's not Yak or Thule......

 

[quickneonrt]

Yes the Super G works great! Thule also makes a super G hitch mount. Sportworks, hollywood also make hitch mounts like you described

 

[whale]

this has probably already been posted but has anyone used the new THULE SuperG roof mounted carrier or the Yakima one?

i have a king cobra which worked fine for me. i've changed my mind though about roof racks since i recently crashed and really banged up my shoulder (still healing) and don't want to lug heavy bikes on my roof anymore. don't know about the super G though.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Just have a receiver hitch fabricated by a trailer or hitch shop. They shouldn't have much trouble doing it. Then you will hav ethe right set up from the beginning.

RHino

 

[me89]

Also as an Alt. anyone now what company makes hitch mounts that let's the bike rest on it's wheels and not the top tube? It's not Yak or Thule......

check this trunk mount out

is this what u were talkin about

 

[RhinofromWA]

Also as an Alt. anyone now what company makes hitch mounts that let's the bike rest on it's wheels and not the top tube? It's not Yak or Thule......

SportWorks

Do a search. There should be some info on RM. There are real slick and many DHr's un the PNW use them. They are pretty much the std for hitch racks around here.

OK I found it with a search
http://www.bicycleracks.com/
http://www.bicycleracks.com/sttra.asp

 

[Jm_]

I have just used some generic models on my wagon, and I ride with friends who use them on a Jetta and Galant and they hold two bikes with no problem.

trunk racks do not hold two heavy (fr/dh) bikes well, you are creating a HUGE lever arm that will warp your trunk/hatch, wreck the paint where the straps connect, and it's just simply a bad idea...

 

[DVNT]

check this trunk mount out

is this what u were talkin about

yep, cool thanks!

 

[ChrisRobin]

If you do use a trunk rack, stay away from Thule. They might have nice roof racks but their trunk racks are flimsy.

When you're on the highway, with all the wind resistance and your bikes acting like a 'sail', the Thule rubber clamps actually slide on the rack arms. I had to use hose clamps to stop this from happening.

 

[whale]

thanks for all the suggestions.

i ended up going with the yakima superjoe for $85. it's already been installed and test ridden at about 85mph on the highway and through some rugged streets of DC. very nice temporary rack. holds up very well and because of the hatchback, the parts that touch the car are on the window and license plate. the bike feels REALLY solid on the rack and hardly moved an inch.

 

[Transcend]

trunk racks do not hold two heavy (fr/dh) bikes well, you are creating a HUGE lever arm that will warp your trunk/hatch, wreck the paint where the straps connect, and it's just simply a bad idea...

Funny, I have a trunk rack i use in emergencies. It cost about $49 i think, about 8 years ago. I have never lost a bike off it, and have carried 2 oranges and 1 M1sl on it, without a single problem.

If you get a decent, no gimmick one, and use bungy cords in appropriate places they work just fine.

Then get a hitch rack (sportworks kick MAJOR ass) as roof racks are about the most retarded way ever to transport a bike. And talk about killing your mileage...

 

[Shmoe]

roof racks are fine for transporting bikes in some applications Transend.

My jetta is damn low to the ground, even the sportworks rack would hit in some cases. Not to mention I could have to get a custom hitch made if I wanted a 2 inch reciever.

And gas mileage? I have found it to be a 5% decrease in mileage with 2 DH bikes on the roof, not to bad really. and cosidering my car is already good on gas, I really dont care.

 

[whale]

Funny, I have a trunk rack i use in emergencies. It cost about $49 i think, about 8 years ago. I have never lost a bike off it, and have carried 2 oranges and 1 M1sl on it, without a single problem.

that's good to hear. it seems like a lot of lost bikes from trunk racks is more of "user error" although it does make me a little nervous that those little hooks are holding it all in place. then again, that hitch can also give away. the superjoe i installed feels great and really snug so i'm not really worried about it.

If you get a decent, no gimmick one, and use bungy cords in appropriate places they work just fine.

yeah, i think i've got it figured out. i even hooked it up with a "theft deterent" cable locked by a u-lock to make it a little more of a pain in the ass for DC thieves to snag (i don't plan to take the rack off most of the time) w/out restraining me from opening the hatch all the way.

Then get a hitch rack (sportworks kick MAJOR ass) as roof racks are about the most retarded way ever to transport a bike. And talk about killing your mileage...

i will be getting a hitch in a few months when the are available for my car. until then, this setup will have to do. no more roof racks for me!

 

[ChrisRobin]

There was one rack I found in my basement years and years ago. I think the brand name was 'Allen'??? No funny hinges or adjustment holes...just straight steel arms and bolts. Really solid...wayyyyy better than this Thule thing that I bought at the beginning of the season that I refuse to now use.

 

[me89]

deffinatly going for a roof rack for my maxima. gas milage isnt as big a concern as my bikes saftey. and also a hitch mount would look really weird on the back of my car. i also like the look of a huge dh bike on the top of a little import. lol. i just got to watch the clearance. friend of mine hit a roof with his uzzi on the roof rack. not good for the shifter indicator or the roof rack. ohh well. the bike and car were fine. lol.

hey your fork matches your car lol.

 

[mealsonwheels]

I had the loco Joe and would transport a couple bikes (Kona Stinky and my wife's beach cruiser) 500 miles from Santa Cruz Mtns. to San Diego when I lived up north. My rubber strap came undone several times on one trip and the bike bounced out of the cradle and was resting between cradles. On another trip I had the straps doubled up on the bike furthest from the trunk and my wife happened to look back only to see one wheel of her beach cruiser dragging behind the car.

Needless to say I was pissed, and we had to use a belt to hold the bikes on until we stopped at a Home Depot for zip ties. I called Yakima when I got home and they told me the only solution was to get a roof rack. I told them I couldn't get one in the first place because I didn't have the cash for a $500 rack system and their customer service rep said "No we're going to give you one for free." They totally hooked me up with a roof rack and asked me what attachments I needed. They even allowed me to return the trunk rack to REI and keep the refunded $. I used the $ to buy another King Cobra attachment.

That's amazing customer service and they have a hitch and roof rack customer for life.

 

[ChrisRobin]

Wow...that's crazy. Hmmm...I wonder if Thule would do the same for me...I doubt it. At one point when I was driving down the highway towards home, it was a windy day and I was always looking out my rearview mirror because I wasn't trusting my Thule rack. Next thing I know, one of my rubber straps came undone and my bike was halfway hanging off the rack. I pulled over so fast, my heart was beating! Luckily nothing was dragging against the ground. Even the Thule hitch racks have had the same problems with those rubber clamps.