Successful roof rack & wheel-on bike rack pairing

[silenteski]

While deciding which roof rack and bike rack combo I should buy, I had some trouble finding definitive recommendations and results. I figured I would post some details and pics of the racks I ended up going with.

I highly recommend the Tesla roof rack paired with two Yakima FrontLoader wheel-on bike racks. This combo had no trouble carrying two ~28lb bikes through a recent 2000+ mile roundtrip road trip. Efficiency at 70mph in the 75-100 degree late-summer weather with mild wind seems to be ~340 wh/mi (also: car fully loaded with luggage, driver + 1 passenger, med-sized dog). As expected, increasing max speed from 70 to 80mph increases energy use much more than the increase from 60 to 70mph does; I found 70mph to be the sweet spot for minimizing time on the road and duration of charging.

I really liked the convenience of the wheel-on rack, and it also meant more space for luggage & gear in the vehicle. That said, you will likely reduce energy use by going with wheel-off racks. The FrontLoader doesn't have a TSlot adapter as far as I know (which is strange), but the mount it comes with is very snug; I had no issues at all.

Sorry, I don't have any pics with the bikes on top at the moment!

 

[CharleyBC]

Thanks for the detailed report! I’ve been looking at this same combination, plus a few others. I won’t swear to it, but I think I saw that Yakima does sell a T-slot kit, but I’m not sure there’s any advantage.

How did you find installation of the Tesla rack? A few people have reported breaking the glass. Do the hooks attach to the glass itself, or to some bit of metal beneath the glass? I’ve wondered whether that’s when the breakages occur—the hook grabbing the glass instead of metal.

Once you get home and pull the Front Loaders off, what do you think of the efficiency impact of the bare rack? And what do you think of the aesthetics?

Thanks!

 

[Daniel in SD]

1up sells t-slot racks. I haven't seen anyone get one for a Model 3 yet. I've got the hitch mount version, they definitely have the sleekest rack design.

 

[tambam]

I have the OEM rack and a Yakima Highroad with the T-slot kit. Not sure the t-slot is worth it, but it’s nice to have I guess. Makes me feel like I’m using the slots.

 

[tambam]

I have the OEM rack and a Yakima Highroad with the T-slot kit. Not sure the t-slot is worth it, but it’s nice to have I guess. Makes me feel like I’m using the slots.

Now with pictures!

 

[jordanair45]

Thank you for this post! I'm a road biker, have not yet bought a bike rack...figured it would be Yakima since they make the rack!

 

[RobDickinson]

How easy/hard is it to put a chunky mtb on one of the, i'm a short arse (5'8")

 

[nvx1977]

The OEM Tesla racks without any accessories attached barely affects efficiency. I've had them on my car all summer. Local driving there doesn't appear to be any difference. You only see it on the highway... I'd say I see 10-15 Wh/mi increase going around 70mph.

Question: given the OEM bars are curved, how do you align the double bike racks so that the bikes stand upright? Are there adjustments on the bike rack to level itself on the bars?

 

[tambam]

How easy/hard is it to put a chunky mtb on one of the, i'm a short arse (5'8")

I am 6'2" and my Performance Model 3 sits 1" lower than a normal Model 3. My bike is 33 lbs/15 kg and I have zero complaints at all. I am happy to put it up and down all day.

A full 7" shorter might be a little bit of a hassle, but the car itself is quite squat so I wouldn't imagine so.

Question: given the OEM bars are curved, how do you align the double bike racks so that the bikes stand upright? Are there adjustments on the bike rack to level itself on the bars?

I believe you're asking the OP but at least for the Yakima Highroad there are no adjustments. This means the bike leans at an angle and I look like a dork driving down the road. I'd prefer the bike closer to the edge to make it easier to put up and take down but then the lean is even worse.

 

[nvx1977]

I believe you're asking the OP but at least for the Yakima Highroad there are no adjustments. This means the bike leans at an angle and I look like a dork driving down the road. I'd prefer the bike closer to the edge to make it easier to put up and take down but then the lean is even worse.

Ugh. I might try some rubber or plastic shims under the crossbar fasteners to see if I can make the bikes upright. I've been googling and have found nothing from others dealing with this issue. I guess curved crossbars are rare these days?

 

[tambam]

Ugh. I might try some rubber or plastic shims under the crossbar fasteners to see if I can make the bikes upright. I've been googling and have found nothing from others dealing with this issue. I guess curved crossbars are rare these days?

Definitely not possible with the t-slot kit. Maybe possible with the straps but I’d be worried about a shim working loose and then the whole rack coming down.

 

[CharleyBC]

To any of you who have the Tesla rack installed: Any theory on how some folks are breaking the glass during installation? They claim to be torquing with spec, even less. Does the hook catch on some piece of metal below the glass? I’ve wondered whether folks are accidentally catching the glass itself, and thus the breakage. Pure guess.

 

[nvx1977]

To any of you who have the Tesla rack installed: Any theory on how some folks are breaking the glass during installation? They claim to be torquing with spec, even less. Does the hook catch on some piece of metal below the glass? I’ve wondered whether folks are accidentally catching the glass itself, and thus the breakage. Pure guess.

It's really hard to know. You can't really see what's happening where you slip in the J-bolts. There's no way that anything load bearing like that should come into direct contact with the glass. The part of the J-bolt that is visible definitely doesn't touch the glass. The J part below must hook into the metal frame of the car. But as you tighten the wingnut down, you're clamping down the rack to the frame, which means there's a force being exerted upward on the frame. If that part is flexible at all, it could mess with the mounting of the glass. As I hand-turned the wingnut down, I heard lots of popping noises, which is really unnerving. But hard to say if that's coming from the glass or something else.... I ended up just leaving it hand-tightened because the bars were sturdy, and the wingnut is part of the locking mechanism. When locked, it's impossible for the wingnut to come loose.

 

[TM3KT]

Can you let me know if the front mounts on the Frontloader scratched/chipped the paint finish on the Model 3 roof rack? I noticed the rear mount on the Frontloader has rubber shims to help prevent scratching but the front mount is the bare plastic tightening against the roof bar.

While deciding which roof rack and bike rack combo I should buy, I had some trouble finding definitive recommendations and results. I figured I would post some details and pics of the racks I ended up going with.

I highly recommend the Tesla roof rack paired with two Yakima FrontLoader wheel-on bike racks. This combo had no trouble carrying two ~28lb bikes through a recent 2000+ mile roundtrip road trip. Efficiency at 70mph in the 75-100 degree late-summer weather with mild wind seems to be ~340 wh/mi (also: car fully loaded with luggage, driver + 1 passenger, med-sized dog). As expected, increasing max speed from 70 to 80mph increases energy use much more than the increase from 60 to 70mph does; I found 70mph to be the sweet spot for minimizing time on the road and duration of charging.

I really liked the convenience of the wheel-on rack, and it also meant more space for luggage & gear in the vehicle. That said, you will likely reduce energy use by going with wheel-off racks. The FrontLoader doesn't have a TSlot adapter as far as I know (which is strange), but the mount it comes with is very snug; I had no issues at all.

Sorry, I don't have any pics with the bikes on top at the moment!

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