Thread: Bike Racks.
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  #8  
Old September 16th 19, 06:21 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Default Bike Racks.

On Monday, September 16, 2019 at 7:02:16 AM UTC-7, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 4:01:13 PM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 3:11:18 PM UTC-7, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 12:29:23 PM UTC-7, AMuzi wrote:
On 9/15/2019 1:44 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
I have a 2007 Ford Taurus. So far it only has 62,000 miles on it so I guess it will probably last me the rest of my life.

I wanted to get a roof rack for it. Neither Yakima or Thule offered one for the 2007 though they did for the 2005 which appears to be an identical car. In fact, from 1999 to 2008 there was virtually no change to the Ford Taurus.

So I got a roof rack and bought the Q-pads for the 2005. While the rear one's work fine, the front ones come loose over time and have to be reset. Well, I'm not carrying an expensive bike on something that might throw the bike off so I called Yakima. He said that the door jams were no longer structural on the 2006 and news Taurus. And so they would flex and allow the fittings to come loose. Hmm.

I have a Yakima truck rack but the lower straps connect to the lower part of the body beneath the license plate. Well, this too is not structural and these straps can come loose lifting the rack up and flying the bikes horizontal. If you are very careful to tighten those straps using the entire weight of your body USUALLY they will remain tight. But again, bikes worth 5 grand and are irreplaceable since they are no longer made are hardly something to risk in that manner.

Looking around I did discover that an auto parts manufacturer makes a trailer hitch that connects solidly to the frame. Using this You can get a Yakima or Thule trailer hitch carrier.

While expensive it also has the advantage of not filling the inside of the car with whistling like the roof rack does.

So I'll sell off my roof rack for a 2005 or older Taurus and go the trailer hitch route.

Bob's Infinity uses a truck carrier that places the bikes high enough that the aerodynamics pushes the rack down tighter on the car and doesn't even need lower straps. So you have to chose the rack that works best for you.

P.S. Yakima now makes an aerodynamic roof rack that supposedly doesn't whistle but against roof racks only fit on a limited number of cars.



Glad you ditched the no-fir rood rack.

Launching a bicycle or two through the windshield of the car
behind you at highway speeds is much more expensive than a
mere $5k bike.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

It doesn't appear to get loose enough for the front of the rack to lift off and the bikes attached to those Viper mounts wouldn't come loose. But you're right that is a rather frightening idea.


It's a 2007 Taurus. Just use some lag screws and silicone caulk. Done.

-- Jay Beattie.


There's that engineering advice from a lawyer showing through the smoke.


Well, I could have said Crazy Glue.

BTW, my best riding buddy and next door neighbor is head of products at Yakima. He has a few patents. https://tinyurl.com/y4zb9btj Any time I have a problem with one of my Yakima racks, I complain to him. I complain to him anyway because he drops me on climbs.

-- Jay Beattie.


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