Hey guys,

I've been looking to add a roof rack to my '04 TL for a while so I can travel with my bike. I've seen a number of racks that clip on through the door frame but I wanted a more more professionally done polished look of a permanent installation. One lucky google search lead to me this custom job done by Rack Attack in Boston on a 3rd Gen TL. All the parts come out to a little over $600. I'm probably going to attempt this myself in the near future.
Rack Attack Blog

 

Looks professional.

 

I don't like how the bars stick out like that.. why can't they make it like how Bimmer or VW has it, the bars do not protrude out like that. It doesnt flow well when it sticks out!

 

Something like this would look much nicer.

 

actually the one on that beemer looks terrible i think...id go with the one the tl has jmo though..how does that one the tl has stay on..suction cups???

 

There was a full Thule rack with bike mounts in the BM not long ago for $350... brand new. I'm not really feeling the "permanent professional" look.

 

It uses mounts that anchor through a sheet metal roof, so it's a permanent setup. It doesn't need a drill or any modification inside the car (such as removing the headliner) so that's a plus.

 

i like the cleaner look, but the permanent aspect, i'm not sure about. i've had a clip on thule rack on my car since day 2 of owning the car with a custom fitted old style faring, since the newer one didn't fit (it sat on the lip of the sunroof). so in some ways the rack is essentially been "permanent" without physical damage to the car's roof.

does give the car a little more of a sporty look for those of us with a cycling urge. though your gas mileage suffers b/c of the thing.

 

EMS has a 20% sale which happens twice a year or so, which is when Thule allows this.
http://www.ems.com/category/index.js...goryId=4340090
expires 10/22.

Rackattack should be able to match the price too.
enjoy!

 

whoa! I love my road bike and I love my TL but unless that car's a team car for race support (which I doubt) putting permanent anchors in the roof is nuts. If I had to rack the TL I'd go with a hitch. Yes they look awful but they don't suck as much mpg, don't make unbearable wind noise and you never shear the bikes off on a garage door frame. They can also be put on the car easily and carry no risk of scratching up the roof during install, use, or removal. The bike's better protected from road debris as well.

Unless you are using that rack 4-5 times a week why would you want such a permanent setup? Sorry

 

a hitch rack makes the car handle like crap (weight of the rack plus a couple of bikes). hitch racks can be a bit cumbersome to keep taking on and off the car if used with frequency. if you keep the hitch rack on then you stick out of parking spaces. and if you ever get rear ended with the bikes in back, you're screwed. lucky me the one time i was rearended coming back from a ride, my bikes ride on top. and i've heard of stories of people "forgetting" about their bikes on the roof and driving into their garage. the wind noise is only bad if you open up your sunroof and you don't have a faring on the freeway. around town the rack doesn't create that much annoying wind noise. and as far as the bike getting dirty riding on top...if you MTB the bike was meant to be dirty, if you're a roadie or a tri geek...then you're just a little anal about the cleanliness of your bike. but the clean pro look with the permanent set up...that's a bit too permanent. just get a yakima mount and bar system and add on whatever bike mounts (thule or yakima) plus a faring.

just a few other thoughts...to consider. i've never had any issues with my clip on roof rack. just protect the car during install and once its on...you don't have to deal with it again.

 

Bikes (or anything) mounted with suction cups + driving = big no no.

 

Hey all,

So I've got some money, and I'm in the process of acquiring a second bike (road+mtb now) so I really need a rack. I've never been crazy about the clip on racks, I find them less esthetically pleasing but they are a lot cheaper. I'd never do a hitch rack simply because I value my bikes more than that. Anyone have a good suggestion of a clip on rack to look at though? it would be much less of a headache, otherwise I'd need to find an installer I can trust or risk doing it myself.

 

OP, you're still pondering this?

go with yakima base rack (see yakima website for fitment and part numbers) then you can either order from internet or go to local REI. internet might be cheaper. i have upright bike mounts b/c i hate taking the front wheel off all the time. thule and yakima bike mounts can be used on yakima or thule base rack systems. you just need to get the adapter clips for the bars (i think now a days the clips are designed to be placed on both).

don't cheapin' out and NOT get the faring. get it.

want more info PM me. good luck.

BTW install is simple. take your time with it and lay a towel down over your roof during install. should take less than an hour with extra set of hands.

 

I've always wanted a roof tack, but I would like to know how much louder they are on the freeway (u loaded)

 

with no bikes...no faring...lots of wind noise with sunroof cover open.
with no bikes...faring....very little wind noise with sunroof cover open (or the music is on so loud i dont' notice). let's put it this way...if you are using the bluetooth you may want to pull the cover on the sunroof to actually hear better....most people on the other end can't tell. might come off as light wind noise.

add bikes...faring...you'll get wind noise with stereo turned down...but its not so loud its obnoxious. keep the sunroof cover closed the noise reduces quite significantly.

open the sunroof around town, its tolerable...on the hwy...forget it.

the TL cabin is seemingly quite insulated.

 

Hitch mount is the way to go. I used to have a Thule roof system- it was way too much a hassle and I sold it. The hitch system can be removed with one bolt and much easier to deal with overall. Also costs a lot less...

Do you think that 34 extra pounds on the back of a front-heavy FWD car makes more of a difference than the constant drag and noise of racks in the cars overall performance? Most people don't rip turns that hard when they have bikes mounted on their car either way (roof or hitch) so I don't really notice any difference there.

I have a hitch rack and it only sticks out about 12".. I also got rear ended with it on the car. I would have been in the body shop either way.

It's pretty annoying, especially with the sunroof open. Closed down not as bad. I enjoy the TL's quiet ride and it's definitely noticeable. I have been much happier since I sold my roof system.

 

that's nice and looks good.

 

i still drive pretty spirited when i want to even with the bikes on the roof. i'd be much more wary with a hitch rack. i've had my car loaded up before (backseat and trunk), and at hwy speeds and turns...the TL is all over the place. it gets squirrely in the back end. keep in mind with the hitch rack you need to add the wt of the hitch, the rack itself, and then bikes on the OUTSIDE of the wheelbase of the car. so despite the front heavy FWD, the extra wt will still make the car handle funny. as much as i like my sunroof...the pollen and other crap in the air around here deters me from really opening it.

the thing about the roof rack i like the best is when i do go out for a ride...i just have to put the bike on the car and go. the hitch rack...(now this could be me being anal)...you have to secure everything down, the wheels the handlebars. plus taking the hitch rack on and off (yes its one bolt but still, i now understand why people just leave it on the car, which is annoying b/c you take up two spaces or stick out). price for a hitch rack can be as much as a roof rack system. yes a hitch rack can be had for less than $200, but do you want it to lock, do you want the antisway mechanisms, then all that costs money. i just dropped a decent amt of $$ on a hitch rack for the MDX...if you're gonna do something...do it right the first time. so we got one with all the bells and whistles, b/c we want the security aspect when we travel to events.

so really what it comes down to...for us cycling people...preference and purpose of the rack. no one way is wrong necessarily, but compromises will need to be made. and its a matter of how much you can or willing to spend. it ain't cheap unless you pick one up used. though it certainly beats having your bike fall off the car and into traffic.

 

^ Security sucks with either option. You can secure the frame, but $100's of parts can be removed in about 2 minutes with a 5mm hex.

 

I agree with you!

I have 2 bike racks, 2 wheel carriers, and a kayak holder. As long as I keep my sunroof and the cover closed I don't hear a significant noise inside the cabin. Now when I have the sunroof pop-up I hear slight wind-noise but is tolerable. I have the faring and it does help a bit.

With the bike, noise still not bad inside the cabin. If I have the music low, I can't even tell that I'm carrying my MTB on top of the car going 70+ on the freeway.

 

agreed. a roof rack might provide better security in the sense that you actually 1) have to know that you are taking off the bike, 2) if you look suspicious prodding at someon'e's rack...its more trouble than its worth. most of the time people want the dam bike.

the hitch rack...i wouldn't leave the bikes alone with the car...much easier to access. i know if we have to stop for a bathroom break one of us is hanging out by the car with the hithc rack. the roof rack...i don't worry too much...plus i don't ride in places that are high crime areas anyway. i think i worry more about the car. i'm all about detering thefts...make it more complicated than its worth...they probably won't bother.

 

I decided to take your advice and go with a Yakima removable rack over the Thule permanent install. It's much less work and could easily be moved to other vehicles, just need the right clips. I'm also a fan of the round bars over the aero bars. I don't ever plan on leaving my bikes on the rack unattended, it's just impossible for me to go anywhere with my bikes without one.

 

meh, just take the wheels off and stick it in the trunk. it really doesn't take that long and your car still looks sexy on the way there.

 

that's a PITA. plus why disrespect your car and your bike all at the same time? chain grease on your interior? dismantling your bike is painful. your chances of damaging your bike or parts associated with it go up by cramming it in the trunk, but hey, its your car and bike, do whatever you like.

 

here is mine with a nice bike racks.

 

Why do you have your crossbars so close together?

 

Looks nice just wanted to know the exact model# of the rack you got? I need one for my bike

 

probably didn't install correctly. he is also running fork mount bike mount vs an upright (which requires the extender-see below).

 

go to the thule website and you can get all the part numbers for your car. or yakima...whichever is your preference. i'd go yakima base with thule big mouth mounts but that's me (if yakima was an option for me when i bought my car in 05). i have thule base rack system with thule big mouth mounts. dont like taking wheel off for the fork mounts...PITA.

 

just for looks.... i have the 477 short bars adapter ...i post picture later...

 

Quick release wheels ftmfw!

 

even with quick release....its still a PITA. upright mounts are the way to go

 

I went with a full Thule setup as well for my biking and snowboard needs. And I'm very happy with the choice I made.

My setup includes:

- Thule Rapid Traverse 480R Footpack

- Thule RB47 47" Rapid Aero Load Bars

- Thule Fitkit 1544

- Thule 598 Criterium upright bike kit.

 

You don't need the extender? Now you need a faring to finish it off.

 

What extender? I didn't need anything other than what I listed to mount the rack. And yup, I just need the fairing, will be getting it soon!

 

See post #29

 

Do the roof racks cause any damage to the car? How much are people spending on the roof systems?

 

damage: if installed correctly and carefully, no damage. when taking off carefully there is always potential to scratch your roof if you do not protect it or rest the rack on the roof when trying to position it.

how much? build one with the toys on top rack builder guide either on the thule or yakima website. base rack will be comparable. its the mounts that vary in cost.

 

I want to get the thule base rack but was wondering what the benefits of the 480R vs the regular 480