Pics of my Thule T2 bike rack
 

Thought I would do a little write up for all you bikers because this thing fits the X5 like a glove and is solid as a rock.

I used the same rack on my GTO last year and loved it, so I exchanged it for a 2" version right away this spring (thanks REI!)

Pic of the rack tilted up and out of the way.
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-8.jpg

Gives good visibility ot the taillights from behind
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-6.jpg

Very close profile to the back to fit in regular parking spaces
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-7.jpg

The rear tire mount slides along the bracket and is held in place by the arm for the front tire - very well engineered.
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-13.jpg

The hatch comes pretty close to the rack but leaves enough space for comfort. Here on the front tire channel
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-10.jpg

Close on the arm racheting mechanism, but enough space
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-9.jpg

If one were to accidentally open the tailgate with the rack in the up position, the only contact occurs on the plastic trim piece thus avoiding any possibility of damaging the X5
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-11.jpg

The rack folded down
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-12.jpg

The arm which hold the bike's front tire just ahead of the fork.
It is extremely secure and safe, you can drive very spiritedly with this setup and the bikes are not touching, nor do they even move :)
http://www.nom3rcy.com/X5/t2/t2-14.jpg

Wowza! :wow: nice bike rack, did you just get her detailed?

The rack or the car? lol

I did have the X detailed although it is actually pretty dirty in these pics!

It's SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!http://www.xoutpost.com/images/smilies/wow.gif

That looks great. I have the Yakima doubel down 4. It suspends from the frames because my mountain bikes tires were too big for most of the "tray-style" racks and I needed room for 3 bikes. Fits great as well and folds down out of the way when not in use.

Yea I suppose a thicker tire may pose an issue, you must be running 3"+ to not fit in the trays. Do you run downhills? Some of those bikes look like a lot of fun.

Nice shots and write up.

I suppose if I had a mountain bike then I would consider a rear rack. I like the road bikes up out of the grit and road spray. I also like being able to keep an eye on them through the sunroof. I am 6'4", to be fair, so I have never had an issue lifting them up.

Just as a counterpoint to your Thule shots, here is my Thule rooftop setup. I have posted this before. There are lots more bike shots posted if anybody is interested. This setup has Thule Crossroad 450 feet and standard loadbars. I like the flat bars as I have a lot of things mounted on them. I don't need aero bars, since there is so much else up there anyway. Two Thule Peleton fork mount carriers, with two Thule wheel holders that swing down flat when not in use. ATOC Tandem Topper rack, which shortens for a 3rd regular bike or extends for the tandem. Fits fine on the X5 or X3, a little easier on the X3 due to the longer roof. That ATOC product has now been acquired by Thule and rebranded. No third wheel holder, as I haven't often carried three bikes, so I throw it in the back. There is room for a third wheel holder up top. Takes less than five minutes to mount, and two minutes to mount the tandem. It is handy to have a second person to lift it over the X3, but one person can do it. The bikes are easy to mount solo.

The Co-Motion race tandem weighs 30 lbs without pedals, so probably around 30 lbs with pedals and no front wheel. The solo bikes are Trek 5200 carbon and a Cervelo R3 for my wife. A Cervelo is on the list to replace my Trek.

Jeff

The bike racks are looking great guys!! I have been folding the seats down and putting the bikes in the back of the X. Always thinking of alternatives for when I am taking more than one or two bikes.
Nom3rcy: What type of bikes are you putting on your hitch rack?? I would be using it for 29er mtn bikes and road bikes as well.

I have a Gary Fisher Piranha (26) and the other spot is for whoever I'm riding with.

I haven't had a 29er on the rack but it should work for it.

Not sure that tandem would fit though! May need a WIDE LOAD sign lol

Yea 8" of suspension front and rear is like riding on a cloud... untill you ride over 3' boulders. :thumbup:

This GF is the first hardtail I've had (long absence from biking since I got my driver's license) and I love the cushy front end.

I can only imagine what some of those Fox equipped fullies feel like.

Ultimate... peddling machine? I'm not really a bike guy but I would totally rock this.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/k...nagi/mbike.jpg

Shimano makes some good bike driveline components. They top out at the XTR for mountainbikes (see the tandem picture, above). The new M bike uses SLX, five steps down. That is like having an M5 equipped with a four cylinder diesel.

Flash, matt paint, and roundels, on a no-name frame with mid level components. It is embarrassing. Nice paint though.

Pretty amazing that a company known for it's engineering capabilities would put their name on those.

I am riding a Gary Fisher 29er hifi pro. I love this bike. Riding a 29er takes some getting used to. Now, I would never go back! For the road, I have a Lemond maillot jaune. I love this bike as well!!! It is carbon and steel. All the joints are steel and the rest is carbon. You get the rigidity of the Carbon and the give of the steel. Best of both worlds and it makes one of the most comfortable road bikes I have ever been on. It's nice to see some other bikers w/ bmw's. It's a good combo!

I wasn't sure what happened to Lemond bikes, but knew they were out of production. After Lemond got together with Trek some years back, it looks like it fell apart in 2008. Interesting bike, the Maillot Jaune. The trend has been to all carbon instead of a combination of materials.

I dont know the entire story of Lemond but what I do know is kinda interesting. My bike is a 2005. Greg lemond was a a racer (Ithink he won the tour de france 3 times) and he helped with designing the bikes. He did merge with Trek (bought by Trek) and then I guess there were some disagreements. It did fall apart around 2008. It makes these Lemond bikes somewhat special. The cool thing about them being Trek bikes is that they have a lifetime warranty, just as Gary Fisher's do (also owned by Trek). However, if my frame did break I am not sure how it would be replaced as they are no longer produced. My dad has the tete de course which is the same bike as mine except it is titanium and carbon. The bike is a little bit lighter and noticeably more rigid. I think it is an awesome bike and unique. Heres a pic of my bike.

Nice Lemond! I had my Lemond Chambry for some time now and the bike is just solid all around.

Attached is the bike in stock form and the other modified.

sold my Yakima rack and just picked this one up thanks to your thread. Can't wait to get it . :thumbup:

Hey, what size load bars do you have for your roof rack?

Just put on my T2 yesterday, love it!

Heres an action shot of my X, carrying our bikes around on the Thule. :D

I've always been afraid of using such a rack because I'd have to lift the bike up and place it close to what appears to be the center of the vehicle.

My fear is that I would miss the fork post and the forks would land on the glass or some other part might scratch the car while loading or unloading.

Do you use a step ladder?
How do you steady the bike (especialy the tandam) while loading?

Well...I'm about to find out as I just purchased a Yakima Frontloader. I know that I won't be able to put the bike up there without a step stool of some kind. I'm planing to use a folding platform like this => Werner AP-20-MP6 225-Pound Capacity Work Platform - Amazon.com

I'll see how well the platform will work with loading/unloading the bike.

You won't have a bike in the centre unless you have three or four up there. One or two are best mounted close to the rails, as that is the most stable and rigis position (in addition to being easier to access). I put two wheel carriers in the centre, and if I need to I stand on a door sill. I usually don't have to (I am 6'4").

You don't go for the fork posts first. Put one hand on the forks half way up the blades, one on the seat tube. Sit the rear wheel in the tray. Then roll the bike fore/aft and tip it to be straight as you line up the fork mounts. You are only holding the front of the bike up at that point, and it doesn't have a wheel in, so it is very light.

The tandem is a bit different. That rack is designed with a 90 degree swivel in the fork mount; you are only supposed to lift the front up and leave the back wheel on the ground (at 90 degrees to the tray). You attach the fork, then lift the rear of the bike and walk it in. Then lock down the fork mount rotation. You only have to lift half the weight, but you need a long bike to clear the side of the car. In practice, I only did it that way once. I find it easier to leave the fork mount not rotated, and just press the bike up. It is a light tandem, and I realize that many aren't that light. With a heavy tandem, the rotating fork mount is a great idea. That is a ATOC rack; Thule has now bought them and rebranded it as a Thule carrier. It is exactly the same product, just a new label.

If I wasn't as tall, I would still use these racks, but carry a Rubbermaid or similar step stool.

I have never scratched the vehicle. I have had chain lube drip on the glass, but that was my own fault for not wiping it after lubing the chain and before lifting it up.

Jeff

JCL,
You've made it sound much simpler than it really is ;) I'm having a tough time using the roof mount, even when using platform that provided me with about 20 extra inches in height. May be it gets easier and better with practice and mounting the bike more often. For what it is, I'm liking this Yakima Frontloader as it doesn't touch the frame and no need to dismount the front wheel. It's very stable and the bike doesn't appear to move much.

It may be that I've been doing it for awhile, it may be my height and reach, and it is likely related to my bikes being lighter than your mountain bike. It is straightforward with a fork mount; while you don't need to remove a front wheel, I am not sure if your front wheel support makes it easier to lift the bike in or not. Your rack also sits quite a bit higher on the load bars. Nice looking setup, though.

It's actually not too bad mounting it on my driveway, but it's a whole different story after a long ride :D I've also watched a few videos of retailers showing the mounting process and they all looked pretty effortless (Yakima FrontLoader Roof Bike Rack Review - 2011 Hyundai Accent - etrailer.com - YouTube). A hitch mount is defintely the way to go for a mountain bike, if only it wasn't such a pain/hassle to install the hitch on the X :(

I can relate to that! We had a major accident on the tandem. We were a couple of miles from our vehicle. My wife was in an ambulance en route to hospital. I had a separated shoulder. I rode the tandem back, solo. That was tough, but not as tough as lifting it up with one good arm.

I find that it is worth having a defined routine for mounting the bike on the roof. A set sequence. For me....
Open fork mount clamp
Lay rear wheel strap out
Turn pedals to 9 and 3
Remove front wheel
Lift bike with set hand positions
Place rear wheel in tray
Roll bike forward and attach forks
Secure rear wheel
Mount front wheel in carrier
Check fork mount
Check rear wheel strap
Walk around the vehicle and see if I left gloves, helmets, pump, etc on the ground

This way I can go quickly, and still make sure nothing is missed. You will get your own routine, bit IMO it is worth defining that routine.

Good luck

Jeff

Thanks for the tips. Sorry to hear about your accident...hope you and your wife are recovering well from it. Unlike your tandem, if it gets too bad to lift the bike after a ride, I can always throw it in the back of the X, even if it's dirty and muddy. That's what the U in the SUV is for right? Oh wait...there is no U in this SAV ;)

Thanks for the good wishes. All recovered now, 5 years later. Sold the tandem a month ago. Road bikes are 14 and 15 lbs, so lifting is easy. On a long trip, we put them both in the the back for the highway drive, and put them back on the rack at our destination.

Jeff

I have the Saris Thelma rack that I use on my X for my bikes.

I had roof racks, both Yakima and Thule, but the wife couldn't lift the bikes on the rack, so we got a Hitch rack. We brought a Saris hitch rack that was able to carry 4 bikes, but we needed a converter for the wife and daughter bikes. So I sold the Saris Hitch rack and brought a Saris ride on.

Best rack we ever brought. The wife and daughter can mount their bikes since it isn't to high off the ground, they don't need a converter on their bike and the rack folds up so it doesn't take up too much parking space or get hit by driver that doesn't notice that you have a ride on rack.

I like it because none of the bike frame touches the rack so I won't risk scratching my Cervelo tri bike or my Cannondale montain bike. And it made in the U.S.A. and the company is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.