stock crossbars strong enough for bikes ?

I am an avid cyclist (mostly MTB) and I am curious if anybody has used the stock crossbars that came with the wagon with an aftermarket bike rail system? I haven't tried to install the crossbars yet ('05) until I can get some feedback. I have Sportrack bike rails that I'll be using. They SEEM like they'll work, but last thing I want to see is my bike(s) bouncing off the road behind me. Would be cool to save the $500 or so for a Thule or Yakima system.

I am using a pair of RockyMounts trays on my factory crossbars and the whole setup is rock solid. Real (not K-mart) bikes are fairly light (my carbon LeMond is 18+ pounds, but even mt bikes are light nowadays) and not a problem with vertical load. The only issue I could think of is side-to-side torquing, but my fork-mount rails have wide enough, heavy-duty enough mounting points that I am not concerned in the least. The whole setup is stiff enough that I take it off in one piece when I am not using it (the two rails and two crossbars).

My carbon Scott Spark is 24.5lbs and my aluminum Brodie Climb Max is 26lbs. Thanks for the reply. I just needed some feedback on the strength of the original parts. Once it stops raining I will try my setup. BTW, nice choice in bikes. My roadie is a mid level Fuji Roubaix upgraded to 105 brakes.

Nice bikes. That Spark must climb like a demon. I don't mountain bike as much as I used to since I moved from northern NH. I live a block from the beach now, and have to drive two hours just to find a hill, so am going to hold off on the mt bike purchase for a while (my old one is now my around-town utility bike with road tires.)The LeMond is an older Maillot Jaune frankenbike with everything from 105/ultegra brakes (one of each) to some Dura Ace components.

Also, keep in mind I have an OB. I believe the roof racks/rails/crossbars are different, but I think the ones on the LGT are just as strong as the OB version. I have even transported some 30+ # bikes on my setup with absolutely no problems at all.

The spark climbs like a scared squirrel. Not uncommon to accidentally pull the front wheel off the ground while climbing a steep incline. YIKES ! I have a couple places nearby that are good riding, and never more than 1.5hrs from some SERIOUS climbs along the escarpment around Toronto Ont area. I will for sure try the stock setup before deciding on whether a hitch and swagman style rack are the better idea. I just LOVE the look of bikes on the roof. Like a ski rack on a 911.......so "sexy".

I am envious. I used to love climbing (road and mtn) in and around N. Conway. Down was fun too.

 

I like the bikes on the roof better. Plus, when I moved I could use a trailer and take the bikes at the same time. Just watch out for those low fast-food drive-throughs and garage entrances.

Garage entry not a problem. I converted my single car garage into a bike room. Cars sit outside so I can tinker merrily throughout the winter in heated foam floored comfort. I do try to stay away from fast food, but if I do.....it's Taco Bell and it's done in the car with NO bikes to make me feel guilty.

I used to have to clear the bike crap out of the garage to change the oil in the car. I live in a very small apartment now, and the bikes live in the bedroom and the living room. GF thinks I am nuts, but jeez, she gets the bed...what's the problem?

HAHAHA, yeah. Before the GF and I moved into a house, the bikes were like art in the living room, and they also inhabited the bedroom. I jokingly called the bedroom "the garage". She was a good sport about it mind you. She had NOOOOOOOO qualms with me using the garage for them when we got out of the apt.

 

Always nice to come across another "collector" of bikes.

Yeah, I was afraid I was approaching "collector". I am trying to pair it down to 1. a fast, light road bike (check) 2. an okay around-town utility/commuting bike (check) and a 3. light, fast, dual-sus mountain bike. I need to start making money for that one though (self-semi-employed.)

I've hit my max number of bikes for myself. I tell myself that until I find the ultimate steal of a deal at a yard sale or something. haha Between myself, my GF and my 2 kids, there are 9 bikes in the bike room. Maybe I need a 2nd LGT wagon. If you aren't having to have a brand new full-sus, check out http://www.pinkbike.com Are we allowed to link other sites ?? Great source for parts and/or complete bikes.

The bars are from Mont Blanc, a big rack company in Europe, not your typical OEM plastic crap.

 

http://www.montblanc.se/default.asp?fla=Y and if you go to roof racks, you'll see racks that look oddly similar to the LGT wagon ones, hehe.

 

I'd be more worried about how well the rails are attached to the roof or the bike rack itself.

 

http://www.stinkyteapot.com/kayakwagon.JPG

The sportrack attaches via a "bar" that holds underneath the crossbar with 2 bolts that go up through the rail itself and 2 threaded "knobs" that tighten down on the thread which pull up the bar perpendicular to the crossbar. Similar to the attached link, but it's about 6yrs old now, so not quite so round and modern looking. I hope it works, and if it does even for now, gives me a chance to research something else and save the money. My one bike is carbon, so it HAS to have fork mount to avoid any crushing of the downtube. Thanks for the info.

 

Ooooops forgot the link. haha

 

http://www.sportrack.com/abr622

The best pic I can find of the rack attached to the old E30. I have arrows pointing to the threads that pull up the bar underneath to hold the rail tight to the crossbar. You should be able to see what I need to do from this pic. Just so long as they can attach the same to the factory crossbars, I should be good then.

I am using a pair of RockyMounts trays on my factory crossbars and the whole setup is rock solid. Real (not K-mart) bikes are fairly light (my carbon LeMond is 18+ pounds, but even mt bikes are light nowadays) and not a problem with vertical load. The only issue I could think of is side-to-side torquing, but my fork-mount rails have wide enough, heavy-duty enough mounting points that I am not concerned in the least. The whole setup is stiff enough that I take it off in one piece when I am not using it (the two rails and two crossbars).

 

Just be aware that it isn't the weight of the bike that's the problem, it's the aerodynamic drag.

 

Personally I only have a bike hanger that goes onto the trailer hitch. Easier to load/unload the bike. Especially if it's a classic iron bike.

Drag comes into play when you are talking gas mileage, but I think it is the side-to-side flexing of the bike that would be most problematic with a roof setup like I have. A bike isn't going to have enough frontal area to rip off a crossbar because of wind load from the front, and two decent modern bikes will weigh less than 50 lbs total, so roof rack weight capacity is not an issue.

 

I agree that if you have heavier bikes the problem becomes more how to hump them onto the roof as opposed to using a hitch rack. I took my GF's kid riding the other day and she has an "around-the-neighborhood" heavy-ass Sears special of some kind and it nearly killed me getting it on and off. :-)

Clean and jerk that anchor onto the roof. :lol: My concern is the load strength on the crossbars themselves. At most I would have say, 50lbs on the rack. Including the weight of the rails themselves, I'll say 70lbs total to be safe. The book I believe says up to 500lbs can be carried. Having never had a car with any type of roof rack system, I've always used the rubber foot and hook anchor type like in my smaller picture. I could literally grab the rack and near flip the car over it was so solid. Is the stock rack going to give the same peace of mind?? that sailboat (or whatever type it is) looks like it would tax the rack roof rack to a much higher degree than any bike(s) can.

The load limit for a Subi rack is 100#. Your bikes are well within that limit, and I am sure the limit is set very low for safety. Higher weights start to flex the roof, work the anchors out of the roof, stress the ends of the bars where they connect to the rails, etc.

 

My factory setup is solid too. I would not worry, especially since Subi owners tend to use their racks, so they are not there just to look cool.