Can anyone recommend a decent bike rack for my avant?

[drbru]

Dont really want to get the inside of my car dirty with all the crap from my bike so looking for external options...

Any ideas?

Cheers

[stumpyrs4]

The roof-mounted THULE range are good products? They're about £100 per bike IIRC.

I've got a pair of WHISPBAR bars on mine - extremely low profile and look very nice.

[SR71]

THULE aerobars and twin THULE Proride 591's for me...

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehs ... go9bQdIV6t

Down in Plymouth...always been super helpful and knowledgeable.

The one thing I do is wrap some cloth material around the bike frame where the frame clamp grabs it to ensure you don't mark the frame of the bike...the laminate on carbon framed bikes is especially prone to scuffing.

The nice thing about the whole schebang is you can get one key to operate all the locks on the bars and bike carriers.

[aarghesfore]

I bought a Saris bones but to be honest I wouldn't really recommend it. It is a very clever design but I don't like the way it puts so much weight on the rear bumper plus could the arms could easily mark the paint. Not a bad option if you must have the bikes on the back, if for example you had a rook box on too, but I think I would go for the Thule roof mount.

[SR71]

I have 2 Kamei 300 Roofboxes from Roofbox as well.

http://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehs ... .php?17246

I can get one of these roofboxes on with 2 of the 591's.

This the plus of the long thin roofboxes...lots of combinations to get everything on the roof.

[Steve_C]

I have the same Thule combination - half width roof box and two cycle carriers all of which can fit at the same time and all of which are lockable.

[drbru]

thanks guys...I took a look and they look good however....The issue I have is that Im transporting a downhill bike which is v heavy (35kg) I think the THule one can hold a max of 20 Kg...Any other ideas?

[jonwitts]

I stuck a A4 removable tow bar to carry my collection of MTB's around.

Stops getting mud on the roof from a roof rack, and does not scratch the back from strap on racks.

I can happily sling 3 Nomad sized bikes on the back and sprint to the alps along with a boot full of stuff.

When I take off the tow bar nothing can be seen.

And yes i do know that an RS4 is not type approved for towing.....which i am not doing.

And yes i know simply fitting a tow bar even if i do not tow means i am liable for prosecution for adding a tow bar to a non type approved car. I am happy to take that risk. I assume if i get stopped the last thing they will want to talk to me is the EU regulation regarding tow bars !!

Jon

[drbru]

interesting....I didnt think a tow bar could be fitted with the design of the rear bumper