I’ll get 2 and attach them to the factory crossbars on my Subaru Forester. Yakima and Thule are comparable price, around $130 each. Rocky Mounts come in at $95 each. I dig that price, but will shell out the extra $35 if the others look a lot better, as I’ll be looking at them for the next 10 years or so. Most importantly, which ones do the best job of keeping my bikes firmy attached? Thanks!
SKIP the Rocky Mounts …
the Thule and Yakima racks are comparable, but I like the Thule racks a bit better, esp the echelon.
I used to have 2 of the Rocky Mounts fork mounted carriers and the clamps on both broke. I switched to thule and am very happy. I have either the echelon or peleton, which ever is more expensive. Very easy to use and have lasted a long time.
what are the pros/cons of racks that mount on the fork vs ones that let you keep the front wheel on? (aside from the obvious)
I am actually very happy with the way my rockymounts Noose attached to the factory rack. And I have always previously had Yakima racks. What I didn’t like was their QR skewer. So I used one out of my old Yakima copperheads and love the setup. I am able to use the same key for both cars, and I don’t need any extra attachments for the factory rack (like Yakima and Thule make you use.)
PS
Now, this is for fork-mount racks, I think I would probably do something different otherwise.
Hijack alert–anyone use the Yakima Lockjaw system. I found a deal on a couple. I still need to get the factory crossbars for my Yukon XL and the Yakima mounts for the Lockjaw, but it seems to be the most economical.
chris
2 negatives on the Rocky Mounts- bad sign. They always say you get what you pay for.
I have used Rocky Mounts products for years, still do. I work in the industry, and my racks get used a lot, basically everyday. I recently upgraded all my skewers to the new one, it adjusts easier than anything else on the market.
They used to make at least part of the stuff in the USA too, which is cool.
I know they had some problems with an old plastic head tray they made back in the 90s, but the new ones have worked great for me.
This isn’t one of the companies I rep, so this is just personal experience.
Hijack alert–anyone use the Yakima Lockjaw system? I found a deal on a couple. I still need to get the factory crossbars for my Yukon XL and the Yakima mounts for the Lockjaw, but it seems to be the most economical.
chris
bump
There is a great yakima rack that doesnt have that “trough” that goes front/back- it just has a bracket on the front bar nad abrack on the rear bar
i think the product is called python or boa or something…
and yes, you want the kind that holds the front fork where you take off hte front wheel- that way nothing has to hold/scratch the frame
I have the Yakima on one car and Thule on the other. I prefer the Thule fork clamping system, its much easier to adjust. But, I like the way the Yakima looks, trays mount lower in the front. No experience with Rocky Mounts
I have a Yakima roof rack which came with a fork mount rack. I added a Rocky Mount rack to carry a second bike. I have had no problems with either. The Rocky Mounts skewer has a plastic lever that appears to be fading in the sun but no problems yet.
I have a Rocky Mount and have been quite happy with it.
They do lack snob appeal but if anyone stumbles on this thread in the future, rest assured, the Rocky Mount rack is just fine and its priced cheap enough if you have factory roof racks to justify buying one even if you are only going to use it occassionally. In my case, I bounght mine for a one time use. It was a choice of leaving my bike home on a particular vacation trip (the Yak and Thule were outside my budget that month) or buying the Rocky Mount. I got several sweet rides in thanks to Rocky Mount and my bike stayed on the roof 700 miles of driving. I’ve used it 2-3 times a year since without issue.
I will say that if I had the cash and was going to leave the rack on my car and use it every day, I probably would have saved up for a Yakima but the Rocky Mount will get the job done just fine.
i bought a yakima rack for my passat back in 99. 2 years ago when i started riding again, i needed a new tray and a new locking head. i went to REI, bought one and it mounted perfectly and exactly the way it should.
the other thing that happened was the rubber mounts that fit between the car roof and clamp had disappeared. used 4 or 5 swim caps from races to get 'er done, but knew i needed to get real replacements soon. i called yakima, a friendly female native english speaking rep answered the phone, and had the parts in the mail to me for $12 the next day.
all the new parts match/fit the old parts perfectly well. the customer support is awesome. i would 100% recommend yakima.
i was in the same boat as you with my 4Runner. i wanted something simple and clean that utilized the factory rack. all of the Thule/Yakima options seemed to still require their brand of crossbar to mount above my cross bar. kinda lame. so i bought the Rocky Mounts Noose due to the factory rack fit and of course the price.
the install was a breeze and i’ve used it a few times so far (installed it last week). i will say the only negative is that my factory crossbars are bowed (arched over the roof) and the bike leans to the outside of the truck. it’s solid and secure, but IMO it’s a bit ghetto if you see it from the front or behind. so now i “get it” why people install the aftermarket cross bar. i might make the jump over to the more expensive (and level) setup. for now, i’m happy with the Rocky Mounts with just one bike. maybe i’ll just move it to the center of the crossbar. 