I have just bought a Fabia Estate Scout. For many yearsI have used a Thule towbar cycle rack which has been brilliant. As the Scout has roofbars and a deeper rear hatch I am considering investing in some roof bars. Any thoughts?

Welcome.

Fine with the bikes up top if you are not going under railway tunnels at the likes of the seaside or places with height restrictions into car parks etc.

Mmmm. Good point, thanks. Maybe I should get a towbar fitted and stick with what's worked well in the past. Just concerned that the rear hatch may foul on the rack. Thanks again.

Shouldn’t foul...I have a tow at rack on our Superb which has a higher boot lid and it doesn’t even touch it (our rack tilts out of the way a bit)

Good news, thanks! Mine tilts too. I'll get the towbar ordered.

No one has mentioned that it is far easier to lift bikes onto a rear rack than onto the roof!

On 22/07/2018 at 15:10, Offski said:

Welcome.

Fine with the bikes up top if you are not going under railway tunnels at the likes of the seaside or places with height restrictions into car parks etc.

 

This will rule out many car parks for forestry, lakesides, lochsides, outskirts of small towns in tourist areas and the like. Personally I wouldn't like lifting bikes onto car roofs (hard work, and nasty if dropped!) and I am reminded of a former colleague's experience, he didn't spot the low-slung log on an otherwise brightly-coloured framework around a layby entrance until - ouch, one not-so-smart Rover and a number of wrecked bikes.

 

I tow a caravan so I tend to remember its on the back, but people do forget they have bikes on top sometimes!

 

REAR-MOUNTED - Don't forget you will need a trailer board, you will need to factor-in the cost of the wiring for this. Modern cars can be expensive in this respect, you can often no longer simply attach a relay into the lighting circuit without risking compromising the car's electrics, and its warranty.

Edited 23 August, 20187 yr by RMurphy195