Bike rack and low clearance stupid mishap again

[TomNY]

Twice in two years I find myself racing to my office w a bike on the roof rack. Rare for me to go to office w bike on top rather than inside. This time my MTB is in/ on Thule when I drive under 8 ft pipe. Rack is mostly toast unsure of bike as I sit here until lunch break. Ugh!

[pdmtong]

Unfortunately the worst damage is usually to the car roof when it gets can openered by the rack.

Don't beat yourself up too badly. Hit or near miss has happened to most folks with a roof rack

There is no mistaking that horrible crunching sound

The best home prevention is to put a ladder or garbage can in your parking place as a visual to not drive in
For public garages you are on your own

[Hawker]

Sorry bro, been there done that. A friend of mine did it with his road bike and then a week later did the same thing with his Mtn. bike. Some of us just aren't designed to use roof racks....give in and buy a hatchback or similar. I did.

[Wilkinson4]

I did it to two bikes in a span of two weeks as well. Curse words and beating myself up followed. Last time I loaded a bike up top. Look at a rack like a 1up and that may do the trick.

mIKE

[PoppaWheelie]

Oh man, so sorry. This won't help for obstructions outside the home, but I love Tom Kellogg's advice to put the garage door opener out of reach if you have a bike up top. I stick it in the glovebox on those days so I can't open the door without stopping to think.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by PoppaWheelie

Oh man, so sorry. This won't help for obstructions outside the home, but I love Tom Kellogg's advice to put the garage door opener out of reach if you have a bike up top. I stick it in the glovebox on those days so I can't open the door without stopping to think.

good idea but only works on cars 15+ years or older. even my 2000 has a garage link in the visor. hence the ladder/garbage can before I got a thule T2

BTW, your SV CX SM....pretty bad-A$$. had a chance to see it in it's new garage the other day. .

[aramis]

They sell racks that mount in the back. You even don't get awful gas mileage with them.

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by aramis

They sell racks that mount in the back. You even don't get awful gas mileage with them.

They also even seem to be less expensive. I have one that mounts to a hitch on my truck, and one that just straps to the back door on my wagon. You can still destroy your bike by backing into crap, but that takes a substantially higher level of retardation than low-clearancing.

[SlowPokePete]

Did it once with a bike and once with a big ass "baby jogger" thing for twins almost twenty years ago.

Sucks when it happens.

Everything about my mini-van SUCKS except the fact that my bikes are always transported on the inside...

SPP

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

good idea but only works on cars 15+ years or older. even my 2000 has a garage link in the visor. hence the ladder/garbage can before I got a thule T2

BTW, your SV CX SM....pretty bad-A$$. had a chance to see it in it's new garage the other day. .

When I back out of the garage and put my bike up on the roof, I then move the lawn mower and a lawn chair into my parking space, so I open the garage and cant pull in. Sorry about your mishap, but all exterior bike hauling can result in damage.

[TomNY]

Originally Posted by TomNY

Twice in two years I find myself racing to my office w a bike on the roof rack. Rare for me to go to office w bike on top rather than inside. This time my MTB is in/ on Thule when I drive under 8 ft pipe. Rack is mostly toast unsure of bike as I sit here until lunch break. Ugh!

Thanks for the words of encouragement! My mishap was when I drove into my corporate park job setting. The real estate management put soccer goal like structures over a lot entrance I use [16 years] that is painted baby blue to match other color features here. No signs etc. I hade just completed several business related calls, during my 90 min commute. Brain dead about bike on roof. I genrally keep all my bikes inside the Subaru Forester for security and cleanliness. MtB has bits of last ride on it. Also my golf clubs are in there too. Thanks again for of the words.

[eippo1]

So how's the bike? Did it survive?

[chiasticon]

haven't done this yet. i don't generally transport the bike on the roof unless either the car is full (vacation trips) or the bike is super dirty. and i don't always park in the garage. so maybe my chances are lessened...? or worse, since it's so infrequent that i'm more likely to forget...?

that said, the other day i had to back around my wife's car in the driveway, which involved inching into the garage about halfway, so i could get a better angle to get around her car. i was watching the bike on the roof like a hawk, until it got close to being inside the garage and it appeared like it would fit just fine... then i had to stop myself from even trying! there's a safer way to determine that