I’m currently running a set of roof bars from Lidl on my A6 estate, which do the job well but whistle like buggery at anything over 45MPH. I’d like to leave the bars on all the time but can’t put up with the racket on a day to day basis (with the bike carrier removed). Are the posh Thule bars any better and can I expect them to not whistle at speeds up to 80MPH ?

I have exodus aero bars which are thule and they whistle. I have no experience of the thule wing bar which may be different but the aero bar is definitely not silent.

2012 a6 plus Thule Wingbar = no noise.

Yep wing bars super quiet compared to any others we’ve used, currently on passat estate 53 plate (b5.5)

Try Whispbar

Wingbars on an a4, no whistle, leave them on all the time

Wing bars here too and no noise

Can’t hear anything from the wing bars on our car, even going fast. I remove the bike carrier etc when not in use and cut the rubber strip so it can be removed/replaced.

Wing bar with 3 Thule 591’s here and there is a bit of wind noise, but not intrusive, so no problems. I’ve not bothered with the rubber strip, there seems to be now downside to not having it installed.

Try Whispbar – ok in the winter but that hot spell we had in july really did for them.

I know you can get Roof bar “Fairing” normally a forward mounted deflector that supposedly shifts air round the bars and some of them claim to reduce noise, never tried one myself, but might save you buying new bars?

I have Wingbars and quiet on their own. Add a bike rack and that creates some whistling but nothing that is going to drive you mad.

The Thule wing edge system is pretty much as quiet as you can get.

Got the Wingbar edge on our car and can’t hear them at all. 🙂

hatter – Member
The Thule wing edge system is pretty much as quiet as you can get.

Totally quiet until the bikes are on it.

Wingbars are very quiet, the downfall is when you mount a 591 on it, the driver side is OK, but the lack of design forethought means the ‘flipped’ one on the passenger side protrudes fore of the bar and generates lots of noise.

Lidl roof bars? Before forking out for some Thules you might want to try this as the lidl bars have a slight flaw in them in that the underside is hollow. Cut some 15mm pipe lagging in half lengthways & shove it in the slot under the bar comme ca:

Shut mine up perfectly.

Cut some 15mm pipe lagging in half lengthways & shove it in the slut

😯

Edit, Double post

There’s a slut under your bars! Nice! 😀

BTW, our ALDI has said pipe lagging in at the moment.

Whoah. mistype tastic! Edited.

hot_fiat – Member
Cut some 15mm pipe lagging in half lengthways & shove it in the slut under the bar comme ca:

what pub is this?….. 😉

Nothing to see here. Move along.

😳

Lol at hot_fiat 🙂

Thanks for the input chaps, think I’ll give the pipe lagging bodge a go first and if that doesn’t shut them up then splash out on a set of wing bars.

Cheers !