Buying a roof bike carrier is a no small thing, especially when you think about the price and function of the item in question. When it comes to this purchase, there are many things that needs to be considered, two of which are your vehicle and your bicycles.
Your Vehicle
If you have a tall vehicle like an SUV or a van, or any other vehicle with a high roof, you should know that a roof bike system may pose some challenges when it comes to putting the bike on it. In almost all cases, if you install a roof rack system on a tall vehicle, you will have to lift your bike over your head in order to set it up. Now, even if this isn’t an issue for you, think about the other people who will be using the vehicle and the roof bike carrier like your kids for instance.
On the other hand, if you have a smaller vehicle or a sedan perhaps, then roof bike carriers is an excellent option. If your car comes with a factory installed crossbars, then the whole process becomes even easier since all you need to do now is to find a roof bike carrier system that is compatible with your car. In fact, this is the most economical and practical option available. Otherwise, you’re going to need to have to buy crossbars or horizontal rails and have them installed before you can have a bike carrier system set up.
Your Bike
Another thing to consider before buying a roof bike carrier is the type of bike that you have as well as its type of fork. In general, there are two kinds of roof bike racks available in the market, the ones that allow both wheels of the bike to be set on the rack and the ones that require that the front wheel be removed. Now, if your bike has a 15mm or 20mm through axle forks, you should consider getting a roof bike carrier designed in a way that the front does not need to be removed. In any other case though, you may have to settle for designs and styles which requires front wheel removal prior to mounting.
There are benefits to a roof bike carrier which requires the removal of the bike’s front wheel before loading. For one, the whole set up will result in a much lower overall height compared to full bike loads. Second, the bike will be much lighter and therefore easier to lift and mount of the roof rack system.
Although bike roof carrier and roof racks are not permanent installations on your vehicle, they generally stay on your vehicle all the time unless you’re okay removing and installing them every now and then. Along this line, you’ll want to consider getting roof rack accessories that does not only let you carry bikes but other types of gears and equipment as well for a truly versatile roof rack.
If you’re looking for top of the line roof bike carriers, roof racks and roof rack accessories like triton roof racks and others, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with at (02) 9723 3555. You can also leave a message in our contact page for more information about our range of products.
Image Source: Keone / Flickr