Roof Mounted Bike Rack Questions

[AC43]

Hi,

I'm looking to get a couple of roof-mounted bike racks and am looking for some advice.

I already have a set of MB roof bars. To use the vernacular these have a 20mm T Track. So whatever I get needs to have fittings for 20mm T Tracks.

I think Alteras come with a unviversal fitting kit and that I'd have to buy adaptors for Thules.

Has anyone fitted Thules, Alteras or anything else to similar roof bars?

Thanks

[Birdthom]

One piece of advice from personal experience:

Don't drive into low bridges.

[Woody]

My Thule 591 came with track fittings.
Worked on my Mondeo bars and on my Hyundai bars.

[AC43]

Birdthom said:

One piece of advice from personal experience:

Don't drive into low bridges.

Thanks for the advice. My BIL tells me to avoid multi-storeys.....

[AC43]

Woody said:

My Thule 591 came with track fittings.
Worked on my Mondeo bars and on my Hyundai bars.

OK Ta.

Think I'll leg it over to Halfords with roofbars in hand.

[ALawson]

If the frames are carbon you better check if you need to take the front wheel off.

I phoned specialized to check and they said they get several "warranty" returns came in every year with snapped down tubes!

[AC43]

Woody said:

My Thule 591 came with track fittings.
Worked on my Mondeo bars and on my Hyundai bars.

Ordered a cheap pair from Sandicliffe. £111 the pair

Will check out the mounts when they get here as I think I can adapt my other two MB racks to use the same mounts.

So for £120-ish i'll finally be able to take the whole family out of town on cycle trips.

(was baulking at the cost of the tow bar + rack option that's obviously way better but also very expensive given how often I#d actually use it).

[T1berious]

Thule 591 here with roof bar fittings. They're great. We did have some cheaper Halfords one initially but when we discovered we could unlock them with any key we went back and got the Thule system.

Had them years, rock solid.

[AC43]

T1berious said:

Thule 591 here with roof bar fittings. They're great. We did have some cheaper Halfords one initially but when we discovered we could unlock them with any key we went back and got the Thule system.

Had them years, rock solid.

Excellent. Youngest is now 7 and happy on her 20 inch Specialized. Elder one 10 and keen as mustard on his 24 inch one. In London we're restricted to parks and canal paths. Fancy a but of Burnham Beeches or the easier parts of Swanley.

[AC43]

ALawson said:

If the frames are carbon you better check if you need to take the front wheel off.

I phoned specialized to check and they said they get several "warranty" returns came in every year with snapped down tubes!

All alloy, ta.

[Jimshorts]

I chose Thule 591 and been really pleased with it. Probably irrational paranoia on my part but I wrap a toestrap around the down tube and the rack support tube to back up the clamp.

[AC43]

Jimshorts said:

I chose Thule 591 and been really pleased with it. Probably irrational paranoia on my part but I wrap a toestrap around the down tube and the rack support tube to back up the clamp.

I can understand the logic. There must be some pretty major forces up there.

Got my 591's today and figured out how to configure them for my roof bars.

Will try to find the time to fit them later this week.

Still can't figure out how to mount my Merc ones. They are either not compatible with those particular bars or have the wrong adaptors. Will ask on some Merc forums.