Roof rack vs hitch rack

[EDS]

I keep wanting to go with a hitch mounted rack but I stick with the roof rack because I need the roof rails for skis, kayaks, etc. If you don't have that issue then makes less sense investing in the towers/rails needed for roof top bike transport.

[tepextate]

Originally Posted by p nut

Yikes. Glad there was no damage (and you kept the better bike closer to the car), but not sure a roof rack helps any here? The guy was clearly distracted looking down at something. He would’ve just slammed into your car instead of the rack.

Yeah, this is true. The rack actually protected my car in this case. I guess part of the math depends on the value of bikes attached to the back vs. the value of your car. If I had two Argonauts on the back, maybe I'd be OK with the rear bumper being a sacrificial piece.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by p nut

Yikes. Glad there was no damage (and you kept the better bike closer to the car), but not sure a roof rack helps any here? The guy was clearly distracted looking down at something. He would’ve just slammed into your car instead of the rack.

Haha this is why I keep my receiver ball in the hitch in my truck. In my old old truck a distracted driver in a minivan rear ended me. Hitch ball went right through her radiator. I pulled my truck forward and her front end puked out green coolant. My old truck was fine

[verbs4us]

Have had a roof rack on the Outback for years and the affect on mileage is not worth the debate. Very small. The only drawback of the roof rack is we often travel on the Merritt Parkway, which has old (1920s vintage) arch bridges, which have low clearance on the outer lanes. Sometimes there is construction on these bridges and the clearance gets lower still. So we avoid the Merritt when the bike is topsides. This might be just a Connecticut problem, since the problem never materialized when we drove to Michigan.

[AngryScientist]

Also to consider: if you have a hatchback a hitch rack is a big hassle in general. Even without bikes on it you can’t easily stand behind the hatch and load/unload.

My wife hates when the rack is on our minivan for this reason. Requires one more step to open the hatch and loading gear is less convenient.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Also to consider: if you have a hatchback a hitch rack is a big hassle in general. Even without bikes on it you can’t easily stand behind the hatch and load/unload.

My wife hates when the rack is on our minivan for this reason. Requires one more step to open the hatch and loading gear is less convenient.

I have one of these, but opening the hatch is still less convenient than not having a hitch rack all together

[ggdave]

If you don't have a big apt/garaga/home then consider the amount of storage space the hitch or roof rack will take when not on the car. In general, the sturdier the rack the more space it occupies.

[Gsinill]

I used a roof rack once, for a vacation trip from Germany to Tuscany.
2 MTB on it and my mileage decreased by 30%.
That was it for me, hitch mount since...

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by ggdave

If you don't have a big apt/garaga/home then consider the amount of storage space the hitch or roof rack will take when not on the car. In general, the sturdier the rack the more space it occupies.

FWIW, 1UP sells a wall mount that is 2" and simulates a 2" receiver for wall storage. So my rack is housed in my garage and when not in use is vertical and takes up little space. It's a really useful storage solution for folks with a garage.

[TimD]

Originally Posted by verbs4us

Have had a roof rack on the Outback for years and the affect on mileage is not worth the debate. Very small. The only drawback of the roof rack is we often travel on the Merritt Parkway, which has old (1920s vintage) arch bridges, which have low clearance on the outer lanes. Sometimes there is construction on these bridges and the clearance gets lower still. So we avoid the Merritt when the bike is topsides. This might be just a Connecticut problem, since the problem never materialized when we drove to Michigan.

Once upon a time, while planning a trip to the NJ Shore with a 60cm Salsa Vaya mounted atop our trusted Honda Odyssey, I spent about an hour calling various entities in Connecticut trying to find the height of the lowest bridge on the Merritt between Middletown and the NY border. Total waste of time. The most common non-answer to the question I asked was "No trucks on the Merritt Parkway."

Took the saddle and seatpost out and went under every bridge flat in sixth.

But we digress.

In case no one mentioned it, a hitch rack (which we have) will render any rear parking assist and, possibly, rear camera useless, or nearly so. The driver might have to turn around and look over their shoulder while driving in reverse. The horror!

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by Gsinill

I used a roof rack once, for a vacation trip from Germany to Tuscany.
2 MTB on it and my mileage decreased by 30%.
That was it for me, hitch mount since...

Dude, no. Maybe 10 for me. Maybe. And that's with a box in winter. I'm more bothered by the noise the box makes.

[Spdntrxi]

hitch mount...

I never want to lift a bike over my head again...

[unterhausen]

Do we need another thread to talk about which hitch rack to get? I am pretty sure I'm getting a Kuat, because that's what the lbs sells. They have a lot of models though.

[veloduffer]

Originally Posted by TimD

In case no one mentioned it, a hitch rack (which we have) will render any rear parking assist and, possibly, rear camera useless, or nearly so. The driver might have to turn around and look over their shoulder while driving in reverse. The horror!

Hitch racks do affect the sensors - parking and in some cases, blind-view. I found out when driving my Mercedes that when I tried to change lanes the car reacted very abruptly since it thought it was avoiding an accident - scared the hell out of me until I figured out it was the rack.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Haha this is why I keep my receiver ball in the hitch in my truck. In my old old truck a distracted driver in a minivan rear ended me. Hitch ball went right through her radiator. I pulled my truck forward and her front end puked out green coolant. My old truck was fine

Boom. I've seen it twice where rear rack saves vehicle and destroys front end of the car behind