Roof
Mounted Bicycle Carriers
You've probably seen lots of roof mounted bike trays on
the road. If you already have a roof rack with crossbars (bars which
run left to right) on your vehicle, this is almost certainly an option
for you. We'll go over some of the more technical aspects below, but
first, ask yourself if putting your bicycles on the roof is the way you
want carry your bikes. It can be more convenient than a rear mounted
bicycle rack, you won't have to strap the rack down or tighten it into
your hitch receiver, and there won't be a big rack getting between you
and your hatchback (or trunk.) If you own a pickup truck, putting your
bikes on the roof keeps your bed free to carry all your other gear. If
you have a tandem bicycle,
roof mounted racks are really your only option. However, if you don't
want to lift your heavy bike up onto your roof, your roof is too high
to reach easily, or you're worried about overhead clearance (bicycle on
roof + low tree limb or parking garage = really bad day), then maybe
you'd prefer a rear mounted bicycle rack. Also, many smaller children's
bikes don't work well with any style of bicycle rack. Otherwise, the
following guidelines for using roof mounted bicycle racks should give
you a good idea of what to expect from roof mounted bike racks.Can I Carry Bikes On My Roof?
If you have a roof rack with crossbars, chances are the answer is yes. There are a few roof racks that we don't recommend using bicycle trays with, mainly racks with very short (less than 18 inches) or very long (more that 46 inches) crossbar spreads. The crossbar spread is the distance between the center of one crossbar to the center of the other. Please bear in mind that the 18-46" bar spread is just a guideline. Some bike trays work fine a few inches outside this range.
Split trays like the Yakima
2065 Boa Bicycle Carrier for Car Roof Racks are limited by the
length of your bicycle itself, because the
bike is attached at the bars, instead of sitting in a long bike tray.After crossbar spread, you'll need to consider your roof rack's cargo capacity. Can it hold the weight of all your bikes? Is there enough space fit all your bikes? If you have a Thule or Yakima roof rack, weight capacity shouldn't be a problem. These racks almost never have a weight rating under 100 pounds, so you should be fine with at least 2 or 3 bicycles. Some factory racks do have lower weight ratings, so when in doubt check your owner's manual first. Whether or not you have enough space to carry your bikes is a little more complicated, depending on what else you want to carry on your roof rack at the same time. If you are only carrying bicycles, and you alternate the direction of the bikes so that their
handlebars
don't interfere
with one another, you can usually carry at least three bicycles on top
of even the smallest factory roof racks. If you're also carrying a
cargo box
or kayak, you may only be able to put 1 or 2 bikes on your roof rack at
the same time (unless you have a Thule or Yakima
car roof rack with longer
bars.)
Another
factor that will determine
how many bicycles you can
carry at once will be whether you choose fork mount bike trays or trays
that grab the bicycle's tires or frame. Fork
mount
trays use somewhat less bar space on your roof rack than
other trays, though factory crossbars won't always accept fork mount
trays without special adapters (which take up more bar space.)
Now that you've determined how many bikes you'll be carrying on your roof rack, you'll want to choose your bike trays. Many people like the security and stability that a fork mount bicycle tray offers. By removing the front wheel and clamping down on the front fork with an adjustable skewer, your tray gets
the most rugged grip possible
on your bicycle. This also eliminates all contact with your bicycle's
frame, as the rear tire is strapped into place. Most fork mount trays
can be locked, as well, giving you complete locking security for your
bike.
You can even get wheel carriers for your roof rack, so you don't
have to give up valuable cargo space inside to stow your front wheels.
Fork adapters will now allow you to carry bicycles non-standard forks
on fork mount trays, too. If you have a tandem bicycle, fork mount
trays are really the only way to go. The Yakima
2071 SideWinder Tandem Bike Carrier for Car Roof Racks and the Thule
558p Tandem Bicycle - Bike Carrier for Roof Racks both feature a
swiveling fork mount. This allows you to
attach the front fork to the bike tray while the rear wheel is resting
on the ground. Then you can lift the back of the bike up and swing it
into the tray with ease.
If you'd rather not bother removing the front wheel,
there are plenty of roof
rack mounted bike racks which grip the front tire or
frame. Some of these trays are compatible with factory installed roof
racks right out of the box, most others can be mounted to factory bars
with special adapters. The simplest models of 
these
trays grab the
bike's downtube and use ratcheting straps to hold both wheels in place.
Others clamp around the front tire, eliminating any contact with your
bicycle's frame (this is a big bonus if you've got a light, aluminum
frame bike!) and protecting its finish. Whether gripping the frame or
front tire, these trays can be adjusted to fit almost any size or style
bicycle. Also, many models, like the Thule
598 Criterium Upright Bicycle - Bike Carrier for Roof Racks feature
attachment hardware that is all
accessible
at vehicle roof height, eliminating the need to get on
tip-toe just to get your bicycle on or off your vehicle. These trays
also offer full locking security, most requiring only a single lock to
secure both the bike and the tray.We hope that this introduction to roof mounted bike carriers has helped give you some ideas about how you'd like to carry your bikes. Check back later for information on other ways to carry your bikes, or pick up the phone and give us a call at 1-800-272-5362. Our friendly staff would be happy to take a few minutes and discuss all of the available options with you.
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