Bike Rack...Never Again
03-09-20, 07:42 PM
#26
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My 30 year old car blew a head gasket.
I’m done with cars.
I’m done with cars.
03-09-20, 09:12 PM
#27
Senior Member
1up or nothing.
Yes adding a hitch receiver and paying for the rack sucks.
But it lasts forever and the bike is secure. No plastic or steel that can rust.
I tried the in the car for my daily 2- mode commute. But removing the wheel, the dirt, the space it takes etc. gets old quickly if you use it daily.
Yes adding a hitch receiver and paying for the rack sucks.
But it lasts forever and the bike is secure. No plastic or steel that can rust.
I tried the in the car for my daily 2- mode commute. But removing the wheel, the dirt, the space it takes etc. gets old quickly if you use it daily.
03-11-20, 10:44 AM
#29
Senior Member
We have had an SUV with a hitch mounted rack which I like however 2 years ago my wife was hit in the rear end of the car by a driver looking at their phone. Fortunately my wife was not injured and the bikes were not on the rack at the time. The rack was completely destroyed along with the hitch portion and the car was considered a total loss. . Here's the hard part, in spite of the fact that the rack and hitch were less than 2 months old, the rack was depreciated in half by the auto insurance company and the hitch was considered "part of the car" and therefor the check we received for the total loss of the car had no line item for the hitch itself. So yes that's a valid fear and as such I take the rack off if I don't think I'll use it for a week or 2 just to avoid that again.
03-11-20, 10:50 AM
#30
Senior Member
A 20 year old bike rack I would say has given you your money's worth easily. The straps etc. will wear out and fail so I would ask what is the market value of the bikes you put on it and how able are you to just go out and replace them when the rack fails. The other thing to consider is the lawsuit filed by the person behind you that "your bike runs into" when it falls off the rack.
03-12-20, 06:04 AM
#31
Senior Member
I would love to buy things that last a long time as opposed to what is the current environment everything is a subscription including your washing machine, fridge, bike rack etc.
A 20 year old bike rack I would say has given you your money's worth easily. The straps etc. will wear out and fail so I would ask what is the market value of the bikes you put on it and how able are you to just go out and replace them when the rack fails. The other thing to consider is the lawsuit filed by the person behind you that "your bike runs into" when it falls off the rack.
A 20 year old bike rack I would say has given you your money's worth easily. The straps etc. will wear out and fail so I would ask what is the market value of the bikes you put on it and how able are you to just go out and replace them when the rack fails. The other thing to consider is the lawsuit filed by the person behind you that "your bike runs into" when it falls off the rack.
03-12-20, 06:23 AM
#32
Junior Member
I would love to buy things that last a long time as opposed to what is the current environment everything is a subscription including your washing machine, fridge, bike rack etc.
A 20 year old bike rack I would say has given you your money's worth easily. The straps etc. will wear out and fail so I would ask what is the market value of the bikes you put on it and how able are you to just go out and replace them when the rack fails. The other thing to consider is the lawsuit filed by the person behind you that "your bike runs into" when it falls off the rack.
A 20 year old bike rack I would say has given you your money's worth easily. The straps etc. will wear out and fail so I would ask what is the market value of the bikes you put on it and how able are you to just go out and replace them when the rack fails. The other thing to consider is the lawsuit filed by the person behind you that "your bike runs into" when it falls off the rack.
The market value of probably any bike I choose to put on my old rack is many orders of magnitude greater vs cost of some nylon webbing and, at the high end, two hours of my time fitting and stitching.
03-12-20, 07:33 AM
#33
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I bought a Yakima roof rack in 1993 that I used for 20+ years for bikes, skis and snowboards without issue on a handful of different cars. One of the towers eventually broke, and the fork mount for one of the bike holders was rusted, so I figured I was due for a replacement. I tried a trunk mounted rack for a bit and it scratched up my trunk and was very flimsy. The geometry of some mountain bikes made it hard to mount them on the rack, and I always worried about using it on the highway, and also worried about rear-end fender-bender destroying an expensive bike that my auto insurance company may not cover.
I ended up buying a new Yakima roof rack 4-5 years ago and it's been perfect. The initial install takes some effort to get set up correctly, but once that's done it just takes a few seconds to pop it on or off my car. I only occasionally need to transport a bike by car, so I leave it off most of the time, and it lives in my garage leaning up against a wall. These things are pretty much bomb proof and I'd be surprised if I ever buy anything else.
My bike fits in my trunk if I fold the rear seats, but it requires me to remove my kid's car seat. Also, putting a muddy MTB or CX bike inside my car is a no-go for me. And, I like to take bikes on family vacations so inside the car is not very practical for that.
I ended up buying a new Yakima roof rack 4-5 years ago and it's been perfect. The initial install takes some effort to get set up correctly, but once that's done it just takes a few seconds to pop it on or off my car. I only occasionally need to transport a bike by car, so I leave it off most of the time, and it lives in my garage leaning up against a wall. These things are pretty much bomb proof and I'd be surprised if I ever buy anything else.
My bike fits in my trunk if I fold the rear seats, but it requires me to remove my kid's car seat. Also, putting a muddy MTB or CX bike inside my car is a no-go for me. And, I like to take bikes on family vacations so inside the car is not very practical for that.
03-19-20, 01:16 PM
#35
Senior Member
I have a followup. I replaced my straps as mentioned earlier in this thread. I can tell you they were definitely strong. My wife rolled the car, hit a tree and it landed on the roof and the rack stayed attached. The straps were strong enough to almost pull the trunk lid off 
I still have faith in racks with straps. I'll need a new one though, the straps aren't the issue with this one now.
I still have faith in racks with straps. I'll need a new one though, the straps aren't the issue with this one now.
Last edited by u235; 03-19-20 at 01:56 PM.
03-22-20, 01:19 PM
#36
Senior Member
Would add on to what very one else is saying - hitch mounted rack for security, durability, ease of use, lack of wind resistance. I use the OneUp rack, super light too. Can still have full trunk access and all back seats. They also sell locks or you can wrap a chain around it if parked in a risky area.
03-22-20, 01:41 PM
#37
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welp, that surely will resolve that vehicle's rack issue...
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03-22-20, 02:08 PM
#39
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Damn, I seriously hope she's ok and pray for a complete recovery. That's quite the rollover.
03-23-20, 12:05 AM
#40
Senior Member
I have a truck, no rack issues...truck bed works very well and can hold a few bikes....also in my Yukon, she rides in the back. Always paranoid to have it outside the vehicle(truck bed excluded)
03-23-20, 08:34 AM
#41
Sierra
I'm a devout Thule Load Straps user. Been hauling a 17.5' fiberglass kayak and bike hitch mount for many yrs with no issues. They function smart, are UV resistant and provide a strong grip that tightens / loosens on demand easily.
03-23-20, 11:07 AM
#42
Senior Member
The other day I drove my car to the shop for maintenance, I bring my bike, as always, so that I can go for a ride while maintenance is performed on my car. I use a trunk-mounted rack to transport the bike on this car because my roof rack doesn't fit. I returned to the shop on my bike, and after picking up my car was driving on the highway when two of the straps broke that were securing the bike rack to the car. A third strap kept the rack from detaching from the car, but the rack had fallen low enough that the bike's tires were dragging on the roadway and the resistance cracked the fork and seat-stays. I was fortunate that the damage was limited, and that no damage occurred to my car or other vehicles.
There was a strong wind that day and I was driving into it. My car sits low, and the bike rack is 30 years old. After the fact it appears that these were recipes for disaster.....even though it took this many years for it to happen.
My bikes travel inside my vehicles from now on. The rack went into the trash this morning. It served me well for so many years, that I have no complaints. I'll probably donate my roof rack to a worthy cause.
Luckily I have more than one bike, so I am not too depressed.....
There was a strong wind that day and I was driving into it. My car sits low, and the bike rack is 30 years old. After the fact it appears that these were recipes for disaster.....even though it took this many years for it to happen.
My bikes travel inside my vehicles from now on. The rack went into the trash this morning. It served me well for so many years, that I have no complaints. I'll probably donate my roof rack to a worthy cause.
Luckily I have more than one bike, so I am not too depressed....
.
03-23-20, 12:25 PM
#43
Junior Member
Thread Starter
I came a whisker of losing a bike at 70mph. I just happened to look in the rearview mirror when I saw it go. 2 things saved it. an extra strap and the kickstand. The kickstand was the only thing to touch the ground. I bought a van after that. People can say it is operator error but I was certain my bikes were secured.
03-23-20, 03:43 PM
#44
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Well that sucks! A good reminder to anyone using old equipment that it all will fail eventually. The newer racks are amazing and worth looking at when you get your new bike.
03-23-20, 05:24 PM
#45
Senior Member
