I've been using a trunk-mounted strap-on bike rack on my car, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that my beloved bike won't fall off at freeway speeds.
I'm starting to look at roof-mounted racks and see there are basically two kinds: the kind that hold onto the fork and require you to remove the front wheel, and the kind that allow you to leave the front wheel on.
Which is better? Obviously the fork mounts require more work, so they must have some other advantage? Is there a problem with the whole-bike mount which would cause me to regret choosing it?
2007-07-02 11:23:21 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Cycling
The bike is a 2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 all-carbon road bike, and the car is a 2000 BMW 528i sedan, if that informatation makes any difference in your answers. Thanks.
2007-07-02 12:01:26 · update #1
No brainer...a fork mounted rack is essential for the kind of bike you have. Would you clamp a vice around the center tube of your bike. The fork mount is not only more stable, but it's also necessary for most high end or any carbon bike. The bike mounts that the pro teams use do not clamp tubes. They generally clamp the seat post or other vertical feature.
2007-07-02 12:35:14 · answer #1 · answered by Jay P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fork Mount Bike Rack
2016-10-02 11:17:19 · answer #2 · answered by glymph 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am in favor of the fok mounts. There are several reasons I like it so much. The first is that the bike will shift left to right in an upright mount. This can damage the hubs on the bike. The other thing is safety. On a fork mount, the bike will be much more stable, but also, the bike is much safer because I know that it won't come off the rack. I use the yakima system. The tray I used to us was the steelhead. The only problem with that mount is that the tray could be taken off the bar if it is located outside the mounting brackets (inside the mounting brackets and it is not possible to remove the bike with or without the bike on when in the locked position). I now use the Viper because I put the tray outside the mounting brackets and it cannot be stolen if it is in the locked position.
I know that these setups are stable and I trust them. I took my bike cross country twice and who knows how many other miles going up to the mountains and whatnot. I would definitely go with the fork mount.
2007-07-03 05:22:10 · answer #3 · answered by Obes A Lot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whole bike roof mounts have a clamp on the end of an arm you you swing into place, so that the clamp bites down on the down tube. This is essentially what stops your bike falling to either side, while the wheel straps secure it to the car.
I've read/heard people say that the problem with these is that you're applying stress to a point on the bike that doesn't normally deal with that kind of stress in that kind of way. By this I'm referring to the clamp on the down tube. When you think about it, whilst you are riding, the points on the down tube that are taking the most strain are where it connects to the head tube and the bottom bracket housing. It never really has to resist any force applied directly to the outside of the tube half way down. So I guess there's some logic in all that.
Having said that though - during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (where I live) I saw dozens of support cars driving cyclists around, and they had 3 full bike mounts on the roof of each car. The bikes being carried were no doubt all mega-expensive road bikes, with carbon frames etc.
But maybe these 8 or 9kg road bikes don't have as much potential energy in their swaying motion when placed on the roof of a car as say, a 15kg+ All Mountain thrasher??
Personally, I use fork mounts. With the sun behind me casting a shadow while driving (esp. the bumpy roads to get to a good trail), I can see how much of a sway there is on the bike, and I don't like to think what that would be doing to such a point on my frame. If, like some of my friends, I ran a through-axle on the fork, I would look into a whole bike mount solution. But for now I'm happy to spend 1 minute taking the wheel off.
2007-07-02 11:52:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
1
2016-05-04 21:34:15 · answer #5 · answered by Blair 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fork-mounted is the best choice. While you do have to take off the front tire, it's still the most stable of the two. I'm surprised that you saw anything other than fork-mount on a support car during a race. Even my carbon-framed road bike has a warning label on it that says not to clamp anything to the carbon frame. Also, my owner's manual states that as well. Forks are used to stress- not the down tube. Next time you drive down the road at high speeds, look at fork mounted bicycles. They are stiff; Almost as if they were welded to the car. The full mounted bicycles sway a little in high turbulence. Go with fork mount!!
2007-07-07 11:18:53 · answer #6 · answered by Terrence B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bicycle Fork Mount
2016-12-16 12:17:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
consider a trailer hitch mount, more expensive but far better. Plus I know so many people who have tried driving into their garage forgetting to remove the bikes add causing alot of damage to garage, car and bike ;(
2007-07-02 15:44:12 · answer #8 · answered by g fh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋