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Due to an impending new arrival I'm looking at investing in some roof bars for our car (a MK2 Ford Focus, literally the most boring car on the planet). Normally I chuck my bike in the boot, but a rack is going to be more practical.
I've never had roof bars or a rack, so what should I be looking for? There seems to be quite a difference in price between £40 ebay specials and £150 plus for Thule, I'm erring towards spending a bit more (because I like my bike) but any advice is greatly appreciated.
We'll probably end up with a roof box too, so we can either have box + one bike or three bikes (if I pick up three of the bike holder jobbies).
My Thule bars are now 18 years old and on the fourth car I have owned. I have needed different foot packs but they have been interchangeable.
We carry 2x open canoes (@70kg...) on a regular basis, as well as bike racks.
With Thule you can also buy individual spares when they wear out.
Halfords Advanced used to be re-badged Thule.
FWIW, a colleague bout a cheap set, popped a kayak up there and they bent first time....
I recently bought some Atera bars that were reduced on roofbox.co.uk from something like £300 to £140, but they are for a C3 Picasso with roof rails - I'm guessing your Focus doesn't have rails?
Have a look on roofbox.co.uk - I almost went for the 'Cruz' premium bars; it was only because the Atera ones were so heavily reduced & not that much more expensive than the Cruz ones that I went for them.
The Cruz ones seem to be a halfway house between the real budget ones & the expensive Thule end of the market.
If you go on that website, you can just stick your car in & it tells you what is compatible anyway, so gives you an idea of what is available in your price range.
Regarding racks - I have had some Atera Giro AF racks for quite a few years, but there are probably better out there - they are OK, but not great to use & I have never had much faith in the clamping mechanism so use a bungee cord around the clamp as a back-up. The Thule racks that take the front fork with wheel removed seem to hold the bike a lot more firmly.
+ 1 for Thule.
I'm on my 4th car with mine too after 10-ish years and only need to change the footpacks.
You're pretty much guaranteeed to find a fit, no matter how oddball your car is.
Thule here too. One set of bars are about 20 years old. Been through various footpacks with different cars. Only had to get another set of bars when the length didn't match the new car
Thule tow hitch rack. Halfords about 8yrs ago. Has been faultless.
I've just bought one of the thule 9106 high mount carriers, got an ex demo for 100 quid from a bike shop on the bay, not used it yet, but **** me it's solidly built!. Not a strap on one, it's all metal, and works with cams to secure in place. Only holds 2 bikes, suits me.
The only reason I bought this, is that I'm kinda fed up paying nigh on 300 quid for a towbar that I only use for a bike rack, then still having to buy the rack on top, and pretty much every rack I've ever had is a pita to fit more than one FS bike to, and my car has a glass roof, so bars are out, unless I pay said fortune for honda specific ones.
I've got Cruz ones for both my cars, one set of steel ones and one set of aluminium aero ones. The aluminium ones are much easier to fit, I can have them on or off in 5 minutes. They need t-track adaptors for any bike rack you buy though. New feet when I changed car were £15 and they look good.
As for the bike rack to go on it, Thule are the best without spending mad money. Even their cheap ones are good. If you have a carbon bike the Yakima ones that hold the bike up by the front wheel seem to be good too- a mate has one and it doesn't clamp the frame at all.