Anyone ever used an aftermarket roof rack ? I would like to get one to use on a 2002 focus to carry two bikes. I have been looking at used ones because new is way too expensive.

Is there anything I should look for ? Thule and Yakima seem to be the only ones currently made. I have also found Saris but they no longer make roof racks so I don't know if that's a good choice. Looking at used ones is confusing because they all require mounting clips specific to the car and specific to the rack.

Sorry, can't give much input, but I've had a Thule roof rack for over a decade now (wow, actually, it might be closer to 15-18 years - sheesh!) and it's still going strong.

I'm not sure if you'd be able to fit mine onto a Focus, though. See, we were bigger fans of the two-wheel racks than the ones where you had to take the front wheel off, which seems to be the FAR more popular style. We wanted to keep dirty wheels out of the inside of the car, and free up the cargo area for hauling more stuff. It's also slightly less hassle to get the bikes up.

I don't know if it's standard, but of course you'd want to make sure the rack has locks and the seller has the keys.

Anyway, sorry I don't have more advice for you. If I had the slightest hope that my rack would fit on your car I'd sell you mine (and the minivan with it!), but I don't.

I've always been a fan of the Yakima racks. You don't need to put dirty wheels in the car -- the racks have wheel forks in addition to the bike mounts so that the bike clamps to the rack and the front wheel mounts on a separate fork on the rack.

If I were looking for a used rack, I'd be checking out Craigslist, there are more than 50 Yakima racks for sale in your area right now. Yakima sells adapters separately for any car mounting situation you might have. My last car was ideal--a station wagon with slots running the length of the roof that the Yakima adapters fit into, making the rack both very securely mounted and virtually theft-proof as well.

tanstaafl.

I have a Kargo Master roof rack, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you want:

And both are well worth the money. Many, many people trust their multi-thousand dollar bikes to the systems, with nary a problem. (Other than forgetting the bikes are on top, and driving into a garage -- and most of the time, that destroys the bike, and the rack is just fine.)

What it really comes down to is the accessories, and which ones you like better. They both have their own idiosyncracies, from the locking skewers, to the rear-wheel tie-downs, to the fork clamps, to down-tube clamps, to wind shields. And then there are the cargo carriers, and the kayak carriers, etc. Once you start down the road (heh... no pun intended) with one of them, you're committed to that brand if you want to add to it, so make sure you like the entire option package before you buy.

If there's an REI near you I think they sell both brands, so you can go in and look at them.

I have found many on craigslist but not the right one yet. The problem has been people don't really know what they have so I can't figure out what I need to get it to fit my car or they want too much.

Having never had one I don't have a preference for bike racks. The kind I can leave both wheels sounds nice but I don't think taking off the front wheel would be a big deal. We aren't going off roading so I'm not worried about getting the car dirty.

How worried about bike theft from the rack are you guys. Is it safe enough to stop and leave the car out of your site.

I will try REI and check them out. I went to a local bike shop and they just had to order everything so that wasn't much help.

I have a Thule rack that bought used, and have moved between several cars. Any time you buy one of the racks you have to get a fit kit with it. For my Thule, and I bet it's the same for a Yakima, that consists of the pad part that actually rests on the roof of the car, and the clamp part that fits in the door. So you just have to get that after you find a rack. For example here's the Thule fit kits, with Yakima they are called Q Clips. I always just googled to find the one I needed. Ebay is a decent source for the fit kits too.

The only thing about the rack itself that you need to worry about is the bar length. Are the bars long enough to stretch across the roof of your car? They can definitely be longer but you don't want to put stuff way out on the ends if they are to long. You could put a single bike mount on the outside of the towers though safely.

Other than length just look for one with the mounts you want. Don't worry about what car it came off of.

I have left my mountain bike locked on my rack, but generally don't like to. I wouldn't leave it there all day at work if I was planning a ride immediately after, but would leave it while I ran into the grocery store to grab some drinks for the ride.

Hope that helps a bit.

The mentioned fit kits can be ordered online. You just enter the make/model/year of your car, and it'll tell you what you need.


That's where I'd say you ought to go test some. For the "taking the front wheel off" approach, the Yakima system I'm familiar with has (had?) a little fiddly wheel to adjust the spacing of the fork clamp, while the Thule just used a regular quick release skewer, much like the one used to hold the wheel on the bike. Theoretically, the Yakima thing was supposed to be set-and-forget, but I never really cared for it.


Depends on the area you live and travel in. Personally, I worry -- I can't afford to replace a multi-thousand dollar bike or two. Both Yakima and Thule have locking mechanisms that lock the bike to the rack. I'd recommend using them, along with a long Kryptonite cable threaded through the frame and wheels. As with all locks, they're more to convince someone to pick an easier target, than they are to stop someone determined from stealing your stuff.


Also try Rack Attack, if there's one locally.


Better for you, that way -- you'd have payed too much.