Finally got a bike rack
- Thread starter Rotus
- Start date
I'm sure there is, but I'm rarely on the highway now that I've moved closer to work.
mazdaspeedster3
Member
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- Mazdaspeed3. 2008
I have a Thule on my car and dont notice much loss at all unless the bike or ski box is on top. Just the rack though I can get my ussual 300 miles out of a tank with 50/50 driving.
Looks nice man! I like the look with the rack on top.
Looks nice man! I like the look with the rack on top.
Got the control towers, cross bars, fairing and one Steelhead tray with all the locks and a key for $180 from CL. The Landing pads (part that bolts to your car) were not the ones I needed, so I picked those up from REI on sale and used my divident ($50). So $230 total for a setup that normally runs over $500.
FWIW, Yakima has redone their fitment utility and now gives you the option of either landing pads+control towers OR Q-clips+Q-towers. The Q's are the ones that clip to your car. I prefer the LP+CT, but it means you have to drill your rain gutter trim pieces or get the Canadian piece with the cutouts.
Yes, Yakima LP11. They just redid their fitment software to give you the option of either LP or q-clip.
squidmotion
Member
looking at this as well.. looks high enough for a surfboard to clear the wing....
and no, i don't want to hear, 'you shoulda bought a truck'... i have one of those as well. what if wife needs the truck? not gonna stop me.
and no, i don't want to hear, 'you shoulda bought a truck'... i have one of those as well. what if wife needs the truck? not gonna stop me.
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shaftwagon
Member
anyone know if a hanging style bike rack will work on the MS3? I'm solely a biker and want get at least 2-3 on the car while saving some cash. These are the style that hang off the back over the hatch area.
mazdaspeedster3
Member
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- Mazdaspeed3. 2008
They will, I have put a two bike on the rear when I first got the car and didnt have the rack on yet.
$230 is super cheap. I am not a fan of Yakima though and prefer Thule. The Yakima seems to sit lower than the Thule. I have the towers on the Mazda 5. They are nice but I am not drilling into my roof on the speed.
$230 is super cheap. I am not a fan of Yakima though and prefer Thule. The Yakima seems to sit lower than the Thule. I have the towers on the Mazda 5. They are nice but I am not drilling into my roof on the speed.
shaftwagon
Member
The hanging rack seems like the way to go to save $$$ and requires minimal install. Is there a disadvantage to it?
For the past 5 years I've always put my bikes in the cabin but would like the option of not having to take the wheel off every time and taking more than 2 bikes/passengers.
For the past 5 years I've always put my bikes in the cabin but would like the option of not having to take the wheel off every time and taking more than 2 bikes/passengers.
only thing I can think of is scratching where the rack rest on the car and the clips/straps if they touch the paint.
I have a hanging bike rack right now, and if you attach everything carefully you won't hurt the paint, but I just dont like the idea of having no access to the hatch once its on. I did notice that the bottom part where the rack sits on the bumper forms a small indent. Its not permanent just seems like there's too much weight on that point which is really strange.
Currently I'm looking at other options like a roof or possibly a hitch so I can transport my bike.
I had my tint guy put on some clear 3m on the top and bottom for where the clips attach. Works well so far. But I never trust these type of racks for long distances...roof or hitch is best.
