Okay, gonna use this great resource for some research. As the missus is ditching the Golf to get larger saloon, and the rear-mount carrier for our mountain bikes does not fit the Octy vRS (due to the spoiler) I am looking to invest in some roof bars.

Who's got the original Skoda ones ? Who's bought aftermarket ones ? Are they easy to fit ? How long does it take ? How much were they ? Do they look crap ? Is there much wind noise ? Are they secure / lockable ? Etc etc etc .............

I've got original Skoda one, good for strapping timber on top. Once you've sussed the fitting on your first occasion, 5 minutes should have them fitted or removed from there on. Locking is in the way of the plastic end covers that fit over the mounting to stop the light fingered types spannering then off.

No problems with wind noise, recommended by me....

Lee

Check here for roofbars. I've got Atera signo aluminium aero ones.

Sit a little higher than the Skoda ones but I prefer the aero mounting system.

Click for pic

click for pic2

My car with Ateras on the right and my mate Chris' Octavia with Skoda bars on the left.

On and off the car in about 5-10 minutes using a torx style secure lock clamp key. They whistle a little with 3 bikes on the roof but very secure and use the slots already provided by Skoda on the roof.

Just over 100 pounds for the bars.

Like the look of the Ateras, ta for the pics. I presume the reason you went for the aluminium ones was purely aesthetics. Do they fit in the existing fixings ?

Anyone got pics of the Skoda ones on the car ?

Like the look of the Ateras, ta for the pics. I presume the reason you went for the aluminium ones was purely aesthetics. Do they fit in the existing fixings ?

The steel ones are non-aero and therefore the bike racks clamp round the bar but with aluminium aero ones the racks attach in a slot in the bar (which I prefer). The Thule 591 bikes racks I use came with fittings for both standard and aero bars.

The bars use standard Skoda fitting points and yes, they do look nicer than the steel ones.

I have the Thule Aero bars too with the bike carriers.

Very easy to fit and come with locks so the bars and bikes stay were there supposed to be

Just dont drive off to some great single track and then realise you left your keys for the cycle carrier by the phone :thumbdwn:

Darren

reason i like the look of the skoda bars is the bike rack comes with a securing bar for the bike as well as fastening to the rims.

couldnt see that on the other bars in the pics.

i was quota

reason i like the look of the skoda bars is the bike rack comes with a securing bar for the bike as well as fastening to the rims.

couldnt see that on the other bars in the pics.

Look at the full size version of the first picture' date=' there's a big clamp that comes from the side. It's just a bit lost in the mass of tubes that make up the various bikes.

This is the Thule 591 that I use.

[img']http://www.roofbox.co.uk/bkcpics/TU591_01LP.jpg[/img]

Thule bikes racks are defiantly worth the extra money at 65 pounds for each rack and a doddle to use.

That's the same as mine

They are really easy to use, with the added advantage of not having to reach up to high either as the clamping mech is operated from roof hight not at cycle down tube hight like some.

Darren

At last I've managed to download the pics out of the camera

So here is a picture of the Thule bars on my Octy

Darren

I have the Thule kit for the Octy, cost

I'd vote for the Thule kit. My old man has them on his octy estate. Very good. You do get a bit of wind noise, but only once above the legal limit anyway

And as Jon says, very very handy locking mechanism

Just realised, of course, with the estate, he already has the bars running down the side of the car. His Thule bars are the ones that go across from left to right.