# Roof Bike Rack from VW



## kstangel (May 9, 2006)

Hi. First post here. I've read through the many threads on bike racks for the T-reg, but still have a couple questions that I'm hoping someone can help with.
I'm interested in the Fork Mount Bicycle Rack from VW (http://drivergear.vw.com/store...=2926)
1. How much height does this add to the vehicle (beyond the factory roof rack, and without bikes)? I have 2-3 inches clearance on my garage door right now.
2. Is it hard to take the rack off? If it's too tall, I'd just take it off when I got back from bike trips. 
3. I saw some people installed the Yakima and Thule racks. Any happy/horror stories to share about those?


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## SoftballBud31 (Apr 26, 2006)

*Re: Roof Bike Rack from VW (kstangel)*

If you only have 2-3 inches of clearance, I don't think the fork mount will clear. I would say it adds 2 1/2 - 3 inches. I would say after you have done it a couple of times that it only takes 10 minutes or so to install or un-install. The fork mounted bike rack that VW sells is made for VW by Thule, and actually comes in a Thule box. Hope that helps.


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## SeattleLimie (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: Roof Bike Rack from VW (kstangel)*

Ok i have done the roof rack thing and the hitch thing. I prefer the hitch its easy and quick. Plus you do not have to take off a wheel to start with. 
If your Touareg has a hitch how about this???
http://www.thuleracks.com/thul...u=916
The hitch is the only way to go in my opinion, especially if you have 40-50lb downhill bikes like i do








Plus it can be extended to take up to 4 bikes too








It was one of the reasons i bought the my egg


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## Egginmydriveway (Nov 11, 2004)

*Re: Roof Bike Rack from VW (SeattleLimie)*

Did you ever get an answer on your original post on roof rack? I have both a hitch rack, which I use frequently for my mountain bike trips. and a Thule V2 fork mount on my factory rails, which I use often for my road bike.
The disadvantage of the hitch rack is it confuses my parking sensors - ie makes the back sensors ineffective as they are always on with the hitch rack. 
For the roof mount - Thule has special flat head bolts that slide into the grooves of the OEM VW rack. Simple/clean install - though I had to drill 1 hole in the V2 to align with the OEM rack spacing.
I can measure the height if you never got the info you needed.


_Modified by Egginmydriveway at 4:36 AM 5-26-2006_


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

If it were me and I was doin a roof rack system, ditch the factory rails altogether and get a Yakima or Thule system that works with the factory tracks in the roof. I personally hate the factory rails for they are too damn noisy when spread apart. I took mine off and they will never see the roof of my Treg again. I have a Yakima system for my ski rack on the roof and a Yakima hitch mount for my bikes. I did not go out and buy all this just for the Treg though, I had a lot of different vehicals and aquired different stuff for them.


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## insguy (Nov 22, 2003)

*Re: (Yeti35)*

What Yeti said...
I did the same thing, but used the Thule system. I can have the whole setup on or off the car in two minutes. Very convenient.


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## syntrix (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: (Yeti35)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Yeti35* »_If it were me and I was doin a roof rack system, ditch the factory rails altogether and get a Yakima or Thule system that works with the factory tracks in the roof. I personally hate the factory rails for they are too damn noisy when spread apart. I took mine off and they will never see the roof of my Treg again. I have a Yakima system for my ski rack on the roof and a Yakima hitch mount for my bikes. I did not go out and buy all this just for the Treg though, I had a lot of different vehicals and aquired different stuff for them. 

That's great, but what actually works WITH the factory racks.
I've seen aftermarket mounts on an egg, and it just looks like it doesn't belong.


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## dsacks (Apr 16, 2004)

*Re: (syntrix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *syntrix* »_That's great, but what actually works WITH the factory racks.
I've seen aftermarket mounts on an egg, and it just looks like it doesn't belong.

Syntrix -- check out the fork mount from VW linked at the beginning of this thread -- I believe this is simply a rebadged thule fork mount . . . http://drivergear.vw.com/store...=2926


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## syntrix (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: (dsacks)*

^^^
cool http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
What about snowboard racks? Or a cargo bin thingy? Will anything bolt on easily?


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: (syntrix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *syntrix* »_^^^
cool http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
What about snowboard racks? Or a cargo bin thingy? Will anything bolt on easily?

All the Thule stuff will work with the right adapters since Thule made the worthless factory rails for the Treg. I just find those rails way too noisy when they are spread out and drivin down the highway. If you have not tried it out yet, please do so and you will see what I mean. There is a reason VW sells them with the rails all the way to the rear of the car. I personally don't think the after market stuff looks bad on the roof of the Treg. I have pics posted of mine in a gallery on the Club Touareg site under the same user name. You can see how it looks for yourself. After market racks have way more versatility then the factory rails.


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## scuba_aruba (May 11, 2004)

*Re: Roof Bike Rack from VW (kstangel)*

I have the hitch mounted thule rack and it works great. The one I have has a swing arm that allows the entire rack (with bikes attached to wsing out of the way so that you can raise the lift gate and access the back and the bikes and rack are completely out of the way, no reaching around. One of their most expensive racks but definitely worth the extra money for the added convenience. Also you don't have to deal with tring to lift the bike onto the roof (no risk of a bad scratch if you slip) Hope this helps


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## I8ABUG (Aug 22, 2004)

*Re: (dsacks)*


_Quote, originally posted by *dsacks* »_
Syntrix -- check out the fork mount from VW linked at the beginning of this thread -- I believe this is simply a rebadged thule fork mount . . . http://drivergear.vw.com/store...=2926

Yes it is....look here....
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1290314
It is amazing what you can find in the FAQs.


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## syntrix (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: (I8ABUG)*


_Quote, originally posted by *I8ABUG* »_Yes it is....look here....
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1290314
It is amazing what you can find in the FAQs.









But IIRC, the FAQ does not tell you what other racks (which specific thule, yakima, saris, etc) work with the factory rails.


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## mml7 (Dec 3, 1999)

*Re: (syntrix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *syntrix* »_But IIRC, the FAQ does not tell you what other racks (which specific thule, yakima, saris, etc) work with the factory rails. 

If you want to use the factory rails, you don't want to use Thule/Yakima/Saris racks (towers, fit kit and cross bars) as it would be redundant. What that FAQ document shows is how you can mount a US spec'd Thule bike carrier to the factory. Thule cargo boxes will mount right up. Other attachments such as front wheel adapters or canoe mounts will likely need modification.
All VW racks are OEM'd by Thule. The stuff VW sells is just Euro spec'd Thule stuff.


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## syntrix (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: (mml7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mml7* »_If you want to use the factory rails, you don't want to use Thule/Yakima/Saris racks (towers, fit kit and cross bars) as it would be redundant. What that FAQ document shows is how you can mount a US spec'd Thule bike carrier to the factory. Thule cargo boxes will mount right up. Other attachments such as front wheel adapters or canoe mounts will likely need modification.
All VW racks are OEM'd by Thule. The stuff VW sells is just Euro spec'd Thule stuff.

Ok, so that's pretty clear, no snowboard rack. It shows the thule style rails on the vw site








And you have to buy that adapter kit on the vw site, right? It basically put the bolt through the factory rail, and right into the mount to be screwed down?


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## Paddy2bsure (Dec 1, 2005)

*Re: (Yeti35)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Yeti35* »_If it were me and I was doin a roof rack system, ditch the factory rails altogether and get a Yakima or Thule system that works with the factory tracks in the roof.

I did the Thule racks that slide into the groove in the roof bars... here's a picture:








Worked well for me, no wind noise (but I've never noticed any off the bars when they're docked at the rear of the roof anyhow)... and cheap too - less than $150 for 3 carriers incl the adapter bolts for the bar system.


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## mml7 (Dec 3, 1999)

*Re: (Paddy2bsure)*

US-Spec Thule doesn't use the same fitment as Euro-spec. US load bars are rectangular and all of the accessories clamp around the bar (and are generally compatible with the round bar/Yakima systems). Also, $50/bike carrier is really cheap too. A fork mount Velo-Vise runs upwards of $90 each without locks.


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## Paddy2bsure (Dec 1, 2005)

*Re: (mml7)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mml7* »_US-Spec Thule doesn't use the same fitment as Euro-spec. US load bars are rectangular and all of the accessories clamp around the bar (and are generally compatible with the round bar/Yakima systems). Also, $50/bike carrier is really cheap too. A fork mount Velo-Vise runs upwards of $90 each without locks.


Can't access the Thule USA site at the moment, but the Euro-spec Thule bike racks came as standard with the Thule U-bolt system (clamps around the bars as you say)... but the guys at the shop were in-the-know, and they said "pull the rubber strip out of the top of your roof bars, slide these square-headed bolts in from the side, then just tighten them down. So quick to do, less fiddly then U-bolts.
Racks were Thule FreeRide 575, with the apapter bolts being Thule No. 872 (i.e. Touareg bars are compatible with Thule T-Trak design).
EDIT: I'm pretty sure that the square-head adapter bolts are called "xadapt2" for Thule USA. These make mounting the cycle adapter real easy. Price quoted is $7 (not sure if per rack (3 bolts required) or each).
MORE EDIT: I see the bike racks are about $100 each in the US... yikes! Price to pay for Euro produce I guess.

_Modified by Paddy2bsure at 5:51 AM 6-14-2006_


_Modified by Paddy2bsure at 5:55 AM 6-14-2006_


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## spikeital (May 21, 2001)

*Re: (syntrix)*


_Quote, originally posted by *syntrix* »_
Ok, so that's pretty clear, no snowboard rack. It shows the thule style rails on the vw site








And you have to buy that adapter kit on the vw site, right? It basically put the bolt through the factory rail, and right into the mount to be screwed down?

For snowboarding Use the 726 - Deluxe Pull Top 6pr Ski Carrier for your snowboards. It works great and will fit into the Tregs factory rails. U just need to get the bolts that fit into out factory rails. 
Or
If you are getting the bike hitch use the attachment 987xt - Hitch Ski Carrier. That works great as well.


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## syntrix (Aug 20, 2000)

*Re: (spikeital)*


_Quote, originally posted by *spikeital* »_For snowboarding Use the 726 - Deluxe Pull Top 6pr Ski Carrier for your snowboards. It works great and will fit into the Tregs factory rails. U just need to get the bolts that fit into out factory rails. 

The bolts on driver's gear or other ones?

_Quote, originally posted by *Paddy2bsure* »_I did the Thule racks that slide into the groove in the roof bars... 

Got a pn for that one?
Did you have to get the adapter bolts on the driver's gear website?


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