Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
I planning on taking my new Trek Madone 7 from my home in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to Phuket Thailand...... It's pretty much highway all the way with a maximum speedimit of 110 kh (70 mph). I will be using a Thule roof rack on the back of my pick up truck so half of the bike is protected from the wind due to the cab.
My feelings is I should be okay at 110 to 120 kph.....but wondered if anyone has any other ideas.
Neil
My feelings is I should be okay at 110 to 120 kph.....but wondered if anyone has any other ideas.
Neil
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Fuel consumption will rise very markedly the faster that you go.
The bike will make a real impact on fuel consumption raising from 50mph to 70mph on top of the existing large difference between the two speeds.
The bike will make a real impact on fuel consumption raising from 50mph to 70mph on top of the existing large difference between the two speeds.
Yma o Hyd
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
I think my roof carrier specifies 60mph max speed in the manual - but it's been fine at 70... fuel use does go up but tend only to use the carrier when well loaded up for family or group trips so that will be part of the increase.
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
ndwgolf wrote:It's pretty much highway all the way with a maximum speedimit of 110 kh (70 mph). ...
My feelings is I should be okay at 110 to 120 kph.....but wondered if anyone has any other ideas.
I've got another idea. The speed limit is a maximum, not a target to be exceeded. Drive at a speed within that limit that is safe for the road conditions you encounter.
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
My old Mont Blanc Barracuda stated 75mph.They were fine at speeds well in excess of that but obviously got noisier.I had them on various cars for about 7 or 8 years and did 1000's of(as it turned out expensive) miles without issues.
-
- Posts: 15215
- Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
I always dismantle my machine (remove front wheel, takes a few seconds) and put it inside the vehicle
Putting cycles on the back or on top of a vehicle is very precarious, the belts or clips holding them could easily loosen through vibration and wind speed, bikes could fall off and cause (?) serious "accidents"
Plus One for keeping comfortably below the maximum speed limit
Putting cycles on the back or on top of a vehicle is very precarious, the belts or clips holding them could easily loosen through vibration and wind speed, bikes could fall off and cause (?) serious "accidents"
Plus One for keeping comfortably below the maximum speed limit
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
-
- Posts: 15215
- Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Plus One for keeping comfortably inside the maximum speed limit
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Cyril Haearn wrote:Plus One for keeping comfortably inside the maximum speed limit
[emoji106]
-
- Posts: 36776
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
AFAIK, Thule include maximum advised speeds in their instructions. If you haven't got the instructions they are all online AFAIK. Apart from the obvious issues of fuel economy and noise, you are into peace-of-mind territory. Nobody can really give you that. The strength of the wind resistance at motorway speeds is considerable. A couple of years ago, before I bought my own Thule bike carriers, I nearly lost a bike off a roofrack on the A1. It was an old Paddy Hopkirk rack and the clamps holding the bike carrier had been badly bent and luckily, an overtaking driver waved at me and pointed at the roof. I mention the fact that it was an overtaking driver to show I wasn't going particularly fast
-
- Posts: 4340
- Joined: 11 Nov 2012, 9:24am
- Location: On the borders of the four South East Counties
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Drag is proportional to the square of the speed, ie it is almost twice as great at 70 mph than 50 mph.
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
I don't peddle bikes.
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
MikeF wrote:Drag is proportional to the square of the speed, ie it is almost twice as great at 70 mph than 50 mph.
As you will notice when you take your foot off the accelerator.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
-
- Posts: 919
- Joined: 12 Jan 2013, 12:16pm
- Location: Deepest Somerset
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Don't know about max speed, but, don't go on a car ferry and forget you've got it on - saw a guy do this years ago, bet it cost him a fortune
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
-
- Posts: 15215
- Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
Phil Fouracre wrote:Don't know about max speed, but, don't go on a car ferry and forget you've got it on - saw a guy do this years ago, bet it cost him a fortune
Should have been wearing a h****t
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
ndwgolf wrote:I planning on taking my new Trek Madone 7 from my home in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to Phuket Thailand...... It's pretty much highway all the way with a maximum speedimit of 110 kh (70 mph). I will be using a Thule roof rack on the back of my pick up truck so half of the bike is protected from the wind due to the cab.
My feelings is I should be okay at 110 to 120 kph.....but wondered if anyone has any other ideas.
Neil
No idea about your roads. But I recently took two bikes 300+ miles in the UK whilst visiting friends. I took a roof bike carrier, but for the long trek I dismantled the bikes to carry inside the vehicle. At the destination, shorter runs were done with bikes on the roof to save the time/hassle of removing pedals, wheels, seatpost, turning handlebars, carefully stacking with protective padding, etc..
-
- Posts: 15215
- Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Re: Maximum recommend speed with bike on roof rack
A folding cycle need not cost much and fits easily inside the vehicle
Cycles on top or on the tailgate looks really "dangerous" to me
Cycles on top or on the tailgate looks really "dangerous" to me
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies