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Bike carriers?

Cupra622

Active Member
May 9, 2020
57
21
So as the title suggests anyone got any recommendations for roof mounted bike carriers, need them for both adult and kids bikes if there is a difference.... Thanks in advance....
 

Nathan penney

Active member
Jul 8, 2017
721
826
Liverpool
Not the cheapest but easiest to use, secure and lockable.
Thule pro-ride I think they’re called.
Easy to adjust for different sized bikes.
I have 2 set up on roof bars for my Volvo V70.
Cause it’s got roof rails it’s easy to lift it on and off as a unit set up with the bike carriers on the bars.
I can’t be doin driving round with them on all the time.
 

chrisRibiza

Active Member
Sep 27, 2007
1,194
51
I’ve Thule Pro ride 598s on my Leon. I don’t remove them, far to much hassle!!

Work no problem carrying my MTB, bmx or e-bike.
 

Speedbird

Active Member
Aug 10, 2018
268
135
Another vote for Thule 598's here. There are still some of the older model 591's floating around, personally I find the 598 better. It has a preset tensioner in the ratchet so you can't over tighten it on a carbon frame, and the bottom frame clamping arm has an extra 'bit' that makes it far easier to load a bike.
 

Mikertroid

Active Member
May 31, 2019
142
39
Yakima Highspeed fork mounted carrier...

Rock solid and free wheel bag from roofbox online. Not cheap but v good.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,701
953
Just a by the way here. Once you lock your bike carriers to the roof bars you will be able to lift the whole assembly off and on to the car in seconds. I keep my bars and three bike carriers in the shed and drop it onto the car when I need it. When I get home, undo the catches, lift it off and back in the shed. There is zero need to leave them on the car.
 

Brackett

Active Member
May 12, 2019
158
26
Another vote for Thule 598. (and I agree, they are better than 591, even though they were great too).
 

BillyCool

Active Member
Jan 16, 2020
694
273
Leicestershire, UK
Thule roofbars are awesome. 2 friends use. I'm towbar mounted but only through personal preference.
 

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Cupra622

Active Member
May 9, 2020
57
21
Thanks for the replies everyone..... 3 thule 598s will be expensive plus I'll need a fourth for the little ladies bike soon..... I think I'll have to get two for now and sling the kids bikes in the back..... Not sure I can get over having nearly 400 quid sat on the roof of the car......
 

Sean Ryan

Active Member
May 2, 2020
16
5
Just a by the way here. Once you lock your bike carriers to the roof bars you will be able to lift the whole assembly off and on to the car in seconds. I keep my bars and three bike carriers in the shed and drop it onto the car when I need it. When I get home, undo the catches, lift it off and back in the shed. There is zero need to leave them on the car.

Another vote for the Thule, and for Mr Pig's method, lift it off as one large assembly.
 

moriarty

Active Member
Apr 6, 2015
98
17
Edinburgh
I've got a Mont Blanc Roof Rush and a Thule ProRide 591.
The Mont Blanc is adjustable enough to take a Child's bike (Isla Bike Beinn 20) which the Thule wouldn't and I think it is much easier to use.
The tyre channel holds the bike upright without extra support whilst you put clamp in place. One lock locks both the bike to rack and rack to roof bars, when empty it can also lock the clamp in the lowered position, I only found that out the other week. The Thule needs a bungy cord when empty.
A downside to Mont Blanc is that it only takes up to a 2.2" MTB tyre, there is another model which takes a wider tyre but I can't find any suppliers online.
It's worth having a look on eBay as car dealers sometimes sell off bike racks and they are usually Thule or Mont Blanc in a different box. My Thule rack was from a Nissan dealer and Mont Blanc from VW.
 
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mgrays

Active Member
Dec 9, 2006
371
18
Aberdeen
Not a Leon but I had a set of old roof cross bars on my other car.. so bought a cheapo set from Ebay from bars4cars that look like the £30 Halfords cheapo ones. £100 for 4 delivered (I had the cross bars already). These are actually Italian M-Way but boxed as Maypole but they no longer list them. Silver with 2 nuts to clamp the bike frame which seems best and steel so you can modify them. They were great for the kids bikes. For a decent MB and biggish e-bike the standup arms were 4-6" too short so I ended up cutting/welding and repositioning so they are at 90 degrees to the bike frame when they clamp. That made them good. I was being naughty as I had a 20kg bike on a 15kg frame but by repositioning the wheels over the cross bars and the cross bars over the car fitted rails it was fine. I then added a cross bar between the seat posts of the outside adult bikes as my cross bars are adjustable and too wobbly; I can now rock the car on it's suspension with no movement of bikes. So there are other ways to get there but it is not plug and play.. the Thule ones look nice but I could not do £600 odd for something I would use once in a blue moon. A combined 4 bike set is a real struggle to lift off an SUV with the cheapo steel bike racks. Real hassle is the 15-20 mins to take bikes on/off .. I previously made an wooden insert to fit inside my trailer.. that was easy and 5 mins to load up but the hard trailer suspension hammers the bikes/frame and it is a pain to park. Ideally a 4 bike towbar frame mounted to removable trailer hitch hole would be nice but you struggle with weight even with one 20kg e-bike.
 

moriarty

Active Member
Apr 6, 2015
98
17
Edinburgh
I found the SEAT version of the Mont Blanc for sale on eBay, part number is 6L0071128A

The VW part number starts 6Q0 instead of 6L0.
I
Iwas tempted to purchase but can't really justify buying another bike rack just now.
 
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