01-08-2007, 12:12 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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| | Re: Roof mount with fork clamps - any ideas or suggestions
In article <1168210005.251286.167760@51g2000cwl.googlegroups. com>,
"Fred" <frednospam@comcast.net> wrote:
> I have a Grand Caravan with two sliding doors, roof rack, and have four
> bikes to travel with.
>
> Our old van we had a hitch mount four bike carrier and this van we put
> the smaller kids bikes in the van and two adult bikes on a carrier on
> the back. Now we have four adult bikes. We go in and out of the back of
> the van too much to put something on the back.
>
> I was thinking of mounting the bikes on the roof using Delta Bike Hitch
> locking fork mounts (search Amazon to see what I'm talking about). I
> was going to drill holes in the cross members of my current roof rack
> and mount the hitch right to the vans roof rack. Two facing forward and
> two facing backwards. Every other one forward then backwards so that
> the handlebars don't get into the way.
>
> What kind of wind resistance do the bikes produce on the top? What do
> the bras do for the bike and are they necessary? Will the bikes facing
> backwards cause issues? Is four bikes way too much?
>
> Let me know your ideas and thoughts?
> Thanks.
How are you going to secure the rear wheels? Other than that, this seems
like a workable idea.
Regarding your previous hitch mount, though, there are swing-away racks
that allow access to the rear door:
http://www.amazon.com/Sportrack-Swin...s/dp/B000HGDSV
A
That one being reasonably representative.
Otherwise, bikes on the roof are an aerodynamic drag, no doubt about it.
the bras you see on roof-mounted bikes are just to keep rain, mud,
stones, and road grit off of shiny and expensive bicycles.
Don't forget the standard knock on roof-mounted bicycles, which is that
the owners of such exist in two states:
1) having knocked bikes off the roof while driving into their garage
2) about to knock bikes off the roof...
Which is not to say it has its merits. I have a VW Beetle, which doesn't
take well to a strap-on rack (contours of the rear bumper, et cetera).
Rather than install a hitch, I bought a roof rack.
Roof racks have a rep for being more "pro", but I suspect that in most
cases, if you can get by with a hitch-mounted rack, it's the better
choice. In the van, mind, is the best choice...
--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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