Opinions on Roof Racks

[Brettdb11]

Autopia,



I am buying a to me from me holiday gift which are the best (new Cannondale bike). I own a 3 month old 04 ExV6 Accord and need a way to safely transport it. I like the Yakima racks but how much damage do they induce? How would prepare the roof where the rack contacts it?



Would you use one at all?

Any other options?





Thanks and happy holidays,

Brett

[Scottwax]

My opinion is all roof racks should be banned and burned, even the factory installed ones. :mad:



I seriously would never install any type of rack on any vehicle. I have yet to see one that doesn`t cause some damage. I have a customer with a Passat and he has a roof rack for his bikes and since the rack is balanced and positioned exactly right (according to him), it cannot be removed without him having to take a lot of time repositioning it. I can see where it attaches that there is some wear already and there are some areas that are extremely difficult to clean since he leaves it in place.



Anything that you place on your paint like a roof rack is going to at least leave some abrasions on the paint that you may not be able to remove.

[the other pc]

Hitch racks have gotten very popular lately. Just about every bikie I know has a story about driving a roof mounted bike(s) into a garage, carport, etc. I know one guy who wiped out two custom Serottas in one incident. :scared



My favorite bike shop actually refuses to stock roof racks anymore. He`ll order them for die-hard traditionalists like me who insist on them but he`ll talk everybody else out of it. :nono



If you do go with a roof rack definitely go with Yakima. And get the full-length bike channel kits (I have four, plus two wheel kits, plus three ski kits, plus a basket case, ...). Short channel bike kits suck (everybody`s, not just Yakima).



My truck has a factory roof rack and the Yakima towers bolt right to it. Nothing touches the paint but it is a pain to wash/polish/wax under the cross bars.





PC.

[White95Max]

I used to want a roof rack for my kayak but I realized how much of a pain it would be to wash and detail the car with it on, so I didn`t get one. Not to mention the large amount of money I saved!

I carry my kayak with 2 foam roof blocks, and I wipe the kayak clean with several cotton towels after I pull it out of the water. Then I don`t get water spots or anything on the car. And anywhere a strap touches the car, there is a clean cotton towel between the strap and the paint. My car probably looks funny going down the road with a half-dozen cotton towels flapping around all over the car. :)



I would just get one of the bike holders that go on the back of the car and attach to the trailer hitch.

[imported_CBX Carl]

I added a hitch to the minivan to avoid the roof rack. Rack does swing away from hitch so abck door of the van may open but you must overcome the weight of the bikes on the rack. The other concern is you comfort with rack induced scratches and scuffs. Many different designs are available to suit suit your needs. I purchased mine from Ebay and it can hold four adult bikes and it has survived many trips across PA highways at warp speeds. We can fold the arms down when the bike are off and leave the rack attacked to the hitch if we wish.



The roof racks never seemed easy enough to load/unload compared to the hitch style. My vote is for a hidden hitch then a hitch rack for the bikes.



I have an older bike rack with the tall upright and the arms cradle out for the bikes. If I were to purchase another I would look into the other style below. With the bikes off I would not have to fold the bike upright out of the way to open the back door.



Click Here - Link To Hidden Hitch - $120 (http://accessory-center.com/prod.plx/30/5159/4328?f1=HONDA&f4=2004&f2=Accord)



http://accessory-center.com/images/seriesImages/large/114/4328.jpghttp://www.sportomotoring.com/images/hhbc.jpg

[Brettdb11]

Thanks for the feedback!!



Thanks lp for the link to the hidden hitch. My accord has a low rear bumper with a dual exhaust; will this ugly up the rear end? I guess i might have to sacrafice cosmetics!!



Brett

[ncal]

I agree with what Scottwax said as far as the damage. But I personally believe that a car has more uses than just looking good. I like to mountain bike, surf, and snowboard and while I don`t have the cash to pay for roofracks yet, how else do you transport your gear unless you have a truck (fortunately I do). If you only bike I definately would consider a hitch rack, as it is a good compromise. If not, I`d say choose what is more important, the car or the other hobbies.

[foxtrapper]

Racks like Yakama and Thule that use rubber feet and ratching binders do a minimal damage to the paint. You pull the rack down tight on the car and away you go. The rubber feet don`t move and a minimal to no damage results. A well waxed car will have even less damage, and any done will be to the wax, not the paint.



If you leave the rack in place for weeks at a time, the rubber feet tend to bond to the surface a bit. Remove the rack and you have to pry the feet up a little, and they tend to leave a rubber mark. This rubber mark is easily removed with clay.



The ones that do damage paint are the cheap or home made racks with carpeting on their feet. Those can grind right through the paint, even if you ratchet them down tightly. The pile of the carpet prevents a solid non-moving contacting point on the paint. So the carpet fibers rub against the paint, wearing it away. Add in some road grime and you can imagine the results. Many of these racks also have poor clamps and do not pull the rack down tightly and securely to the car.

[rpms40]

Has anyone tried or considered using some of the clear plastic bra material where the feet of the roof rack touch?



I am in a similar situation, I bike and kayak and will be buying a rack for my Volvo S40 pretty soon, but want to minimize damage.