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My last car was a 1995 Ford Windstar so every time Gen and I wanted to go for a bike ride that wasn't close to home we just threw the bikes in the back, no problem.  I'm lucky to fit an on-road bike in the Accord with the seats folded so I decided that it's time for a bike rack.  

What are my options?  I'd like a roof-mounted rack that can accommodate two off-road and one on-road bike and has locks so that the bikes have some kind of protection.  Would this type of system be able to be taken down when not needed?  I'm really clueless when it comes to this so any info would be appreciated!

You can look into either Yakima or Thule for roof mounts and bike racks. Yes you can take it down whenever needed since the "feet" clamp down in your door frames, but you may find it easier to just leave it on. I guess you'll find out once you get it and put it together. HTH.

i've been pretty happy with my yakima system:

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b286/phatmastaflip/march09/DSC_2260.jpg)



Roof mounting bikes is the safest method, but it is also the most expensive. To me it was a no brainer, $3000 in bikes...$22,000 in the car...i'd rather not risk damage to either by using a lesser system (trunk mounting).

If you go with yakima, i'd recommend the Viper or higher tray systems, that way you can fit disc brakes on the trays (sounds confusing, but you'll understand if you go look at it in the stores). I currently have 1 viper and 1 wheel tray (adding atleast 1 more of each this weekend), and i've carried my road and mountain bike on it on 200+ mile trips

If you check out yakima's site, the prices there are pretty much what you are going to find at most retailers, i'd recommend http://www.rackoutfitters.com (http://www.rackoutfitters.com) ...they have a store local to me, but do most of their sales online. The owner is pretty chill as well.

The racks are easily removable(they have a lever type clip at each of the four corners), but it is much easier to leave it on...putting the rack back on takes about 5 minutes and removing or putting back on requires 2 people.

A cheaper method would be to buy the rack system used, and then purchase the clips "the only car specific piece" new...only problem is sometimes you might be purchasing an older rack system, so you want to make sure you are purchasing the newest system "Q tower system"...also, you will want 48" crossbars to fit the accord correctly.

Needless to say, I did alot of research before purchasing mine so I know all there is to know about these racks...feel free post up questions and ill answer them.

Also, this is basically what I purchased, with some exceptions and the fact that i pieced it all together: http://www.rackoutfitters.com/car-racks ... 1p2130.htm (http://www.rackoutfitters.com/car-racks/pc/Yakima-Q-Tower-Base-Rack-Fairing-2-Vipers-SKS-6-Pack-201p2130.htm)

you do get a nice price break for purchasing the whole pack

Was waiting for you to post lol.

Good info Sam.  Milan got me to do a little research when I saw this thread.  I'm considering something like this, but I'd also like one of those boxes to use for when I go on vacation.  I need to get a new bike though so I can go riding this summer.

Here is another pic of the mounting point/latching system

(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b286/phatmastaflip/march09/DSC_2259.jpg)

What does the inside of that "latch" look like Sam?  I'm assuming there's something that protects your paint, but I'm curious about what they use.

Thanks so much for the info Sam!  I'd love to purchase the set-up used and get the Accord clips new if need be.  I'm going to watch my local Craigslist lol.  So let me get this straight.  I want to look for a Q tower system.  Are they all the same or do I have to look for one that has 48" rails?  Also what determines your ability to lock the bikes?  I assume you have locks on yours.  Are the locks optional or standard?  What's the difference between the Viper and the wheel tray?  Are different racks needed for on/off-road bikes?  Man, sorry for all these question but last time I went to the bike store to look at a bike rack the guy told me I'm looking at about $700 and I can't really afford that at the moment so used is my option right now.

All the Q tower systems look the same (look at the second picture above), the rails are separate from the q tower, so you need to look for 48" rails...or else it will look retarded. Yakima has something called a "lock core system". Basically this is an option to add locks, all with the same key. the viper is the actual bike tray, the wheel tray holds the front wheel. (the bike trays that hold the bike as a whole are not as stable as the ones that require removing the front wheel). There are not different racks for on/off-road bike, but there are certain trays that can only hold one or the other, or just get a tray like mine (viper) which can hold both. Ya your looking at 700 minimum for 1 bike , +about 200 per bike after that.

The latch is metal with a sticker on the inside that makes it smooth. This piece will not move after being locked down so there is no harm done to the paint. Also, this latch piece is the "car specific" piece, so it is made to contour perfectly with the roof/door line I've had mine for a couple months now and put it through atleast 1500 miles and I haven't noticed any harm. The main mounting point that carries the load is the actual q tower and it has rubber feet to prevent from any paint damage (in the picture, the rubber piece is the off-white colored piece that is in between my roof and q tower)

Sam, will the Honda OEM roof rack accommodate the Yakima Viper?  There's one on ebay for a great deal if no one bids.

hmm, i'm not sure, however i'm willing to bet no. The Yakima Vipers are made to fit either yakima's round crossbars or Thule's Sqaure crossbars, while the honda one is somewhat oval. You can give Rackoutfitters a call and they should be able to give you a definite answer.

I'm normally not a fan of how bike racks look on cars in general but i must say that Yakima bike rack is VERY clean!
If I still lived in a place where a bike was a reasonable form of transportation (i.e. Philly or Wildwood, NJ) I would probably have gotten one. Guess only having 2 doors makes the mounting a little more complicated/less stable though huh?

not at all, they actually have a specific "device" (since I can't remember it's name) that they use on cars with less door space (ie: coupes) that makes it very stable.

I was hoping a tread like this would be on here! I also had this problem this past summer when I purchased a set of family bicycles (2 adult Treks, bicycle hitch, and toddler seat). I always had to run to my parents to use my fathers van to haul everything because I couldn't settle for those roof racks nor justify spending over $100 for a trunk bike mount, but these yakima trunk mounts look good and have quality backing.