Lakesuperior Member Username: Lakesuperior
Post Number: 160 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 3:36 pm: | |
I was thinking about car racks for my kayak this morning. Then it occurred to me that a car rack might be appealing to thieves. I only have on-street parking (I live in Mid-town) and I would be pretty bummed if I got a new car rack and it disappeared off my car some night. What do you guys think, am I being paranoid? Anyone had an unmolested car rack in the City for a respectable amount of time? |
Ndavies Member Username: Ndavies
Post Number: 2433 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 3:55 pm: | |
Just take it off when you're not using it. Most install and remove pretty easily. You don't want to leave it on your car when not in use. Most add on racks will reduce the fuel mileage of your car. The only time my snowboard rack is on my car is when there are snowboards in it. |
Lakesuperior Member Username: Lakesuperior
Post Number: 161 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 4:02 pm: | |
Hmmm. Sweet. In my car rack-ignorance, I thought removal was complicated. I'll just take it off/put it back on then! |
Wash_man Member Username: Wash_man
Post Number: 333 Registered: 05-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 - 9:19 pm: | |
Be sure it is attached correctly and securely. I travel up north nearly every weekend in the summer. I frequently see people on the side of the road trying to gather their belongings that came flying off the roof. |
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch
Post Number: 2079 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Friday, February 09, 2007 - 5:17 pm: | |
Ask Susanarosa -- she is an expert on nice racks. |
Susanarosa Member Username: Susanarosa
Post Number: 1364 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2007 - 9:34 pm: | |
Jackass. |
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch
Post Number: 2080 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 11:00 am: | |
I miss you too. |
Rrl Member Username: Rrl
Post Number: 736 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Thursday, February 15, 2007 - 6:41 pm: | |
I worked for a bike shop for about four years, so I don't want to sound like an expert but have enough knowledge to be dangerous. I prefer the Yakima rack to the Thule for a couple reasons. First, the Yak has round cross-bars, the Thule rectangular tubing bars. The round bars are stronger and have less flex. Second, Yak has a greater menu of accessories. Price-wise Yak may be a tad more expensive, but I believe they are worth it. And (at least when I was working at the shop), their stuff was primarily made in the US; don't know if they've gone the China production route yet or not. In both systems everything comes pretty much ala carte, so depending on your accessories, you can expect to drop about 4 to 5-hundred clams. I have a Merc Mountaineer w/ a factory roof rack. Got the Low-rider mounts to fit into the existing side rails. With lock-cores on the mounts, it's extremely difficult if not impossible to steal the mounts & bars. Bar mounted accessories are another story, but can similary be locked to the bars for security. If you're driving a car w/o a factory roof rack, the Q-towers will lock into the rain-gutters of your rig, and can be similary locked. I personally have no experience how theft-free this is though. Good luck! |
Toolbox Member Username: Toolbox
Post Number: 1033 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 3:21 pm: | |
Dabirch Get it right: AmyP has the rack. Velma has the jugs Susannarosa has the cans |