All,

I have a high boot mounted bike rack, with straps top and bottom. I'm not keen on hooking the top straps over the top edge hatchback glass on My Octavia. Glass wasn't deigned to be good in tension. Bur I can run the straps over the hatch back top, and down into the boot. Then I attach them to a strong loop of luggage strap, whic is fixed to the luggage hooks in the boot. The bottom straps hook over the metal edge bottom of the hatchback. The seal ot the top is squashed by the straps but seems to recover quickly once they are removed.This seems ok to me, but does anyone think I might somehow be doing some damage to the hatch or it's rubber seals?

Callard

Steve Lloyd

I have a Halford's Boot mounted bike rack, that sits nicely on to the metal of my 2005 Octavia hatchback. Problem is, the top straps, which I don't want to hook over the top edge of the hatchback glass. Glass is not good in tension.So I run the straps over the top of the hatchback, and hook them over another strong loop of strap which is fixed to the luggage hooks on the floor of the boot. So the load on the glass in minimal. The rubber seal at the top is deformed while the rack is on, but it seems to recover quickly when the straps are removed. The rear tray has to be out while this is in place, but so what!

The bottom straps are hooked over the metal bottom edge of the hatchback.

This all seems OK to me, but can anyone see how I might be causing any damage to the car by this arrangement?