I have the Thule ones where you take the front wheel off. They come with a plastic ratchet strap to hold the rear wheel in the tray. If I clamp that strap tight around the wheel tray before I put the bike on the roof then I can let the rear tire sit on top of that strap instead of going down into the tray. That raises the rear wheel enough on most bikes so that the back end of the front fender doesn't hit the tray. Then I just use a toe strap (you guys know what those are right?) to keep the rear wheel in place.
Jamie Swan Northport, NY, USA http://www.jamieswan.net http://www.limws.org http://www.liatca.org
On Aug 7, 2009, at 4:57 PM, Michael Schmidt wrote:
> Hey Tom,
>
> I used a hi-rise fork extender that Steve Willis sells at The Bike
> Stand.
> Basically it raised the point where the fork dropouts are held on
> the rack
> and that permits you to have the clearance necessary to bring the
> mudguards/fenders over the tray.
>
> Hope all is well in Kansas.
>
> Mike Schmidt
> Millington, NJ
> USA
>
>
>
> On 8/7/09 3:42 PM, "Thomas Adams" <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> Dear List:
>>
>> It seems more and more of my bikes (all on topic, of course) are
>> sporting
>> fenders these days, and with that comes the problem of carrying
>> them on the
>> car. You can't throw them in the back of the minivan with a wheel
>> off, as the
>> front fender impedes storage, keeping you from turning the
>> handlebars 9
>> degrees. You can't put them on a fork mount roof rack, because
>> again, the
>> front fender hits the wheel tray. You can put them on a trunk
>> rack, but it's
>> harder to lock them for a quick dash to the store while driving to
>> the ride
>> start.
>>
>> So I'm seeking advice for functional roof rack carriers that will
>> be fender
>> compatible. I suspect it will have to be one that leaves both
>> wheels on, but
>> grabs the down tube, not the front wheel. In particular, I'm
>> looking at the
>> Thule Big Mouth. (I have both Yakima and Thule bars, so a carrier
>> that works
>> with both is ideal.) My only concern would be water bottle cage
>> interference
>> where the carrier grabs the down tube. Is anyone using the Big
>> Mouth with a
>> fendered bike? Any pitfalls to watch out for? I'd be interested
>> in any other
>> recommendations or alternate solutions. What say you, group?
>>
>> Tom Adams
>> Manhattan, KS USA