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Roof or hitch rack?
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So i'm planning on buying a car/truck accessories that could help me transport my bike for long trips. I'm torn in choosing between a roof rack and hitch rack?

Any comparison can help. Can anybody give some feedback of brands I need to check out? I'm also open for other suggestions.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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Hitch rack.....easily removable, bikes are out of the wind and flying debris, and better gas mileage. The only con is you could get rear ended. However, I have been tapped from behind at intersections twice, and my hitch rack protected my bumper from any damage. Also, people steal roof racks in the city. I know this first hand and that's why I went away from roof racks.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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Once upon a time my friend and i were doing an ironman. We met by the lake mendota for a short swim on saturday and his girlfriend was bringing our bikes to us so we could put them in transition. We waited, and waited, and waited for her to pull up. Instead, she walked up, bawling. Tears running down her face, with a terrified look in her eyes. She kept saying how sorry she was before telling us that she had pulled into the parking garage, with our bikes on the roof rack, and now we needed some new bikes, about 12 hours before we had to be up to race. Good times!!!

Now someone can tell a horror story about getting rear ended with their bikes on a hitch rack....

who's smarter than you're? i'm!
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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Welcome to Slowtwitch. Welcome further to the Lavender Room. The triathlon forum will have many threads regarding racks and you can do a search there. Sometimes racks are discussed here too.

What vehicle is the rack going on?

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/


I haven't tried their bike racks, but years ago I bought one of their trainers, and I'll say their customer service and quality of product were outstanding.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
Last edited by: slowguy: Feb 9, 18 5:48
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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KUAT sherpa. Super light to take on and off. One of the better bike related investments I have made. It also allows for funky top tube shaped road/mtn/TT bikes.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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You should provide more info, specifically what type of vehicle and what type(s) and how many bikes.

If you MTB or ride anything else with disc brakes, you'll want a rack that allows you to leave the wheels on.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/

Don't look any further than this.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [H-] [ In reply to ]
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H- wrote:
Welcome to Slowtwitch. Welcome further to the Lavender Room. The triathlon forum will have many threads regarding racks and you can do a search there. Sometimes racks are discussed here too.

What vehicle is the rack going on?


That's weird, I thought the only racks discussed in the Lavender Room were.... Uhhh, nevermind.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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How low does your car sit to the ground? We put a hitch rack and carrier on a Toyota Sienna for a vacation and it scraped the concrete every time we pulled out of a parking lot that had a dip. It didn't hurt anything, but made my mother-in-law flinch and cry out "Oh!" which was the most annoying thing about it.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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Hitch!!

Day after I bought a roof rack, the wife drove into the garage with the bike still on top. Of course I'm the one that gets in trouble because I'm laughing and not mad at her!! Oh yeah...$3k of damage to the car and a $200 to the bike.

Also it becomes a pain putting the bike on top all the time.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/


This. The are expensive but worth every penny.

And since this is the lavender room...


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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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another +1 for the 1UP. Awesome bike rack, made in Wisconsin.

These discussions almost always come down to 1UP vs Kuat for hitch racks.

Have had both hitch and roof rack and would never go back to bikes on top.

I do not know anyone that has had a roof rack for a long time where someone that drives their car hasn't ripped a bike off of the roof. I liken it to crit racing. It isn't if you will crash, it is when.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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If it was an SUV I’d probably go hitch. One that tilts out so you can still open hatch.
I have a Thule roof fork mounted rack. My car has fixed points for it so I like it a lot. If i has to attach it another way I don’t think I’d like it as much. Also like that the bike is locked in there for a quick stop. But I wouldn’t leave bikes on there for extended periods.
I don’t park in a garage but I do know more then one person who has wrecked a bike that way.

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [veganerd] [ In reply to ]
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veganerd wrote:
and now we needed some new bikes, about 12 hours before we had to be up to race. Good times!!!

....

I’ll risk excommunication. How did that play out finding a replacement ?

"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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I strongly recommend a hitch rack. It's a pain a pain getting bikes on and off the roof and you may forget they are up there and drive into the garage.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Perseus] [ In reply to ]
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Perseus wrote:
I strongly recommend a hitch rack. It's a pain a pain getting bikes on and off the roof and you may forget they are up there and drive into the garage.

Or the drive through.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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Also forgot, if you have a thru axle, make sure you get a rack that accepts thru axles. Also if a rack says it fits 4 bikes, its more like 3 1/2 bikes.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/

End of thread. 1up is the best. I've tried them all, both roof and hitch. Look no further than 1up.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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racin_rusty wrote:
H- wrote:
Welcome to Slowtwitch. Welcome further to the Lavender Room. The triathlon forum will have many threads regarding racks and you can do a search there. Sometimes racks are discussed here too.

What vehicle is the rack going on?



That's weird, I thought the only racks discussed in the Lavender Room were.... Uhhh, nevermind.

Sometimes we discuss lube and racks together.

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [ChrisT] [ In reply to ]
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ChrisT wrote:
JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/


This. The are expensive but worth every penny.

And since this is the lavender room...


Those DO look expensive but worth every penny.
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [Runny] [ In reply to ]
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I'll sell you a set of Rocky Mountain roof racks on the cheap.

_________________________________
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
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Re: Roof or hitch rack? [jarhead] [ In reply to ]
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jarhead wrote:
JSA wrote:
What type of bike?

I swear by the 1UP USA bike racks. These are the sturdiest and easiest to use bike racks I have ever used. Simple to load and unload the bike. Plus, you don't have to worry about smacking an over-hang with the bike on top of the car. I prefer hitch to roof rack for these reasons.

https://www.1up-usa.com/...category/bike-racks/

End of thread. 1up is the best. I've tried them all, both roof and hitch. Look no further than 1up.

Another vote for 1up! I had a roof rack on my Jetta and it was fine- but moved to hitch mount when I got an SUV. I have to tote my daughter around to mtn biking practice (and of course bring my bike to ride while she’s there). The 1up is awesome with tilt out to still get in car. Super easy to use, reconfigure, take off and put on.

On the roof with three bikes we found it was best to have a mix of Thule and Yakima bike sleds as the bikes offset better that way.
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