Thinking about popping down to halfords for a bike rack. Already got the roof bars so I’m good to go. I’ve seen a lot of people on related threads talk about decreased fuel economy. What are we talking about here? Is it a seriously noticeable amount, or just some partridge-esque pedantic amount?

The bars are always on the car, but I’ll likely take the bike rack off a lot, especially during the winter. Will this get annoying quickly?

Any decent recommendations for brands? I’ve got thule bars on the motor which I’m happy with. They’ve had everything lashed to them, from massive ladders to a chaise longue and never bent a mm. I’d prefer black if possible.

Will I lose my bike going round a corner? I like my bike more than my car. I’ve been accused of ‘spirited’ driving, though I’d counter ‘purposeful’. Are they pretty hardy? I mean can you just put the bike on and forget about it (height restrictions aside), or is it like driving with a piano above you?

I have Thule 598 on whisperbars. Only used them a couple of times so far. They creak a bit, which grates, but aside from that seem pretty sturdy. I can’t say I’ve had the inclination to lift off at all, through lanes or cornering on dual carriageway, and the car has a useful level of power.
Easy on and off. Dgaf about mpg.

I didn’t notice any discernible drop in mpg with three bikes on the roof. Only time it was bad was with three bikes AND the car fully loaded when going away. THEN it was pretty noticeable!

One thing that annoyed me was unclamping the rack from the rails and losing the position of those clamps as they unfastened. If I were starting again I think I’d use tape on them.

I’ve always had a belt and braces attitude so I’ve used additional straps, frames to roof bars, in case the bad pixies caused something to loosen*. Twisted straps don’t hum or vibrate, btw.

*I think someone on here had a rack that broke in use.

Halford kit was made by one of the Brands when I bought. I think they’d tell you if you asked.

Just looking at the halfords no-frills ones. £17! Good reviews too. Tempted. And they’re black, like my bars. The thule ones are all fugly silver.

Maybe in halfords. Mine are black. 8)

Jot all difference in mpg for having them on all the time. Mine were on for 4 years and only came off for 2 weeks a year and the difference in mpg was not noticeable. Far more convenient to leave on.

Despite ours being fancy whispbar carriers, they are noticeably noisier than just the whispbars themselves.

I take them off if we’re going a long way without bikes, otherwise they stay on.

I’m not bothered about noise tbh. My exhaust is hanging off.

And by the time I’ve fixed it my hearing will be fkd from the techno I’ve been blasting to cover the sound of the exhaust.

And hence the concern about security. I’m not gonna hear anything coming loose…

I drive a Tourneo with 6 Thule bike racks on the roof. Every time I load it I’m worried about something falling off. However, I cover thousands of miles each year and it’s all been fine (so far).

There’s definitely an impact on throttle levels when it’s loaded up but the racks never cone off so I can’t really say how much of an impact they make on their own.

Go for the Thule 591 if you’re planning on regularly using it. Cheaper ones are OK for occasional use but if you’re using it a couple of times a week (or more) you’ll really appreciate the super simple wind up/release of the 591.

I’ve got a big wheel support Atera towbar rack and a hang on Pendle towbar rack but I prefer the 591s for ease of use over both. I tend to leave them on the car most of the year with the odd squirt of GT85 now and again. I’ll take the bars off with the carriers in situ for a long drive/holiday without bikes.

They’re also stable at speed (100mph+) and although they impair fuel consumption it’s no worse than a rear mounted rack.

They’re a bit harder to load if your vehicle is tall (or you’re a short-arse) but holding the bike low down, by the bottom of the forks and the chainstay, makes it a lot easier.

Every time I load it I’m worried about something falling off.

A 4 quid stick-on mirror on the dash stops you constantly checking your shadow / reflection in shop windows because you have the fear and also stops you forgetting your vehicle is suddenly five feet taller than normal before you go into multi storey car parks.

The Thule 598’s, which are the new version of the 591 are very good. I have 3 on the roof all the time. I had same setup with 591’s on my last 2 cars and they were on for 7 years and over 150k miles, with no issues. I have roof rails as it’s an estate car, and the Thule Wingbars. they whistle a little and as someone else notes, creak a bit when bikes are in them, but you only hear it if the music is low 🙂

Not totally sure of impact on fuel economy as they get fitted when I get the car and come off when I sell lit, but given the added wind resistance I think they knock 3-4 mpg off when empty. With 3 bikes up top they reduce it by another 5 mpg on average, more if going over 65/70.

If it’s easy to take off then the bikes are easier to steal. Also just don’t leave them on the roof when you’re not there unless you want a “I only left them on the roof for 5 mins in the city” post, mate has a couple of very heavy duty chain locks for if he has to leave them, that and being tall enough to put them out of reach helps.
Also from observation one day you will over balance and nearly drop the bike on your car or the one parked next to it.

anyone seen any good deals on the 598 in silver or black?

Got some 591s that are looking a bit tired now so look out of o place on the new car and 561 only fits QR dropouts and my only bike with those is a carbon forked road bike so reluctant to use a form mount on those.

I noticed 1 mpg difference when i took the bars off my old 306. a bit worried about the merc though as i am hooked on trying to get 60mpg and I am sure the roof bars are going to loose a lot more compared to the 45mpg 306.

If it’s easy to take off then the bikes are easier to steal.

Demonstrably not true – it’s easy to remove my bikes from the motorcycle chain and pigeon-killer padlock I use, because I have the key. Also, a thief isn’t going to be removing bikes with any care as to what state they leave the car / racks.

It’s good advice though. I once had two bikes which I naively thought were secure stolen from a roof rack in the Trafford Centre car park, in broad daylight on a busy Easter Monday. Lesson learned there. They were Atera bike racks and the thieves essentially smashed them brute-forcing the bikes out of them.

Replaced them with Thule carriers. They seem sturdier, but I’ve not given anyone the opportunity to test whether they’re scrote-proof or not.

A mate of mine got some bargain basement affairs. I was shocked at just how much faffage was involved in loading up the bikes. The Thules are expensive but well worth paying for if you’re using them more than occasionally.

The Thules are expensive but well worth paying for if you’re using them more than occasionally.

….or are planning on putting a fat bike on the roof.

In which case you’ll need a 598 carrier and a set of Fat Bike Adaptors.

Like that, Perchy.

We’ve got two 598s (bought new) and 2 591s (bought second hand off the ‘Bay, though randomly from a former colleague).

Apart from the availability of fat bike adaptors (which is a non-issue for us) the differences seem to be the offset wheel straps and the torque-limiting ratchet on the 598, both of which fall into the ‘nice to have but not worth the mark up for new’ category.

Cheaper ones are OK for occasional use but if you’re using it a couple of times a week (or more) you’ll really appreciate the super simple wind up/release of the 591.

A mate of mine got some bargain basement affairs. I was shocked at just how much faffage was involved in loading up the bikes. The Thules are expensive but well worth paying for if you’re using them more than occasionally.

Good advice. My tolerance for faffing is very low.

They’re a bit harder to load if your vehicle is tall (or you’re a short-arse) but holding the bike low down, by the bottom of the forks and the chainstay, makes it a lot easier.

It’s the opposite. Low vehicle/lanky operator. WIN

598 fits in seconds on the T-slots.

I remove mine, it’s a little noisier than just the roof bars and I don’t want to advertise I have bikes at home.

I don’t want to advertise I have bikes at home.

Yes, we take the carriers off when not in use for that reason.

We have thule wing bars and 2 598’s. We leave them on all the time and when off on holiday we can fit a half width roof box too.

I did the research and for the type of use, I went for the 598’s for the reviews on how easy they are to mount and dismount the bikes.

We’ve done a good few miles with the car fully loaded and there is a bit of wind noise but not bad. I average 80mph ish on the drive to Scotland and I’ve got full confidence that I won’t see a shower of sparks behind me as the bikes come off. Same with small windy country roads.

….or are planning on putting a fat bike on the roof.

In which case you’ll need a 598 carrier and a set of Fat Bike Adaptors.

I put a fatbike on a 591, just take out the ratchet straps and use shortened fasty straps instead.
And the rack only comes off if the canoe is going on.

I recently put roof bars on my car as I was fed up of faffing around putting them in the boot.
I took a leap of faith and got these from eBay bike rack

I am more than happy with them.

I take mine off when going on a long trip mostly due to additional noise (591’s). I get over 60mpg with or without them on the roof.

I think I saw somewhere on amazon selling them for £60 ish.