Neither. It’s a PITA to remove the front wheel, and never clamp any part of the frame…..
If you must have a roof rack, get the one that straps down the rear wheel and puts a locking loop over the front wheel.
thanks_paul on
I have #1 and I love it but my car is very short and my bike is fairly light
Tomato-of-the-sea on
Do you have a worse quality image, I can still see the fork
r1PJRfHQPILLyiEh3ekK on
I have a second and actually ride with 2 bikes, my and wife’s. I’m not sure if this is advised for carbon, as clamp needs to hold it strong. Of course disadvantage is mountains and unmounting it. I would much better have one that you mount on trailer hook. Also consider that you’ll probably use at least 1l/100km more of gas.
WiartonWilly on
They recommend the fork-down for carbon, so you don’t squeeze the frame.
stinkycat45 on
there is a third option and that’s wheel (tire) retained. Thru axle or quick release based racks will be the most stable but are finicky to set up. Frame retained racks are not great for any carbon based frame. Wheel retain is a good combination of stability and safety
montyandtimmon on
Yakima highroad is the best option imo. Love mine
Difficult_Trust1752 on
I have used the second and ended up with a sideways bike dangling from wheel straps over the drivers side. Fun experience on the DC beltway. Turns out the universal frame grabber part that keeps it upright is not so universal.
Prudent-Proposal1943 on
I have something like option 2. It Thule (BMW OEM.) It works great.
I drove an alloy Colnago WC and a Carbon Ridley Dean RS 3500km across North America. Zero issues. Fast on and off (useful when you drive into a hotel 5 minutes before the tornado.)
I used a bit of pipe insulation on the Carbon, but it was probably not necessary. The bike is held to the rack by the wheel straps. There is no need to crush the frame in the bar clamp.
The fork clamp setup will obviously work too with an extra step of mounting and removing wheels when stopped.
Impossible-Treat-810 on
Thule Upride is my all-time favorite. I also have the yakima front loader, and it’s perfectly good too.
Changy915 on
Get the oneup one that clamps both wheels and doesn’t damage frame
Medical_Slide9245 on
I use both.
Pic 2 for short trips I hate removing the wheel and lining up the axle, this mount is very easy to load and unload the bike.
For trips over 50 miles I use the fork mount because my rails are on my truck bed and it keeps my shock out of the wind. It’s a pain but it feels more secure. Then I throw my front wheel on the other mount. I also use an allen wrench axle for a little more security on long trips. I routinely drive 600 miles to Bentonville.
chockobumlick on
It depends on your garage.
You will eventually try to drive into your garage and will do damage to both the garage, and your bike.
Pick one that minimizes the damage to your car as well.
Option #1, but a Seasucker style, no roof rack required and very versatile.!
SharkAttackOmNom on
1. But I’d actually push anyone towards a hitch mount like Küat
BWWFC on
a hitch rack every day.
KingArthurHS on
What kind of bikes are you carrying? Weirdos think the frame clamp will destroy your bike, but it’s not like it grips with 100000 lbs of pressure. If you have a steel or aluminum bike, those carriers are great, assuming you’re tall enough to reach the top of your car. If you have a carbon bike, they’re still great and you just have to be not the dumbest motherfucker on the planet and use a reasonable amount of pressure.
All that clamp does it disallow the bike from falling side-to-side. The zip-tie ratchet things on the front and rear wheels keep it from moving forward/backward and keep it attached.
tacoscholar on
Had both, decided on the fork mount as it’s more stable on the highway and gives me a bit more clearance up top. Also, not good to clamp a carbon frame.
kidsafe on
Get hitch receiver installed. Get a QuikrStuff Mach 2.
KuyaJester on
1st one looks the coolest
Jerclaw on
Hi there. You don’t say anything about a budget or anything so forgive me for pitching expensive products. But the 1up roof rack is the best out there. Wheels stay on super secure. I love it.
As for the hitch mounts. Pricey and something no one ever talks about. Getting rear ended. It’s happened to 2 of my buddies. Sucks when it happens.
21 Comments
Neither. It’s a PITA to remove the front wheel, and never clamp any part of the frame…..
If you must have a roof rack, get the one that straps down the rear wheel and puts a locking loop over the front wheel.
I have #1 and I love it but my car is very short and my bike is fairly light
Do you have a worse quality image, I can still see the fork
I have a second and actually ride with 2 bikes, my and wife’s. I’m not sure if this is advised for carbon, as clamp needs to hold it strong. Of course disadvantage is mountains and unmounting it. I would much better have one that you mount on trailer hook. Also consider that you’ll probably use at least 1l/100km more of gas.
They recommend the fork-down for carbon, so you don’t squeeze the frame.
there is a third option and that’s wheel (tire) retained. Thru axle or quick release based racks will be the most stable but are finicky to set up. Frame retained racks are not great for any carbon based frame. Wheel retain is a good combination of stability and safety
Yakima highroad is the best option imo. Love mine
I have used the second and ended up with a sideways bike dangling from wheel straps over the drivers side. Fun experience on the DC beltway. Turns out the universal frame grabber part that keeps it upright is not so universal.
I have something like option 2. It Thule (BMW OEM.) It works great.
I drove an alloy Colnago WC and a Carbon Ridley Dean RS 3500km across North America. Zero issues. Fast on and off (useful when you drive into a hotel 5 minutes before the tornado.)
I used a bit of pipe insulation on the Carbon, but it was probably not necessary. The bike is held to the rack by the wheel straps. There is no need to crush the frame in the bar clamp.
The fork clamp setup will obviously work too with an extra step of mounting and removing wheels when stopped.
Thule Upride is my all-time favorite. I also have the yakima front loader, and it’s perfectly good too.
Get the oneup one that clamps both wheels and doesn’t damage frame
I use both.
Pic 2 for short trips I hate removing the wheel and lining up the axle, this mount is very easy to load and unload the bike.
For trips over 50 miles I use the fork mount because my rails are on my truck bed and it keeps my shock out of the wind. It’s a pain but it feels more secure. Then I throw my front wheel on the other mount. I also use an allen wrench axle for a little more security on long trips. I routinely drive 600 miles to Bentonville.
It depends on your garage.
You will eventually try to drive into your garage and will do damage to both the garage, and your bike.
Pick one that minimizes the damage to your car as well.
https://preview.redd.it/0870e41sb15d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=967524f347cd8f5930b7e3db269917d0ccf77c2d
Option #1, but a Seasucker style, no roof rack required and very versatile.!
1. But I’d actually push anyone towards a hitch mount like Küat
a hitch rack every day.
What kind of bikes are you carrying? Weirdos think the frame clamp will destroy your bike, but it’s not like it grips with 100000 lbs of pressure. If you have a steel or aluminum bike, those carriers are great, assuming you’re tall enough to reach the top of your car. If you have a carbon bike, they’re still great and you just have to be not the dumbest motherfucker on the planet and use a reasonable amount of pressure.
All that clamp does it disallow the bike from falling side-to-side. The zip-tie ratchet things on the front and rear wheels keep it from moving forward/backward and keep it attached.
Had both, decided on the fork mount as it’s more stable on the highway and gives me a bit more clearance up top. Also, not good to clamp a carbon frame.
Get hitch receiver installed. Get a QuikrStuff Mach 2.
1st one looks the coolest
Hi there. You don’t say anything about a budget or anything so forgive me for pitching expensive products. But the 1up roof rack is the best out there. Wheels stay on super secure. I love it.
As for the hitch mounts. Pricey and something no one ever talks about. Getting rear ended. It’s happened to 2 of my buddies. Sucks when it happens.
In the vehicle is the best on top is second.
Check out the 1up racks. Worth the money