C7 S6 Bike Rack?

[ImpartialFocus]

I'm looking for some advice here.

I have always had bike racks on my cars, Thule, Yakima, etc. When I bought my C7 A6, I put the small receiver hitch on to save the roof lines. Although I wasn't really happy with the way it stuck out the back, it worked well enough. Now I've upgraded to the S6 and would like to take the bikes places. Do I:

1. not mess with it at all
2. install a receiver hitch (not a fan of cutting the facia underneath)
3. go with the roof mounted option (like that it's not permanent, but have to deal with scratching/wind drag, etc).

[13allroad]

Personally, I have the Thule whisperbars and mount for my bikes and it works great. Easy to install and remove. If I am not planning on going to the mountains for a bit I remove the system and then put it back on when I expect to head out.

[HackDevil]

Have you tried removing the front wheel and see if it will fit in the trunk? Our boot is pretty large.

I have a quick release on my trek and it would fit in my Mini Cooper that way. And the mini was way smaller.

Also, don't forget you have the option of the trunk mount rack.

[yas]

Personally, I have the Thule whisperbars and mount for my bikes and it works great. Easy to install and remove. If I am not planning on going to the mountains for a bit I remove the system and then put it back on when I expect to head out.

Which kit did you get? Their website seemed to think its not available for the S6.

I went with Inno, since that's the box I have at the moment.

[SpeedKeen]

I grabbed the Audi roof bars and fork mount. Haven't tried it yet since its winter. There was a 20% sale so went OE route otherwise was looking at Thule. I got PPF applied to portion of my car including the roof line from A-C pillars to protect the paint on the mounting points. Could also PPF entire roof.

[13allroad]

Which kit did you get? Their website seemed to think its not available for the S6.

I went with Inno, since that's the box I have at the moment.

"Recommended products

Thule AeroBlade ARB53, Thule Rapid Traverse Foot Pack 480R, KIT1651
Thule Aeroblade Load Bars: Premium, aerodynamic load bars provide an exceptionally quiet ride and superior carrying performance. Thule Rapid Traverse Foot Pack 480R: The revolutionary foot which provides the strongest hold, safest fit and easiest installation for the ultimate in roof rack technology and peace of mind.


View details
$499.85"

1

[SeatonS4]

I too have the Thule with the AeroBlade crossbars. You need the following parts: Thule AeroBlade ARB53, Thule Rapid Traverse Foot Pack 480R, KIT1651. I use the ThruRide 535 for my road bikes and Sidearm 594XT for my MTBs. The rack is really quiet, minimal wind noise even without a wind deflector. I simply made sure to give a good couple coats of a premium wax prior to mounting as well as ensure that the foot mount are clean. The fitkit has sculpted pads so they are directional, but I just leave the whole rack together when I take it on and off. Only takes a few minutes to get it mounted back up after the initial setup. There are actually fit pins in the door frame to align the rack to which was pretty cool. The entire rack is very secure and I like the ability to lock the bikes to the rack.

[Brooklyn]

You can always get 4 pieces of xpel like material installed on the mounting points. On the roof is definitely the way to go. I'm using a circa 10+ year old Thule system on mine, but may upgrade to the aeroblade setup eventually.

[ImpartialFocus]

What is PPF? Protector Film?

I thought of that, at least for the roof if I go with the roof mount.

Is there a special mount point for the Audi OEM stuff? Saab had that a long time ago and was clean.

Is there no issue with wind noise?

[jmeenach]

There are some people on here using the suction cup racks, which actually seem to hold better than I would have expected.

[bomb39]

Check these out.

https://www.seasucker.com/product-category/bike-racks/

Their instagram has some good shots.

[SpeedKeen]

What is PPF? Protector Film?

I thought of that, at least for the roof if I go with the roof mount.

Is there a special mount point for the Audi OEM stuff? Saab had that a long time ago and was clean.

Is there no issue with wind noise?

PPF is Paint Protection Film. I have the latest 3M Pro Series, came out last year. Great stuff even compared to 3M VentureShield Ultra which is on my other car.

Audi has fixed mount points on C7 A6, positioning holes on the inside top of the door jamb. Call your Audi dealer and negotiate on the price. Don't know about wind noise as I haven't used mine yet, won't till Spring.

[NEdomer]

I'm using the Thule Raceway on my S6 and have been happy.

[Bassler]

I too have the Thule with the AeroBlade crossbars. You need the following parts: Thule AeroBlade ARB53, Thule Rapid Traverse Foot Pack 480R, KIT1651. I use the ThruRide 535 for my road bikes and Sidearm 594XT for my MTBs. The rack is really quiet, minimal wind noise even without a wind deflector. I simply made sure to give a good couple coats of a premium wax prior to mounting as well as ensure that the foot mount are clean. The fitkit has sculpted pads so they are directional, but I just leave the whole rack together when I take it on and off. Only takes a few minutes to get it mounted back up after the initial setup. There are actually fit pins in the door frame to align the rack to which was pretty cool. The entire rack is very secure and I like the ability to lock the bikes to the rack.

got any pics of the car with the rack setup on? how far beyond the feet do the bars stick out? i'm wondering if the 47 inch aeroblades that i have already would work but i doubt it.

what is wrong with me that i'm thinking about snow setups in June?

[Black3.2]

not with aerobars though

[Silent Drone]

I use the Thule set up mentioned by others. It's easy to put on and take off as needed if you just want to go full aero sometimes. I can also easily fit my mtn or road bike in the trunk space with the front wheel removed and the seats folded down. I am tall and have the largest size bikes.


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