BIKE THREAD

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larkim Aug 2019 12:49pm, 27 Aug 2019 8,407 posts	0 larkim Whatever road tyres you have on, a wet manhole, slick painted lines on the road, leaves, frost, etc can all tip you off, whether you have a tread pattern or not. Fundamentally what you might gain with water clearance on a treaded tyre you lose in terms of actual rubber contacting the ground (it would seem to me). No science though!
simbil Aug 2019 1:14pm, 27 Aug 2019 8,127 posts	0 simbil Larks, water clearance is not an issue (1 slick tyre is thinner than the space between grooves on a car tyre for example - so can easily displace water sideways even at car speeds). I reckon tread it is a tradeoff: * tread gives the tyre a chance to find a better surface beneath the top surface - e.g. penetrate to the road beneath a sheen of sand But * on a good surface that does not yield like a clean road, treads will squirm and so can reduce cornering/braking ability On some surfaces tread will make no difference - a wet line or manhole cover just has low friction and so both tread and slicks will fail to grip equally (surface area of contact makes no practical difference to the physics of friction).
Nellers Aug 2019 10:06pm, 29 Aug 2019 34,662 posts	0 Nellers Really basic question, and it might not even be the right question: Rooftop bike rack or boot-mounted bike carrier - is there a clear preference or is it down to the car and the quality of whichever choice you go for?
Mandymoo Aug 2019 8:46am, 30 Aug 2019 8,840 posts	0 Mandymoo For me it is down to height - I cant reach a roof one........
larkim Aug 2019 9:15am, 30 Aug 2019 8,450 posts	0 larkim I found rear mounted ones a pain in the sense that it restricts access to the rear, and takes longer to put the bikes on (especially if there are multiple bikes). We've had roof mounted on quite tall cars, and neither me or my better half are over 5ft8 and can both manage, though in fairness I'm a little stronger than she is and she does find it harder than I do. That's been on top of a Fiat Multipla and now on a Hyundai i800 (which is more like a van in height). Money no object, I'd go for a towbar mounted, tiltable rear mount so that I still had access to the boot and I get the impression the more expensive options have quicker / easier mounting too (fewer straps, more simple clips etc). We've got a towbar mounted carrier too, but it's a cheap halfords one and whilst it is perfectly fine, it does take about 10-15 minutes to get all four bikes loaded and strapped in securely.
Velociraptor Aug 2019 9:23am, 30 Aug 2019 42,942 posts	0 Velociraptor We use a rooftop rack but there's no way I could lift and manoeuvre a bike on to it on my own. We prefer, when possible, to travel with the bike partly dismantled and inside the car.
Gobi Aug 2019 9:36am, 30 Aug 2019 67,687 posts	0 Gobi Nellers - I have a thule tow bar rack , Carry 3 bikes and can be adapted to take 4. It tilts down and allows full access to the boot.
GlennR Aug 2019 9:51am, 30 Aug 2019 44,537 posts	0 GlennR I just sling mine in the back of the Forester.
Nellers Aug 2019 10:14am, 30 Aug 2019 34,663 posts	0 Nellers No towbar (or plan to get one). Previously i’ve Taken wheels off and stuck it in the boot but there are plans afoot for a family holiday and i’m Thinking that taking my bike for a few rides in South Wales would be good, but the car will be full. I’ve used roof mounted carriers in previous cars and bikes but things have moved on since the 90s. Also it’s quite likely that we won’t use a bike rack often at all so don’t want to spend a fortune on one. Cheers for sharing your experience folks.
Yorkshire Pie Aug 2019 10:41am, 30 Aug 2019 13,536 posts	0 Yorkshire Pie In the car or towbar rack for us. We can fit three bikes in with wheels on so it’s only really if we’re camping or they’re particularly dirty (cyclocross ;)) that they go outside. But we do 2 week camping trips with the towbar so it was worth getting something decent.