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Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Discussion in 'General' started by RTT, 8 May 2008.

  1. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    A window mount won't be secure enough for most manufacturers to rely solely on it. If bodywork-mounted isn't good enough as far as I know your only options are tow-bar or put it inside the car.

    Assuming you can't do either of those, how about getting the boot-lid wrapped with that protective 3M stuff they put on supercar snouts? Then you could use a bodywork-mounted one without any fear.
     
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  2. Picarro

    Picarro What's a Dremel?

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    Why not get a tow hitch installed? On a 7-series they should be able to supply a removable one if you don't like the added concrete-barrier-when-reversing protection it gives.
     
  3. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    Why did I not think of this? Genius :thumb:

    That's Plan-D at the moment (following [A] mount that doesn't touch the paintwork just living with stowing it in the boot/car and [C] Krikkit's idea above).

    The lovely BMW electrically retractable one is £1000 + installation though (or £500 if I would have foreseen this when ordering the car a few months ago...). I've had a quick look at a few less sophisticated options, one for the back burner.
     
  4. Da_Rude_Baboon

    Da_Rude_Baboon What the?

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    The Saris is the best boot lid carrier for not mincing your paint work but I have one and its marked paint at the rubber feet and the straps. The roof mounted carriers are good but will knacker your fuel economy so the best option really is a towbar mount. When I get a car with paintwork worth protecting I will go down that route. How many bikes will you be transporting?

    You have a roomy car but do you want to be loading a muddy, oily bike into your pride and joy? I would also recommend a roll of disposable seat covers to keep in the car for when your muddy and oily.
     
    Last edited: 15 May 2013
  5. Picarro

    Picarro What's a Dremel?

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    How much are after-market roof rails? They can be used for a lot of other stuff too.
     
  6. Cookie Monster

    Cookie Monster Multimodder

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    I was just going to suggest the retractable tow hitch, a mate had one on his 5 series estate. Sorry for being slow.

    When getting the rack though, personally I would look at Thule or Mont Blanc.
     
    Last edited: 15 May 2013
  7. dullonien

    dullonien Master of the unfinished.

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    Any reason why you've discounted a roof system?

    I tried a bike rack on the back of the car and the lip of my boot-lid got damaged on the first journey, with a small wear mark now quite visible (most likely pedal). I changed to a roof rack, and it's just so much better. The bikes feel much more secure, easier to put on and off and securely fasten, no chance of damage, and you don't have to worry about installing a separate number plate and lights, which you do if the bike on the back obscures them. I've also found that it's much more streamlined to have them on the roof facing forwards instead of sitting sideways on the back. Just gotta remember about low bridges or low hanging trees etc. :worried:

    On my bmw installing and removing roof bars is a straight forward affair, although certainly takes longer than installing a rear mounted bike rack. But still I can get it done in around 15min, and the slight extra effort is worth it imo.
     
  8. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    Too kind. :D

    If you go for a Thule/clamp-on roof rack I would go down the wrapping route on the pillars where it touches too - same deal as a bike rack, different spot. Clever system, but not designed with paint care in mind...
     
  9. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    I'm not sure... It just seemed (in my inexperienced head) like a lot of cash and faff... Never mind how I'm going to hoist a 20lb mud-covered bike on top of a 7 series.

    Did you go with the official BMW bits, and if so which ones? I gather I'd need both...

    - Base support system: http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/accessories/accessoryDetail.accessoryId=120.html
    - Touring cycle holder: http://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/accessories/accessoryDetail.accessoryId=4565.html

    Here was me thinking that the base might be adjustable to also fit the 1er as well, but it's a different part entirely, meh.

    In terms of the installation/uninstallation, how much of a faff is it? 15 minutes doesn't sound too bad, unless it's 15 minutes of swearing and scratching up the bits around the mount points, the covers for which have already either been cracked, scratched or pinged off never to be found again.

    ... and does it really only fasten the bike to the rack with three glorified zip-ties?

    The bike hasn't even arrived yet and I'm already in over my head! :lol:
     
    Last edited: 15 May 2013
  10. dullonien

    dullonien Master of the unfinished.

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    I didn't use the official ones as I was/am a skint student atm, so I used some cheap 3rd party ones that don't look half as nice :(. I'd recommend getting the official roof bars, as you ensure a nice fit, especially between the plastic covers and the roof-line. But maybe look at getting some 3rd party cycle carriers from Thule or similar as those BMW ones look a little basic in comparison. The bike fixes onto mine with a clamp around the down-tube and two straps around the wheel. This is really secure, they don't wobble at all.

    As for getting the bike up there, it really is not very difficult. I can easily haul my gf's super heavy classic style bike up there. As you're spending £1000 on a bike, it'll be relatively lightweight, and no real issue. Having the bike on top might mean any loose mud falling onto the top of the car on the drive home, so this could be an issue.

    Installation on mine involves lifting the four flaps, fitting four brackets using two screws on each, a matter of minutes, then bolting on the bars using a nut and bolt on each corner, another couple of minutes, and then fit the plastic covers (a few seconds). I'm not sure if the official BMW ones will need brackets installing first, this might just be the procedure for universal fit 3rd party systems. First installation of the cycle carriers themselves are a bit of a faff that involves measuring and cutting the rubber strip in the roof bars to insert the bolts, but this is a one time thing.

    If you have room to be able to store the roof bars with the cycle carrier attached when not on the car, then re-installation will be really quick. I have to take mine apart, so takes a little longer to re-assemble, but still not long.

    There really is little chance of damaging or scratching anything whilst installing, and as the fixing points are built in, there are no rub points.

    It's likely that the parts are different between the 1er and 7 series as the angles of the fixing points will be different due to the roof-lines being different. This would also effect the fit of the plastic covers, which with the official BMW racks follow the roof-line nicely. A rack wide enough to fit a 7 series might also stick out the sides of a 1er.

    Another benefit is being able to carry other stuff up there. You have the option of picking up a roof-box if you ever need one for holiday etc. for instance.
     
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  11. dynamis_dk

    dynamis_dk Grr... Grumpy!!

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    Can't advise on BMW compatible offerings but I had a boot mounted effort and it was beyond useless. I ended up getting a 3rd party Tow Ball fitted, standard stays on type - don't even noticed its there now. Opted for a decent Thule carrier, 2 bike Ball mounted jobbie like this one http://www.roofracks.co.uk/Thule-Pr...gclid=CLCvnuuBmbcCFZMbtAodZWIAtw#.UZP4r85waHs

    Awesome is all I can say really. Way I saw it, if I'm trusting £5000 worth of bikes to the outside of my car - its worth a little investment to make sure they don't go scuttling off part way down the M1 :)
     
  12. Cookie Monster

    Cookie Monster Multimodder

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    This x 1 Million.

    Our other shop sold a Giant Trance (minimum of £1200) to some bloke, he returned one trip later saying that the bike tried to overtake him on the A1.
     
  13. MeddlE

    MeddlE Norwegian Blue

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    Bled the Avid Code 5s yesterday and ordered some new sintered pads from uberbike. Just picked up the Jagwire Mountain Pro shift cable kit and going to install that this afternoon.
     
  14. Da_Rude_Baboon

    Da_Rude_Baboon What the?

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    On my next car I will be going for a Atera Strada DL 3. Slides away from the boot so you can access the car, is small and lightweight enough to be stored in the boot when not in use and already has the light connections (including fog light) and a place for the number plate. It is also easily upgradeable to carry four bikes.

    IIRC Atera manufacture the OEM cycle carriers for the German car manufacturers.
     
  15. dullonien

    dullonien Master of the unfinished.

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    That's another benefit of roof mounted, they still allow access to the boot.

    IIRC, I got the CRUZ aero bars and two CRUZ 'Bici-racks' from www.roofbox.co.uk.

    As I said before the bars themselves are perfectly fine, but because they are universal fit (using a variety of different brackets) the plastic cover leaves an ugly gap between itself and the car's roof-line.

    The Bici-rack bike carriers were ridiculously cheap at ~ £16 each (even less as they did a package deal), and whilst they are only made of steel meaning they're a little heavy and clunky, they do their job perfectly well. My bike is secured extremely well, and it easily fits different bike types. For those on a budget there really is nothing wrong with them.
     
    Last edited: 16 May 2013
  16. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    Wow. The price of some of these bike racks it'd be cheaper to buy a shed estate!
     
  17. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    This morning, a man greeted me at the door with a large, bike-shaped box...

    [​IMG]

    Whilst I was removing said bike from the box, two more gentlemen came with smaller, shoe-shaped and helmet-shaped boxes...

    [​IMG]

    Hooray!
     
  18. Digi

    Digi The not-so-funny Cockney

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    Awwrgh! Total bike envy! I NEED a new steed! ARRRRRgghh!

    (congrats, looks great.. :) )
     
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  19. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    I needed one more.

    My last bike is 17 years old, too small, potentially rusted and in my parents garage... 4000 miles away.
     
  20. Lance

    Lance Ender of discussions.

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    Thats a thing of beauti.

    Bikes these days are SO much better looking than they used to be, its crazy.
     

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