Roof cycle carriers.

[Kell]

I don't have a tow bar fitted, so that option's out and without a light board, most rear-mounted versions become illegal. So I'm looking to get 3x roof-mounted bike carriers for this weekend and I'm torn.

The £20 Halfords specials get great reviews and at £60 for three, it's a good price.

But the Thule Freeride 532 is not THAT much more expensive in the grand scheme of things and is likely to be better built, and worth some money if we decide it wasn't worth it for the amount of use they get.

Buy cheap, buy twice? Or why pay more than you need to?

[Kell]

I'm not intending to take the bikes anywhere where we'd leave them. It's for me, my missus and 10 year old daughter, so it's just means of taking them up to <50 miles at a time and going for a ride, then putting them back on the car and going home.

I have Wing bars and square bars, do the Thule ones fit both if you buy the right connections? Or if you buy a set, will they only ever fit one type? My wing bars are attached to my roofbox and it's a pain to get them off.

[Kell]

In the end, I've reserved 3 Thule ones.

While it seemed like the Halfords ones would probably suit our needs for now, but we're hoping to get our daughter out a bit more and I think the Thule ones are a bit more 'future proof'.

Ta.

[Kell]

i think you can do the locks after you've bought them too.

It would be useful as I've now got the three I referred to above and Thule footpacks so whenever we go anywhere I have to faff about with four keys.

[Kell]

Craikeybaby said:

Kell said:

i think you can do the locks after you've bought them too.

It would be useful as I've now got the three I referred to above and Thule footpacks so whenever we go anywhere I have to faff about with four keys.

From what I can tell it is fairly easy to change the locks.

It's dead easy to do - it's just going to cost me £38 for 8 cylinders. Which means I'll probably still faff about with four keys...

[Kell]

Grant20V said:

I was thinking more of overhang than height. It's a task getting the bike in the car with both wheels on, doable with front wheel off and seats down but still a squeeze.

So if I could just take the front wheel off and lock the forks down and the back wheel that would be perfect.

I don't think it makes that much difference TBH. Plus it means if the wheels are dirty, then you don't have to carry them in the car.