[Edvig]

Thank you for the additional pictures GoldNBlack.

Did you have to cut the rubber center piece on the front rail to fit the adapters into the rail?

[RIDE]

Killer set up GoldNBlack!

Lets see some pics of it mounted!

RIDE

[Edvig]

Originally Posted by RIDE

Killer set up GoldNBlack!

Lets see some pics of it mounted!

RIDE

Yes...lets see it with the bikes on the car!

All this talk about bikes makes me want to ride.

[GoldNBlack]

Originally Posted by Edvig

Thank you for the additional pictures GoldNBlack.

Did you have to cut the rubber center piece on the front rail to fit the adapters into the rail?

Yes, I cut the rubber to fit around the mounts. I cut it a little long and slid it it underneath a little bit. Still need to do it to the back and put on the little spoilers on the front crossbeam.

Since I usually ride right from the house, I'll see if I can get some time to put it on with the bikes just for some pics.

[DrPhyzx]

Originally Posted by STIcer

I do, why would I want to take them along?

Anyways, moot point it looks like tube mount is the only way to go from subaru for 2 bikes.

And you have to take their car seats in and out all the time? Maybe your kids are older.

Regardless, it doesn't work for me at all: I don't just ride on the weekend. In fact, I hardly ever transport a bike to the start of a ride where I live: there's no point since the best riding is where I live and where I work. I leave a bike in the office sometimes, at home sometimes, kids sometimes with me to work, sometimes from: it's pretty easy to end up with a collision unless you spend half your time working out the logistics of every ordinary day.

On taking them along: of course I do! Every weekend I do a 50 miler with 6000 feet of steep (8%+) climbing towing a trailer with my daughter in it (65 lbs gross wt.).

I don't understand your last (tube-mount-or-nothing) comment with all the fork mount pictures and discussion in this thread.

[GoldNBlack]

Originally Posted by DrPhyzx

On taking them along: of course I do! Every weekend I do a 50 miler with 6000 feet of steep (8%+) climbing towing a trailer with my daughter in it (65 lbs gross wt.).

What trailer are you using? Our son is 5 months and will soon be ready to start taking for some short rides I hope. Much like everything you wonder if you get what you pay for since I've seen them from $99 to $799...

[GilMikalian]

I bought a Topeak seat for my boy. He's 16 months. The seat's got a suspension! Unlike my rigid frame Rockhopper. The biggest challenge is making him forget about the helmet he HATES to wear.

[TravisAK]

I just installed a full Yakima setup with bike rack. So far I am happy with it, but I am having trouble getting the front crossbar tightened down enough. The rear crossbar is solid. My ultimate goal is to be able to carry my Kayak, but I won't do this until the front bar does not budge. I think yakima's fit numbers are off. I will try moving the front towers a little closer together and then re-post with some pics. With the yakima fairing it looks pretty good. Definitely gets rid of any street racer image and gives it more of a Baja rally look. I like it.

[shiftonthefly]

Travis, can we please see some pics?

[DrPhyzx]

Originally Posted by GoldNBlack

What trailer are you using? Our son is 5 months and will soon be ready to start taking for some short rides I hope. Much like everything you wonder if you get what you pay for since I've seen them from $99 to $799...

No question the best trailers out there now are the Chariots:

Chariot Carriers: Bike Trailers, Jogging Strollers and more, for bicycle riders and joggers

If you like quality equipment, you will like these, and I think they are worth the money if you will really use them. The good, old Burley is OK, but this is a different thing entirely. Since I knew I would put serious miles on it, there was no question in my mind. Also, unlike other cycling equipment, no sales job was required on my wife.

I opted for the CX1, mostly because I thought it was all I would feel comfortable with on some of the narrow mountain roads I ride. The CX1 is only about as wide as my bike, while the CX2 takes up a lot more road. Yeah, maybe I'll wish for the extra seat soon (#2 due in July) but I seriously don't think I would take the CX2 on most of my rides anyway. I probably would have gotten the CSL if it had existed then, but I am a weight weenie, even with my tow bike.

While the CX1 (CSL!!) is a really fine piece of kit, I think some of the lower models have most of the advantages at a much lower price. REI was a good place to go and see their stuff when I purchased, though the CX1 was a special order: don't know if they still carry Chariot. I'm seeing more and more of these things on the road, so I'm guessing there are lots of places you can go and see them.

We got the swiveling stroller wheels too, which carry along easily and convert it in a snap to something that is easy to handle around town. Highly recommended. As you can see, there are attachments for almost anything you could be into, and they change so quickly and easily that you can go equipped for several modes of travel and change on the fly.

[Edvig]

I picked up my Thule Echelon trays today and the heads don't fit flush like the Pelotons do. The bottom of the Echelon head is shaped to fit the narrower Thule aero bar. The tip of the curve hits the cross bar and will not allow the head to sit flat. We used one of the extra metal plates as a spacer and tightened everything down. It's not perfect, but it's certainly sturdy enough to hold a bike. Sometime in the future, I may try to machine a proper spacer.

BlackNGold's mod for the back part of the tray really cleans things up nicely.

[GoldNBlack]

Thanks for the link to the Chariots. I'll stop by REI and take a look, its just around the block.

The peloton heads had a little bump that got in the way of them being totally flush. I was going to dremal it away but when I tightened it down during fitting it snugged down fine anyway.

[subielife]

i got my rack mounted on my car but i don't know how to post pics. can someone help me out?

[baneonrt]

Instead of using the Xadapt1 I suggest using the Xadapt2 kit. It includes four T-bolts that are a little long and two that are the same as what come with the Xadapt1. If you cut the long ones down by 1/4" you'd have enough to do two bike mounts with one Xadapt2 kit.

Picture quality is bad but you get the idea




Steve

[deputychino]

I got my factory rack in the mail this week. The factory cross bars go on easy and seem to be secure. The racks themselves are just rebadged yakima raptors.