I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse: Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums

I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse

Jun 28, 03 8:17

Driving home yesterday after getting HR tested on the bike. Bike on the roof rack. I completed forget it's up there and drive drive under the carport....

The next sound I heard was my seatpost being sheared off and my saddle getting snapped into nice pieces.

That's what I get for not movign the block of wood into my driveway to remind me not to drive under.

No frame damage, and seatpost was a stock one, saddle was a total loss. and only a minor scuff on my wife's Passat's roof rail.

So I now join Tom D. circle of the opinion DON'T BUY ROOF RACKS!!!!cause this could have been much worse, at least I was able to replace eveythying at LBS and salvage this weekends training. But if I was going to spend any money on a new saddle it wasn't going to be buy the newer model of specialized BG pro I had. oh when maybe i the off-season.

Jim

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [rgr195] [ In reply to ]

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GatorDawg

Jun 28, 03 9:11

Post #2 of 11 (2315 views)

Is this the only reason Tom D advises agains roof racks!

KEEP ON TRI-NG

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [GatorDawg] [ In reply to ]

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Khai

Jun 28, 03 9:19

Post #3 of 11 (2311 views)

No... Tom hates roof racks for a lot of reasons - one of them being that he once got screwed by a customer in a major way, and the rack was integral to the process. Some racks are damn near impossible to secure properly - either to the car or the bike to the rack, and sometimes both (I'll let him tell the story if he wants to). But he also prefers to keep them inside the vehicle where they're safe from the elements.

Given that the only way for me to get the Softride in my car is to remove both wheels, the tri bars and lower the beam - and even then it takes a lot of wiggling, I'll stick with my Yakima Viper. If I drove a bigger car or a van however, I'd just keep it inside.

<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
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Dont blame the rack for your stupidity [ In reply to ]

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IronWannaBe

Jun 28, 03 10:24

Post #4 of 11 (2287 views)

I did the same thing about 5 years ago. I simply forgot, sounds like you did too. It was my own fault for having a couple beers after a ride. I was driving my then girlfriend's car and the only good thing to come out of it was that the girlfriend freaked out in a major way. I saw a side of her that scared me. The damage to her car was less than $100, the damage to the relationship was priceless.

"Gravedigger, when you dig my grave could you make it shallow? So that I can feel the rain."

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [GatorDawg] [ In reply to ]

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taku

Jun 28, 03 11:23

Post #5 of 11 (2274 views)

The other big thing that Tom D hates about roof racks is that you are spending thousands of dollars on a bike.

When you leave the bike on the outside of your bike you leave it exposed to all sorts of water and debris, which can work its way into all sorts of nooks and crannies of your bike which can cause some serious damage.

Basically the gist is, if you are going to spend thousands treat it like it costs that much money adn keep it in your car.

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [rgr195] [ In reply to ]

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Tom Demerly

Jun 28, 03 14:12

Post #6 of 11 (2239 views)

Hi guys, Yup, I do hate roof racks- and all racks. Hey, is it just me, or does it not make sense to buy a Nissan Xterra, Ford Explorer, F150, Jeep whatever and then use a Three Stooges plumbing project to mount your $2000+ bike to the outside of the vehicle? Yeah, yeah, you have to take the kids, the dog, the wife, the husband, blah blah. I know. I have no life. My cats stay at home so I revel in the gift of solitude and its attendant privleges such as carrying your bike inside your car and unbridled flatulence during long drives. But doesn't it make sense to buy a Rocket Box (great porno name) and put your $700 worth of gear on the roof, and your more expensive bike inside? I work so hard to make these things good. Strapping the poor thing to the outside of your car is butt-assed wrong. Oh so wrong.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

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TonyG

Jun 28, 03 15:53

Post #7 of 11 (2213 views)

In Reply To:

Hi guys, Yup, I do hate roof racks- and all racks. Hey, is it just me, or does it not make sense to buy a Nissan Xterra, Ford Explorer, F150, Jeep ...

or my favourite, from The Simpsons, the squirrel-squashin', deer-killin' Canyonero (not approved for use on city streets or highways).

TonyG

What is Enoch Root?

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

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2WheelsGood

Jun 28, 03 18:02

Post #8 of 11 (2173 views)

In Reply To:

Hey, is it just me, or does it not make sense to buy a Nissan Xterra...

Couple problems with that... I have an Xterra, but my bike doesn't fit inside without taking the seat and post off the bike. Also, it's a pain having to lay down the seats to put a bike inside, and if you have passengers in the back, it's a no-go anyway. And if it's a mountain bike, I'd prefer to keep the trail outside of my truck.

As long as I've been driving, riding, and racing (since the mid '80s), I've had my bike on the roof (my first car was an MR2 so there wasn't much choice). Other than a few dead bugs, I've never had a problem.

Maybe your distaste for roof racks comes from your choice of craftsmen. Keep the Three Stooges away from your car and your bike, and you may find a roof rack a plenty capable alternative.

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [2WheelsGood] [ In reply to ]

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Tom Demerly

Jun 29, 03 11:27

Post #9 of 11 (2091 views)

Jihad against roof racks.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

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Re: I now join Tom D's opinion on roof racks and it could have been worse [Tom Demerly] [ In reply to ]

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2WheelsGood