Suction Cup Bike racks – Seasucker or Rockbros?

I have put a Transition Patrol and a much heavier Smuggler on mine.

Thanks for the replies, Trimix and Munrobiker!

How removable are the actual fork brackets on the rock bro ones? Wondering If I could quickly unbolt them and use for a kayak?

You could, they are just bolted onto the main cross frame. Dome head allen bolts.

Also would the standard Seasucker adaptors fit? so https://www.evanscycles.com/sea-sucker-15mm-bolt-on-fork-mount-for-through-axles-EV336276

I’m also interested in how they’ve performed if anyone else has given them a try?

I’ve a double rock bros one that lives in the boot of our panda for “rescue” purposes mainly but it’s been used for weekends away and the like.

It took my dad’s “cheap” folding e bike (which wasn’t going in the boot of the panda with everything else at the time) well enough and that’s sufficiently heavy that it was difficult to lift onto the roof of the car. I’m not sure if have liked to do a huge distance with that on the roof as you could hear the panel flex but it managed 20miles or so with nsl roads ok.

I got a couple of boost adapters machined up as i couldn’t find any at the time that weren’t bloody expensive and just a ring so likely to be awkward to fit.

Two thru axle bikes can be awkward to line up and secure if you’re short as on axle head is mid roof.

I’ve done two one hour journey with mine down some fairly twisty narrow roads and then faster dual carriageway. I was fairly nervous but seemed really sturdy.

Very satisfied with the Rockbros. Used mine on highways and during hot afternoons and it held up okay.

I’ve just bought one and used it for the first time at the weekend. I must say I was pretty nervous at first. I stopped quite regularly to check on it but it was absolutely fine. I did a 3.5hr drive there and same back again. There was heavy rain at one point which got me worried slightly but absolutely no issues in use.

My only criticism of it is that velcro strap for the rear wheel wasn’t fitted correctly on mine. I had to unbolt the sucker mechanism from the cup to reposition the velcro. I also noticed the bolts weren’t very tight. Worth checking if you buy one that all the 3mm hex heads are done up tight before you use it.

Mine is a ‘Rassine’ and is standing up to twice weekly use since last September.

We love our rockbros one, used it a few times now. Lives in boot of car so doesn’t take up any room at home like bigger racks. Carried my jeffsy and the mrs’ Kona 600 miles this weekend without a hint of a problem.

I have driven my 911 (997.2 C2S) with my YT Jeffsy stuck on the roof. I drove it fast enough to conclude its safe for everyday use. At one point I thought it may damage the roof if it came off, so I sped up to ensure it would not touch the roof if it did indeed fail. A few gallons of the finest high octane later, it was still firmly attached to the roof.

I can recommend it, especially as its way cheaper than the US version which uses the same suction parts.

RockBros single mount ordered… I’ll report back once in use.

To update (if it helps other who’re pondering these racks): 5 months of use and I’m happy with my RockBros. Apprehensive at first and tiptoed around corners but no issues so now drive more normally (for me…). Suckers always retain their suction, as they should. More confidence that I took the squiggly/fun road option home from Dunkeld on Saturday rather than cruise down the A9. I’m meticulous at cleaning the bodywork before fitting. Used for around 30 hrs total, mostly sub 1-hr journeys – got a van to use if more than one of us are travelling with bikes.

Much preferable to roofbars which are rare/expensive for my car. Unsure how much it impacts on fuel consumption but TBH mine can’t do much worse in that respect. Roof’s too short to fit front and rear suckers, so I have front suckers on trailing edge of roof and rear sucker on bootlid. Strap the front wheel to the side of the frame supported by the pedal.

Adding to the pro RockBros reviews for anyone one else in the same boat. Highly recommended.

Have used it for a bunch of 30 min trips (dual bike version), plus a 2x 6 hour drives (Kent to the Lakes and back) and it’s been faultless. Like others I was very worried (especially when I woke up and my OH was doing ‘a bit’ more than the speed limit on her leg of the drive…) at first but no issues whatsoever. There’s actually very little to these… just some suction cups with a metal bar on top and some brackets- there’s no need for them to be expensive. I guess seasucker have a bigger markup and theirs need to cost more because of all their marketing.

It does wobble a little bit, but no more than any other bike rack- probably less than some of the roof bar ones I’ve used. The roof of my car is quite curved, so the middle two suction cups fit on easily then I need to press the end two down quite firmly to get them to reach the roof. I was a bit worried the end two would pop-off during use but no issues. I might take a torch to the metal bar to put some bends in it just to shape it to fit my roof a little better (or I might not, as I’ve not had any issues!)

It hardly takes up any space which is great, can be left in the boot even in the sports car. I leave a rag with it and some water for cleaning the bodywork before I put it on. I was bit nervous I would get fed up with taking it off/putting it back on every time I went biking (so people can’t pinch it!) but it’s so quick and easy to do that it’s not an issue.

The end caps pop in/out easily for changing what fork you have. I bought a bunch of different ones ‘just in case’ and just leave them in the glovebox.

Only slightly annoying thing is that there is no way to lock it, so someone stays with the car at service stops. I knew this when I bought it though, so thats my choice!

I use some small ratchet straps to strap the front wheel to the bike frame. Put one pedal forward, put the wheel on that, then lean the front to the fork crown and secure.

The only thing I would change is replacing the velcro strap for the rear wheel with a ratchet strap- not because I’ve had issues with it but just for peace of mind.

Hi
Bit of a thread resurrection

Have users of the rockbros racks noticed any damage to the roof panels of their cars? I’m looking to get one for my lease car but am just a little wary
Cheers

Hi guys! Thanks for this thread, it really helped me make up my mind in regards to the suction cup bike racks; I actually create an account to say this.
I was not sure initially of how safe this design is and after some internet searching I am pretty convinced that the suction cups will perform well on the job. Moreover, this seems a very clean and nice solution to transporting your bike. After reading this thread, I will go for the Rockbros bike rack soon. We have two bikes, so I am bit confused whether I should get 2 x single bike carrier, 1 x double bike carrier or 1 x triple bike carrier. I am thinking: what if I want to transport just one bike, can I do it with a double carrier or the rack/bike will lose balance or cause strain or damage to the roof of the car? Therefore, 2 x single bike carrier or 1 x triple. If I get the triple one, when I want to transport just one bike, I can put it the the middle and when I transport both I can put them on sides. What do you think of this?
Regards!

I’ve a two bike version, not sure if get away with a 3 bike on the panda (if it’s actually big enough for 3 bikes).

99% of its use is for 1 bike as a “can you pick me up because pub/dark/flat/pathetic” but it has done a few 2 bike runs with no problems.

Any issues with roof damage from using a suction cup rack?

It’s possible to damage the roof if the bikes cranks aren’t secured to the frame as they can rotate and hit the roof.

Great, thanks for that. No issues with the panels getting distorted or is the load evenly spread?
Cheers

Been lurking the thread for a while, but I have bought the rockbros 2x bike rack, and can say so far I’m pretty impressed. It has survived a 2hr trip at 70mph on a motorway, and the only problem I’ve had was one bolt missing from one sucker, which they sent to me asap once I told them. All I advise is to check the bolts are all tight and present, otherwise I’ve not had any problems yet with the rack.

Following on from my first post, I use a seasucker Hogg to attach the front wheel to my bike, as I bought a few from america when I was over there. I also use a seasucker window anchor to secure the bike when it is on the car. The rack wobbles a little, but when I move the bike, the whole car moves with it so they are secure!

I’ve procrastinated for ages about this, think I’m gonna bite the bullet and go seasucker. Civic has a glass roof, I was a tad concerned about this with bars, but Seasucker reckon a glass roof is an even better option for their unit.

I also like the fact it should last years, through all different cars, no car specific footpack nonsense.

If anyone needs a seasucker Hogg attachment cheap from the UK I have 2 as I bought too many btw, I’d say overall if you can spend £300+, go seasucker, otherwise rockbros are your best bet.

I have a Ford s-max with full glass roof. I use a 3 x bike Seasucker rack which has been great. Sucked straight on to the glass roof and was rock solid.

I can actually get 5 bikes on the roof, using 2 Thule racks and the Seasucker just slightly back and in-between the Thules.

Just my luck this…

Going to buy one of these, but it seems like the boost adapters are out of stock everywhere!

I have a few questions… Thanks to Trimix and several others for posting extensive feedback on the Rockbros rack.

I’m very likely to order a 2 bike version this week/ASAP. I emailed RockBros via Amazon asking about thru-axle adaptors as some of my bikes are QR and others not, plus a lot of my friends’ bikes are thru-axle and we often drive out for rides.

Please can someone show me a picture of exactly what it is that I’m buying if I buy the thru-axle adaptor? RockBros have quoted me shy of £28 for two adaptors, but I have no idea if I can source the same thing for e.g. £2 elsewhere.

I’ve seen items like this but am sure it’s not what I’m after https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303450666159?

If someone who’s less of an engineering retard than me could explain what exactly I’m looking for and how TA adaptors function, I’d appreciate it. I assumed they were just 12mm ø tubes and you could whack any TA in there and voila, but the amount of discussion has made me think I’ve missed something.

Also, are there any special concerns re Shimano flat mount brakes and Carbon forks? My MTB has 120mm Suntour Raidons with Shimano M315 hydro discs, QR and my Canyon road is carbon everything with 105 flat mount hydros thru axle.

Many thanks. Your Porsche banter and bike rack wisdom has been invaluable so far! I signed up just to ask after reading the entire thread. :).

They’re come with 9mm QR for all mounts as standard, you can request a free set of adaptors for 15×100 or boost when you order (but they only give you one set)

I’ve had one for years now and it’s been great, I’m tempted to buy another to make a roof rack for my paddle boards out of (can’t find the cups on their own for sub £30 each)

15mm Adaptors look like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254630204125

I reckon those EBay things are all you need to plug into the metal part of the fork interface. Bacially they are just plastic spacers with a different sized hole in and they widen the fork interface. So get the cheap Ebay ones.

Hi all! Just wanted to give you an update from my previous post 11 months ago. I got the three-bike Rockbros rack and it works very well, no issues with it. The longest trip I’ve done with it was 350+ miles with two bikes on it (on sides) without taking it off and it did well. Occasionally, I had to pump one of the suction cups, but I won’t blame the rack here; the paint on my 2006 Audi is not “like new”. I did mostly motorway (Suffolk to Cornwall and back) and speed varied from 60 to 80 mph. I have also used it with three bikes on for shorter distances (20-30 miles, motorway and country roads).
We have two cars and I believe suction bike racks are a great for using on various cars.
Overall, I recommend suction bike racks. Thank you for all of your replies, it helped me make the decision of getting this kind of bike rack.

Hi Peeps,

I’m based in Bham, UK and new to this forum.

Have decided to get into MTB so have recently purchased a Vitus Sentier Vr 2021 turns up later this week.

I came across this thread regarding the Rocksbros kit, so just wanted to check that I order the correct adapter.

The FRONT HUB is 110mm x 15mm thru axle, so I think they do the 15 x 110 adaptor.

Are these the official Ebay links to the rack:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254590192016
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154291687616?ViewItem=&item=154291687616

Also can anyone confirm if this will fit a curved roof as I have a 2007 BMW Z4 Coupe.

Is there any flex in the front three suction panel.

Link gives you an idea:
https://www.tuningblog.eu/en/categories/cars-from-az/bmw-acs4-z4-e86-tuning-196031/

Reviving this thread as it holds so much information. I have seen the one bike Rockbros mount on Amazon for £140 but on eBay they’re £110 and include adaptors. With Amazon they’re an extra £12.can anyone advise which eBay seller is the official Rockbros company as they’re a few on there and don’t want to buy a fake. Thanks

Ninja edit. Old thread.