What's your favorite front wheel on roof rack?

[Mr. Pink]

I just bought a gravel bike and don't want to deal with the hassle of taking the front wheel off to mount on top of the car, and don't want a hitch rack. Read some nightmare reviews of flying bikes on the Yakima site. (Front loader) What's safe and easy to use?

[peanutgallery]

If you've gone the gravel option...your only choice is a sprinter van

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

I just bought a gravel bike and don't want to deal with the hassle of taking the front wheel off to mount on top of the car, and don't want a hitch rack. Read some nightmare reviews of flying bikes on the Yakima site. (Front loader) What's safe and easy to use?

[Mr. Pink]

Well, shouldn't have emphasized "gravel", should have said first disc brake bike. What a pain in the butt. Nice bike, though.

[gospastic]

Yakima HighRoad

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by Mr. Pink

Well, shouldn't have emphasized "gravel", should have said first disc brake bike. What a pain in the butt. Nice bike, though.

If you go to the Yakima site, there are more than enough, don't buy this thing, my bike went flying and was smashed. I mean, five or six people. That's like, four beyond prankster level for me.

I'm really trying to avoid a hitch rack. But, some look cool. Expensive.

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

If you've gone the gravel option...your only choice is a sprinter van

Haha good one!

[C40_guy]

Rocky Mounts has a nice tray bike holder that I use for my fat tire bike. So far haven't used it for anything with less meat on the rim.

[feynman]

I've had a small variety of these things, and I've been happiest longest with the Thule UpRide. If you shop around you can often find them at significant discounts.

Honorable mention to the Yakima Highroad as well, which I think they have discontinued so discounts abound.

For the Thule, potential cons:

- A bit big and bulky, innit?
- Wind noise
- The locking cable could be a little longer (it works on all of my bikes, but I feel like they should have added a foot or two)
- A small learning curve to figure out how to do it all correctly the first couple of times

Mine have been great. Very secure, even on long fast freeway rides.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by Mikej

Haha good one!

Yeah, but most Sprinter people muck up their expensive bikes hanging off the back.

[gospastic]

Not sure what reviews you’re seeing but I don’t see any on the site for the HighRoad that say that.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by gospastic

Not sure what reviews you’re seeing but I don’t see any on the site for the HighRoad that say that.

Ah, sorry, it was for the Yakima Front loader, and the reviews were on REI.

[d_douglas]

Ha - that is the one I use the Frontlaoder. Never had an issue with that and I’ve put my 35lb Trail bike on there and my 18lb Speedvagen once or twice.

I did nearly commit the fatal sin of driving into covered parking a few weeks ago with a bike on the roof - caught myself befor it was too late!

[hokoman]

I bought the Kuat Piston, although I haven't put them on my car yet (en route to Portugal via boat) they felt really nice when I opened the package. I like the auto arms because I am short and tightening and releasing should be easier. They were expensive, but figured why not. The 1up would have been my second choice since I used to have their hitch racks and were happy with them.

[saab2000]

One up makes a rack that can be mountedhttps://1up-usa.com/product-category...of-bike-racks/ to roof rails. If I were getting a roof rack that’s what I’d get.

[p nut]

Originally Posted by hokoman

I bought the Kuat Piston, although I haven't put them on my car yet (en route to Portugal via boat) they felt really nice when I opened the package. I like the auto arms because I am short and tightening and releasing should be easier. They were expensive, but figured why not. The 1up would have been my second choice since I used to have their hitch racks and were happy with them.

I concur. Although I haven’t used these on the roof, these are my favorite hitch racks. If I were to get a roof rack, it would be ones of these.