Re: Bicycle Rack Question????? [LONG]

["Gorman, Ken (PA62)" <Ken.Gorman@ftw1.honeywell.com>]

>>I know this has been a topic before, but I now am need of a dual
>>bike rack for the '87 5kcs tq, and/or the '93 100CS.

I've been very partial to Yakima for a while now.  The racks are sturdy
and reliable.  

I put a Yakima rack on both my 1987 Audi 5000 CST and my 1990 Audi 200
Turbo. Even though Yakima says I should use 
Y1 clips for the 5000 and Y30 clips for the 200T, theY1 clips work fine
for both.  I inspected both clips and they appear to be exactly the
same.  I asked the guy at the bike shop what the difference was between
the Y1 and the Y30 clips.  He took them out of the package, inspected
them, and said he didn't know either.

If you want to spend a bit more money, go for the newer Yakima Q system.
It is supposed to work better for newer cars without rain gutters that
have a more rounded shape.  I found the older Yakima Y system works just
as well.

While my Audi was undergoing a major repair (tranny and torque converter
- but that's a whole other story), I swapped the Yakima rack onto my
wife's Acura Legend without a problem.  The clips fit perfectly.  When I
got the Audi back, I swapped back again.

An online fit list for Yakima roof racks for Audi's can be found at:

	For the Y system:
	http://www.bikepro.com/products/yakima_racks/yfits/audiy.html

	and
	For the q system:
	http://www.bikepro.com/products/yakima_racks/qfits/audiq.html

Please note that the bikepro web site is currently down while some
credit card investigation is going on.
They may or may not be back, but keep the link handy in case they do
come back.  Their online database
of roof racks for any car is extremely useful.

>>Anyone with a roof rack ever drive in the garage with the bikes on
top?!?!

Not yet - I haven't even gone through a McDonald's drive through with
the bikes on - and I go through drive-throughs a lot! 

>>Anyone have any good suggestions?
I've been happy with Yakima - spend the extra money and get an upright
bike carrier instead of the kind that clamp onto the fork.  The
convenience of not having to remove a front tire and re-install it every
time you transport your bike is worth the extra $20 for the upright
carrier.

Thule makes a rack of the same quality and standards as Yakima.


>>Roof vs. Trunk mount?
There haven't been too many truck mounts that hold bikes as secure as a
roof mount, until the Rhode Gear Cradle Shuttle.  It attaches to your
car by the use of straps and hooks (2 hooks clamp onto the edge of your
trunk and 2 other hooks clamp onto the underside of your bumper.  The
entire rack doesn't touch the car except at the license plate.  You have
to see one to know what I'm talking about.  It's too difficult for me to
explain.

They are much cheaper, too - about $110-$120 for the Cradle Shuttle.

The Cradle Shuttle doesn't even touch the bike frame either - especially
important if your bike has a large diameter down tube, the downtube is
made of carbon fiber, or your bike doesn't have a traditional down-tube,
i.e. Kestrel Bikes and monocoque frames can't be transported by
traditional carriers.  The Cradle Shuttle holds the bike by the bikes
wheels.

Downsides:  If you are travelling someplace with bikes and your luggage
is in the trunk, you can't get to your luggage until you remove all the
bikes, remove the rack, and then open your trunk.

It's better to not drive with an empty rack.  The weight of the bike
helps secure the rack to the car by placing tension on the tie down
straps.  Removing the bike creates slack in the tie down straps.
Because of this, it is inconvenient to always have to remove and
re-intall a trunk-mounted bike carrier.  Most trunk mounted bike
carriers can't be locked to the car.  If you go to a park to ride and
leave the car there, you'd want to lock the carrier in the trunk.

Most roof racks have optional locking accessories.  

Summary:
Roof racks - 
pros:  convenient, lockable, no need for removal, easy access to trunk
cons: expensive

Trunk racks:
pros: inexpensive
cons: not lockable, have to be removed while driving without bikes, no
access to trunk while installed.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Ken

Ken Gorman
Honeywell, Inc. - Industrial Automation and Control
1100 Virginia Drive - Mail Stop 105
Fort Washington, PA  19034
Phone (215) 641-3390    Fax (215) 641-3850
e-mail: Ken.Gorman@iac.honeywell.com