BICYCLE CARRIERS/RACKS for bicycles with fenders

[Colville]

I have done tons of research and called tons of places and still not 100% sure with what I want to go with for a bicycle carrier. So here I am asking for good opinions and what to do.

Heres what I have:

2012 Volkswagen JSW TDI with the OEM cross bars.

1 Papillionaire classic mens bicycle
1 Papillionaire sommer female bicycle

First off trying to decide between a hitch carrier or a roof rack must just be all personal preference. I already have the crossbars so I figured I would go with the roof rack style. I know to be careful not to run your car under things too low when the bikes are on. Im also wondering how the fenders on the bicycles will be when in the wind on a highway? They are metal fenders.

So far, the types I've looked at are as follows:

Yakima Raptor Aero
Thule Big Mouth
OEM Volkswagen racks 6Q0-071-128-A

Looking for any recommendations or opinions... Need to pick something soon, im sick of looking! haha

THANKS!

 

[sickmtbnutcase]

I run a homemade hitch rack on our Jetta to haul two bikes and a folded up trail-a-bike. Still can get 43mpg tooling down the freeway loaded up....anyways...

If your fenders are secured properly and well built (looks like they are), you should be ok even with a roof rack.

Hadn't heard of those bikes. Really sharp

 

[Colville]

I run a homemade hitch rack on our Jetta to haul two bikes and a folded up trail-a-bike. Still can get 43mpg tooling down the freeway loaded up....anyways...

If your fenders are secured properly and well built (looks like they are), you should be ok even with a roof rack.

Hadn't heard of those bikes. Really sharp

Thanks for the kind words about the bikes, we are really enjoying them

Best quality I have found for the price!

 

[WutGas?]

I will own one of those bikes soon. Thanks a lot for spending my money they are really nice. Love the vintage feel!


Also, "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."

H. G. Wells

 

[Colville]

Here is the bikes from some photos I pulled off the internet. I also put up a photo of our car with the OEM bars installed.

 

[Colville]

I will own one of those bikes soon. Thanks a lot for spending my money they are really nice. Love the vintage feel!


Also, "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."

H. G. Wells

Thank you! We are absolutely loving them, for the price these things are top notch in quality. I forgot how much fun riding bicycles can be! Loving it. They also do military discounts

Also, for you bicycle lovers out there, make sure you read "Just Ride" by Grant Peterson, such a great book!!! He also makes some fantastic bicycles, but at the moment I couldnt afford them, plus this Papillionaire does great for me

Back to the problem though, what you guys recommend for carriers?

 

[ksing44]

If I had a roof rack, I'd get Whispbars with Rocky Mounts PitchFork Bike Mounts. They are both minimalist in design and I suspect could be left on with little or no mpg cost or noise when not being used. Of course that works best if the front wheel of the bike has a quick release system. I couldn't see if the OP's bikes have quick release.

I have a hitch. I'm currently using my old hitch rack, but I'm thinking about getting a new one that folds. My old hitch rack doesn't fold, which didn't matter when it was on a sedan. I could still get in the trunk. With the Golf, I can't access the hatch. I'm planning to get one of the folding two bike, aluminum racks. The Kuat beta only weighs 12 pounds! The Thule helium also looks pretty good at only 26 pounds.

The hitch is a Curt from U-haul. It was only about $200 installed at a local shop. It works fine and even though it is exposed I think it looks nice with the shiny round tubing.

Here I am with my old rack on the hitch. Too bad it doesn't fold, but I've had it for a long time. I use the recommended stabilizing strap too. I guess it might help reduce excessive bouncing.

 

[PeterV]

People tend to keep the roof rack set up on all the time. The sad thing about that is it creates wind resistance and that costs reduction in MPGs and money.

Hitch is the way to go.

 

[nikhsub1]

People tend to keep the roof rack set up on all the time. The sad thing about that is it creates wind resistance and that costs reduction in MPGs and money.

Hitch is the way to go.

Not if you buy good bars. Whispbars are silent and cause no noticeable mpg hit.

 

[andydg]

Not if you buy good bars. Whispbars are silent and cause no noticeable mpg hit.

Add to that the SB200's, and still no noticeable change in mileage. I keep mine installed, although removing them is less than 5 minutes.

 

[jaberoo]

Hitch is the way to go.

I have a 4 bike hitch carrier which I bought when the wife and I were taking the two grandchildren biking. But now that they're grown, I never use it for the two of us. Instead, I use the ordinary trunk-mount (hang-on the tailgate) type. Work's fine; easy to stow in the wagon; don't have to worry about overhead issues.

 

[frosterrj]

i cant seem to find a 2" hitch to install on a 13 JSW so I can get a 4 bike carrier. Seems everywhere I look all that's available are 1.25" hitches.

If you have a 2" hitch, where did you get it?

 

[jaberoo]

i cant seem to find a 2" hitch to install on a 13 JSW so I can get a 4 bike carrier. Seems everywhere I look all that's available are 1.25" hitches.

If you have a 2" hitch, where did you get it?

Sorry. Mine's a 1.25", too.
Maybe there's a sleeve adapter available.

 

[SpringfieldTDI]

I was just at the tow place this afternoon. My Thule 4 bike carrier has a 2" hitch, but the shop only showed a 1.25" available for the Golf. There is a 2' to 1.25" adapter, but that seemed kludgy.

I'm leaning towards using a trunk mount.

 

[MAJSW]

I like the roof. Wagons were made for roof mounting.

Then again putting a 16 lb road bike up there as opposed to those great town bikes is easier.
The jaw type upright racks should work well. I like the uprights that grab the tires but with full fenders that is out.

4 adults, luggage, 4 bikes on top, highway trip is 38 mpg. A big hit but not bad considering.

But, for only 2 bikes, the tray tire mount hitch racks are great. Kuat has the best of those.

 

[kjclow]

The cars are not rated for a two inch (class 2 and above) hitch. I doubt you could pay anyone (U-Haul) to install because then you could pull a heavier trailer. There are many adapters for bike racks or keep looking to see if you can find one that will fit the smaller hitch.

For the OPs bikes, I would go with the ones that support at the wheels. Otherwise, he would have to make sure that he always has the rack adapter for the wife's bike.

 

[TDI_Dan]

I seem to recall harbor freight having 1.25" carriers. About $60. I don't recall if they are two or four bike though.

 

[kjclow]

On sale right now for $45. Says it fits both size hitches.

 

[ggriffis420]

I like my swagman xtc2. Pretty cheap compared to some. It bends up coming out of the hitch so it has better ground clearance. Easy and fast to take the bikes on and off. The middle folds down for hatch access but bikes have to be removed. Only downside is no lock but I just use a cable lock to the hitch when the bikes are on. Fits 1-1/4 or 2 hitches.

Our MK4 golf has the factory rack with oem bicycle racks. While not bad... dirt and debris does end up on your roof. Wind noise is much worse and most importantly there's a hit to the mpgs (haven't noticed much if any hit with the hitch rack).

I'm hitch rack all the way.

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Abacus]

Go with a hitch rack, I have several of both and the hitch rack is not only much easier to deal with, but you don't lose as much mileage.

There are many different top racks that will fit bikes with fenders if you choose to go that route.

 

[NCDiesel001]

I know you were asking about a roof rack and probably don't have a hitch, but in case you are not dead set on that idea....

I love my 3 bike Saris Thelma hitch rack for my Vintage 1950's Hiawatha bike,. That bike is all fenders. All I had to do to the Saris was trim the tip of one of the "bananas"(you know what I mean when you see an image on Google). But that trimming had as much to do with the old school rake angle on those bikes as the fact it has big fenders. Just line the "banana" with cloth before you cinch in the front wheel so the chrome doesn't scratch and you are in business. Low to the ground so my wife can load them on and off too. Much less of a MPG hit and no tree branch accidents.

Regarding 2" hitches. My 3-bike Saris hitch is 1.25" but has bolt on spacer so it will fit 2" receivers also. Well machined and very secure but some of the other makes are a bit kludgey as someone mentioned.

Good luck!

 

[nikhsub1]

 

[tdi90hp]

nice set up above....nikhsub1

 

[Classy Worktruck]

It is all preference
Roof mount - less chance for scratches but lower mileage and heavier lifting
Hitch Mount - you will scratch your car, maybe your bikes too.

Ive got both and go roof for short trips and hitch for the long ones. I'm frugal so I will tear down my bars between uses but the cross bars do fit in the hatch with the back seats up and 'rear dash closed'.

 

[jettabuddha]

I use the Yakima Boa. It can be mounted a bit more vertically, giving it a little more height and all my fendered bikes (some with longer randonneuring fenders with closer to the ground clearance) clear the roof when mounted to the front wheel skewer. I like that its lockable and a U-lock can go through the back wheel for added security.
The raptor models could work as well as the entire bike goes up on the rack complete.
But...
If you got a heavy bike, a rear mounted trunk or hitch mounted rack is the ticket.

 

[ksing44]

It is all preference
Roof mount - less chance for scratches but lower mileage and heavier lifting
Hitch Mount - you will scratch your car, maybe your bikes too.

I don't understand how a hitch rack leads to scratches on the car. I'd like to know why you think that would happen. I think it is much more likely to scratch a car while lifting a bike up on top of the roof. On the hitch rack, the bike never even gets very close to the car. Regarding scratches on the bike, that's all about the type of carrier you use. They have many hitch racks that work essentially the same way as the on the roof.

 

[kjclow]

I put the first scratches in my JSW with a hatch mounted bike rack. First and only time I've used it on this car.

 

[ksing44]

I put the first scratches in my JSW with a hatch mounted bike rack. First and only time I've used it on this car.

Oh, hatch mounted! I get that, but I still don't understand hitch mounted causing scratches. The bike never even gets close to the car on the hitch rack and the even hitch rack itslef never really gets close to the paint.

 

[kjclow]

I agree, just pointing out my own stupidity.

 

[I am CDN Josh]

You could also go with the setup that we use, that is a yakima highlite 3 hitch rack and get one of these adapters for your wife's bike (I have to use one for my full suspension mountain bike).

Yakima Tubetop