Thule 961XT Speedway vs. Saris bones bike rack

[Rice Etr]

Every point you make is PURELY subjective, has no FACTUAL basis and is entirely refutable. As a cyclist for nearly 12 years, one who rides on average, 275 miles per week and one who has used nearly every roof mounted rack on the market; I feel I am qualified to make an assertion on this topic. None the less I simply don't have the time or the inclination to get into a virtual debate with someone who clearly has a forum persona to cultivate. You win. Now go buy yourself the biggest mirror you can find, look into it and tell yourself how awesome you are.

[boki-san]

i invite you to take a copy of what i wrote into any good bike shop, and ask them if it's subjective, or if it's on point.

all i started with, was with a recommendation to avoid trunk racks, then you call me ignorant.

when i back it up, and you are wrong, all you can do is whine, and call me ego man.

yes, i ranted, but it's one of my pet rants. people who say, that's good enough, who endanger others on the road. as a bike dealer for nearly 20 years, i've dealt with way too many ugly situations involving these pieces, and plenty of customers like you. it's a good thing i don't talk the same way in the store, as i do to a wiseass on audiworld

for my other pet rant, complete with diatribe, start a thread about cigarettes tossed out car windows.

use what rack you want, mouthbreather. if you actually have been cycling for 12 whole years, you obviously won't be helped by beginning to listen now. i'd venture to say you wouldn't know double-butted cable housing from indexed headsets.

put them on properly, maintain your stuff, and check it along the way on long trips. oops, sorry to inject all that random opinion. nevermind, just slap those suckers on there with bungee cords

[coverthawk]

Have had hitch mount racks (the old sportworks company) for years and it is as solid as a rock.

[boki-san]

[coverthawk]

was reading the thread and thought you were panning hitch mounted carriers.

Trunk mounts are a joke and in fact dangerous as you say.

Question: Will the aftermarket roof racks (I don't have factory rails) mar the cars finish in any way)? Am weighing a roof rack versus the hitch that seems to be pending release...any opinions?

[boki-san]

i wish there was an easy solution for a receiver hitch for my car. that's the one best thing about a hitch mount carrier, no touchy paint.

the first 2 points of my tirade still hold, though, and one should be choosey about the way they anchor the bike itself, how kind it is to a delicate frame. and you should fasten it deliberately carefully each and every time. my frames' tubings are steel, and titanium, so less of a concern, and i would consider a hitch mount if i didn't use the roof type.

the other small beef i have with any mount behind the car, is that in wet and snowy weather, the nasty road grime mist that boils around the tail of the car gets in little mechanisms and it is just really very yucky. above the roof they get less, unless it's in miles of traffic. that's why you should put your skis in a bag when in a roof rack, took keep your bindings clean and working precisely.

the main reason roof mounts have the advantage is their universal capability. you can move a king size mattress and boxspring up there, or whatever.

yes, any roof mount rack or trunk mount will mar the clearcoat, no matter how clean you keep stuff. the best solution is pieces of clearbra material where the feet of the rack contact the paint. after a few years, when the clearbra looks marred, peel it and put fresh.

here's what it looked like on my audi

[sisu_guy]

"Goof" I'm new here and want to get a hitch for my A3 for a bike rack as well. Don't like the work involved with the Curt hitch.

Can you please list or contact me with the specfics of the "new GTI" hitch you installed? Thanks!

If anyone else has a sucessful "bolt in " installation please advise.

[Jukebox]

Goof-

From the small pic you posted that looks like a nice setup.

I was looking at the CURT class I receiver hitch for the A3 and it requires cutting a small section of the bumper.

Does the "new GTI" hitch you bought require cutting the bumper at all?

What model year A3 do you have?

What model bike rack do you use, and do you know how much total weight that hitch can handle?

Sorry for so many questions. I am trying to get all of this figured out and get a hitch installed within the next few weeks because I have a trip scheduled for 8/9/08.