any product recommendations or tips, please ?

 

much of a pain to remove or replace the bike ? fwiw, i'm 1.77m and the car doesn't have running boards (would they make life easier?)

 

are the gloss-black roof rails of the Kodiaq RS much easier to scuff up than the chrome rails ?

 

Thule, fork mount.

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/bike-rack

 

here is quite list of them...

I personally prefer towbar racks, will serve with any car and more easy to use... 

Thule 591 second hand off the bay at a target price of around £50 to £60 each. Adjustable for most bikes and sizes plus can be set up for left or right side loading. They have Wrap around fittings for plain square bars or T track slot fixings as an alternative. They lock to the bars and lock the bikes in place but never leave a bike in it or any other carrier as it can be forced out of the mechanisms. The locks can be swapped out to match one key for all locks.

 

They can take a while to set up initially but once done, bars and carriers can be fitted ready for use in 15 mins. 

 

So long as you can lift a bike above your head, you’ll be fine. Middle of the roof positions are more difficult to load. 

13 hours ago, BigEjit said:

So long as you can lift a bike above your head, you’ll be fine. Middle of the roof positions are more difficult to load. 

 

There's a reason you don't see many large SUV's with roof mounted cycle carriers.

 

This guy seems to be the only videos on YouTube I could find of someone actually mounting a bike on the roof of an SUV. If you search on his YouTube channel for "Thule" and "cycle" and "roof"- you'll see a variety of racks he uses on SUV's.  Personally I'd prefer a rear mounted or tow hook rack but if it does have to be the roof then defo one that uses front forks. Think this is the only video on there loading a mountain bike with front wheel attached - If it were me, I'd probably miss the door sill and end up on the floor with a damaged car and mountain bike on top of me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're only going to use it very occasionally then roof mounted carriers are fine. If you're going to use it with any frequency though they're horrible - I'm 6'1 yet it's still hassle loading bikes up on to the roof. It absolutely kills the fuel economy - way beyond the effect of a roofbox. It takes time to fit and remove every time, and if you leave them fitted, it makes a difference to economy and wind noise.

 

Bikes mounted on the tow bar are way easier - our rack takes literally 30s to fit. The impact on MPG is negligible . I don't have to worry whether I will need to use a car park or route with a height restriction.

 

Decent tow bar carriers are not cheap though. And you need a tow bar. Worth it if you're going to use it with any frequency though.

So much easier and safer on the towbar / ball.

My 2 bike XL rack (for Fat bikes & electric bikes) is damn heavy though. A 3 or 4 bike one more so.

Build quality is good, but there are cheaper ones available that also have good build quality.

Round here, roof-mounted bikes are very problematic - most of the car parks I use to go mountain-biking from have height barriers, to stop 'unwanted incursions'.

 

A roof-mounted system might well be cheaper than a towbar mount solution . Cheaper until the first time you drop the bike on the car, and/or the ground (or even yourself: ouch). And as others have said, roof-mounted bikes hammer the fuel economy and the racks often produce nasty whistling and whining sounds as speed increases.

 

I have a towbar-mounted bike rack, and every time I use it, I think not of the cost, but how quick and easy it is to use (many racks will tilt and still allow access to the boot with bikes on).

 

If you're in the UK https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ and also https://www.roofbox.co.uk/ are good sites. have used both retailers and customer service has been very good.

Edited 16 April, 20206 yr by SinglePointSafety
Extra info

Towbar mounted everytime...

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, the running boards (with the doors open) make it a million times easier to reach the roof.

 

Edited 16 April, 20206 yr by silver1011

1 hour ago, silver1011 said:

Towbar mounted everytime...

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, the running boards (with the doors open) make it a million times easier to reach the roof.

 

I'm in the market for a towbar carrier. What make is yours please ?

I did a lot of research before buying, and despite being a bit of a Thule fan I couldn't see why theirs were so much more expensive.

 

I found this one, made by Sparkrite, manufactured in Europe, TUV approved and it comes with a 2 year warranty.

 

Mine is the previous version, they've since made some small improvements to this latest version.

 

As it happens the seller, Bradshaws are based in York (as am I), so I was able to collect direct from their store, but they also sell it on eBay too...

 

 

https://www.bradshawsdirect.co.uk/sparkrite-4-bike-tow-bar-cycle-carrier-14697

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/24034026631?iid=272696711624&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=272696711624&targetid=879219217191&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046289&poi=&campaignid=9441122364&mkgroupid=96188639419&rlsatarget=pla-879219217191&abcId=1140496&merchantid=7421264&gclid=CjwKCAjwhOD0BRAQEiwAK7JHmCfOOSVaHkZyC3x4gfVA9JElBhue8CcVsz9dclapr1pQNV5LtHlJLhoCa_sQAvD_BwE

 

I've had it almost 5 years now and it's still working perfectly.

 

One thing to note though, it is set-up for use in LHD countries, as a result the single reverse light and single fog light are on the wrong side for use in the UK. Whilst still being legal I made some small tweaks which you can see in my earlier photos. I never use it at night so swapped the clear reverse light bulb for a red coloured bulb and swapped a few wires in the plug so that the reverse and fog lights now perform the role of additional brake lights...

 

 

Whilst at it I added some additional side marker lights, it is surprising how much it sticks out beyond the cars tail lights!

 

 

 

Folds nicely out of the way...

 

 

Edited 16 April, 20206 yr by silver1011

At my local electric bike shop, I fell in love with the wondrous engineering in the Westfalia BC60, which folds up to something like a thick briefcase.   But ... getting on for £600 with the extension for a third bike.  Dream on, I thought.

 

But I got one on eBay “used twice” (and from the as-new condition I believe it), for £170.   I love it.

3 hours ago, silver1011 said:

I did a lot of research before buying, and despite being a bit of a Thule fan I couldn't see why theirs were so much more expensive.

 

I found this one, made by Sparkrite, manufactured in Europe, TUV approved and it comes with a 2 year warranty.

 

Mine is the previous version, they've since made some small improvements to this latest version.

 

As it happens the seller, Bradshaws are based in York (as am I), so I was able to collect direct from their store, but they also sell it on eBay too...

 

 

https://www.bradshawsdirect.co.uk/sparkrite-4-bike-tow-bar-cycle-carrier-14697

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/24034026631?iid=272696711624&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=272696711624&targetid=879219217191&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046289&poi=&campaignid=9441122364&mkgroupid=96188639419&rlsatarget=pla-879219217191&abcId=1140496&merchantid=7421264&gclid=CjwKCAjwhOD0BRAQEiwAK7JHmCfOOSVaHkZyC3x4gfVA9JElBhue8CcVsz9dclapr1pQNV5LtHlJLhoCa_sQAvD_BwE

 

I've had it almost 5 years now and it's still working perfectly.

 

One thing to note though, it is set-up for use in LHD countries, as a result the single reverse light and single fog light are on the wrong side for use in the UK. Whilst still being legal I made some small tweaks which you can see in my earlier photos. I never use it at night so swapped the clear reverse light bulb for a red coloured bulb and swapped a few wires in the plug so that the reverse and fog lights now perform the role of additional brake lights...

 

 

Whilst at it I added some additional side marker lights, it is surprising how much it sticks out beyond the cars tail lights!

 

 

 

Folds nicely out of the way...

 

 

Thankyou, but no good for me I'm afraid. Damned good price though.

I only need a 2 bike carrier which Sparkrite don't seem to do and I also want one that folds up so I can fit it into the boot.

The Thule Velocompact folds up small enough to fit in the boot. Not as small as that clever Westfalia mind, but small enough. 
 

Our Thule is on and off the car 2 to 3 times a week, and must have done at least 45000 or more miles now on the back of our car over the last 3 years or so. Zero problems with it. 

42 minutes ago, olderman1 said:

Thankyou, but no good for me I'm afraid. Damned good price though.

I only need a 2 bike carrier which Sparkrite don't seem to do and I also want one that folds up so I can fit it into the boot.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362947391484

1 hour ago, MrTrilby said:

The Thule Velocompact folds up small enough to fit in the boot. Not as small as that clever Westfalia mind, but small enough. 
 

Our Thule is on and off the car 2 to 3 times a week, and must have done at least 45000 or more miles now on the back of our car over the last 3 years or so. Zero problems with it. 

 

Perhaps I should have said that I need it for E bikes and in my search for a suitable carrier, I'd dismissed the Velocompact due to its weight limit restriction. However, I like Thule products and having reread the specs, I will have to revisit this one before making a final decision.

 

1 hour ago, DaveMiller said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362947391484

 

Good price and would suit my needs, but it's collection only and a 6 hour round trip for me.

Does anyone have any experience of XLC bike carriers ?

11 hours ago, DaveMiller said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362947391484

 

I messaged the seller last night to ask if they'd post it and the answer was a point blank No. In the current climate they're obviously not in a hurry to sell.

If anyone else is looking at this,  the rack is a BC60, not a B60 as there is no such thing.

Good shout though Mr Miller, shame I can't get it.

10 hours ago, olderman1 said:

 

Perhaps I should have said that I need it for E bikes and in my search for a suitable carrier, I'd dismissed the Velocompact due to its weight limit restriction. However, I like Thule products and having reread the specs, I will have to revisit this one before making a final decision.

 

For what it’s worth, although you only want a 2 bike carrier, for some reason the 3 bike Thule lists a higher total weight (60kg on a Kodiaq) compared to 46kg for the 2 bike version. Maximum weight of a single bike is 25kg in both cases. 
 

So you could carry 2x 25kg bikes on the three bike version, but not the two. 

Thanks Mr Trilby, it's a good thought but your idea means the price then goes up though. I already know the rack that I'll buy unless something that's as good for less money crops up in the meantime. The one I have in mind cost £310, so a quick look at Roofbox shows a Thule Velocompact 3 bike carrier as £90 more than that.

I don't mind spending what's needed to get what suits my purpose, but if I can spend less money, that's even better as I'm a poor, downtrodden pensioner now 😉.

 

The story is, if you want to read it; We were abroad for most of last month, during which time we decided that on our return, getting a couple of E bikes could be a good idea. I started my research whilst away with the full intention of visiting dealers on our return to see, try and talk about what's suitable. Then Covid kicked in big time and we only just managed to get home before many flights were cancelled and on arrival home, visiting dealers had become a no no.

Realistically I should have hung on until Covid settles down, partly so we could visit dealers, but also because I'm in the vulnerable category and buying now could mean that I could die before I get any use out of any bikes we bought. However, life is too short and not wanting the kids to inherit my hard earned 😁, plus I had a good handle on what we wanted, I went ahead and ordered 2 bikes which came earlier this week.

I have to say that we are both rather smitten with them and we're fortunate that where we live is quite rural, so we can get some daily exercise on these bikes without inconveniencing others. We even biked to our doctors pharmacy in the next village yesterday, thus killing two birds with one stone.

 But, as we all know, trundling further afield in the car with 2 bikes on the back is a no no for a few more weeks yet (and for those with any sense, it'll be months), so I've held off on getting the rear carrier, because although we are currently getting use from the bikes, there's always the possibility that a carrier will never see use.

So to that end, even though I've seen the carrier that suits, I will continue to research a little in the hope that maybe something as good, but for less money will crop up. No harm in trying is there 😃.

 

My apologies to the OP and others for veering off topic somewhat as this is not helping him with his roof mounted carrier question. 😯

12 hours ago, olderman1 said:

My apologies to the OP and others for veering off topic somewhat as this is not helping him with his roof mounted carrier question. 😯

 

On the contrary, the OP  was looking for tips. I think you've shown that an SUV roof carrier is bad idea if the OP has E-bikes. 

For OP, if you have a tow bar, go for that option.  If not, you can fit the sideboards, as they are dealer fit, not factory fit.  Will be about £800-900 to get them.  I have them on my Bear and makes loading and unloading roof box so much easier, but you do still need to have the doors open to use easily.