bike/snowboard rack help

[LukeS4]

Im in the market for a bike/snowboard rack. I was wondering what people are using. I was either going to go with yakima or thule. I heard those were the best. I need to be able to carry 2 bikes and snowboards. Anyone with this kind of set up would you let me know what you are using and what you ordered and how you like it. I went on the yakima website and there are about 50 different set ups and im not really sure which one I need. Any other input would be appreciated. Thanks

[piaadoll]

i recommend the thule rack for your car...

i'll post some pics later.

i have the barracuda bike racks on my car and i absolutely love them.... i use them with the Audi OEM towers ..which are Thule as well and interchange them with my Thule snowboard attachment during the winter....

i'll post pics when i get home. i just took some new ones!

[LukeS4]

Alright thanks that would help. Im guessing you can get the Audi OEM towers from a dealership. Or is there a better place? Thanks for the help

[s4Rye]

Thule or Yakima. A ton of them off of ebay. Even the recycler and craigslist has them.

[cdub]

Yak's the stack that won't bite back. Been using them for years and have transfered them easily from car to car to Audi. I have the precise set up you're describing on permanently. When I go biking, I just fold down the ski/board button downs.

[LukeS4]

So is there a certain model I need for my S4 or are can you use the kits on any car. I looked on ebay and there are tons for sale but im not sure which one I need.

cdub can you tell me what the names of the parts are from your set up so I can look for that.

sorry for the stupid questions but this is the first time I have dealt with racks.

Thanks

[snopyro]

i also have the yakima's. for the avant you would use the low riders, but i'm assuming you have the sedan. so the parts you would need are: (4) clips, (4) Q-towers, 48" cross bars, big powderhounds (or the newer styled ones that are black with the silver button), (2) bike rail attachments, (8) SKS locking cores. optional items include: fairing, front bike wheel holder. i liked the yaks b/c of their aerodynamic round bars. thule uses the rectangular bars which makes it slightly difficult to mount longer items such as bike racks and cargo boxes over cars with higher sloped (or uneven heighted(?) rooflines such as the vw new beetle. thule does make nice cargo boxes and seem to be targeted more euro cars. both companies make interchangeable attachments that can mount onto either the round yakima or rectangular thule bars, so either one would suit you fine. go to www.yakima.com for the exact q-clips you would need. i believe i ordered mine online from www.ageebike.com, but don't know if they're still the cheapest around right now... hope this helps!

[piaadoll]

i'd try this website and shop around first before going on ebay



the sports rack

these guys are very knowledgable...so is REI..

[s4Rye]

Originally posted by LukeS4
So is there a certain model I need for my S4 or are can you use the kits on any car. I looked on ebay and there are tons for sale but im not sure which one I need.

cdub can you tell me what the names of the parts are from your set up so I can look for that.

sorry for the stupid questions but this is the first time I have dealt with racks.

Thanks

If you go with Yakima, just go to their website. They have a configurator which will tell you exactly everything you need specifically for your car.

[LukeS4]

Alright thanks everyone for the help.

[lawong]

Also, there are a few other things to consider.

Round/square bars vs. aerodynamic bars. This will determine how much wind noise is being generated. If you go with a round/square bar setup (these are the standard for Yakima and Thule configurations), you will most likely want/need a fairing to cut down on wind noise. The Audi OEM racks are basically Thule Aero bars which are shaped to reduce wind noise and resistance. It helps tremendously. Careful if you find the OEM aero bars on ebay, they are suppose to come with this rubber weather stripping that you install if you have no attachments installed. If you don't install them, it you will get a loud whistling noise, when driving.

Also another when installing your base bars is that the rubber feet can rub and vibrate when installed. The OEM base bars come with clearguard that you install to prevent the rubber feet from rubbing the paint on your car.

And just for the record, I can install the OEM base bars by myself in about 10 minutes. The uninstall takes about 6 minutes. I believe the Yakima setup takes a little bit longer, but this is something you may only want to consider if you do remove them a lot.
If you plan on leaving your stuff on all year long, then the point is moot.

Lastly, overall style and sex appeal. The OEM bars are fitted to the car and match the styling cues of the car.

I have some pics of my setup posted on AW.

[piaadoll]

when i saw lawong's OEM set up... i ditched my old thule tower bar set up..and went with OEM. i've never looked back!

[/\G]

Thule bars and racks. This snowboard rack is great because the boards dont sit flat and get piled with snow. It also saves space on the rack if you are planning to have all of them on at once...