I'm wanting to transport my MTB in the Fabia and sick of getting mud all over my interior. I'm looking into bike carrying options.

 

All of the roof bars I'm seeing are pretty ugly. Anyone got any suggestions? Pics if possible please.

 

personally when fitting roof bars to any vehicle, if there is no roof rails then I always go for the genuine items as they just fit right and there is minimal chance of damage to the vehicle.

 

Fabia ones don't look anymore ugly than any others imo  LAS710001

 

 

 

 

The car is not Type Approved to tow, so if fitting a tow bar and ball it would only be for fitting a bike rack to.

You might want to change the rear crash bar and remove the rear ballast weights on there.

This is a grey area, but a Bike Rack Carrier / Tow bar device can be fitted.  

 

 

Rear carriers can be ugly and you need the bike high enough to not obscure the rear lights and reg plate. Unless using a trailer board which you need to get wiring for.

Then consider the spoiler and the fitment and you maybe need to disable the rear wiper. 

 

You could get neater than this. 

Thule to a good platform one now. 

'Thule Outway Platform.  '     

 

Bike is too wide on the back of a Fabia with both wheels on.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 16 January, 20224 yr by roottoot

The roof mount looks like the best option. My bike is pretty long.

 

I just really don't like that the roof bars have those extra metal straps that wrap around the roof into the top of the door closure.

 

Has anyone had the paint scratched by them?

 

@roottoot The ballast on the pic of the blue car... will a vRS have them? any idea what the purpose is?

 

The Blue car is a vRS.  The weights might be off your car already if the previous owners removed them.

They were there because the Estate is 9 3/4" longer and heavier and the Hatch would have been cheaper, faster if the front end did not go light under acceleration and a VED band cheaper than the estate which would have been the same as the heavier Polo GTI.

The estate has stronger rear springs and the rear does not drop under acceleration. So the front does not go light, the tyres lose traction and the Traction Control cut power or nip the brakes, as might happen with the hatch and often does unless you fit better suspension and remove the weights off the arse of the car.

Idiot sales people and journalists said that the Estate was 5 kg lighter than the hatch, were they not thinking how can the longer car be lighter, what magic have Skoda done?

So VW Group made Skoda sandbag the car with 'Success Ballast'.    The Polo GTI got the battery in the boot but no spare wheel in the boot as standard.

While every manufacturer was making their cars lighter for Euro 5 emissions Skoda designed and manufactured and fitted weights to engineer that the cheapest & lightest of the 1.4 TSI Twinchargers would not be the quickest or have the best economy. 

(It is not dangerous to remove them and nobody has ever wanted a crash bar and weights of a vRS to fit to a Monte Carlo to make it handle better.)

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/223019-removing-rear-weights-mk2-fabia-vrs-tsi-hatch-guide

 

 

...............................................................

Roof Bars.

They do not scratch the paint.  You have rubber under them, or if it comes without cut rubber from an inner tube or put helicopter tape under.

 

The fitting is a hole  in your door jam and a pin on the roof bar fitting that fits in it.  then the bar tensions down. 

 

Plenty threads on here on the subject.  Including ones where people bought the wrong fitting kit if you use the search function.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/409448-roof-rack-or-bars-on-a-mk2-fabia

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/384178-roof-bars-on-hatch-vrs

 

 

Another muppet that never thought 'does a longer roof really make it quicker accelerating from a standing start.'

Or, how did they make the longer and heavier car 5kg lighter for weight distribution reasons, was it because the put ballasts someplace on the shorter hatch?

 

 

vRS on 205/40R 17 tyres and with rear ballast weights and spare wheel and still lighter than the 3 door Ibiza & Polo on 215/45 R 17's.

But had the same VED as the Ibiza until the Ibiza FL in 2013, and higher than the Polo 3 or 5 door.

(VW & SEAT had to change the official Kerb Weight a year later because they had given false numbers.... No surprise there.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 16 January, 20224 yr by roottoot

 

I've worked as an engineer for well known OEMs and witnessed some questionable decisions but adding weights because 'marketing' say so is just taking the biscuit!

 

Weights coming off tomorrow!!!!!

Is there actually any official documentation on here regarding this ?? ................. sounds a bit like internet hearsay to me.

 

The Polo as mentioned has the battery in the boot, so I would suggest the backend does not go as light under heavy braking / cornering where as the Fabia suffered this issue, hence the engineers fitted the ballast weights to counteract this, If they wanted the rear not to squat under acceleration, why not just fit stiffer springs.

 

If the weights were there purely to slow it down, why fit them on one side, makes no sense and having first hand experience with designers and vehicle manufacturers, they do their upmost to save weight, not add it.

 

The estate has 250mm more of body and metal work, so we can only assume it dd not need them, also add to that the extra force needed to lift the longer body under braking. I would suggest the 5kg difference is just a result of what the weights needed to sort the hatch out equated to when manufactured after knowing or calculating how much more the estate kerb weight was than the hatch and how it performed on the road.

 

Edited 17 January, 20224 yr by UrbanPanzer

21 hours ago, roottoot said:

(VW & SEAT had to change the official Kerb Weight a year later because they had given false numbers.... No surprise there.)

 

Now where have VAG given false numbers before... hmmmm?

The Estate was the weight it was / is and had a spare wheel as standard so would possibly test as a higher VED band / Co2 than the Polo GTI.

But the Fabia Hatch was a few thousand cheaper and was not getting the battery in the boot, the right rear springs and 215/40 R 17 Tyres and better performance / economy / top speed than the heavier Polo GTI 3 or 5 door. 

The Hatch & Estate could have been tested again once the CTHE was fitted as SEAT did with the Ibiza Cupra.  The 2013 FL Cupra dropped a VED band to the same as the Polo GTI.

(You could order the lower springs on your vRS that was on the order form, but these were fitted at the dealership at the PDI and not at factory.)

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/254590-elbach-springs

 

Maybe those interested in the Ballast Weights might want to look at the Audi A1 1.4 TFSI 185ps 3 or 5 door, a sister car that required no rear ballast on the crash bar.

Then the 3 door Ibiza Cupra Twincharger did not either.  

Look at the lengths and the original kerb weights from Audi, SEAT & VW for the Polo GTI then the ones they had to revise a year after.

 

Approval for fitting tow bars and towing with the Sister cars but not for the ones that Skoda never type approved.  

No spare wheels as standard in the sister cars which was great for Audi, VW & SEAT for NEDC testing. 

 

.............

Look at the Left Hand Drive Skoda Fabia RS Hatch.

Driver on the left, steering wheel and column, exhaust and battery all at the same side.

?

Where are the weights fitted on the rear crash bar and do they weigh the same as on right hand drive cars?

?

How much did the weights cost Skoda in materials, manufacturing, testing  / type approval and then cost owners because the VED was a band higher than the Polo GTI?

 

**Audi did have to add weights to the early Audi TT's because of handling issues.**

https://www.ttforum.co.uk/threads/the-rear-ballast.501314/

https://www.ttforum.co.uk/threads/rear-ballast-facts-and-info.142531/

 

 

No ballast weights, just the suspension sorted from the factory. Wider tyres. 

No spare wheel as standard so no jack as standard.

 

 

 

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/194995-not-the-best-review-of-a-vrs

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/481120-fabia-2-weight-distribution

 

Edited 17 January, 20224 yr by roottoot

Just get yourself a combi and a bit of tarp! I can get 3 adult mountain bikes in the back no worries!

 

 

As for the weights on the rear, In the real world and to the average joe they mean absolutely nothing, Removing them isn't going to dramatically drop your 0-60 and removing them on a car which is terrible at handling, shaped liked brick and has more body roll than sumo wrestler isn't going to make it a track demon either.

 

if your serious about weight reduction and are heading down that route , I'd recommend getting rid of the heavy standard alloys(if you haven't already) and start from there.

Edited 19 January, 20224 yr by Mickmartin

On 16/01/2022 at 02:25, Cosmic_vrs said:

I'm wanting to transport my MTB in the Fabia and sick of getting mud all over my interior. I'm looking into bike carrying options.

 

All of the roof bars I'm seeing are pretty ugly. Anyone got any suggestions? Pics if possible please.

 

 

Just a reminder of the OP's original question before the pointless tangent buried it...

@Mickmartin 

If you are going to hang a bike or 2 off the back of a hatch and put stuff in the boot then 25kg less on the rear crash bar is certainly a help when it comes to traction so moving off, braking and steering and especially on damp roads or even car parks or grass. 

 

Without a rear bike carrier with bikes on removing the weights makes a difference on a standard hatch from the factory on the OEM tyres the come with.

 If the driver leaves the TC on and and is flooring it as many might do there can be less flashing of traction control light and the cutting of power and nipping of brakes and the banging.

 

But if you have tried hatchbacks with and without the weights on you will know that, also if you have been timing them.

 

44kg removed from the rear with the weights off and the spare wheel and jack out makes a difference. 

Lighter wheels will not reduce wheel spin but better tyres help, as do wider tyres on the front if of a suitable tread / compound.

 

As to making them a track demon then just the weights removed might make little difference but then the XDS might disable it's self a little bit later as the brakes overheat slower. 

There are hatches about and some driven by members that have track cars with a bit of modding, that can start someplace with a bit of weight reduction.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/374661-mk2-fabia-rs-trackday-and-auto-x-project

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/424380-fabia-vrs-mkii-mods-detailing-repairs-nurburgring-etc

 

 

@sepulchrave

Still room for you to post something of assistance on the OP about carrying bikes and contribute rather than the usual coming in eventually with nothing much about the OP.

 

Did you notice that a tow bar can not be fitted without modifications and can not be fitted to tow and the member asked about the weights and were they on a vRS?

Edited 19 January, 20224 yr by roottoot

I've no experience carrying a bike on a Fabia Mk2 so I've limited my contribution to trying to help the OP get a coherent answer to his question rather than completely burying the thread in whatever it is that you want to talk about.

 

Incidentally the Mk1 VRS is not approved for towing either.

52 minutes ago, roottoot said:

@Mickmartin 

If you are going to hang a bike or 2 off the back of a hatch and put stuff in the boot then 25kg less on the rear crash bar is certainly a help when it comes to traction so moving off, braking and steering and especially on damp roads or even car parks or grass. 

 

Without a rear bike carrier with bikes on removing the weights makes a difference on a standard hatch from the factory on the OEM tyres the come with.

 If the driver leaves the TC on and and is flooring it as many might do there can be less flashing of traction control light and the cutting of power and nipping of brakes and the banging.

 

But if you have tried hatchbacks with and without the weights on you will know that, also if you have been timing them.

 

44kg removed from the rear with the weights off and the spare wheel and jack out makes a difference. 

Lighter wheels will not reduce wheel spin but better tyres help, as do wider tyres on the front if of a suitable tread / compound.

 

As to making them a track demon then just the weights removed might make little difference but then the XDS might disable it's self a little bit later as the brakes overheat slower. 

There are hatches about and some driven by members that have track cars with a bit of modding, that can start someplace with a bit of weight reduction.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/374661-mk2-fabia-rs-trackday-and-auto-x-project

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/424380-fabia-vrs-mkii-mods-detailing-repairs-nurburgring-etc

 

 

@sepulchrave

Still room for you to post something of assistance on the OP about carrying bikes and contribute rather than the usual coming in eventually with nothing much about the OP.

 

Did you notice that a tow bar can not be fitted without modifications and can not be fitted to tow and the member asked about the weights and were they on a vRS?

 

I get what your saying but as I mentioned in the real world 44kg is what? less than 7 stone? Not entirely sure how much that would equate to in a 0-60 time if someone cold calculate it......I'm guessing not much at all, I  wouldn't remove my spare wheel and jack for a daily driver so I've left them out the equation. 

 

 

@Mickmartin why guess. There are times of cars aplenty on here.  There are people that put cars on scales, weigh bridges or corner scales.   Did you weight your estate before you started modding?   You are on the Facebook pages and know the tuners.    How it equates is as those that take their cars to the drag strip, sprints or hillclimbs know it does.    For a daily driver they might have plenty weight in and as I did carry 2 spare wheels but have no rear weights  on.  Plenty take stuff out of their estate before tracking them.  So when using not on the road it is just simply remove the extra weight in the boot.   When setting off places with wheels tyres, fuel, tools etc and me in a Fabia vRS it weighed 1,440 ish kg.   That was not the weight I took it up a hill climb or drag strip or went for a fun thrash.    Ps maybe @Cosmic_vrsknows by now if he got his car with the weights still on or removed.  Plenty have no idea unless they check. 

Edited 19 January, 20224 yr by roottoot

21 hours ago, roottoot said:

@Mickmartin why guess. There are times of cars aplenty on here.  There are people that put cars on scales, weigh bridges or corner scales.   Did you weight your estate before you started modding?   You are on the Facebook pages and know the tuners.    How it equates is as those that take their cars to the drag strip, sprints or hillclimbs know it does.    For a daily driver they might have plenty weight in and as I did carry 2 spare wheels but have no rear weights  on.  Plenty take stuff out of their estate before tracking them.  So when using not on the road it is just simply remove the extra weight in the boot.   When setting off places with wheels tyres, fuel, tools etc and me in a Fabia vRS it weighed 1,440 ish kg.   That was not the weight I took it up a hill climb or drag strip or went for a fun thrash.    Ps maybe @Cosmic_vrsknows by now if he got his car with the weights still on or removed.  Plenty have no idea unless they check. 

 

Never had it on the weighbridge as standard however have had it weighed at 1260kg with only drivers seat and half a tank of fuel. I'll stick to my original comment that in the real world 44kg isn't going to make a world of difference on these cars as a daily driver so unless the op is planning to remove a a lot more weight he is only removing the weight of the average 12 year old,2 tyres or a medium/large dog?

 

Has there ever been any official or dragy timed 0-60 with the weight on and then removed out of curiosity,  Apologies if its been posted.

The 12 year old or the dog is not hanging on the rearmost part of the car.   Look at the max gross weight / revenue weight for the estate and for the hatch.  Look at what was given in 2010 then again when corrected in 2013.   The correction was no just the change of a driver from 60kg to 75 kg.   So the standard factory ballast does make a difference on the grip under acceleration in the real world with the front going light and wheel spin on damp roads.  That is just daily driving   You get more TC flashing lights  That extra weight on the crash bar affects handling.   It is not the same on an estate car sitting with the standard rear springs or even the Dealer fit option spings.    Then if you are putting another 25kg or so hanging off a bike rack it makes more of a difference.    Where the extra unnecessary weight is located is what makes the difference.  The extra 9 and a bit inches of estate cars weight sitting on the correct springs is not an issue even if you put lots of bags or sand or gravel in the load space.  

Edited 20 January, 20224 yr by roottoot