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Help please. I'm looking for a roof carrier that's not a Thule Freeride or Proride. Both of those need the business end of the clamp arm to be positioned at or v near the bottom bracket area. And on my RiftZone, there's a lot of shock mounting brackets, triple ring etc around there, as per picture, which means the clamp won't work there. Positioning it higher up the downtube just means the angle is all wrong and it doesn't get a proper grip.
What decent alternatives are there? (Apart from 'buy a new bike, grandad', which seems a bit of an expensive solution) Budget perhaps £150 tops, ideally.
I don't understand why the Thule Freeride won't work ..
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/thule-freeride-upright-roof-mounted-bike-rack
It clamps from the sides (rather than having top/bottom 'jaws'), so looks like it would grip your downtube lower down?
Yakima Highroad/Frontloader or Thule Upride. I've got two of the Yakimas and they're great.
Clamp the front wheel so any weird frame shape is catered for, only limitation is super long wheelbase bikes, which won't be a problem for you.
Oh, and they're pretty heavy!
Get onto roofbox.co.uk and have search there.
Or find what you need and search marketplace.
As per jamiemcf excellent selection and decent prices.
One of those over wheel jobs or a side clamper may be the answer there.
Yakima Highroad, just got the longer version to keep the Thule.clamps away from carbon. Very easy to use 👍
I don't understand why the Thule Freeride won't work ..
The clamp nechanism was OK, but the detail I didnt go into with the Freeride was that the front wheel then extended a bit too far beyond the furthest possible position of the front cradle in the runners, even with the unfashionably steep headtube & fork angle. Basically it was only half in the cradle, which just didn't feel sensible. And you can't slide the clamp arm backwards or forwards, as it's riveted in place on the runners.
Will have a look at the Upride, and Yakima, thanks
And you can't slide the clamp arm backwards or forwards, as it's riveted in place on the runners
Could be design has changed but I was able to move the clamp arms on the freerides I have for my trailer. It did require a certain degree of physical persuasion but nothing destructive.
Used a largish hammer, a sacrificial scrap of wood and tapped the clamp along the runners in the required direction.
How much space has the frame got just above the bottom bracket? I had a Mount Vision and that was where I clamped my bike...worked a charm as was a solid connection.
Your picture shows a similar gap.
What decent alternatives are there? (Apart from 'buy a new bike, grandad',
Buy a van, grandad.
Although bikes can be more expensive than vans these days.
FWIW the proride works on mine, and that bike has loads of hardware there as well. Double not triple though.
Have driven hundreds of KM with no issues.
Front wheel off, rock bros suction cup jobbie?
How much space has the frame got just above the bottom bracket?
As far as I could see, not enough to wheedle the side clamp of a Freeride into (perhaps because of the triple rings) or poke the business end of a Proride through. I did try both, honest I did.
Buy a van, grandad
Sensible suggestion, except I've just bought a Corolla 2 weeks ago 🤣 and whilst the bike will go IN that fine when it's just me, I need an alternative for when the car is full of holiday gear, dog and wife.
At the moment, I'm looking favourably at one of the options on roofbox.co.uk which has a U-shaped tube holding both front and rear wheels. That looks a lot more secure than just the front wheel, although I guess those are bombproof in reality. Just me being nervous, I suppose.
Pendle Ergorack.
Clamp the bike where its supposed to be clamped!
I thought they were fantastic.... But I did buy a van 🤣
That looks a lot more secure than just the front wheel, although I guess those are bombproof in reality. Just me being nervous, I suppose.
WAY back, I had to do an emergency stop from 70 mph with a bike on the roof. It was an entry level Thule cross bar system, with a typical entry level Halfords bike carrier (single clamp on the frame, one strap on each wheel). Proper sh*t my pants.
The front cross bar bent slightly from the force. The bike stayed on. The bike carrier slid forwards slightly, everything was fine - surprisingly secure.
The wheel holding 'hoop' style carriers are typically for bikes with carbon wheels I think - never used one in anger.
Why won't the old school Thule one work? The type that clamps the forks after removing the front wheel? You'll need an adapter for the fork if it is not QR.
Have gone for one of these after a bit of havering
The type that clamps the forks after removing the front wheel?
No doubt they're fine, but to me, the higher up that the mechanism holds the bike, the securerer, or something