# Phuck! Drove into carport with bikes on roof rack.



## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

After a good day of mellow riding in Truckee with the wife and kid, I drove into our carport with the bikes on top. My wife's fork is trashed. Thankfully, it is a POS fork anyway. My bike fell off the rack and seems to have sustained minimal damage. The headset felt a bit loose, so I pulled it apart and looked for damage. I didn't see much. After tightening it up, everything seems fine. I'm going to run it by the LBS tomorrow morning for a second opinion.

Ugh, I still can't fvkin believe I did that!


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## BigVaz (Feb 19, 2010)

That sucks dude... I'm actually pretty sketchy about having a roof rack for this reason! I'm looking to purchase a hitch rack for my jeep so I can ditch the roof rack on the car.... 

Hopefully your bike turns out ok.


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## Flyin_W (Jun 17, 2007)

Look at the bright side, it will not happen again.
As a reminder, I stick a hang tag on the rear view mirror when bikes are on the roof.

I'm heavily biased, and here's why. 
With roof racks you control the damage, and Hitch racks do not eliminate accidents. 
While carpooling to KT, we got hit & run in a grocery store parking lot when stocking the house, and two people had to rent bikes.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Trashed a carbon frame driving into my garage that way... I park outside now!


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## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

Flyin_W said:


> Look at the bright side, it will not happen again.
> As a reminder, I stick a hang tag on the rear view mirror when bikes are on the roof.
> 
> I'm heavily biased, and here's why.
> ...


That's definitely true. We previously used a hitch rack and it always worried me when some a-hole was tailgating me.

I guess I'm not the only one who has done this. A hang tag is a good idea.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

intheways said:


> That's definitely true. We previously used a hitch rack and it always worried me when some a-hole was tailgating me.


How many times a year on average do you get rear-ended?


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

I'm bummed for you intheways. 

Just like Flyn_W I've never been a fan of the rear bike rack for the fact that a rear end collision is such a common thing. The roof rack garage car port collision is also just too easy to do as you come home from a fatiguing ride. 

You know what this means right? There's only one solution ride your bike to the trailhead. 


I'm lucky enough to have a pickup truck with a fork mount behind the cab the bike cannot be damaged in either event,


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## Mookie (Feb 28, 2008)

That sucks. I'm paranoid about that happening to me and so over the years I've trained myself to be very cognizant that I have bikes on the roof. I'm forgetful but so far so good...


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I have a roof rack on our new car as well as a Thule T2 on the hitch. I just keep my garage full of motorcycles, bicycles, and plenty of fishing & hunting gear so pulling into it will never be a possibility!


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## Cayenne_Pepa (Dec 18, 2007)

Too many negatives going for the roof rack. One single oversight.....and the bikes are GONE. Gas mileage also sux, compared to a hitch rack.


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## lostgiant (Aug 12, 2014)

It happen to a friend once parking in his house, he told me he was exhausted an forgot. I use to have a hitch rack never had any accidents now I have pick truck thanks to god.
Good luck!


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## terrasmak (Jun 14, 2011)

I know I would smash my bikes if I had a roof rack


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

A friend smashed his and his gf bikes on a roof rack while driving into a parking garage

I used to have a roof rack but loading unloading 2 heavy dh bikes or all mtn bikes was too much effort. Now we fold down the back seats and load the bikes into the car (Prius) It's got plenty of room for up to 4 bikes and all the gear.

For my next car I'm considering getting a hitch rack ... the interior of the Prius looks beaten up.


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## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

Jayem said:


> How many times a year on average do you get rear-ended?


Once this past year, but I see what you are saying. People tend to keep more distance when there are bikes on the back.


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## Goldfinger (Mar 7, 2006)

We had a minor disagreement with a carport a few years ago. Don't put bikes on the roof rack any more, but if I have a kayak up there I always place a can of paint in front of the garage as a reminder.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Ive used a roof rack since 1984, never even came close to driving into anything. A few years ago I did a trip where we carried 6 bikes, 4 on a hitch rack, 2 in the back of a truck( along with the gear for 5 people), I hated that hitch rack, every stoplight, traffic, parking, i thought i was going to get hit. To each his own, but i prefer the roof rack.


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## Boyonabyke (Sep 5, 2007)

A roof rack, empty or loaded is damaging to the mpg's of a vehicle. Wastes a tremendous amount of fuel, making your hydrocarbon foot print way larger than it needs to be. In a big way. Trailer hitch rack for me, never been rear ended with the bikes in tow. I also think a roof rack "advertises" what valuables you own, far more so than a trailer hitch rack. Great if you want to invite thieves to steal your gear, for an inside insurance job when you need a newer bike.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

intheways said:


> Once this past year, but I see what you are saying. People tend to keep more distance when there are bikes on the back.


Well kind of, but if you really DO get rear ended that frequently, perhaps bikes on the rear isn't for you. I have never been rear ended, so it works great for me. There's also the issue of just getting hit, if you get in accidents frequently, it's probably not going to matter that much, as you have bigger issues from time to time to sort out as a result of the accident. Make sure to have good insurance coverage in that case.


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## CDK (Oct 1, 2013)

cyclelicious said:


> A friend smashed his and his gf bikes on a roof rack while driving into a parking garage
> 
> I used to have a roof rack but loading unloading 2 heavy dh bikes or all mtn bikes was too much effort. Now we fold down the back seats and load the bikes into the car (Prius) It's got plenty of room for up to 4 bikes and all the gear.
> 
> For my next car I'm considering getting a hitch rack ... the interior of the Prius looks beaten up.


You can fit 4 DH bikes in your prius?? I have got to see a picture of this! I drive a prius for work but drive it to the trails. Before I had a rack I would load my bike in with the seats folded down. It took quite a bit of effort to get it to fit mainly because of the handlebar length and long fork. I could not imagine it is easy to fit even just 2 bikes in there..


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

lostgiant said:


> It happen to a friend once parking in his house, he told me he was exhausted an forgot. I use to have a hitch rack never had any accidents now I have pick truck thanks to god.
> Good luck!


Yep same here. Although my previous residence had an old fashioned wooden hinged garage door. Which hung just low enough to catch my seat. Luckily this was during the test phase to see if it cleared and I stopped just in time. From that point on I trained myself to lower the adjustable seat post down. But since I've left that place I've never had a clearance problem.


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## MMS (Apr 11, 2011)

^I've got the same basic set up in my Frontier. Rocky Mounts. Been toying with getting a Jeep, thought a hitch rack would be the ticket there...now you guys make me nervous about it.

Sorry about your incident.


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## abegold (Jan 30, 2004)

I'd suggest hanging a tennis ball hanging from the front of the garage. You'll notice it and KNOW it's to remind you of the bikes on the roof. I use a hitch rack and have never had a problem with it but I did stop backing into an unseen metal box by 1/4" which would have hit the derailleur.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

I need a roof rack ^^ in a couple years there'll be 5x bikes attached to vehicle... two on top and three out back, the only way I can see it working.

Like the idea of a visual reminder in front of/attached to garage door ^^


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## Ronnie (Jan 17, 2004)

Personally I prefer my bike on a roof rack. I don't get all the crap from the back wheels being blasted onto the bike, especially the East Coast snow, slush and mud.

Then there was the story posted here on MTBR a few years ago buy a guy somewhere in Southern California who was caught in a traffic jam on the freeway when he saw his expensive bike, which was on a hitch rack, heading down the side of the road never to be seen again.

I do however hang this on the bottom of the garage door before I even put the bike on the car:









Purely Custom Online Store - Safety Bob Sign - Remember Me - Custom Bicycle Accessories


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Ronnie said:


> Personally I prefer my bike on a roof rack. I don't get all the crap from the back wheels being blasted onto the bike, especially the East Coast snow, slush and mud.
> 
> Then there was the story posted here on MTBR a few years ago buy a guy somewhere in Southern California who was caught in a traffic jam on the freeway when he saw his expensive bike, which was on a hitch rack, heading down the side of the road never to be seen again.
> 
> ...


I remember that story and if I'm not mistaken a thread was started to get funds together to get him another bike. That must have been 10 years ago.


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## Gunnar-man (Mar 21, 2008)

After backing into my garage twice with bikes on the roof, i decided to write "BIKE" in big black letters on a piece of cardboard. With two thick pieces of duct tape, I attached about a third of the way up the inside of my garage door so that when the door was open, it would hang down and I would see the sign in the rear view mirror. Didn't forget that there were bikes on the roof again....now, the wife? That is a different story for another thread....


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## socalpete (Jul 18, 2013)

I tried putting my bikes in my car lately but it gets the interior to dirty and dings things up.

I have a hitch rack on my car, the only issue I have is it sits kind of low and has some problems going up steep driveways.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## heybrady (May 31, 2009)

If you get rear ended with a bike on the hitch rack, their insurance will buy you a new bike most likely. Since when does anyone on this forum not excited about a new bike?


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## Flyin_W (Jun 17, 2007)

Not so quick... Items outside the vehicle are typically covered under homeowners insurance, not your auto policy.

Secondly, if it happened on private property the cops do not get involved, unless there is an injury. Damn tough to prove anything without video footage, or any witnesses.

Sorry to ruin your hopes for a new bike by pissing in your Cheerios..


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## Ronnie (Jan 17, 2004)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> I remember that story and if I'm not mistaken a thread was started to get funds together to get him another bike. That must have been 10 years ago.


I don't think it was quite that long ago. I was living in New Jersey when I read that thread. Ten years ago I was living in Switzerland. I tried doing a search but the search tool won't go back further than a few years.:incazzato: I think more like five or so years for what it's worth.


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## bradkay (Apr 9, 2013)

A good many of the idiots who constantly tailgate are uninsured/underinsured - and have no money if you were to sue them. Face it, there is no perfectly safe way to carry your bikes. I have been using roof racks since the early 80s and have never driven into any low overhead - and don't expect that I ever will because I am used to thinking about it. I also do not notice any extra noise and only take a slight hit to gas mileage. I'll continue to take that slight hit to my mileage in order to continue enjoying the convenience of having the bikes up out of my way and easy access to the luggage section of my wagon.


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## kinsler (Sep 13, 2011)

Flyin_W said:


> Not so quick... Items outside the vehicle are typically covered under homeowners insurance, not your auto policy.
> 
> Secondly, if it happened on private property the cops do not get involved, unless there is an injury. Damn tough to prove anything without video footage, or any witnesses.
> 
> Sorry to ruin your hopes for a new bike by pissing in your Cheerios..


My renters insurance covered my bike.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

I had a couple stop in my shop once who had their bikes on a rack on the back of their rv and didn't see that the rack had partially come loose and they had drug their bikes down the highway long enough that there was only about half of them left. No matter how one transports them, they ought to be visually checked on periodically.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Mookie said:


> That sucks. I'm paranoid about that happening to me...


Paranoid...an unjustified fear. Your fear is justified. therefore, you are NOT paranoid.


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## 29er4ever (Jan 8, 2013)

It is only occasionally when there are 3 or 4 of us that I need to use the roof rack for the additional bike storage, so I easily forget that I have bikes on top. When I am loading the bikes on top after the ride I put my garage door opener inside my biking glove. That reminds me about the bikes when I open the garage door as I get home.


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## evdog (Mar 18, 2007)

Flyin_W said:


> Not so quick... Items outside the vehicle are typically covered under homeowners insurance, not your auto policy.
> 
> Secondly, if it happened on private property the cops do not get involved, unless there is an injury. Damn tough to prove anything without video footage, or any witnesses.
> 
> Sorry to ruin your hopes for a new bike by pissing in your Cheerios..


If you have bikes on the roof rack and drive into a garage then renter's/homeowners insurance should cover that. Same in the case of a theft.

But if you get rear-ended the other driver's insurance should cover the damage since they would be at fault. Unless there are unusual circumstances to the crash the driver who rear-ends the vehicle in front is almost always considered at fault.

Got rear-ended a couple years ago with 3 bikes hanging over the tailgate. Had a check in my hands for a new front wheel and fork within a few days, from the other driver's insurance company.


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## Mr. 68 Hundred (Feb 6, 2011)

Ronnie said:


> Then there was the story posted here on MTBR a few years ago buy a guy somewhere in Southern California who was caught in a traffic jam on the freeway when he saw his expensive bike, which was on a hitch rack, heading down the side of the road never to be seen again.


I live in Albuquerque and have to drive through some sketchy areas to get to the trails. I had that fear; a guy or two taking my bike off the rack while at a stop light so I've always locked it. It been a PITA but knowing that the bike was secure was worth it. Even more so now. If I were him, I'd be pissed at the person in the car directly behind him--why didn't they honk to give him a heads up.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

bradkay said:


> A good many of the idiots who constantly tailgate are uninsured/underinsured - and have no money if you were to sue them. Face it, there is no perfectly safe way to carry your bikes. I have been using roof racks since the early 80s and have never driven into any low overhead - and don't expect that I ever will because I am used to thinking about it. I also do not notice any extra noise and only take a slight hit to gas mileage. I'll continue to take that slight hit to my mileage in order to continue enjoying the convenience of having the bikes up out of my way and easy access to the luggage section of my wagon.


It's no longer 1988, you now can have great access to the luggage section with a hitch rack, not to mention the luxury of not having to swing your bike up and over your head.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

CDK said:


> You can fit 4 DH bikes in your prius?? I have got to see a picture of this! I drive a prius for work but drive it to the trails. Before I had a rack I would load my bike in with the seats folded down. It took quite a bit of effort to get it to fit mainly because of the handlebar length and long fork. I could not imagine it is easy to fit even just 2 bikes in there..


Yup - for real. 2 dh bikes every summer weekend (since 2008) got loaded in. Plus the gear. One trip we brought a friend dhing. We had his bike ( xc) , and our 2 dh bikes, one seat was folded down and I sat in the back and my hubby and friend sat up front. It was tight. Todays ride we packed the 2 hardtails. Plus the gear. We once transported 4 all mountain bikes in the Prius as well. It took some ingenuity but got it done.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

cyclelicious said:


> Yup - for real. 2 dh bikes every summer weekend (since 2008) got loaded in. Plus the gear. One trip we brought a friend dhing. We had his bike ( xc) , and our 2 dh bikes, one seat was folded down and I sat in the back and my hubby and friend sat up front. It was tight. Todays ride we packed the 2 hardtails. Plus the gear. We once transported 4 all mountain bikes in the Prius as well. It took some ingenuity but got it done.


Sooner or later, it tears up the interior. Not worth it IMO.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

Having to cram my bikes in a Prius would take the fun out of riding for me. A pickup or a van works the best and that way they don't have to be on top or hanging off of the back of a vehicle.


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## Flyin_W (Jun 17, 2007)

Jayem said:


> It's no longer 1988, you now can have great access to the luggage section with a hitch rack, not to mention the luxury of not having to swing your bike up and over your head.


Well then, please tell us how you transport kayaks, canoes, or lumber?

Hitch racks do have limits, and while I admit to being biased, there's no need to act superior.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Flyin_W said:


> Well then, please tell us how you transport kayaks, canoes, or lumber?
> 
> Hitch racks do have limits, and while I admit to being biased, there's no need to act superior.


Well, now at least you are mentioning things that aren't easily disproven. The best way would probably be a used trailer, but otherwise there is at least some validity to these last criteria.


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## moefosho (Apr 30, 2013)

Boyonadyke said:


> A roof rack, empty or loaded is damaging to the mpg's of a vehicle. Wastes a tremendous amount of fuel, making your hydrocarbon foot print way larger than it needs to be. In a big way.


1 mpg difference is hardly a "tremendous amount of fuel" on a 35mpg vehicle.


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## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

Somewhere between Boyonadyke and moefosho, the truth lies.


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## dnlwthrn (Jan 26, 2006)

Boyonadyke said:


> A roof rack, empty or loaded is damaging to the mpg's of a vehicle. Wastes a tremendous amount of fuel, making your hydrocarbon foot print way larger than it needs to be. In a big way. Trailer hitch rack for me, never been rear ended with the bikes in tow. I also think a roof rack "advertises" what valuables you own, far more so than a trailer hitch rack. Great if you want to invite thieves to steal your gear, for an inside insurance job when you need a newer bike.


Seriously? What evidence do you have for the "tremendous amount" of wasted fuel? And if you're really worried about your hydrocarbon footprint, you'll just ride your bike everywhere instead of driving.

Over 3 years and 60,000+ mi of driving, including 3 different cars, both with and without the roof rack installed shows that I average 1.5mpg less with the empty roof rack vs. no roof rack. Fuel consumption with two bikes on the roof rack is almost identical to having two bikes on the trunk mount rack I had before I switched to the roof rack.

Really the best transport option is to put the bikes INSIDE the vehicle if at all possible.


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## Phinias (Aug 28, 2014)

There will be almost little to no difference between the drag a bike creates on the roof or at the rear car. Drag is not only caused at the leading edge of the vehicle, but all over, and even in the slipstream.


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

My solution to the roof rack/garage reminder issue is to take my clicker off the visor and toss it in the armrest/passenger foot area or put it in the glove box. I know too many people who forget to put the reminder cards/paint can out. This clicker thing is second nature to me now.


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## moefosho (Apr 30, 2013)

Phinias said:


> There will be almost little to no difference between the drag a bike creates on the roof or at the rear car. Drag is not only caused at the leading edge of the vehicle, but all over, and even in the slipstream.


You take your science and logic and get out of here. MTBR is no place for that.


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## Ronnie (Jan 17, 2004)

Mr. 68 Hundred said:


> I live in Albuquerque and have to drive through some sketchy areas to get to the trails. I had that fear; a guy or two taking my bike off the rack while at a stop light so I've always locked it. It been a PITA but knowing that the bike was secure was worth it. Even more so now. If I were him, I'd be pissed at the person in the car directly behind him--why didn't they honk to give him a heads up.


Maybe the guy that snatched the bike came out of the car behind him. Who knows!


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## justin_amador (Dec 2, 2009)

Having driven into parking garages, carports, etc . . . several times with bikes on the roof, I much prefer the hitch mount or car interior for transport. However, if you must roll with the roof rack, a nice "notification" system is attaching a bear bell to the 6-o'clock location on your steering wheel. Doesn't really bother you while going straight, but when you turn (like into a carport, driveway, etc . . . ) you get a little reminder. Plus, bears it keeps bears away from your car.


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## spsoon (Jul 28, 2008)

Phinias said:


> There will be almost little to no difference between the drag a bike creates on the roof or at the rear car. Drag is not only caused at the leading edge of the vehicle, but all over, and even in the slipstream.


I think the point was even an empty roof rack has a significant impact on fuel economy. Compared to a hitch rack which is easy to completely remove when not in use.


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## Phinias (Aug 28, 2014)

Ahh, I would doubt that it would have that big of an effect though. Even when testing the tailgate issue on pickups, the Mythbusters were not encountering that big of difference. And really, who cares?


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

dnlwthrn said:


> Really the best transport option is to put the bikes INSIDE the vehicle if at all possible.


Yup.

For MTBs, I can fit ~10 with front wheels off in my Suburban. 
Out of the weather, locked up, and all but invisible to anyone outside the vehicle.

:thumbsup:


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## Mr. 68 Hundred (Feb 6, 2011)

Phinias said:


> Ahh, I would doubt that it would have that big of an effect though. Even when testing the tailgate issue on pickups, the Mythbusters were not encountering that big of difference. And really, who cares?


But if you put that same tailgate on the roof of the truck you would expect a not insignificant rise in wind resistance.


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## JACKL (Sep 18, 2011)

Phinias said:


> Ahh, I would doubt that it would have that big of an effect though. Even when testing the tailgate issue on pickups, the Mythbusters were not encountering that big of difference. And really, who cares?


LOL, yeah considering my bike's tires cost $75 dollars each, and are due for replacement I guess I can shell out a few extra bucks for gas.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

justin_amador said:


> Having driven into parking garages, carports, etc . . . several times with bikes on the roof, I much prefer the hitch mount or car interior for transport. However, if you must roll with the roof rack, a nice "notification" system is attaching a bear bell to the 6-o'clock location on your steering wheel. Doesn't really bother you while going straight, but when you turn (like into a carport, driveway, etc . . . ) you get a little reminder. Plus, bears it keeps bears away from your car.


Or a *BIG ASS STOP* sign hanging in the middle of the garage. The door rolls up and bam there it is. The bike lives another day.:thumbsup:


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## Colonel Flagg (Jan 7, 2006)

Since I have to back out of the garage and park the car to put the bikes on the rack, I always put a chair or some object in the garage. That makes me have to park the car before I can drive it in.


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## Mookie (Feb 28, 2008)

Ronnie said:


> Then there was the story posted here on MTBR a few years ago buy a guy somewhere in Southern California who was caught in a traffic jam on the freeway when he saw his expensive bike, which was on a hitch rack, heading down the side of the road never to be seen again.


Damn that's crazy! So crazy that it sounds like urban legend, not that I doubt the poor bastid's story.


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## Mookie (Feb 28, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> Paranoid...an unjustified fear. Your fear is justified. therefore, you are NOT paranoid.


Ha thanks for that, I feel much more secure now.

Great, now I'm worried.


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## intheways (Apr 19, 2004)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Or a *BIG ASS STOP* sign hanging in the middle of the garage. The door rolls up and bam there it is. The bike lives another day.:thumbsup:


In lieu of a pickup truck, I like this idea!


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

The stop sign will work when at home, but not any place else.


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## justin_amador (Dec 2, 2009)

alphazz said:


> The stop sign will work when at home, but not any place else.


Correct. . . . and bears cannot read.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

alphazz said:


> The stop sign will work when at home, but not any place else.


So are you pulling into other peoples garages.

Confusion sets in...


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## Stregone (Aug 26, 2004)

Here's some information about roof racks and MPG.

2013 accord 42mpg no rack, 27mpg rack + 2 bikes.
Tests show bike racks can ruin your mileage

geo metro 55mpg no rack, 40mpg rack + 1 bike.
Mini-experiment: the wrath of roof racks - MetroMPG.com

Here's a thread right here on mtbr with lots of first hand reports.
http://forums.mtbr.com/car-biker/roof-mounted-rack-mpg-421377.html


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## Rock (Jan 13, 2004)

Stregone said:


> Here's some information about roof racks and MPG.
> 
> 2013 accord 42mpg no rack, 27mpg rack + 2 bikes.
> Tests show bike racks can ruin your mileage
> ...


Don't be bringing empirical data from a reputable source into this discussion.

This is no place for THAT kind of tomfoolery.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> So are you pulling into other peoples garages.
> 
> Confusion sets in...


You might be surprised how many overhangs there are out there that you don't even think about.


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## mbmb65 (Jan 13, 2004)

Jayem said:


> You might be surprised how many overhangs there are out there that you don't even think about.


Very true. When I used a roof rack, there were many times that I had to remove my bicycle from the rack. Bank drive thru's, low viaducts, even dropped utility cables from storm damage/negligence. Not to mention low bridges. It's quite common.


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## edubfromktown (Sep 7, 2010)

bradkay said:


> A good many of the idiots who constantly tailgate are uninsured/underinsured - and have no money if you were to sue them. Face it, there is no perfectly safe way to carry your bikes. I have been using roof racks since the early 80s and have never driven into any low overhead - and don't expect that I ever will because I am used to thinking about it. I also do not notice any extra noise and only take a slight hit to gas mileage. I'll continue to take that slight hit to my mileage in order to continue enjoying the convenience of having the bikes up out of my way and easy access to the luggage section of my wagon.


In my neck of the woods there are tailgating fools of all sorts (less of the uninsured types in these parts of suburbia). I've used a hitch rack exclusively since 2010 (trunk rack before that) and haven't had any issues.

In that time, I've observed an entire bike launching off of a roof rack on I-95, a front wheel going AWOL from a roof rack (also on the highway). Three people I ride with have crunched bikes pulling into their garage at home (one did significant damage to the roof of their car!).

Factor in back strain from hucking them up on top plus increased odds of scratching the heck out of the auto paint during loading/unloading when you are exhausted and it spells no roof racks for me.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

What some dont understand, that while a roof rack will decrease mileage, a hitch rack will also, maybe by not as much, but it still will. 
Like I posted earlier, been using a roof rack for 30 years, never even came close to smashing my bikes and find it hard to believe anyone else considers it a problem and then justifying a hitch rack which damage can occur by someone other then yourself. Accidents happen all the time, with a roof rack, if you drive it into something, its you being the dum bass, a hitch rack, it can be you or all the other dum basses on the road.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Phinias said:


> There will be almost little to no difference between the drag a bike creates on the roof or at the rear car. Drag is not only caused at the leading edge of the vehicle, but all over, and even in the slipstream.


Sorry, but this is way wrong, all the surface imperfections cause turbulent flow, which passes back along the car, things like mirrors and the sharp edges cause separation drag and even more turbulent flow, moving back to the rear of the car you get this at the edges of the cross-section and massive drag in the middle directly behind the bumper, due to the huge "sharp edge" of the end of the car. This makes placing a bike rack or any other thing directly behind the bumper nearly ideal, as the air is already very turbulent and separating, the same reason why having the tailgate up makes no noticeable difference in mileage most of the time.

Having the bike on the top not only exposes a much greater cross-section to wind, but it introduces many "abrupt radius changes" and "flat edges" on the backside of these protrusions, think anything that doesn't taper to a narrow aerodynamic shape like a roadie aero-helmet, and even then it still happens to a smaller extent. This separation drag is the greatest type of drag, so exposing all these surfaces to the free airstream is one of the biggest sources of drag and why there's such a huge difference between exposing a bike on the top to "clean" air and a bike on the back to "dirty-already turbulent and experiencing separation" air. Not the same thing.


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## kersh13 (Sep 13, 2007)

After having experience with both, they absolutely both have their pros and cons.

Roof rack:
- affects gas mileage more than a hitch rack
- can configure to haul more bikes in a variety of ways (on my car, I can only haul a max of 2 with a 1 1/4" receiver)

Hitch rack:
- blasts your bikes with road grime (destroyed a front wheel's rim and hub bearings after driving through an area where they had salted the roads)
- easier to load/unload bikes
- less worry that you will encounter somewhere you cannot drive

As it stands currently, I wish I had both on my Honda Accord. I can only haul 2 bikes with my hitch rack. When I had my roof rack, I had it set up to carry 4 bikes although I could have carried as many as 5. I also enjoyed the flexibility of being able to haul other large items on my roof rack such as lumber or a christmas tree.

As for how they affect the drivability of the car, they both affect it significantly. In my opinion, the roof rack absolutely made my car feel more stable while traveling at high rates of speed whereas the hitch rack creates way more drag on interstates. The roof rack did affect gas mileage more than the hitch rack though.


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## smoothie7 (May 18, 2011)

we use our truck and mount the bike by their fork inside the bed of the truck but have actually been thinking about getting a rack for the car because of better gas mileage getting to and from the bike site.


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## leeboh (Aug 5, 2011)

Roof rack user here. I put my bike lock key on a lanyard around my neck when the bike is on the rack. Easy reminder for drive through eats and such. Garage? Full of bikes and lawn stuff.


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## coot271 (Sep 15, 2010)

I stand by my rec-rac.......it has never let me down and I don't have to remove any wheels for transport. The only issue.....you need to have a truck. Phuck-N-A!!!:thumbsup: You can't really see the mounts, but one is one the left fork leg and the other is on the seat tube.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Jayem said:


> You might be surprised how many overhangs there are out there that you don't even think about.


True!
Like Mc Donald's


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## Flamingtaco (Mar 12, 2012)

Bit of a pissing contest over roof vs hitch racks, eh?

Having bikes on my roof creates a drag that is significantly larger than that created by having bikes hanging off the rear AND pulling an open trailer. I typically have four bikes on the roof, maybe having only two would seem significantly less significant. All I know is the drag is obvious, the vehicle accellerates slower on the hwy, and kicks down a gear a lot sooner for hills.

Can't say I've every twisted a bike up over my head to load onto the roof, and it's not a car. On the rare occassion the vehicle is sitting at an odd angle or whatever, I have this thing called a foot stool if I need.

I like the ease and savings of a low mounted rack, and the cleanliness and out of the wayness of a roof rack. I prefer an enclosed trailer just for the bikes, but can't afford one. All can get the job done.

Once I had the roof rack, a trunk rack strapped to the hood, another trunk rack strapped to the hatch, and a cargo tray, all at once. Just mixin' it all up into one homogenous bike rackdom.


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