Subaru Outback Forums banner

Bikes on factory roof rack

26K views 49 replies 16 participants last post by  hallux 
#1 ·
I am an avid cyclist and I have ordered a 2015 2.5i Limited. I want to haul my bikes on the factory roof rack (I think) and I am looking for advice on the best bike racks for the 2015 OB factory roof rack. I want to fork mount the single bike and I also want to haul a road tandem. I'm considering purchasing the Yakima Forklift for my single bike (carbon-framed road bike) and the Yakima Sidewinder for our road tandem. I would greatly appreciate input from those who have experience transporting bikes on the roof of their OB. Thanks!!
 
#2 ·
I suggest going with a 1UPUSA rack. I've been using their hitch racks for years and they are great. Keep the wheels on, wholly supports the bike by the wheels, and the bike cannot physically come out even if it comes loose. They'll also work with fat bikes, should you ever get one.

As far as the tandem goes, I'm not sure on that one... The 1UPUSA likely won't work with it, but you could always get the other / longer rack for that...
 
#3 ·
Hi c0nsumer...thanks for the advice! I will check out the 1UPUSA rack. I didn't order the OB with a hitch, but I'm sure that's easy to add. I do have a fat bike, so that would be a nice option...I sorta figured I would have to throw that one inside if I needed to transport it.

Tandems are challenging and it's the bike we transport the most. The OB is replacing an full-sized Ford Van which I can haul several tandems inside. So far I've seen a roof rack from Yakima (the Sidewinder) and Thule. That's why I'm leaning toward the roof...I think I'll be stuck with hauling the tandem up there.
 
#4 ·
Roof mounting a bike is tough on the Outback unless you're a tall person and/or have another person's help as it is hard to maintain your balance while holding your bike and stepping off the car.

I went from roof mount to hitch mount and it's much easier to mount/dismount bikes.
 
#20 ·
I'm under 5'8" and have no real problem using a fork mount tray on the factory bars. It does require leaning in against the vehicle a bit, especially if parked on a side-slope and placing the bike on from the high side, but it has worked fine for me.
Adding crossbars on TOP of the factory rails raises things even higher, though, so that is a win/lose situation.

Good point...however the tandem is pretty long. I'm concerned about how wide it will be behind the car.

Also, when you use the hitch mount does it affect the blind-spot and cross-traffic warning system? Do you have to disable those features when you are carrying your bikes on a hitch mount?
My sympathies with a tandem setup. Everything is tougher, I'm sure. But I think you may be able to manage it, based on things others have said they did.

Subiesailor this is an excellent analysis, thank you! I'm also inclined to put them on the roof. I prefer fork mounting because I don't want to put clamping forces on my carbon frame. I had not considered connecting to the rack in the stowed position. I probably won't transport more than 3 bikes at one time, so I'm hoping to simply attach Yakima carriers to the factory cross bars. Have you attached to the deployed factory rack cross bars with success? Do the Yakima fork-mount trays play well with the factory cross bars?

Thanks again for the great input!
Right. Absolutely don't put clamping forces on a carbon frame. As for using Yakima carriers, Yakima says there is only ONE type they make that works that way, and it is the ForkLift. I have it and it's working for me, but I don't have a lot of love for that setup. It is quite flexy on the factory rails, but hasn't really caused any problem. I just wish it were more rigid laterally. And I'm not crazy about their rear wheel clamp, either. The strap isn't cooperative, IMO, and either wants to get in the way as you set the bike tire up there, or wants to stay behind the wheel and you have reach up and get it worked out to go over the wheel between the spokes. The very old fashioned strap setup was the best of all, IMO.
 
#5 ·
Good point...however the tandem is pretty long. I'm concerned about how wide it will be behind the car.

Also, when you use the hitch mount does it affect the blind-spot and cross-traffic warning system? Do you have to disable those features when you are carrying your bikes on a hitch mount?
 
#6 ·
I like the roof rack for road trips keeps my expensive bikes up away from cars and easier to keep an eye on. I have collected so much various yakima rack crap over the years I simply experimented with trying to use my original gear. With the stock cross bars on the car stowed I clamp my yakima rack to the stowed bar using 2004 era yakima rail grab clamps. I then run either my 54inch bar for two bikes and my 30 inch wide roof box or I run my 66inch bar to haul 4-5 bikes or the box and the canoe etc. Works fine 60,000 miles and countless trips in those various formats in all sorts of wild road conditions no issues.

Tandem setup is roof only folks. If it were me? Hit Craigs list get some rail grabs and use your existing rack gear with the rail grabs grabbing the stowed factory bars. I've hauled my 13ft long racing sailboat 135lbs up there talk about an akward and heavy thing to roof top and it rode just fine doing the rail grab approach.



The hitch tray I like for local short trips house to the local trail head mt bike ride etc which case its fast on fast off and on the bike vs my fork mounts removing front wheels etc.

I do not like clamp style racks on the roof that keep the front wheel on, they add lots of wind drag, sit up higher and are less stable as the old fork mount trays. When we are packed solid on trips I bungie the front tires to the sides of the bikes resting on the down stroke of the pedal works fine been doing that for years since like 99 never had an issue.
 
#7 ·
Subiesailor this is an excellent analysis, thank you! I'm also inclined to put them on the roof. I prefer fork mounting because I don't want to put clamping forces on my carbon frame. I had not considered connecting to the rack in the stowed position. I probably won't transport more than 3 bikes at one time, so I'm hoping to simply attach Yakima carriers to the factory cross bars. Have you attached to the deployed factory rack cross bars with success? Do the Yakima fork-mount trays play well with the factory cross bars?

Thanks again for the great input!
 
#9 ·
Only time I use the stock rack cross bars is for the box solo which clamps to the stock bars fine. But all my bike trays and other rack gear is designed to clamp the round yakima bars so I just toss the bars on with the rail grabs and call it good. Even loaded heavy ish - the rail grab to the stowed stock bars has been solid no issues.
 
#11 ·
The Subaru-sold roof carriers are re-branded Yakima units (actually just a sticker on the side, some parts still say "Yakima"). The wheels-on unit is the Raptor. Subaru also sells the clamps you need to connect the rack to the bars on your OB. However, the bolts to secure the clamps to the bars come with the bike rack, not the clamps.

If you're going to get a Yakima ForkLift, get the Subaru fork-mount rack and the clamps to go with it, it's the same rack. Price it on Subaru Online Parts: Buy Subaru Car Parts | Genuine Discounted Subaru OEM Auto Parts | Subaru Accessories and see if your dealer will price match it (mine did). The Subaru unit is only a couple $$ more than the Yakima one when you count the cost for the bar clamps and get the subaruonlineparts.com pricing.
 
#13 ·
Thank you, Hallux! I'm definitely leaning toward the ForkLift for a single-bike carrier, so going through Subaru for that would be a great option. Sounds like I still may be on my own to figure out how to fit the Side Winder to haul the tandem. I make talk to the folks at Yakima to see what my options are on that.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, I've been thinking that too. It would be fun to have it to tool around in the snow. However, I genuinely hope that the snow is long gone by the time it arrives. The dealer says May, but I think that's overly pessimistic. Seems like people have been getting them in 6-8 weeks and we ordered in mid February.
 
#17 ·
I heard the news about the labor dispute not long after we place our order. I got this mental picture of guys leaving the line to scrounge for previously discarded parts in a dumpster behind the factory to put on my car...then I decided to put thoughts like that out of my head! We are not in a huge hurry so if it takes until May that's ok. However, this is the nicest car we have ever purchased, so I'm really hoping the labor problems don't negatively affect the quality of the build!
 
#18 ·
there are roof racks which work for both tandem and normal bikes--some extend, like the rockymounts r4 which also has a clever trick to make loading the bike easier.

the seasucker 'roof' racks (which are sort of silly given the factory rack) can be repositioned for a tandem.

1up usa also makes a tandem roof rack, but it's not adjustable. some crazy people mount it to their hitch, but that's not legal in most states (load much wider than vehicle).
 
#19 ·
Thanks mb2k! I'll look into some of the other options on the tandem racks (r4 and 1up). I have used rockymounts long ago on a pop-up camper and liked them. Very similar to the Yakima fork mounts. Appreciate the info!!
 
#21 ·
Try to actually look at the bicycle carriers and think about how well they are made, how they'll hold up to lots of grime over the years and how easy it is to mount the bike and install/remove the carrier.

If it matters to you find out whether the bike can lock to the carrier and the carrier to the rack. I never leave a bike worth over a thousand dollars unlocked on the rack if I'm not there.

The Thule and Subaru carriers seemed overpriced. I didn't like the way the Yakima was made plus I had to buy 4 lock cores to get the 2 needed.

My favourite local bike shop suggested Rocky Mounts because they are wider and don't let the bicycle sway so much left-right. I like them but the fork mounts behind the front cross bar so it sits further back. Fortunately both my road and mountain bikes still fit. See the photos in the thread "Will the Yakima ForkLift work on my 2014 Outback by itself?"

Be sure to check the distance from fork to rear tire on your tandem - some carriers aren't that long. It might not clear the hatch.

There are several threads about bicycle carriers and I think most would be relevant to the 2015 OB. I think the roof rack for Gen4 and Gen 5 are the same.

I used a Yakima rack on my Town Cars for 19 years but didn't have the extra stuff that subiesailor used. It was all getting a bit worn so it seemed like a good idea to get a new carrier for my 2014 OB.
 
#22 ·
I have always had hitch mounts on my jeeps but went with the factory roof mount on the OB (which IS a forklift btw). I have putting the hitch rack on and off the car and I have a bike on it probably 3-5 days a week. The problem with this is the power rear gate. We also have a dog who is always in and out of the back putting the hitch rack up and down all the time THEN waiting for the power gate would drive me insane. roof rack is much easier. I'm 6'1" and both my bikes are carbon race bikes. I think the roof mount is very easy and convenient. Definitely recommend it
 
#24 ·
Thanks to all for the great feedback here...You have all definitely widened the scope of roof carriers that I'm going to check out. I'm really leaning toward rooftop, I'm going to try to see the Yakima, Thule and RockyMounts in person to assess them. I think my LBS sells Thule so I can check their offerings out pretty easily. I've always thought the Thule stuff was pretty pricey, but maybe its worth it. I really appreciate everyone's excellent input!
 
#25 ·
As for security, the Subaru full-tray rack includes a lock on the downtube clamp. I don't know about the fork-mount.

BTW, on a 2011 with the full-tray carrier, I need a little over 8.5' of vertical clearance. Don't ask how I know, we'll just say my sister SWEARS I'd been in that parking garage with a bike on the roof before, lol...
 
#27 ·
Good reminder on the vertical clearance. Have heard about people forgetting about the bikes on the roof and entering their garage. That split second of wondering what that crunching sound is followed by sheer terror then denial that your $3,000 carbon frame is now just a souvenir is not something I want to experience. I'm thinking about some kind of plastic clip to put on the garage door button as a reminder when a bike is on the roof.
 
#26 ·
I have been using a 1UPUSA hitch rack and it is the best I've used (no plastic crap). I will be purchasing a roof tray from them soon as well. You could get a tandem and regular that would attach to the existing cross bars at the same time. This type of rack would not touch your carbon frame; in fact the only thing it touches is the rubber on your tires. A friend of mine has them on his Outback and they fold down flat and have very low profile. And the black matches the Subaru cross bars almost perfectly. Very unobtrusive looking when folded down.


1UPUSA.com :: Tandem Roof Rack
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Wow, the 1UPUSA tandem roof rack looks awesome. I was thinking fork-mount, but this setup looks stable and solid. I'm definitely moving this one to the top of the list on tandem carriers. Thanks!!
 
#32 ·
True...any low overhang at a bank or drive through could be a problem. Think I'll measure the clearance with bikes on the car when the OB arrives because most public low clearance overhangs are marked with how high they are. I think a flag or some kind of marker within the drivers view would be a great constant reminder. Maybe I should use the receipt from the purchase of my road bike as a reminder flag!!
 
#35 ·
SubiesSince99...I'm amazed that bikes can take that kind of a force too, but I am also amazed by how light and strong modern bicycles are! I think the problem with hitting the garage stems from it being so routine to just pull into the driveway and on into the garage. You don't really think about it. I'm beginning the think multiple warnings may be in order. I could also leave something in the garage in the car's spot when leaving with bikes loaded on the roof. That way I can't pull into the garage without getting out of the car and moving something.

RangerJay...I will see what the inter webs have to say about methods for avoiding house/bike collisions! Thanks!
 
#41 ·
One other idea I have never implemented but I may yet do it one day, is to hang a big convex mirror, either on the wall of the garage or on a large retaining wall beside the entrance so I see my own car reflection as I approach. I like this option best because it can't be forgotten (could be ignored, but if it's a big mirror, I think I'd see the bike rather obviously) but the downside is that it's not exactly great décor for landscaping. (But I'm not terribly concerned with pleasing others, so I can overcome that easily enough. I'm more about function.)


The I-phone app might work too; not my flavor, but it's a decent attempt to address the problem (and it IS a problem, true enough. Bike shops can tell you plenty of stories!)


Sadly, none of these things helps with the problem when you are traveling elsewhere from your normal patterns.
I've often wished there were some way of SEEING yourself from the front end of your car, so you could be highly aware that you have something on the roof. A little camera mounted at the front of the hood would do it, if you had a dedicated screen inside to monitor that. That would be a great feature also for monitoring what the load of lumber or whatever is doing when you haul that stuff up top.
 
#36 ·
#37 ·
Good thread.
I'm debating what to do when I want to haul my bike like on vacations and can't just throw it in the back (due to luggage/passengers).
Roof option seems cheapest but more of a pain to deal with (Ive done roof before).
Hitch mounts sound best, but $$$$$ especially if you don't already have the hitch (which I don't).
 
#38 ·
hikejr...the hitch mount option does seem great, but more expensive. It offers convenient bike access and eliminates the overhead collision worries as detailed above.

One question I've wondered about with hitch mounting is if/how hitch mounted bikes affect the blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert. I suspect there is something in the owners manual about that, but I don't have my OB yet so I haven't had a chance to study the manual.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top