fredlikes

1. Are the only disadvantages to putting a bike on top having to lift it up there and the increased drag on the car? OR are there other reasons for putting it on a rear rack?

2. How effective are the rear racks from keeping two bikes from hitting the rear door/window when moving fast on the freeway?

Thanks.

hmn4858

1. Besides lifting and drag you also have to worry about clearance.

2. I've never had any bikes hit the back of my vehicle when properly attached to a rack regardless of travel speed.

CrustyNoodle

It also depends on the bikes you intend carrying. Carbon framed bikes don't like to have their tubes crushed like can happen with a rear mount or with a roof mount that holds the down tube.

wclepse

I much prefer the hitch mounted. I have both for my Subie and find the roof rack to be difficult to get the bikes onto after a hard day riding or if I wreck. Also I find that if I do XC or DH there is too much crap that drops ontop off the car. Not to mention the other benefits like additional protection of your rigs, and if you have a garage you don't have to worry about slamming them into it. I am currently using a Saris Ride On rack that only touches the wheels and fits everything from road bikes to DH bikes.

flybooey

Exactly what wclepse said, nothing else to add.
I feel way more comfortable with my bikes on this style of rack. Esecially with my 50 pound downhill bike.

http://www.thule.com/en/US/Products/...16XT%20T2.aspx

awryexperiment

I always used a roof rack with a fork mount gutter. The bikes are much more secure than on the rear where they can potentially swing farward/backward with starts/stops. I was also always afraid of other Jersey drivers bumping into my bikes if they were rear mounted. Having the bikes on the roof also frees up access to the rear of the vehicle.

I never had a problem with height (although I did not have a garage) nor did I notice increased drag while the bikes were up-top. I drove from Jersey to Alaska and back with my bikes and skis on the roof. Never had an issue!

HarmsWay

Sorry for resurecting an old thread, but has anyone seen the Audi fork-mount kit for the roof rack? I'm pretty much sold on hauling the bikes on the roof as I've done for the last three vehicles. I borrowed a friend's hitch-mount Thule (916XTR) and it worked okay but the Q5 won't fit in the garage with the Thule installed (yes flipped up with no bikes on) and that thing weighs a ton! I have no convenient place to keep it.

For roof rack bike mounts that will fit the Audi rack the choice is down to the Audi fork-mount, the Thule Domestique and the Yakima Forklift. I've seen the latter two which are both universal mount systems and between them there is no question the Yak is the better unit. They are the same price. The Audi one is going to be more expensive but it uses a better attachment system. Anyone have personal experience with it?

Coolieman1220

If its a mountain bike, hitch it. Road bike, roof it. My road bike weighs in at 17.5lbs.

HaveBullDogWillTravel

I've got both(Thule 4-Bike hitch mount & Thule Velo-vices), and since getting the hitch mount, I NEVER use the Velo-vices. Yes the hitch mount carrier weighs more but it's SOOO much more convenient. Removing it and storing it in the attic access is a snap for me...but maybe not for everyone.

The Velo-vice type trays typically require you to store the front wheels in the car or mount them to the rack...utter PITA!

Which ever way one decide to go it's important to make sure that your bikes(all of them) will fit on the hitch mount securely. Some bike frames(women's for instance) DO NOT fit well or do not fit at all.

JHRIII

Hitch mount tray racks are the way to go as they will fit the majority of bikes out there since many (and most higher end) mountain bikes now have thru-axle mounted front wheels and require an adapter to mount to a roof rack with the front wheel off. Tray racks (nothing touches the frame), are easier to use, (the time it saves you every time you load/unload your bike is worth the extra cost alone), and it takes to less time to take the rack on and off the car. Hitch tray racks also all but eliminate the chances of you scratching the car or your trophy bike. I have way too many bikes to count, and every bike fits on my Thule T2 the same.

And for reference, I work for a large distributor in the bicycle industry that sells every major brand of bicycle rack, (Thule, Yakima, Saris, Hollywood, Allen, etc....), and we sell around one roof rack for every 50+ hitch racks. In most all cases, the hitch rack's drawbacks far out weigh anything a roof rack can do. The only thing I use a roof rack for is occasionally hauling a cargo bin or to haul more than 4 bikes at once.