I'm after a set of roof bars for my estate. I want genuine Skoda but don't fancy the price for something that will get little use.

 

Has anybody used the universal type seen on ebay and do they mark the bars that they mount to?

I will be removing them when not in use and don't fancy nasty marks where the clamps have been.

Get Thule Wingbar roof bars. The clamps are thick rubber coated so no marks. If you're looking for second hand parts I have the clamps in my garage you can have cheap, so you will just need a 4 piece luck set and bars. You can go cheap and get square bars but they tend to whistle at speed, aero bars are quieter but Wingbars near silent.

How do bike racks attach to these Thule bars?

 

Is there a preferred bike rack that holds the bikes very safely?

 

http://www.npautoparts.co.uk/travel-touring-c5/car-roof-bars-c126/skoda-octavia-mk-2-2004-2012-5-door-estate-wingbar-black-roof-bars-p86987/s101825?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=thule-skoda-octavia-mk-2-2004-2012-5-door-estate-wingbar-black-ro-th-wbb-0737&utm_campaign=product%2Blisting%2Bads&gclid=CK3_lqDR2MgCFScTwwodFjwPkw

Edited 23 October, 201510 yr by FatblokeVRS

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/334971-roof-bars-for-estate/

 

 

Thule Pro Ride 591 are popular bike racks. They fit on the aero and wingbar using t-tracks which give a good flush fit cutting down on wind noise and drag. The T-track bolts slide in the slot covered by the rubber strip which is then re-instated. They also come with the clamps for the square roof bars. The T-track system is used in many OEM roofbars too as Thule make for manufacturers too.

 

The black Wingbars do look good but I worry about how durable the finish is if you have things strapped directly to them.

 

Whispbars have had some bad failures if you search Google mostly the manufacturer has blamed bad fitment by the user so keep an eye on them at the fittings and also the bars themselves if you don't remove them. Roof bar failures can be expensive not just to what you lose off the roof but what it hits afterwards.