Thule Roof Bike Rack for E90 Sedan?

[cgc335i]

It's getting ready to be MTB season and I need to put a rack on my car (Jet Black 335i E90 Sedan). My buddies tell me that installing a hidden hitch is probably not the way to go, given my car's suspension, etc. Plus it has the rack system in the roof rails already. I'm not that fond of BMW's rack system - just doesn't look as high end as some branded models available, especially on a black car.

I'm looking at a Thule Rapid Aero rack system along with a sidearm mount for my bike. I have a nice bike (Black Santa Cruz Heckler) and obviously a decent car and so I want a nice rack that's going to look right but don't want to spend a lot of $$$. Any one had any experience with roof racks, other than BMW's? Any pictures?

Thanks guys.

[jbhnc]

My jet black sedan with Thule rack. I didn't go with the Aero bars since my SUV and the bike racks I have are all the square bar.

W/o a bike you can actually open the moonroof at surface road speeds...becomes deafening with the roof open, mtb on the rack at 80+ mph

BTW: I used to have an E46 sedan and prefer that rack design since it didn't have the rubber boots that touch the roof. That being said, this rack does goes on/off easy and I will just need to be careful to keep under the boots clean.

J

[wkc]

I know this thread is a little old, but felt the need to contribute and join the brigade of roof rack'd M3's.

Parts list as follows:

Thule 460R Podium Foot Pack
Thule 3028 BMW Fit Kit
Thule RB47 Aero Load Bars
Thule 518 Echelon fork mount trays
Thule 871XT Fairing (medium)
Thule 8-Pack Lock Cylinders

I work at a bike shop, regularly installing roof racks and Thule is the best, even more so than the BMW rack system (which Thule manufactures). It's a bit tricky to install with the aero load bars, since they will not slide easily when mounted on the roof, but it's the cleanest rack I've ever installed. If anyone ever considers a roof rack for their M, let me know, I can answer any questions .

I'll post better pics when i get a chance.

-chase

[DrL]

I had a yakima on my old 330 coupe and it worked fine. Don't know quality diff between yakima and thule. I think the BMW racks look awful. Whatever you do, get the low profile towers - they look MUCH better.

[wheelman]

WKC,
Thanks for the parts list. It looks great on your car. Does anything actually touch the car other than the mounting points in the roof rail? Where's the best place to order all of that? Thanks.

[AJBoston]

I have pretty much exactly the same setup as wkc above, minus the fairing. Didn't need it since the aero bars and lo-pro feet are really quiet. I also like the fact that the bars are curved to match the curve of the roof, so the feet don't have to be as high to achieve clearance. I take it on and off pretty often. Takes about 2 mins.

Here's a post from last summer I put up on m3forum with a couple of different photos (same username, 2nd to last post). The second one gives you a nice look at the close-fitting nature of the setup.

Expensive, but highly recommend it.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=219149

[wkc]

I'll take some close ups soon.

Wheelman: The rubber "seal" that surrounds the feet and the "legs" of the fairing are the only parts that touch the car. I work at Performance Bikes in Greensboro, NC, and we are a Thule dealer, so I would gladly recommend stopping by your closest Performance store. It looks like you're in LA, so the closest store is looking like Pasadena. If you can make it into the store between Noon-2pm on Tuesdays, we take an extra 10% Off everything except bikes and non-tangibles (gift cards/shop labor etc.). Thule stuff is rarely on sale anywhere, so that would be a great bet, and if they order directly from Thule like I do for my customers, then shipping is free. Also, we do Competitive Price Matching, so if you find these parts at a reputable competitor and they are in stock, we will match their price.

Hope that helps!

AJBoston: I would still highly recommend the fairing. It cleans up things a bit (in my opinion) and it will quiet the system down even further.

[///Monster]

[wheelman]

WKC,
Thanks very much for the additional information. So if I skipped the fairing, which you don't recommend, nothing touches the car.
Which accessory would you recommend with the aero bars for carrying two bicycles with the front wheels attached? (Fixies w/o quick release here) It looks like there are a couple of choices.
Thanks in advance.

[wkc]

Wheelman, I DO recommend the fairing, strongly. It cuts down dramatically on your wind noise and will help out fuel economy a smidge. also comes with clear strips of plastic (kinda like Clearbra) that you put under the arms of the the fairing that protect your car's paint/clearcoat. They are removable. Also, make sure you clean under the rubber sections of the rack's feet about every other week. The rubber section of it that seals the car from the wet weather can leave a nice rectangle on your roof if you neglect to clean under it, as any roof rack will. I learned the hard way on my GTI that this would happen. It's quick and easy to do, and you don't have to remove the rack to do it.

The tray that I would go with is the 594 Sidearm or 598 Criterium tray. The Sidearm does great with mountain bikes and road bikes, whichever you need to carry, but the Criterium is their road/track bike specific tray. The Sidearm requires the XAdapt9 for each tray to fit the aero bars, and the Criterium tray requires the XAdapt8 for each tray. Picking between the two trays it completely personal preference.

[starkraven]

I want to revive this old thread to ask if anyone with a jet black M3 can attest to using a roof rack without causing any paint damage. That color shows even the tiniest scuffs.

[Salespunk]

Clear bra is your friend. If you don't want to do the whole roof just get four squares and apply them under the feet.

[mrkbbd]

This may be a stupid question, but how fast can you drive with the bike on the roof safely? and will it stay on if you're cornering in a "sporty" manner?

[Diamond Skyline]

Originally Posted by mrkbbd

This may be a stupid question, but how fast can you drive with the bike on the roof safely? and will it stay on if you're cornering in a "sporty" manner?

thought i would revive this thread since no one answered this question.. and it is a question i have as well

i plan on putting a mountain bike on the roof of my JCW mini cooper.. obviously if i drive to rural areas i will still want to drive spiritedly on the rural roads without losing my MTB in the process

so for those of you equipped (esp the M3 drivers).. how fast have you been able to go with your bike on the roof rack? and are you able to corner aggressively?

thanks for your input!

[mdosu]

The problem is with the new Thule universal kits, they're really expensive. These kits make you buy a fit kit + the universal bar + the (bike) attachment.

They use to make racks designed specifically for a function for each car...so for instance you could get a ski rack and it's all what it's used for. It doesn't come off so you can put a kayak on top, it's only for skis. Those were made in the early 2000's and they were ALOT cheaper than what they have now. I investigated to see if they made it for the early model E90 cars, looks like they stopped around 2003 and 2004.

[signes]

Originally Posted by Diamond Skyline

thought i would revive this thread since no one answered this question.. and it is a question i have as well

i plan on putting a mountain bike on the roof of my JCW mini cooper.. obviously if i drive to rural areas i will still want to drive spiritedly on the rural roads without losing my MTB in the process

so for those of you equipped (esp the M3 drivers).. how fast have you been able to go with your bike on the roof rack? and are you able to corner aggressively?

thanks for your input!

Fast in a straight line is no problem (100+, though not too much +...) Don't be silly in corners and you'll be fine. Not sure what spirited means but if you have a fork mount for your bike, think of how much leverage your bike exerts on the mount when under high lateral loads. A lot, so keep cornering speeds down.

[IbanezGod]

good to know... wish there was a trunk kit that was good. Not a fan of trying to throw a bike on the roof and take the roof rack on and off.

[CJF]

two thoughts.

1. the yakima towers for this application are much lower profile. i also like yakima better, but thule is great as well. i worked in a bike shop for years and have installed loads of these racks. both top notch, just for me i like yakima.

2. about cornering with the MTB on top of the mini. you should get a fork mount tray. just physics.

[Salespunk]

I have had my Thule systems over 120 mph and driven hard in the corners without problems.

[signes]

Originally Posted by PicassoM

good to know... wish there was a trunk kit that was good. Not a fan of trying to throw a bike on the roof and take the roof rack on and off.

I used to use a Yakima King Joe. Very good/sturdy trunk mount that I took on and off regularly when I had my vert. Only downside is some pain marring where the pads touch but that is easily buffed out.

[Diamond Skyline]

thanks for all the input.. had a feeling these systems were designed well.. just wanted to confirm

[CJF]

you know, i just went to the yakima website and it appears theyare yet to fit the e90 M3...is this right? i assume people out there are using yakima and thule. if so, what yakima towers work?