[graaja]

I have been cycling for the past 5 years. Since I got my road bike about 6 months ago, I have been doing an average of 500km a month, including a few century rides and a 200km brevet. One of the major problems I face is transporting the bike to the ride starting point. Earlier, I had a trunk mount bike rack that I had bought mainly to transport the bike to the bike shop for maintenance. Here is an old photo of my MTB mounted on the trunk rack.



There were several disadvantages with the trunk mounted rack. The group I usually ride with starts riding at 4:45AM, about 12kms from home. So, I usually load the bike on the car and leave home at 4:00AM. Loading the bike is a 10 minute job, and unloading the bike at the start point is another 10 minutes. This sequence repeats on the return and I used to spend close to 40 minutes every day loading and unloading the bike. Also transporting the bike was not the safest option. There is always the risk of someone rear ending the car. With the wheels slightly protruding out on one side, this was not safe for both the bike and other vehicles on the road. Also at traffic lights curious folks keep fiddling with the bike. Add to this the various scratches my bike and the bike rack made on the boot of the car.

Another option I tried is to dismantle the wheels of the bike and load the wheels and the frame in the trunk. This takes still more time to load and unload with the bonus of soiled hands.

So, I started looking for a better option to carry the bike. After reading many articles and reviews, came to a conclusion that roof rack is the best solution. Selected the Thule ProRide 591 bike rack, and the Thule 969 wing bar. The two most common problems reported in a roof rack were wind noise and drop in fuel economy due to the added drag. The wing bar I selected has an aerodynamic design which the manufacturers claim reduces the wind noise and drag.

Another problem I faced was many friends discouraging me from fitting the rack to the car as it would spoil the looks of the sedan. However, as I do not have the luxury of getting another car (a hatchback or a crossover) to fix the bike rack, I decided to sacrifice on the looks part.

Last week end, went ahead and fixed the bike rack to the Jetta.









It now takes less than 2 minutes to load and unload the bike. Mission accomplished!

Thanks to @ajaypjayaraj for his advice on choosing the roof rack in this other thread. Quoting ajaypjayaraj:

Originally Posted by ajaypjayaraj

Looks are subjective but for a crossover it looks better with the gear on than without it. For a sedan may be not so much but it sure looks striking. But it is for a purpose and that over rides the looks part I guess. However, head turns are certain once you have the bike on the roof!

He was spot on with this remark. This has turned out to be a head turner indeed

[ajaypjayaraj]

Congrats graaja! Indeed a head turner

True that ProRide bike rack has such an efficient design that you wont have to waste any more of your precious time on bike loading/unloading. Also, good that you got the wing bar itself and did not settle for other any roof bars. I upgraded from aero bar to wing bar too. Since Yeti has roof rails, I got myself wing bar edge which does not stand apart on top of the roof rails like other kits, and has a more flush fit.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by graaja

I have been cycling for the past 5 years.
So, I started looking for a better option to carry the bike. After reading many articles and reviews, came to a conclusion that roof rack is the best solution. Selected the Thule ProRide 591 bike rack, and the Thule 969 wing bar. The two most common problems reported in a roof rack were wind noise and drop in fuel economy due to the added drag. The wing bar I selected has an aerodynamic design which the manufacturers claim reduces the wind noise and drag.

Another problem I faced was many friends discouraging me from fitting the rack to the car as it would spoil the looks of the sedan. However, as I do not have the luxury of getting another car (a hatchback or a crossover) to fix the bike rack, I decided to sacrifice on the looks part.
Thanks to @ajaypjayaraj for his advice on choosing the roof rack in this other thread. Quoting ajaypjayaraj:



He was spot on with this remark. This has turned out to be a head turner indeed

Where is this roof rack available? I would like to consider one for my Yeti, for my bicycle.
However, I am worried also about scratches and the general unwieldiness of the whole arrangement.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Where is this roof rack available? I would like to consider one for my Yeti, for my bicycle.
However, I am worried also about scratches and the general unwieldiness of the whole arrangement.

Methods Automotive are the dealers for Thule. The contact information is available in the below link.

http://www.methods.co.in/#contact

Regarding scratches, the Thule roof rack has been well designed to avoid scratches to the car. The whole setup is mounted on rubber feet which keeps the car free of scratches. Mounting and unmounting the bike is also very quick. Here is a video that shows the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomGIrHID6Q

In real world, mounting is not as easy as it looks in the video due to the height (the model most probably is using some platform to increase height). But still it takes just about a minute to load and unload the bike.

BTW, ajaypjayaraj has one fitted to his Yeti. Pictures in this thread.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Where is this roof rack available? I would like to consider one for my Yeti, for my bicycle.

However, I am worried also about scratches and the general unwieldiness of the whole arrangement.

I've been using Thule since the time I bought my Yeti and have fixed and removed roof box and bike rack frequently. Always done it myself without help of others or any tools and this has not caused a single scratch. Thule is designed with ease of use and convenience in mind.

As compared to cars, since Yeti is higher, it would take a little more effort than mounting the bike on a car. And roof box also, it would be easy if 2 people carry it to the car's roof. But if you could carefully handle it alone, that could be done too. I prefer carrying and fixing it all by myself.

Like graaja said, Methods Automotive is the dealer for Thule in India. They are helpful. You could check their online shop also.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by ajaypjayaraj

I've been using Thule since the time I bought my Yeti and have fixed and removed roof box and bike rack frequently...

Do you always leave the bike rack on the aero bars, or do you remove them and mount them only when you need to transport the bike? Say I am on a long highway drive and am not transporting the bike, the bike rack just adds to the drag. Should I remove it on such occasions?

[ajaypjayaraj]

Originally Posted by graaja

Do you always leave the bike rack on the aero bars, or do you remove them and mount them only when you need to transport the bike? Say I am on a long highway drive and am not transporting the bike, the bike rack just adds to the drag. Should I remove it on such occasions?

I mount it when I use it on some weekend trip but it might not be removed soon after the weekend if the weekdays keep me busy. Sometimes it remains on for a few days more. However I don't keep it on permanently. I fix it when required. But for city use, I don't think it would make much of a difference in fuel efficiency. That would be applicable more on highways and open roads where you could do speeds good enough to create drag sufficient to make noticeable drop in fuel efficiency. Earlier I used to remove even the roof bars when I'm not using the bike rack or roof box. But ever since I upgraded to the wing bar edge, I leave the roof bars on always.

[graaja]

12500 KM Update:



The Jetta has completed 12500 km in about 10 months. I have a few questions to experts and fellow Jetta owners.

1. I feel that there is some gruffiness in the engine of late. It is not as smooth as it used to be before. The power delivery as brutal as it was and gear shifts are as quick as they were. It is just a feeling that the refinement has reduced. Is this time to change the oil? Shoud I go ahead with a service and oil change without waiting for the 15,000km milestone?

2. Ever since I got the tires changed (Michelin P3ST) straight out of the showroom, I have not done any wheel alignment or wheel rotation. What is the frequency at which I should be doing wheel alignment and wheel rotation? What is the significance of wheel rotation? Does this mean swapping front and rear tires? Should I get the wheel rotation done now?

Thanks in advance for all the guidance.

[iliketurtles]

On the contrary, I found the refinement and mileage to have improved until about 13xxx kilometers. I havent found the car becoming more gruff at all.

And get that alignment done, it's overdue! Get it done right and you can forget about it for the next 5-6k kilometers at least.

Just getting my gaadi back from its 1st servicing today, will share notes later.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

On the contrary, I found the refinement and mileage to have improved until about 13xxx kilometers. I havent found the car becoming more gruff at all.

Just getting my gaadi back from its 1st servicing today, will share notes later.

Thanks iliketurtles for the feedback.

I don'n know if "gruff" is the right word. I can feel the engine noise inside the cabin more than it was before. Especially when the car is stationary and idling, I can definitely feel that the sound is more that it used to be. Or maybe it is just me. When the car was new, I was comparing the cabin noise with my 7 year old Getz and the difference was very noticeable. Maybe now after 10 months of use, I have forgotten the noise levels of the Getz and the Jetta now feels to be noisy.

I will wait for your feedback on how you feel about smoothness and noise after first service of your car, and if there is any noticeable change.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

And get that alignment done, it's overdue! Get it done right and you can forget about it for the next 5-6k kilometers at least.

I will definitely get the wheel alignment done ASAP, and remember to schedule one every 5000 km.

[BackInTheFold]

Originally Posted by graaja

Thanks iliketurtles for the feedback.

I don'n know if "gruff" is the right word. I can feel the engine noise inside the cabin more than it was before. Especially when the car is stationary and idling, I can definitely feel that the sound is more that it used to be. Or maybe it is just me. When the car was new, I was comparing the cabin noise with my 7 year old Getz and the difference was very noticeable. Maybe now after 10 months of use, I have forgotten the noise levels of the Getz and the Jetta now feels to be noisy.

I will wait for your feedback on how you feel about smoothness and noise after first service of your car, and if there is any noticeable change.



I will definitely get the wheel alignment done ASAP, and remember to schedule one every 5000 km.

Once every 5k could be overkill. If you drive on reasonably good roads and don't hit too many potholes etc. at speed, once every 7-8k kms would suffice. When you align the wheels, please ask for them to be rotated also based on your tread pattern. If you ever had a puncture, wheel balancing is also recommended.

[nishchal316]

U get over 20kmpl that too with a automatic gearbox 140bhp monster. That is really insane , i hardly get over 15kmpl on my chevy cruze
I wish i had made the right decision Enjoy your ride

[ajmat]

25000km - my car has become smoother

[iliketurtles]

Quick question guys; do you get a rattle from the armrest over rough roads? Seems to be coming from a little piece of plastic on the underside of the armrest.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by BackInTheFold

Once every 5k could be overkill. If you drive on reasonably good roads and don't hit too many potholes etc. at speed, once every 7-8k kms would suffice. When you align the wheels, please ask for them to be rotated also based on your tread pattern. If you ever had a puncture, wheel balancing is also recommended.

Thanks. I will bear that in mind. I mostly drive on good roads and either avoid potholes or reduce to crawling speed through unavoidable ones.

Originally Posted by nishchal316

U get over 20kmpl that too with a automatic gearbox 140bhp monster. That is really insane , i hardly get over 15kmpl on my chevy cruze
I wish i had made the right decision Enjoy your ride

Thanks. Yes. It is quite amazing how such a powerful car can return such high economy if driven sedately. Maybe you should plan for a 2.0TDI for your next car

Originally Posted by ajmat

25000km - my car has become smoother

Thanks. That is very encouraging. Now that I get more and more positive feedback, I am thinking if everything is just in my mind! There are times when the car is in 6th gear doing 65 to 80kph, things are just so quite in the cabin, I feel like the car is gliding. As I mentioned I notice the roughness only when the car is idling. As this is my first diesel car, maybe I am not used to the diesel clatter.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Quick question guys; do you get a rattle from the armrest over rough roads? Seems to be coming from a little piece of plastic on the underside of the armrest.

I have not observed any clatter from the armrest, or anywhere from the car on rough roads, just the thud from the suspension.