Anyone tried this bike rack?

[Bill Valley]

[pseto]

i've always preferred the hitch bike rack b/c I feel more confident that its on securely. When I used trunk mounted ones in the past on cars, I never felt safe using them, but that could be more of my perception.

Regarding the one in the pic, it sure does block the rear window considerably.

[PersonaNonGrata]

The thing about that one is that it looks like you cannot open the rear hatches with the rack on. That could prove to be a major inconvenience. Many hitch mounted racks can swing out of the way. Granted, you have to have a hitch and if you don't have one that would add hundreds of dollars to your bike rack plan.

[Bill Valley]

I do not have a hitch currently. I have had roof racks on my previous vehicles. They work great but they decrease mpg and any highway driving in the summer will leave your bikes littered with bugs. I am not against the idea of adding a hitch in order to install a hitch mount rack.

[pseto]

Originally Posted by Bill Valley

I do not have a hitch currently. I have had roof racks on my previous vehicles. They work great but they decrease mpg and any highway driving in the summer will leave your bikes littered with bugs. I am not against the idea of adding a hitch in order to install a hitch mount rack.

i never had a roof mount but i'd always thought it would be hard to get the bikes up there. plus, i wouldn't be able to see the bikes while i'm driving in case they come loose somehow. never thought about the bugs and dirt that bikes would get while on the roof either, but thats not a problem when on a hitch mounted rack.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by pseto

i never had a roof mount but i'd always thought it would be hard to get the bikes up there. plus, i wouldn't be able to see the bikes while i'm driving in case they come loose somehow. never thought about the bugs and dirt that bikes would get while on the roof either, but thats not a problem when on a hitch mounted rack.

Harder than a hitch rack, but it depends how tall you are. I can do it without stepping on the door sills.

I watch my bikes through the sunroof while driving.

If bugs are a problem, there are simple shields for roof-mounted bikes, to protect them. They look like a tent fly, and save the paint from rock chips. I don't usually get problems with the bikes mounted that high up, but on the other hand I find that a hitch rack attracts grit, from the low-pressure zone behind the vehicle (same reason rear window gets spray on it). If the roads are clean, grit and dirt shouldn't be a problem at all on a hitch rack.

[Quicksilver]

I can just see me now with a bike on the roof, Forgetting it's there and going full speed into a covered parking lot.

[Bill Valley]

When I first got my roof rack I was constantly watching through the sunroof to make sure I did not loose my Trek. Since then I have taken my Trek and my wife's Canondale to Custer State Park and Breckenridge. Each trip was nearly 1000 miles. No problems whatsoever.

The roof and hitch mounts each have their pros and cons. The hitch mount is easy to load and will accomodate kid's bikes and the touring bike that my wife wants (anyone looking for a pristine Cannondale F400?).

The roof rack allows more options for carrying loads such as lumber, bikes, boards, cargo boxes, etc.. Or even two 3/4" sheets of mdf for your little brother's subwoofer project...

[yeowzer]

I had a Yakima roof rack. Very easy to load bikes and not as expensive as installing a hitch. Good luck. By the way that looks like it would scratch the back of the X5.