Covers for bikes on car roof racks
Covers for bikes on car roof racks
Author
Discussion

neilski

Original Poster:

2,563 posts

264 months

Tuesday 10th May 2011
quotequote all
Does anyone know of a suitable cover for a bike while it's attached to the roof of your car so it doesn't get covered in a billion dead bugs and loads of bird st?

This is the type of thing I'm after, produced a few years ago but seems to be discontinued now.



Yes I'm aware it's the cycling equivalent of a car bra but better that than having the front of my bike look like a plasterer's radio after each long journey. vomit

AVeryNaughtyBoy

630 posts

239 months

Tuesday 10th May 2011
quotequote all
Probably not the reply that you are looking for but I would strongly consider which is more annoying, bugs on your bike or atrocious MPG. Removing the saddle, which includes a crud guard, from my brother's bike produces a measurable increase in MPG. He normally puts his bike facing backwards for other reasons so the whale tail type mud guard would be facing the wind. I would guess that the bike cover would be many times worse aerodynamically.

anonymous-user

83 months

Tuesday 10th May 2011
quotequote all
whilst i do agree that a car on the roof nails mpg to the ground, if its raining, driving at motorway speeds just grinds water and dirt into an ingress possible. so i just use cling film, its cheap and does the job, just keep a roll in the boot. covers suspension forks really well, headsets and cranks....

Mars

10,088 posts

243 months

Tuesday 10th May 2011
quotequote all

madbadger

11,752 posts

273 months

Tuesday 10th May 2011
quotequote all
pablo said:
whilst i do agree that a car on the roof nails mpg to the ground, if its raining, driving at motorway speeds just grinds water and dirt into an ingress possible. so i just use cling film, its cheap and does the job, just keep a roll in the boot. covers suspension forks really well, headsets and cranks....
Good idea. smile

a11y_m

1,861 posts

251 months

Wednesday 11th May 2011
quotequote all
madbadger said:
pablo said:
whilst i do agree that a car on the roof nails mpg to the ground, if its raining, driving at motorway speeds just grinds water and dirt into an ingress possible. so i just use cling film, its cheap and does the job, just keep a roll in the boot. covers suspension forks really well, headsets and cranks....
Good idea. smile
KISS: the simplest ideas are sometimes the best. Haven't heard of using clingfilm before but that's a great idea IMO smile

neilski

Original Poster:

2,563 posts

264 months

Wednesday 11th May 2011
quotequote all
MPG's not really an issue as I'd probably only use it once or twice a year so the extra amount spent on fuel would probably equate to a bottle of Muc-Off so I'd have to spend the money either way.

Mars, thanks but ideally I'd want something that can survive at motorway speeds. smile

henrycrun

2,473 posts

269 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
I'm guessing any cover will -

1. flap like crazy
2. be destroyed during a long journey, become detached and hit another vehicle...

ewenm

28,506 posts

274 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
Buy a roof box
Put stuff from boot of car into roof box
Put bike in boot of car
Sorted wink


neilski

Original Poster:

2,563 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Buy a roof box
Put stuff from boot of car into roof box
Put bike in boot of car
Sorted wink
I would but there's a farking great engine in the boot! wink

neilski

Original Poster:

2,563 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
henrycrun said:
I'm guessing any cover will -

1. flap like crazy
2. be destroyed during a long journey, become detached and hit another vehicle...
The Louis Garneau one above is made from lycra and designed not to flap about which is why I'm after something similar.

ewenm

28,506 posts

274 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
Aren't the back seats of a 911 ideal for bike transport? hehe

Seriously though, I've never worried about the bike getting mucky on the roof of the car, probably for 2 reasons:
1. It's a mountain bike, so mucky is normal.
2. The roofrack is the bike upside down type so the saddle and bars are low down and relatively well-shielded, especially if you put the bike on upsidedown and backwards.

neilski

Original Poster:

2,563 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
ewenm said:
Aren't the back seats of a 911 ideal for bike transport? hehe

Seriously though, I've never worried about the bike getting mucky on the roof of the car, probably for 2 reasons:
1. It's a mountain bike, so mucky is normal.
2. The roofrack is the bike upside down type so the saddle and bars are low down and relatively well-shielded, especially if you put the bike on upsidedown and backwards.
On the newer more lardy models maybe, but the inside of mine is tiny!

It's mainly the bar tape & saddle I want to keep crap free so if it comes to it, I may have to go down the clingfilm route.

Superhoop

4,908 posts

222 months

Thursday 12th May 2011
quotequote all
neilski said:
Does anyone know of a suitable cover for a bike while it's attached to the roof of your car so it doesn't get covered in a billion dead bugs and loads of bird st?

This is the type of thing I'm after, produced a few years ago but seems to be discontinued now.



Yes I'm aware it's the cycling equivalent of a car bra but better that than having the front of my bike look like a plasterer's radio after each long journey. vomit
This online store in the USA are showing stock ($34.99) Not sure if they ship to the UK though

http://www.boardnbike.com/catalog/Louis%20Garneau1...