Dear Crowd (MY12 Elegance Estate 170bhp DSG)

I now find myself needing to fit roof bars across my roof rails in order to attach cycle carriers (more of those later). The obvious choice seems to be Thule and their Aero or Wing Bar design seems to make sense from a noise/economy point of view. Should I consider any others? someone told me to look at Whispbars from New Zealand...any experience?

Whatever bars I choose will need to be capable of holding 4 cycle carriers. These carriers need to be of the design where the rear wheel is held in a brace and, with the front wheel removed, the forks are clamped/locked to the rack via a quick release skewer (expensive carbon bikes where we don't want to clamp the downtube). Again, Thule have a good looking one.....seems OK but would you guys suggest anything else? I think I can get the whole assembly inside 100 kg which I believe is the Skoda roofload limit for the Superb II.

Again, all submissions welcome. Thanks in advance.

If only using the bars now and then and not leaving them on the car I would just use the square bar. You get whistling noise from them but you will get whistling from any shape bar when you put 4 bikes and carriers on your roof.

I have a wing bar but have not even opened the box!! I just use the square bars with my cycle carriers.

Any particular reason gianthotdog? Do I get greater strength with a square bar? Cheaper?

The Thule square bars are the entry level bars and are the cheapest. They are very robust and forgiving If you drop them or just when you are storing them. They do the job very well.

If I was leaving the bars on the car permanently I would use my wing bar. I also think additional accessories are required if using a wing bar. I think you need T rack adaptors (£10 approx for each cycle carrier).

Thanks gianthotdog, very useful. Can I ask you if you went for the "single key" option for your Thule stuff? Worth it or not good value?

Single key all the way. Very easy!!

I got Whispbars for my A4 to mount a roofbox (all from The Roofbox Company - www.roofbox.co.uk) and they don't whistle at all. I left the bars on for a couple of months and to be honest didn't notice a massive noise difference. Fuel consumption didn't dip massively either and they worked fine with the roofbox I chose (a Kamei Corvara as it happens).

Are all the bikes you carry going to have QR front forks? Half mine are 20mm and most of the new stuff is 15mm (which I personally detest). Unless you're talking road bikes.

Yep, all QR and all Road Bikes.