# Roof or Hitch? (Subaru Forester)



## LeftOfCenter (Apr 10, 2007)

I know there is a recent thread below about an Impreza wagon but I did not want to hijack it...

Long story short, I have some Subaru Bucks that are good only at the dealership, and we really need a way to take our bikes with us on vacation. Looking at the Subaru Accessories lineup, there are two options I have. Up top or out back.

I would rather have the roof rack, but my question to you folks is... do bikes offer that much wind resistance? Seems on long trips it would start making a difference. And how do you protect the headset and wheel bearings from the 75+ mph blasts of air?

Anyone notice a big difference in MPG's?

Thank you:thumbsup: 

LOC


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

LOC,
We have 2 Foresters in our family, an '03 XS and an '07 Bean. Always had a Thule rack on top of the '03 (and then one on my '05 LGT when I had it.) Works well, and can't say I ever had any trouble. Gas mileage will go down, but I don't tend to take real long trips, so isn't too big a deal. What is a big deal are bugs squished on my bike! I hate that! Those bike-bra thingys are kind of a pain, and they will reduce your mileage even more. 

For the '07 I bought a hitch receiver from one of the Subie online places (I had Subie Bucks burning too) and installed it with my father-in-law. I got the Thule T2 hitch rack and it is great! The T2 was the choice for me (over the comparable Yak & Saris models) because of the tilt down feature. I can be all loaded up and still open the hatch all the way. This past weekend I even put my roof rack back on the car and am now equipped to take 4 bikes/riders. I may perfect the set-up by getting the Thule 954 sidearm trays for the roof rack. Now I'll be doing all the driving!

My trips are usually in the sub-2 hour range, but I hope this helps nevertheless. 

Randy


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Oh my goodness, yes!*



LeftOfCenter said:


> ... do bikes offer that much wind resistance?
> 
> Anyone notice a big difference in MPG's?
> 
> ...


Another recomendation for the hitch rack. :thumbsup:

On my '96 GTi it made a huge difference. I normally get 31-32 MPG in mixed driving, mostly freeway. With empty roof racks and bike trays, 28 MPG, with two bikes, 24-25 MPG. I don't think I have noticed any difference with bikes on the hitch rack. My 29er's wheels stick out slightly wider on both sides of the car, but it is minimal.

Also on my car, there are no roof rails. The rack bolts to factory tracks behind the rubber gutters on the roof. The roof racks left 4 nice dull scratched up footprints on my car. IIRC, you won't have this problem because the Impreza has factory roof rails that you bolt your load bars and trays to.

It all started driving me nuts, so I got a 2 bike hitch rack and couldn't be happier. Nothing touches the car. If I really need to load up more, I can get 3 more on the roof rack on occasion.

I also have the added bonus of being able to tow a small trailer for yard work or whatever. 1500 pounds isn't a whole lot (what VW limits my towing capacity), but it means I can haul whole 4x8 sheets of plywood or drywall, a few bags of dirt or gravel or a camper trailer. Well, at least as soon as I get around to hooking up a trailer light connector.


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## LeftOfCenter (Apr 10, 2007)

*Cool*

Thanks for the intel you two!

Never really thought about it, but yeah having a hitch is just a good idea anyway. And that T2... never seen anything like that (guess I've been living under a rock.) More I think about it, the more sound of an idea it is to put the bikes back behind the car.

Been getting ready for our Colorado trip (we live in Florida) and I think 1800 (one way) miles of listening to two bikes being blown around on the top of our car woulkd drive me crazy!

Thanks again, see ya on the trail
LOC


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## Huph (Feb 26, 2006)

Towbar mount every time for me.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Yeah...*



LeftOfCenter said:


> Thanks for the intel you two!
> 
> Never really thought about it, but yeah having a hitch is just a good idea anyway. And that T2... never seen anything like that (guess I've been living under a rock.) More I think about it, the more sound of an idea it is to put the bikes back behind the car.
> 
> ...


The T2 is nice. I have a couple of buds that have that thing. It is THE rack to get if you have the budget. I however don't, so I bought the Performance Bike XPort Flatbed. I've been happy with it, but it is not as nice as the T2. Then again, it's more than $200 cheaper if you find it on sale.


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

Why decide! get both! I have an 01 Forester and have both roof racks and a hitch rack. I primarily use the roof rack for short trips - easy access to the hatch. I use the hitch mount for longer trips - less wind resistance, bugs, etc. I am in fact replacing my hitch rack that holds the bikes by their top tube with the one above - but its made by Sportrack (www.sportrack.com). My brother has the first version of that rack (slightly different wheel trays) and he gives it good reviews.


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## shanedawg (Jan 9, 2004)

More things to think of.
1.with a car as small as the wrx, putting all that weight behind the rear axle is going to affect the handling and make for a tail happy car. Take this into account if driving windy roads, really fast is fun to you. a roof rack may be better.
2. the wrx rails that come on the roof suck. first they are too far inboard and leave very little room in between them. You'll barely be able to get two bike side by side with the fork mount type racks. If you try to go with a thule roof rack that has the arms that swing up and hold the tire you will have a hard time with handle bars hitting each other. If you use fork mount trays you'll have to mount them backward to avoid having the hatchback hit the tray when you lift it because subaru shifted the rails too far back on the roof.
3. most of the problems above disappear on the outback or forrester due to the longer/wider roof and longer rails.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

shanedawg said:


> More things to think of.
> 1.with a car as small as the wrx, putting all that weight behind the rear axle is going to affect the handling and make for a tail happy car. Take this into account if driving windy roads, really fast is fun to you. a roof rack may be better.
> 2. the wrx rails that come on the roof suck. first they are too far inboard and leave very little room in between them. You'll barely be able to get two bike side by side with the fork mount type racks. If you try to go with a thule roof rack that has the arms that swing up and hold the tire you will have a hard time with handle bars hitting each other. If you use fork mount trays you'll have to mount them backward to avoid having the hatchback hit the tray when you lift it because subaru shifted the rails too far back on the roof.
> 3. most of the problems above disappear on the outback or forrester due to the longer/wider roof and longer rails.


This thread was about the forester.

That said, I have a rear rack on my WRX wagon. Yes, instead of taking 25mph turns at 55mph, I have to slow down to like 50 or maybe even a hair less with the rack on.

On the other hand, raising the center of gravity with a roof rack, and then putting bikes on top, is not going to make windy roads real fast, the kind where you are just barely hanging on and the wheels are starting to screetch. That's what you are describing right, if you're concerned about the performance loss with the hitch rack, I'd assume you're driving to the limit, and then with a bunch of mass on top of the car you'll also have some pretty sh*tty handling.


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## shanedawg (Jan 9, 2004)

Jayem said:


> This thread was about the forester.
> 
> That said, I have a rear rack on my WRX wagon. Yes, instead of taking 25mph turns at 55mph, I have to slow down to like 50 or maybe even a hair less with the rack on.
> 
> On the other hand, raising the center of gravity with a roof rack, and then putting bikes on top, is not going to make windy roads real fast, the kind where you are just barely hanging on and the wheels are starting to screetch. That's what you are describing right, if you're concerned about the performance loss with the hitch rack, I'd assume you're driving to the limit, and then with a bunch of mass on top of the car you'll also have some pretty sh*tty handling.


Sounds like you drive like me. I got so fed up with trying to put bikes on the WRX I gave up and returned the racks to the store and kept using my truck for bike hauling. Let's get this derailed thread back on the forester since it seems it is a much better vehicle for racking bikes.

Does the forrester only accept 1-1/4 hitch mounts or can you do the 2in hitch also?


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## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

Jayem said:


> This thread was about the forester.
> 
> That said, I have a rear rack on my WRX wagon. Yes, instead of taking 25mph turns at 55mph, I have to slow down to like 50 or maybe even a hair less with the rack on.
> 
> On the other hand, raising the center of gravity with a roof rack, and then putting bikes on top, is not going to make windy roads real fast, the kind where you are just barely hanging on and the wheels are starting to screetch. That's what you are describing right, if you're concerned about the performance loss with the hitch rack, I'd assume you're driving to the limit, and then with a bunch of mass on top of the car you'll also have some pretty sh*tty handling.


How about slowing down a bit with bikes on the car? I know it's hard with a WRX and I know you got to make it to the trailhead as fast as possible to ride the bikes but it's just an idea, although a crazy one!


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## shanedawg (Jan 9, 2004)

Dan, you must be from hawaii or something. I'm from the bay area in cali and we don't understand the words "slow down".


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## Nagaredama (Aug 2, 2004)

For you Suby hitch rack owners....how movement do you get with your rack?

I currently have a Hidden Hitch and Sportworks T2 and the hitch bends quite a bit when loaded up with a my 40lbs bike on it. I'm wondering if going to the Subaru OEM hitch is the way to go.


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## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

Much worst: I'm from the province of Quebec, world pot-hole capital, where every road older than a year is destroyed. I once had a trunk mounted rack bend from the impact of a pot-hole, the bend made it slip off the bumper and away three bikes went to the surprise of the driver following us! That's why I don't have a WRX, I have an Outback.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Dan Gerous said:


> How about slowing down a bit


No.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*or...*



shanedawg said:


> Dan, you must be from hawaii or something. I'm from the bay area in cali and we don't understand the words "slow down".


... 55.

I can't remember the last time I drove my car 55 in clear conditions without traffic on the freeway.

Lately, I have been trying to keep it under 70-75 or so to save a bit of gas.


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## tekkamaki (Mar 3, 2007)

Love my Subi, a 92 legacy wagon,
love my bike too.
It rides inside with me.


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## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

pimpbot said:


> ... 55.
> 
> I can't remember the last time I drove my car 55 in clear conditions without traffic on the freeway.
> 
> Lately, I have been trying to keep it under 70-75 or so to save a bit of gas.


I'm not talking about driving on the freeway, I'm usually going at least at around 75 too even with bikes on my roof but someone mentioned taking a 25mph curve at 55mph. Fine, taking corners fast sure is fun but with bikes on the car, what do you expect? That's why you don't see bikes being carried on F1 and rally cars.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Dan Gerous said:


> I'm not talking about driving on the freeway, I'm usually going at least at around 75 too even with bikes on my roof but someone mentioned taking a 25mph curve at 55mph. Fine, taking corners fast sure is fun but with bikes on the car, what do you expect? That's why you don't see bikes being carried on F1 and rally cars.


So it's ok to speed in a straight line, but not through corners?


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I have a Sportworks T2 with a Drawtite hitch on my Forester- I use the tightening bolt and it tightens up very well. I also have a Sportworks roof rack with the arm but I simply keep it if I ever need to load a third bike on a regular basis in the future. I used roof rack for years and don't like using them anymore. They are very noisy, reduce mileage, and are prone to hitting things like drive-thru signs and the tops of garages

I don;t think they are as stable either unless you opt for a fork mount and the last thing I want to do after a long ride is take the wheel off and lift the bike over the roof of the car. Been there- done that- no fun!

Many of these racks are on sale up to 20% or more off. Do searches on Yahoo/Google and try agees.com. I got my T2 for $288 shipped while my buddy just got his Cycleon Pro for $340 shipped. The hitch rack rules.


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## Dan Gerous (Feb 18, 2004)

Jayem said:


> So it's ok to speed in a straight line, but not through corners?


What I mean is that you have to expect a performance hit with bikes on your car. Isn't it common sense?


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## 7hz (Feb 1, 2007)

tekkamaki said:


> Love my Subi, a 92 legacy wagon,
> love my bike too.
> It rides inside with me.


Person after my own heart! :thumbsup:

I have a 97 Legacy, bike goes in the back with the back seats down. 

Subarus rock when the going gets tough... took mine across some fields a few weeks ago, ferrying people about for a clay pigeon shoot... much fun, low range, steep climbs, heavy ruts, Scoobie loves 'em all!

If I was taking friends to the trail, I would get a rack for the back. But my friends don't ride )yet... I'm working on it).


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## LeftOfCenter (Apr 10, 2007)

*Hitch on!*

Let me just say that I highly recommend the factory hitch. It was very easy to install, all mounting holes and hardware lined up perfect, and you hardly even notice it is under there. Subaru includes the factory plug and play wiring harness as well.

LOC


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

shanedawg said:


> More things to think of.
> 2. the wrx rails that come on the roof suck. first they are too far inboard and leave very little room in between them. You'll barely be able to get two bike side by side with the fork mount type racks. If you try to go with a thule roof rack that has the arms that swing up and hold the tire you will have a hard time with handle bars hitting each other. If you use fork mount trays you'll have to mount them backward to avoid having the hatchback hit the tray when you lift it because subaru shifted the rails too far back on the roof.


I disagree. I could easily fit three bikes across the roof of my wrx wagon using the subaru/yakima equipment. I have had two bikes on the roof on multiple occasions with tons of clearance. The third bike would just have to be mounted backwards (and placed in the middle).


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## Magish (Apr 15, 2006)

Personally, I like my roof rack on my Forester to haul bikes. I've only noticed a 1-2mpg gas mileage wise, and I like having full access to my hatch area. Also, with the Forester you can fit 4 bikes on top if you position them correctly.

And I really don't worry about the heightened center of gravity with the bike on top. ~20lbs firmly attached to the top of my car should not make that much of a difference. I still drive the piss out of my car with the bike(s) on top, sliding on dirt roads and carving the corners. And even the non turbo Forester can hit 110 (or so i've heard ) with two bikes on top.


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## Tony (Jan 20, 2004)

If you decide to go with a roof rack, I recommend against Thule feet:


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

OUCH! How'd that happen? JRA and they flew off, or trying rally moves? Sorry about that either way. I have those Thule attachments on our older Forester. Never had a problem, easy on and off, locks, etc. Probably the biggest complaint is the feet still attached to the rails when the rest of the rack is off look cheesy. I have a different style of Thule rack on the newer Forester, and it's fine too. 

I actually had the newer rack on the '05 LGT wagon that I had before the '07 Forester. And as you probably know if you are reading this thread, that puppy could move and was a blast in the corners. I always made the assumption that any roof rack with bikes attached could only take so much in terms of cornering force and G's and all that, and adjusted my driving habits accordingly.


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## shanedawg (Jan 9, 2004)

sonicsuby said:


> I disagree. I could easily fit three bikes across the roof of my wrx wagon using the subaru/yakima equipment. I have had two bikes on the roof on multiple occasions with tons of clearance. The third bike would just have to be mounted backwards (and placed in the middle).


Got pics? I do


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*I have a hard time believing....*



Tony said:


> If you decide to go with a roof rack, I recommend against Thule feet:


...that there wasn't some kind of acute freak defect or improper installation involved. I've owned a few Thule roof racks, and they have all been solid. You can turn my car upside down and hang a kid's tire swing off of my old racks.

I wouldn't be concerned with the effects of G-Forces on a roof rack. I would be concerned about the change in CG because of a loaded roof rack. My GTi used to feel more squirelly in the tight and twisties with a loaded roof rack.

I since switched to hitch racks.


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## Lew (Apr 3, 2004)

*My setup*

2002 Forester


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## Tony (Jan 20, 2004)

rwitte said:


> OUCH! How'd that happen? JRA and they flew off, or trying rally moves? Sorry about that either way. I have those Thule attachments on our older Forester. Never had a problem, easy on and off, locks, etc. Probably the biggest complaint is the feet still attached to the rails when the rest of the rack is off look cheesy. I have a different style of Thule rack on the newer Forester, and it's fine too.
> 
> I actually had the newer rack on the '05 LGT wagon that I had before the '07 Forester. And as you probably know if you are reading this thread, that puppy could move and was a blast in the corners. I always made the assumption that any roof rack with bikes attached could only take so much in terms of cornering force and G's and all that, and adjusted my driving habits accordingly.


I think that the Thule is attachment is secure but the mounting brackets themselves are weak. I definitely was very hard on the rack (3 or 4 bikes on twisty mountain roads at ludicrous speed in the Turbo XT) but I never exceeded the rated load.

I was driving about 5 miles an hour at the time, went over a small bump and heard a wierd clunk and then the whole rack with 4 bikes on it slid down over the hood and plopped onto the ground. Serious bummer to have it happen at 3pm on a Sunday at Rabbit Valley. Took us a good hour to jigsaw all the bikes into the car with our gear. Uncomfortable ride home since everyone had bike parts and camelbacks on their laps and under their feet :eekster:

The rack was 1.5 years old at the time, I'd done several trips and had never had a problem. Apparently one of the feet fatigued and broke, the rack twisted and popped off. We'd just been driving 85+mph on I-70 hours before so I'm glad it waited until we were on soft ground... there was no damage to the bikes.

I'm still kinda PO'd at Thule because they would not even consider warranty replacement since I did not keep ALL the parts. Even though I kept the broken foot, that was not good enough for them.

Bobby at Rocky Mounts hooked me up with replacements at cost, so I was able to get a Yakima box and rear-mount Thule T2 (Even though I'm mad at Thule, I still think the T2 is the best hitch rack.)


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

Hey Lew - darn nice car! I also have a hitch rack that carries the bikes by their top tube but and upgrading to something similar to yours. Are the bikes bouncy? I wish I had a 2" receiver instead of the puny 1 1/4.


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

Tony said:


> I think that the Thule is attachment is secure but the mounting brackets themselves are weak. I definitely was very hard on the rack (3 or 4 bikes on twisty mountain roads at ludicrous speed in the Turbo XT) but I never exceeded the rated load.
> 
> I was driving about 5 miles an hour at the time, went over a small bump and heard a wierd clunk and then the whole rack with 4 bikes on it slid down over the hood and plopped onto the ground. Serious bummer to have it happen at 3pm on a Sunday at Rabbit Valley. Took us a good hour to jigsaw all the bikes into the car with our gear. Uncomfortable ride home since everyone had bike parts and camelbacks on their laps and under their feet :eekster:
> 
> ...


Thanks for that explanation.....I'll keep an eye on mine. It always seems secure, but then I don't have the turbo in my Forester to really test it properly 

Agree on the T2.....love it!


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

Here's my setup:


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## Lew (Apr 3, 2004)

*Thanks, '01*

You too, have excellent taste in vehicles. My wife and I have taken the bikes to Tennessee and WVa from Michigan, 9 and 12 hours each way. The Saris rack is nice. We actually used a Ford Escape once, which is shaped like the Subaru, and blocks the wind nicely. There is minimal side-to-side motion. Infrequently, you get just the right terrain to give it a front to back motion, and you cringe a little. This seemed to happen more with a car we had, not with the Escape. The Subaru has been good also. We ride a lot locally, and have transported our bikes without a problem for years. (I am a sane driver, however.)


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

I love the Saris racks and would love to get my hands on a Thelma but I am having trouble finding them where I live (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada).


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

*Bringing thread back to life!*

Went on a weekend long riding/running getaway to Brown County State Park here in Indiana last weekend. The Forester handled it well! This was the first time I had 4 bikes on it.....no problem. The 2 on the hitch were for me (road ride Saturday morning, MTB Saturday evening & Sunday morning.) The 2 on top I brought as extras in case any of the "roadie-only" folks in our local club wanted to try the dirt.

Randy


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

Hi Randy. How do those bike bras work for you? I have been thinking about getting a set because my bikes get really pelted with bugs and such at highway speed. Either that or I'm switching back to a hitch rack!


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## shanedawg (Jan 9, 2004)

sonicsuby said:


> Here's my setup:


I see you mounted your racks outside of the towers. This will give you enough space that you don't run into the problems I described above but I never liked having them setup that way. My friends wrx was like that and people were always smacking their heads on the bars since they stuck out so far.


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

They work, but can be annoying to mess with. I really don't carry my bikes on top very often, so it's no big deal when I do need to use them. I imagine they make the mpg hit a little worse. Bugs smashed all over my bikes drive me to the edge, so I use them when needed. But the optimal solution is what I went with and recommend....the hitch rack!

Randy


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

My only beef with a hitch rack is you can't access the hatch with the bikes on. But that is what I have a roof cargo box for I guess.


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## rwitte (Apr 6, 2004)

Not with the T2! That's why I went with it.....the only one I could find that you can tilt down. I've had every bike I own on the tray closest to the car and I can open the hatch all the way with each of them. It's a beautiful thing. :thumbsup: 

Randy


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

01Forester said:


> My only beef with a hitch rack is you can't access the hatch with the bikes on. But that is what I have a roof cargo box for I guess.


Yes, you can access the hatch with a hitch rack when the bikes are on.


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## 01Forester (Feb 5, 2007)

I'll have to check out the T2. I have a Sportrack (they make all the Performance Bike racks) Hitch N Drive and I can not open the hatch on my Forester if there are bikes on. At least on my old Pathfinder, I could open the rear window to access my gear in the back.


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