tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post8332773162934474201..comments2024-03-27T11:44:15.723-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Thule Raceway Pro RackBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-65405160406579964982017-08-15T15:20:16.275-04:002017-08-15T15:20:16.275-04:00Just wanted to thank you for this post. My daughte...Just wanted to thank you for this post. My daughter and her boyfriend are driving to California and we decided in the last week that it made more sense to take their bikes than to ship them. No hitch on their Nissan (I've been using Softride hitch racks for years), but I remembered this post and we ordered from Amazon. Don't think I would have been comfortable sending them from PA to CA with any other trunk rack. We supplemented the onboard locks with a cable, u-lock and some Abus folding contraption - all seemed very solid and secure. Thanks again!<br />cholobarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17899618146297794268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-35376214293921620602017-07-10T21:41:18.170-04:002017-07-10T21:41:18.170-04:00Apologies...I see you've answered the handleba...Apologies...I see you've answered the handlebar Q in the actual post I was referring to 'Retrogrouch in Texas'- my bad, totally got the posts mixed up. Again, lovely bike, makes sense that you refer to it as a 'path racer'arty davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16083855784694728678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-20032857368952655982017-07-10T20:44:14.560-04:002017-07-10T20:44:14.560-04:00Those bars really suit the Mercian! What are they?...Those bars really suit the Mercian! What are they? They give the bike a 'balanced' look. Not quite the word I'm looking for, but the bike looks like it's comfortable and versatile.arty davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16083855784694728678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-68282290255079968342017-07-10T13:47:08.688-04:002017-07-10T13:47:08.688-04:00Hitch racks are cost-competitive with trunk racks ...Hitch racks are cost-competitive with trunk racks only if your vehicle has a hitch point; otherwise, installation of a hitch + the rack really increases the total cost. Installing a hitch point on a small car, and only for a bike rack, seems rather silly. As I said above, the best rack to choose is the one that meets your needs and at a reasonable cost. If your needs extend only to carrying a few bicycles at a time, and only one one vehicle, then a hitch rack simply doesn't work out.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-34635390858165698712017-07-06T12:10:26.989-04:002017-07-06T12:10:26.989-04:00I'm surprised you did not mention hitch racks....I'm surprised you did not mention hitch racks. They are quick to install or remove, there is no contact with the vehicle, and bikes are really secure. Hitch purchase and installation is around $250 and the rack is another $150. I have two vehicles and I can switch the rack from one to the other in about a minute. Pakamachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18234070975232829015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-31329036130714203712017-07-05T15:20:50.529-04:002017-07-05T15:20:50.529-04:00Counter-counter-counter-counter-point (whew!): bik...Counter-counter-counter-counter-point (whew!): bikes which are mounted laterally in a hitch rack would still require a light and plate bar, as the bikes would obscure the rear lights and plate with a hitch rack. In regions where a light and plate board is a legal requirement (check with your local authorities), you're looking an an inexpensive trunk rack + plate and light board vs. hitch installation + hitch rack + light and plate bar. On that basis, trunk racks are still cost-competitive with hitch racks.<br /><br />The best rack for your needs is not necessarily a hitch-mount system, or a roof rack, or a trunk mount. It's one that meets your needs, fits your vehicle, and is reasonably priced. My needs were minimal - 1-2 bicycles - so I bought a Yakima trunk rack. My friend - mentioned in my previous comment - needed to carry more things, so he went with a roof rack. Neither one of us has a vehicle with a hitch, so it wasn't an option; however, if your needs require a hitch and perhaps a trailer, then go with a hitch-mount system.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-9250880059061024932017-07-05T09:20:49.297-04:002017-07-05T09:20:49.297-04:00Counter-counter-counter-point: with low-level trun...Counter-counter-counter-point: with low-level trunk-mount racks such as that in this post, you still need to get hitch wiring installed and fit a light+plate board to remain legal in many countries (because the bikes obscure the lights and plate), which often costs about half what a hitch-mount does, because it's not the bolting metal on which is the fiddly and expensive work.<br /><br />Either go high-level or go the whole hog and fit a hitch if you can IMO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-29380851902133439792017-07-04T14:49:02.290-04:002017-07-04T14:49:02.290-04:00Counter-point: that's why they have anti-sway ...Counter-point: that's why they have anti-sway systems for trunk racks. The idea is that you lash the bike tight to the rack, or tight to the car, so that any movement of the bikes is minimized.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-39705676222798177382017-07-04T14:46:45.465-04:002017-07-04T14:46:45.465-04:00Counter-counter-point: Hitch-mount racks are cost-...Counter-counter-point: Hitch-mount racks are cost-competitive with trunk-mount racks only if your vehicle already has a hitch. If it doesn't, then you have to factor the installation cost of a hitch into the price, and that usually bumps it up to the territory of roof-rack systems.<br /><br />I bought the bike rack for my car about ten years ago expressly because it was far less expensive than either a roof rack or a hitch rack. A good friend of mine went with roof rack system around the same time, and even with a sweetheart deal, it still ended up 3 times more expensive than my bike rack. It was worth it for them, because they use the rack for transporting kayaks and other large items than just wouldn't work for a trunk rack, whereas I was looking for only a bike rack.<br /><br />Yes, the paint on the trunk has been damaged by the rack and the bikes, but that's what touch-up paint is for : )Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-13085424015260438252017-07-02T18:38:54.195-04:002017-07-02T18:38:54.195-04:00Glad you've found it satisfactory!
Yeah, I...Glad you've found it satisfactory!<br /><br />Yeah, I'm a tad particular when it comes to finish on my bikes. <br /><br />So right off the bat, anything that suspends the whole bike by the paint job (when touchless options abound) is right out for me, or anyone I know with a bike they care about. <br /><br />Add to that, very close proximity, bikes swinging into one another with braking and hitting the gas (despite the anti sway measures they offer), and I've always avoided them for my own needs. Worth noting, I also eschew any of the roof or hitch racks that touch the painted surfaces, so nothing against strap ons exclusively! =:) <br /><br />Many newer vehicles upper spoilers are plastic, so won't bear weight, only adding to the reluctance to get too excited about them for anything but older cars and cheaper bikes.<br /><br />Seems my customers like easy loading, too. Fiddling with the TT hanger style units mounting procedure, then additionally strapping them down to prevent sway related injury, they really fall into the category of "I need to carry my bikes, I don't care about hassle, and it's gotta be cheap. Been that way at every shop I've worked in over the last 20 years or so too. I guess that's where my ideas of being budget solutions for budget bikes, comes from, and why I was startled to see one that pricey. <br /><br />If it's working, awesome!<br /><br />I just feel badly for your bikes, cause you've got a sexy stable, and it'd be a shame to beat them up! MendonCycleSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02213406716238931069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-55952244323565846232017-06-30T14:31:35.631-04:002017-06-30T14:31:35.631-04:00After a year of use, I've detected no scratche...After a year of use, I've detected no scratched or even dulled paint. No damage to the bikes, either. I'm also very careful when putting bikes on the carrier (or removing them).<br /><br />I don't know that I'd agree that the point of trunk or deck-mounted racks is to reach a certain price point or budget -- it always seemed to me that the point of them is that they should be easy to install/remove and that they can be moved from one vehicle to another, etc. That's just not the case with roof racks (which as I've mentioned, I generally prefer and have long used) or with hitch-mounted racks.<br /><br />The fact that so many of them are inexpensive is because they're crappy. For a lot of years, I wouldn't even have considered the trunk-mounted racks because -- as you've characterized -- they do often lead to damaged paint and damaged bikes. From what I've been seeing, this one is much better -- and I'd expect that's why it costs so much more than others of its type. Even compared to the Saris Bones that you mention, I've looked at the two side by side, and there's no question why the Thule costs more. It's much sturdier and more secure.<br /><br />Hitch racks are great -- the ones you mention look fantastic and I've heard nothing but good things. But as already pointed out, getting a trailer hitch installed means hundreds of dollars more on top of the already-pricey cost of the rack.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-20874799767818083932017-06-30T13:05:21.653-04:002017-06-30T13:05:21.653-04:00Buffing all the cumulative paint damage out will c...Buffing all the cumulative paint damage out will cost more than the cost of a hitch! =:DMendonCycleSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02213406716238931069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-49360876125775222602017-06-29T15:59:41.679-04:002017-06-29T15:59:41.679-04:00I'd absolutely consider a hitch-mount rack if ...I'd absolutely consider a hitch-mount rack if I had a trailer hitch on my car - but it's true that adding one can get expensive. When I looked into it, that's about what I was quoted for installation.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-88527041461828486612017-06-29T14:10:15.222-04:002017-06-29T14:10:15.222-04:00If your car doesn't have a hitch, it can cost ...If your car doesn't have a hitch, it can cost upwards of $200 to install one. Alternately, there's a company that sells racks that use large suction cups! They may work, but not for the faint of heart! At the very least, I'd worry it might give my car a hicky.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-23302167389073840222017-06-29T08:36:29.545-04:002017-06-29T08:36:29.545-04:00That's a lot of dough for a rack that scratche...That's a lot of dough for a rack that scratches the car and the bike (with continued use that is).<br /><br />I sell a lot of the Saris Bones racks, same thing, half the price. <br /><br />To each their own, but why not get a hitch rack at that point? Love my tray style racks (Thule T2, Kuat NV etc), no frame touching, no vehicle marring, and not much more in cost. <br /><br />I always thought the point of these racks was price point, kinda odd pricing them into the same range as products that don't have their sort of compromises.<br /><br />Just counter pointing and head scratching, glad it works for your needs! MendonCycleSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02213406716238931069noreply@blogger.com