Currently Im looking at Thule and Yakima. Does anyone have experience with Mondial Racks (via LLTek)?? Any recommendations will be appreciated. Id like to be able to carry 4 boads if need be.
TIA
A4Allan
99.5 A4 1.8tq-tip<ul><li><a href="http://team-a4technik.theshoppe.com">Team-A4technik Homepage</a></li></ul>

I've had the Thule for a year now. A couple things thing to watch out for:

You should clean & wax the roof where the feet will sit. Also make sure the bottom of the feet are clean.

The clips can leave little indentations where they grab on to the sides of the roof (on the insides of the doors). Someone here recommended putting a piece of bicycle tire tube inbetween the clip on the door jamb, which I did and it helps.

If you use a fairing (recommended), make sure you push it up far enough so the bottom of it is not resting on the roof, but where the windshield meets the roof. Sand and stuff can blow in there and cause scratches.

Both Thule and Yakima are good choices.

The round crossbars of Yakima seem more versitile than the rectagular Thule bars. Also, I've seen Thule racks badly rusted. The Yakima ones seem to hold up better.

I have a Yakima rack on my Avant. I have bike and ski carriers, no snowboard yet. I had to get just new towers to move the rack over from my Passat sedan. On the Passat I used the QTowers and they fit great.

There were marks on the finish when I removed it, but they came off with a good wax. As suggested, waxing under the feet and placing the faring on the glass are important.

Good luck,
Rich L.
99 1.8TAQMS

Go for the Yak or the Thule in that order.

I love the Mondial rack.
I got it from BikeNashbar for a decent price and they have all the options. Its real low profile and comes on and off easy. WIth the airdam it isnt loud at all.

Unlike Thule and Yakima this one doesnt have overhangs or anything unsightly. It looks really nice.

<center><img src="http://131.107.68.28/a4org/Pa180003.jpg"></center><p>I do like the look Yakima's round bars better. I use the the 2 steelhead bike trays from spring to November 1 (superstition). I take off the driver side bike tray and put on the larger ski attachment for winter. I can (and have) carry 4 snowboards easily and could probably fit a pair of ski's in if I had too. You just need to put the boards bottom to bottom. Make sure the boards with the smaller bindings (or step-ins) are on the bottom so you don't run into a roof clearance problem. If you have a sunroof, the fairing is a must. The wind noise reduction is huge. As mentioned earlier, make sure you clean and wax the car before putting the rack on. I take mine off only when I wax the car and have not had any problems with getting the marks off the roof. The rack was on my Jetta for 2+ years before transferring over.

RickD
99.5 1.8tqms garrett

I had it like that on mine and there was deep scuff marks where the rubber touches the roof. I spent an hour with light rubbing compound to get the marks off. If would push it up to the glass on the windshield if I were you.

Round bars don't hold as good a grip in a directional motion. My friend had the bike rack with the front tire carrier. When driving on the highway, the holder slipped on the bar and the front tire slammed on top of the roof leaving a dent.

My brother-in-law had the Yak ski holder, and the lock got all corroded and couldn't be unlocked.

My Thule is 3 years old, basically left on all year round, and no signs of rust.

Just to offer another P.O.V.

You can cut the bars on Yak or Thule down to size with a hacksaw. I cut them so they are flush with the sides of the car, and it looks great.

I know that it would be only a matter of time before I forgot that the bike is on the roof, drive into my garage and CRUNCH goes the Italian racing bicycle. A lawyer I know crunched a very expensive scull-boat before he ever got to use it! Some of us creative people tend to be very absent-minded. :)

Most bikes/snowboards will fit in the trunk if you put down the rear seats!

This way, you don't have to worry about theft, crunches, or dangle your paraphernalia in the air. :)

I'll have to keep the rack anyway so the 2 people who would have been sitting in the back seat have something on the roof to hold on to. I'm glad I'll be driving because it sure is going to get cold up there on the ride to the mountain.

I have had front wheels from my mtn. bike fly off the front tire holder twice. Therefore, I now just put the tires in the trunk. Plenty of room and more piece of mind. You don't know what it's like trying to cross five lanes of 80 mph traffic to rescue a front tire. Not fun.

no scratched, no dents. I haven't got the foot kit yet for my Audi but had it on a Maxima. Stays on all summer for mtn. biking season. When I took it off there was a little outline on the (white) room. A little goo gone and you can't see anything.

What I do is hid my garage door remote so it's not in the normal place. That way I remember bikes on the roof.

<center><img src="http://131.107.68.28/a4org/Yakama_Rack_On_A4_3.jpg"></center><p>I've had my Yakima rack with two SteelHead fork-mount bike trays for about 5 years now (had it on my '90 Corrado before purchasing my A4). Fits great, Yakima has FANTASTIC customer service, highly recommended.

Andy Hedin