Brad G

Im having the factory roof rack installed this weekend. Just wondering if anyone knows any compatible aftermarket bike mounts. Or am I going to have to buy the factory bike mount? I realize the inability of the factory crossbars to adjust may present some problems with some aftermarket mounts.

Thanks

c_hunter

I was planning to use my existing Yakima setup on the factory side rails if/when I buy a RDX. Should not be an issue at all. I have the Yakima LowRider towers.

I am sure yakima will eventually make clips to attache their accessories to the factory crossbars (or perhaps an existing clip works). However, you may be limited by the small fore/aft adjustment of the factory bars.

rpod

One of the main reasons I choose the RDX was to be able to carry bikes and kayaks on top.

For bikes I found this rack works great on the factory rack:
http://www.rockymounts.com/noose.html

For kayaks I have been using Yakima Hullraiser which fits factory racks as well as Yakima bars.

Brad G

oK so I got the Noose SL rack. Only I had to install it backwards (bike is facing towards the back) because the tailgate would hit the bike mount otherwise. Is this what you did as well rpod?

rpod

In order get a 24" spread between the bars for kayaks, I bought a Torx bit and moved the bars. The back bar was no problem sliding back, but in order to move the front bar forward, it's necessary to apply a little force in order to get it to lengthen to compensate for the side bars not being parallel.

I think because I moved the front bar forward enough, the bike rack was far enough forward I could mount the rack forward without it hitting the tailgate. Let me know if this makes sense.

OC-RDX

I love the fact that I can fold down the back seats & get my bike in the back. I don't even need to remove the front wheel. Much much more secure from theft and I won't accidently drive into my garage with my bike on top. Ooch!

80 degrees at the beach yesterday & hardly any other cyclist on the oceanfront bike path.

Brad G

rpod, Im not sure how you did it. I have a Torx bit, and when I loosen the crossbar it slides forward easily. The problem is that because the front of the Acura roof rack is wider than the back, the crossbars dont rest as level when you move them forward. (Does this make sense?) When the front crossbar is moved forward, it becomes less stable.

OC-RDX, that is the ideal solution. Im glad it works for you. It wont work for me as well. I think my bikes must be bigger than yours. I ride a 60cm road bike and a 21" mountain bike. What size bike is yours? Not only do I have to remove the front wheel (which I don't mind), I have to lower the seat (which I hate, because Im very picky my riding position). I have a SARIS triple track mount in the back of the RDX, so I can transport it inside.

OC-RDX

I have a Specialized Sirrus Sport, not sure what size. But, I only carry 1 bike at a time, so I lay it down flat. The rear wheel sits on top of the folded seat bottom. Just enough clearance to shut the hatch without removing the front wheel & no adjustment to the seat.

Brad G

OC-RDX, I think that explains it. I havent even tried laying the bike down yet, stupid as it sounds. I have that Saris in-the-car-rack, so Ive only tried with the bikes upright. Ill definately want to get the caro liner if I try it your way though. My bikes are well lubed

Well I just disassembled my bike mount and front crossbar. I moved the crossbar as far forward as I could while still making sure that the pads of the crossbar are making full contact with the side rails. No dice. The tailgate would still hit the bike mount. I think Im just gonna suck it up and buy the stupid Acura bike mount. Very frustrated with the roof rack right now.

OC-RDX

I use a large piece of cardboard that leans against the wall in my garage, when not in use. It fits the whole back area of the RDX. I lay an old T shirt across the seat bottom where the rear bike tire rests.

A couple of years ago I was out in my garage when I heard a loud crash. My neighbor had forgotten his bike was on top of his SUV & he drove into his garage. He said it was the 3rd time he had done it. After some long rides, I come home pretty tired & I'm afraid I might do the same thing, if I carried it on top.

sasair

I had a friend that would put a piece of tape on the button of his garage door opener when he had his bike on the roof. I thought this was a great idea, until the one day he got home and the garage door was already open and he drove right in....

OC-RDX

lol... still lol!

rpod

Brad G, Before you buy an Acura bike rack you might want to take your RDX in to the dealer. If the rack was dealer installed they should be able to adjust the bars along the entire track so they are stable. My problem wasn't the stability of the bar once adjusted; it was forcing the front bar forward. Another member had the dealer adjust the bars with success.

Brad G

Actually Im able to move the bars forward no problem. The problem is that the roof rack is wider in the front than it is in the back. So you can only go so far forward before the side rails are wider than the crossbar is. As you move the front crossbars forward, less of the front crossbar padding is contacting the siderails, simply because the siderails are widening. Thats what Im referring to when I say stability. I moved the crossbars to the most forward position that still allowed full contact of all of the crossbar padding.

Brad G

rpod

Brad G, Good picture. Do you have the bolt connecting the sliding plate and the cross bar screwed in when you are adjusting the cross bar? If the amount of "crossbar padding" remains constant as the front bar slides forward, the length of the bar will increase (given that the side bar distance increases forward). See the following thread and the resolution jrf found: https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ight=roof+rack

c_hunter

The side "clamps" on the crossbars should slide in and out to shorten/lengthen the crossbars (it may be just one side that slides, so look at it carefully). On the underside of the clamps, you should see a couple screws, perhaps covered by a patch of black tape. This is where the clamp slides on the end of the crossbar, thus lengthening them. I noticed this when inspecting the rack a few weeks ago. Sounds like the clamps may just be too tight on the crossbars, hence the hammering. It might be worth seeing if those screws can be temporrily loosened in order to let the crossbars lengthen. Here's a shot of the screws:

Brad G

Ok Im confused. Are you saying that the crossbar widens? My problem is that that the crossbar width is fixed, yet the siderails become wider towards the front.

I loosed the bolt connecting the sliding plate so that I can freely slide the crossbar forwards and backwards. Thats not a problem for me.

Brad G

thanks c_hunter for that. Yes I did notice that too. I took off the front cross bar and lengthened it that way. Only one side was able to be lengthened. And I was only able to get a couple of mm from doing this. But it did help somewhat. But since I would like to move the crossbar like 4 or 5 inches farther forward, I need to widen it much more.