# Cyclists what rack do you have on your e46?



## bdb (Mar 14, 2002)

I am getting 2 bikes in the next couple of weeks, and I know from having tried they don't fit in the trunk..

So who out there has a Roof Rack, and where did you get it...

Should I be looking at the Thule 753?

Or the BMW profile 2000 or whatever it is called...

Cheers.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Check this thread: from yesterday


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

get a saris bones...it mounts on the trunk, and is the be-all, end-all of bike racks... ask 100 cyclists, 80 of them will probably have one.


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

___lk___ said:


> *get a saris bones...it mounts on the trunk, and is the be-all, end-all of bike racks... ask 100 cyclists, 80 of them will probably have one. *


So why is the Saris Bones better than a roof mount? Last time I had a trunk mount rack (on a Toyota Tercel), the trunk lid got damaged by bike pedals, so I'm not inclined to use any kind of trunk mount bike rack on my 5er.

I'm leaning towards the Thule 753 (rather than the BMW Profile 2000) since it'll fit both my E39 530i and my wifes E46 323i.


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

*LOL*... u shouldn't be so quick to judge. i'm telling u, it rocks. i would never trade mine for any roof rack. 










click me


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## Pete Teoh (Jan 27, 2002)

Does the Saris rack do any damage to the paint on the trunk? Does it leave a dent on the car? I'm nervous about strapping a rack on the back of my baby. :dunno:


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

___lk___ said:


> **LOL*... u shouldn't be so quick to judge. i'm telling u, it rocks. i would never trade mine for any roof rack. *


I'm not convinced.

"It rocks" is meaningless to me. So you still haven't told me how the Bones is better than a roof rack.

It doesn't look to me like it has enough clearance to keep bike parts from damaging body surfaces. I already had experience with that. I didn't really care about the Tercel getting scratched by bike pedals, but the bimmers are a different story.

And I can't see any real downside to a roof rack compared to a trunk mount. And I like the idea that when the doors are locked, so is the rack. And if I need to get into the trunk, I don't have a bike rack getting in the way.

If I were worried about the added expense of gas mileage (with bikes on the roof) I wouldn't be driving a 5er to begin with. People have also mentioned wind noise. Well I can get a fairing and keep the sunroof closed (which I don't open that much anyway except for local city driving).

So I don't see any point to the risk of a trunk mount rack.


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## bdb (Mar 14, 2002)

thanks guys I feel like the Thule is the way to go for me.
I don't want one that sits on the trunk for various reasons.

I actually don't mind the look of a roof rack on a car, esp if there is a bike attached to it. It serves a function.

The BMW one just looks a bit less cool I think, but I will see if I can see them both in the flesh.


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## Raffi (May 18, 2002)

I have the BMW profile rack on my 330ci and I absolutely love it. It looks gorgeous (subjective); both bikes and the rack are locked when in use, so I am not worried about the risk of theft. The biggest reason I got the BMW rack, however, is that it fits in the roof's concealed mounting points. Paint damage was the biggest concern for me, and it seems to be very important to you too. I don't know if the Thule mounts the same way or if it fits under the window lip. I had looked at the Yakima rack when comparing the different options, and it did not use the roof mounting points.

Good luck,
Raffi.:thumb:


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

Raffi said:


> *I have the BMW profile rack on my 330ci and I absolutely love it.... *


Which bike mount do you have?

Does the Racing Cycle Holder (the one where you remove the front wheels and attach the fork, and attach the front wheels on a separate mount) work for mountain bikes with thicker tires? It's not clear from the accessory catalog. I would prefer that type over the one that mounts using both wheels (the Mountain Bike Holder).


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

dwette said:


> *
> 
> Which bike mount do you have?
> 
> Does the Racing Cycle Holder (the one where you remove the front wheels and attach the fork, and attach the front wheels on a separate mount) work for mountain bikes with thicker tires? It's not clear from the accessory catalog. I would prefer that type over the one that mounts using both wheels (the Mountain Bike Holder). *


That is a cheesy looking carrier, especially for $105 MSRP. They want another $46 for the wheel fork, which is rather pricey.

I will be going with Thule, whose rack is designed specifically for BMWs and attaches to the mounting points. My friend uses Thule's "Velo Vise" carrier for both his road and mountain bikes. FWIW, if your wheels are expensive, you may feel better putting your front wheel in the trunk as wheel forks generally are not lockable.


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

Cliff3 said:


> *
> 
> That is a cheesy looking carrier, especially for $105 MSRP. They want another $46 for the wheel fork, which is rather pricey.
> 
> I will be going with Thule, whose rack is designed specifically for BMWs and attaches to the mounting points. My friend uses Thule's "Velo Vise" carrier for both his road and mountain bikes. FWIW, if your wheels are expensive, you may feel better putting your front wheel in the trunk as wheel forks generally are not lockable. *


I don't care if the bike holder looks cheesy. It'll only be on the car when I'm actually transporting bikes. And I plan to just carry the front wheels in the trunk, and have the wheel mounts only if I need to carry luggage as well.

But I was already told by a Thule dealer that the mounts that attach with front tires intact are more convenient, but less stable, especially with highway cross winds.

I looked at the Thule, and it looks like it also mounts against the window lip and only uses the BMW concealed bolt to hold it down. So it seems paint damage could be possible. The BMW Profile 2000 doesn't. I could be wrong, but that's the way it looked to me.

Can anyone confirm or refute this?


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

dwette said:


> *
> I looked at the Thule, and it looks like it also mounts against the window lip and only uses the BMW concealed bolt to hold it down. So it seems paint damage could be possible. The BMW Profile 2000 doesn't. I could be wrong, but that's the way it looked to me.
> 
> Can anyone confirm or refute this? *


Thule's PDF product manual for 753 - BMW Specialty Carrier has very clear drawings of how the rack attaches. This is not a gutter mounted rack.

The BMW "racing bike holder" looks like it's barely able to hold a 20 pound road bike in the photo in their catalog. I'm not impressed with it.


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

Cliff3 said:


> *
> 
> Thule's PDF product manual for 753 - BMW Specialty Carrier has very clear drawings of how the rack attaches. This is not a gutter mounted rack. *


Looks like you're right about the rack mount. The Thule dealer I visited must have been looking at the wrong thing, even though I told him it's the 753 model.


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## RaceTripper (Apr 12, 2002)

BTW: The Sports Rack is having a sale on Thule. 20% off, but it ends today (May 19).

I just ordered the Thule 753 Rack and 2 Velo Vise carriers for 294.40 plus 24.99 shipping.

https://www.sportsrack.com/

If you miss the sale, the Rack WareHouse has a 15% off Thule until May 27. http://store.yahoo.com/rack-warehouse/index.html


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## palooka666 (Apr 23, 2002)

*Hitch mount*

I've noticed no one has made mention of the hitch mount. I'm currently putting my bike in the back of my 325i. but i am considering installing a hitch mount carrier. i've looked in to it and the install is pretty straightforward... i've done the alarm kit, m3 steering wheel installs and the hitch mount install seems no more challenging than any of those.

any thoughts on the hitch mounts?

basically, the install requires putting in 2 support plates in the wheel well, drilling 4 holes to map to the hitch itself, and bolting them together. the load capacity is 200 lbs on the tongue. and ca ntow up to 3000. but my 2 bikes would weight 60 lbs at most.

da'lan makes the hitch for about 225$ and thule's hitch carrier is about 150$


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

*Re: Hitch mount*



palooka666 said:


> *any thoughts on the hitch mounts? *


My truck when I still used a hitch mount. Of course, I could drive into an overhead obstruction too, but at least the only person I could blame would be myself. Bikes on a roof rack are a bit more secure from casual mischief too.

edit:

I currently transport my bikes inside the truck on fork racks, but that will obviously change when I get the new car.


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## BWTX540i (Mar 19, 2002)

I have both the Thule roof rack and a Saris trunk rack. The Thule fits just like the BMW rack into the roof mounts, so it doesn't touch the paint. I got the Saris when I had a VW Passat, and it ended up scratching the paint on the trunk, so I haven't used it on the BMW yet, and doubt I will. But as far as trunk mounted racks go, the Saris is the abolute best; very sturdy.


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