which one does everyone like better... im looking for one that wont jack my roof or door sills

i heard yakima was good....but then again i dont have them on my xb.....

here u go ,i was at philly exposed and this guy steve had bike racks that fit perfect --email him and ask him at www.stediwatt.com

I have never used either,but a co worker of mine is into almost any outdoor sport you can think of,Kiyaking,Scuba,Mountain Biking,Surfing etc etc and he has a Yakima rack on his Nissan Frontier and really pleased with all of the options as far as mounts etc for his gear,doesn't look 1/2 bad either.

I've always had good results from Yakima.

I've always had good results from Yakima.

Yes, I think Yakima is better made and fitted. I used to work for them. They also used to come to the dealership where I worked later to test fit the new racks on new cars.

Mine's moved thru 3 cars now...

FYI, on the scion website, they have a Yakima Snowboard Rack listed under there accesories...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/cheeseroc/PIP/PIP_FRONT.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/cheeseroc/PIP/YAKIMA_FRONT.jpg

Yakima Q Towers with a pair of King Cobras.

--
Cheese

i've also been looking into this myself. personally, i'm leaning towards the thule. i like the look of the thule better. plus they are know world wide. i'm sure the yakima is good quality aswell, but i like the square load bars better than the round ones. it seems to be more secure to me. best of luck on your purchase. :)

I really like my Thule!
Both the crossbars and the feet are at least 10 years old they where in my garage from an old Bonneville I just ordered a new fit kit and the aeroup covers for the feet and the fairing The bike carries where on my old Rav .
I like the way it looks and that’s what counts.

http://www.motioncapturedv.com/Thule1.JPG
http://www.motioncapturedv.com/Thule2.JPG
http://www.motioncapturedv.com/Thule3.JPG

i've always wondered how difficult it is to get the bike *UP THERE*?!??! I have an xA, and NEED to get something to haul my bike 1/2 way across america... w/ my spoiler, a trunk rack may be pretty much out of the question. Is it terribly odd or difficlut to get it up there? just curious...

Thule has really good products. I've used thule stuff for 8+ years, and never had any problems. What i really comes down to is figuring out who had thule products or yakima product closest to home.

there is a guy around the corner from me who has an xB with a SARIS roof rack. he is also the owner of the bicycle shop that he lives above...

I've been using Thule racks for over ten years, so that's what I got fot my xB. I was able to use some of my old rack components, but not all work. Their customer service sucks, however. You can never get a straight answer from them. My new "feet" came with one broken cover. Been tryig for over six weeks to get them to provide a replacement. The installation instructions are wrong. The dimensions and the drawing don't agree, and I can't get them to tell me which is correct. Their e-mail system is messed up, and if you call them on the phone, they give you a hard time and act like you're nuts.

The rack is somewhat difficult to mount, IMHO, especially compared with the one that went on my Volvo.

This was a topic that I thought long and hard about, I researched as much as I could find, but I decided that I didnt' want the rack "grabbing" onto my door sills. I saw the install by one of the ScionLife board members and I was hooked. The THULE 444 kit which is designed for the Jetta III (I know '96 was one of those years). This kit grabs SECURELY to the small gutter rails where the little black trim piece is located. I have two bike carriers and the biggest snowboard/ski carrier they have... You need to "manicure" the trim to fit properly, but the bonus is two fold....

#1... the door seals are unaffected...
#2... the bike racks will mount to the bars on the OUTSIDE of the feet, this makes it easier to get the bikes on and off the car...

PROBLEMS = the kit is designed for a slightly narrower roof than the xb, SO you must get a coupler and a bolt to extend the kit to fit.... it is just as secure, but it will require a little more brainpower... definitely not Plug n Play...
#2... wind noise... this is unavoidable, but expect to be able to hear the rack at highway speeds... also you can expect a 1 or 2mpg decrease in mileage...

I don't have any great pics, but this one should at least show that we aren't afraid to venture out...
http://www.githens.us/messageboardpics/xbrack.jpg

yeah, i would like to find a bike rack that will work w/o drilling it on my bX.
i'm hoping to transport one of these kruisers along w/ me to the SHO's.
and yes, it will deff. be Hot Lava Kolored Kruiser :D http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/hotxb990/roadster.jpg
hope that the bX is long enuff :wink:

YAKIMA !!!

ive got a yakima on my whip, and its great.

yeah, i would like to find a bike rack that will work w/o drilling it on my bX.
i'm hoping to transport one of these kruisers along w/ me to the SHO's.
and yes, it will deff. be Hot Lava Kolored Kruiser :D http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/hotxb990/roadster.jpg
hope that the bX is long enuff :wink:

just look for the tandem bicycle mounts that both yakima and thule make... this would handle it .. you will probably need to take the front wheel off...

just look for the tandem bicycle mounts that both yakima and thule make... this would handle it .. you will probably need to take the front wheel off...
thanks! i'm gonna visit my local sp*rts chalet. i know that they carry the yakima, but not sure which model will fit the xB. anyone out there have any answer on this? help :)
thanks in advance

www.yakima.com

Those who have roof racks, how's your mpg? Did it change? if so, by how much?

just look for the tandem bicycle mounts that both yakima and thule make... this would handle it .. you will probably need to take the front wheel off...
thanks! i'm gonna visit my local sp*rts chalet. i know that they carry the yakima, but not sure which model will fit the xB. anyone out there have any answer on this? help :)
thanks in advance

Q-Towers and they'll know what clips you need

except I have yet to see the clips for them on the shelves... be ready to order them... I think the number was Q121... our local major sporting stores carry up to about Q110 or something... I mean places like REI don't even stock them...

I've been using Thule racks for over 15 years. I prefer the box section of the load bars. I use the Yakima accessories though, I feel they are of better design. I carry bikes, skis, kayaks (picture is of our sea kayaks with my wifes whitewater boat upside down on top. Rock solid at 65+) construction materials and more. Last purchase for the xB was from www.rackwarehouse.com ,excellent price and service. Just follow the fit guides.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/fmunter2003/IMG00071.jpg

Maybe better off as a different topic..
But anyone get the Yakima from a Scion dealership?
If so, how's the MPG, difficulty to get a mtn bike up there, need to detach the wheels, etc.?
Thanks.

I see a few MPG drop with the rack up there, also it is audible... there is a definite difference in wind noise...

as far as mounting bikes up there, it will almost always be easier and more secure to mount the bikes with the front wheel detached... it is easy to reach the bikes if they are mounted near the sides of the car, but if you put more than two and mount them towards the center it will be MUCH more difficult... I have my ski mounts in the center (to be replaced by kayak mount in summer) and the bike carriers are mounted outboard of the feet so it is REAL easy to get to everything...

http://www.githens.us/messageboardpics/grnmntdnvxb.jpg

this is a shot from Green Mountain just at the foothills of the Rockies on I-70 heading west from Denver... you can see downtown Denver in the background...

wow.. awesome shot. (and nice color choice on the xB)
if that's the Yakima Scion rack, it seems like it's worth it.. with or without the bike on.
I've finally jumped for it and bought a mountain bike.. just a starter, but I'll hopefully get addicted soon enough and buy a better one.

if you read up higher I explain what rack I picked and why... this is not the standard Scion rack...

I wish I had turned around and taken a shot... this trailhead is at 5300 or 5400 feet and the peak of the climbs are over 6000...

I just picked up a Trek 4500 (on sale) to get into the sport.
MTBR said it wasn't bad for the price, especially for starters.. so I figured what the hell. Maybe I'll check out the trails outside of Denver.

dude, I got the same bike... cool... oh, actually I got the 4600, but my gf has the 4500... 4600 is the 2005 model, I think... I bought it in June '04...

the 4500 had Shimano parts, which I would have preferred but they were out of stock of the normal sizes... the 4600 has SRAM parts... they work okay, but the shifters are up/down with thumb only... I would have liked the thumb/forefinger setup that you have...

Yeah. the Shimano parts, Judy TT fork, hardtail..
Thought the guys at the shop tried to screw me for a newbie, but didn't realize the seat was SUPPOSED to be a certain height.
(Damn road bikes.. heh.)

yeah, i would like to find a bike rack that will work w/o drilling it on my bX.
i'm hoping to transport one of these kruisers along w/ me to the SHO's.
and yes, it will deff. be Hot Lava Kolored Kruiser :D http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/hotxb990/roadster.jpg
hope that the bX is long enuff :wink:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/cheeseroc/PIP/RACKS_BIKES2.jpg

Looks silly going down the road... not sure how different the wheelbases is but the bike is BIG

That a touring bike or something?

so does anyone have the scion/yakima rack shown ont he website. scion.com??

I don't know anything about those racks so I asked the salesguy before I bought my Scion if the Yakima rack could hold my 8' surfboard. He said judging by the picture he doesn't think so. So, I ended up not getting the rack only to find out later it would work with the proper attachment. What the hell!!?? Oh well, the dealership lost out on some cash.

I don't know anything about those racks so I asked the salesguy before I bought my Scion if the Yakima rack could hold my 8' surfboard. He said judging by the picture he doesn't think so. So, I ended up not getting the rack only to find out later it would work with the proper attachment. What the hell!!?? Oh well, the dealership lost out on some cash.
salesman dont know ____ nyway. Did you get the rack? If so do you have a picture of it?

I wouldnt recomend getting the yakima rack from your dealer its extremely overpriced. But i have the yakima rack and really like it for my snowboards, sorry no bikes

is there a link to the Yakima rack on scion.com? i cant find any pics of it.

salesman dont know ____ nyway. Did you get the rack? If so do you have a picture of it?

No, I didn't get it. I'll look to get something by summer when the water warms up.

That a touring bike or something?
DYNO KRUISER
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/hotxb990/roadster.jpg

RAT FINK
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/cheeseroc/PIP/RACKS_BIKES2.jpg

whats the rack on the tcm xb?^^^^^^^^^^
Should i go to the dealer, bike shop, or local parts store to find the right rack??

Since everyone keeps PMing me, the bike is an Electra Rat Fink and the the rack is Yakima Q-towers with xB Q-clips. Bikes are held down with a pair of King Cobra bike racks. Bought all the rack related parts from Class Cycles.

--
Cheese

sweet i like yamika

Anybody know if I can use a 48" rack on my xB? I don't wanna spend 275+ for my rack, and I found a used Yakima one for under $100.

Check out the Saris rax. They are beefier than either Thule or Yakima. They adjust easily by turning a knob on the end of the crossbar. The cross section is flat and round. No need to buy anything other than the clips for a Scion. I've always had Thule, but like the Saris better. Found a new set on Ebay for $75.00, bought the clips for $39.

I for one very much appreciate your feedback. If only more would do the same. It would save us a lot of frustration and grief, and, it would prompt such companies to spend more money on customer service training.

Thule ... customer service sucks, ... can never get a straight answer from them. My new "feet" came with one broken cover. Been trying for over six weeks to get them to provide a replacement. The installation instructions are wrong. The dimensions and the drawing don't agree, and I can't get them to tell me which is correct. Their e-mail system is messed up, and if you call them on the phone, they give you a hard time and act like you're nuts. Not that they screwed up with you but that once they did they haven't done what it takes to satisfy you. The kinds of problems you mention are indicative of serious problems at the top. I'm all for sending feedback to companies about their installation instructions and I think it's irresponsible of them to flagrantly ignore (not act upon) customer input.

I was looking at Thule rails for an xB but now my sense is I wouldn't do well with them.

I trust you'll let us know if/when Thule comes through for you.

Thank you,

Kerry