Roof mounted bike rack
07-23-2024, 07:04 PM
#26
Hi guys,
I just bought my boys each a new bike. One is a 20" youth bicycle, the other one is even smaller. They are 6 and 3 years old.
I'm lucky I could (barely) place both in the trunk of the car, but I'm looking for a more realistic solution going forward.
What roof mounted bike rack do you recommend for e bike?
I looked into OEM from Benz, which means a pair of crossbars, and then two bike racks. Adding it all up costs about $1,025 CAD. Steep! It's twice the price I paid for the two bikes!
Perhaps Thule is a better option, but again, it gets pricey pretty fast. I'm at a bit of a loss in selecting the right equipment.
What would you suggest?
I just bought my boys each a new bike. One is a 20" youth bicycle, the other one is even smaller. They are 6 and 3 years old.
I'm lucky I could (barely) place both in the trunk of the car, but I'm looking for a more realistic solution going forward.
What roof mounted bike rack do you recommend for e bike?
I looked into OEM from Benz, which means a pair of crossbars, and then two bike racks. Adding it all up costs about $1,025 CAD. Steep! It's twice the price I paid for the two bikes!
Perhaps Thule is a better option, but again, it gets pricey pretty fast. I'm at a bit of a loss in selecting the right equipment.
What would you suggest?
07-23-2024, 11:45 PM
#27
MBWorld Fanatic!
I don't know how you do it. I have such a fear of running a roof-mounted rack into my garage door or something else along my destination. I know 3 people who forgot they had bikes on the roof and ran into something at a parking garage, fast food pole, and their own garage.
07-24-2024, 01:43 PM
#28
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Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Wilmington, NC
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2021 GLE53
Hi guys,
I just bought my boys each a new bike. One is a 20" youth bicycle, the other one is even smaller. They are 6 and 3 years old.
I'm lucky I could (barely) place both in the trunk of the car, but I'm looking for a more realistic solution going forward.
What roof mounted bike rack do you recommend?
I looked into OEM from Benz, which means a pair of crossbars, and then two bike racks. Adding it all up costs about $1,025 CAD. Steep! It's twice the price I paid for the two bikes!
Perhaps Thule is a better option, but again, it gets pricey pretty fast. I'm at a bit of a loss in selecting the right equipment.
What would you suggest?
I just bought my boys each a new bike. One is a 20" youth bicycle, the other one is even smaller. They are 6 and 3 years old.
I'm lucky I could (barely) place both in the trunk of the car, but I'm looking for a more realistic solution going forward.
What roof mounted bike rack do you recommend?
I looked into OEM from Benz, which means a pair of crossbars, and then two bike racks. Adding it all up costs about $1,025 CAD. Steep! It's twice the price I paid for the two bikes!
Perhaps Thule is a better option, but again, it gets pricey pretty fast. I'm at a bit of a loss in selecting the right equipment.
What would you suggest?
Just know if you go OEM crossbars and have a panoramic roof the roof will not open with the bars attached. I can’t believe MB did this but they did…other brands will allow the roof to slide open.
I have brand new MB cross bars sitting in the corner of my garage because I didn’t know this…😄
07-25-2024, 03:33 AM
#29
I also use a hitch mounted bike rack. I drove my GLE last winter with crossbars and a roof box. The extra noise was infuriating. I could even hear the roof racks by themselves before I put on the box. I can't imagine how loud it would be with bikes on a roof.
The GLE is wide, so unless you have very large bikes, you they don't stick out to the sides and you can't see them in the side-view mirrors. You just have to get used to the view in the rear-view mirror. You can see through the bikes, but they do wobble a bit on bumps. It can be quite disconcerting at first - I felt they would fall off
After a while you can actually forget they're there. You do have to find longer parking spaces though.
The GLE is wide, so unless you have very large bikes, you they don't stick out to the sides and you can't see them in the side-view mirrors. You just have to get used to the view in the rear-view mirror. You can see through the bikes, but they do wobble a bit on bumps. It can be quite disconcerting at first - I felt they would fall off
After a while you can actually forget they're there. You do have to find longer parking spaces though.
07-25-2024, 01:37 PM
#30
MBWorld Fanatic!
I also use a hitch mounted bike rack. I drove my GLE last winter with crossbars and a roof box. The extra noise was infuriating. I could even hear the roof racks by themselves before I put on the box. I can't imagine how loud it would be with bikes on a roof.
The GLE is wide, so unless you have very large bikes, you they don't stick out to the sides and you can't see them in the side-view mirrors. You just have to get used to the view in the rear-view mirror. You can see through the bikes, but they do wobble a bit on bumps. It can be quite disconcerting at first - I felt they would fall off After a while you can actually forget they're there. You do have to find longer parking spaces though.
The GLE is wide, so unless you have very large bikes, you they don't stick out to the sides and you can't see them in the side-view mirrors. You just have to get used to the view in the rear-view mirror. You can see through the bikes, but they do wobble a bit on bumps. It can be quite disconcerting at first - I felt they would fall off
After a while you can actually forget they're there. You do have to find longer parking spaces though.
07-25-2024, 02:00 PM
#31
https://yakima.com/products/railbar
Supposedly one of the quietest on the market. I can't really compare as the last time I drove with bars and a box was around 12 years ago on a different car. They do look great though, very low profile and don't stick out to the sides (which I hate).
As for the box, it's a Thule Vector M, which is relatively aerodynamic and quiet as well.
https://www.thule.com/en-us/cargo-ca...tor-m-_-613201
Last edited by mykel79; 07-25-2024 at 02:03 PM.
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