bike on car roof rack and motorways

[BellevilleRendezvous]

anyone use a roof rack for their bike, and if so can you offer me some reassurance please?

travelling 300-miles next week, much of it on motorway, want to take the bike but am paranoid about it on roof rack. Even short local journeys make me nervous in case I haven't got it fastened properly, it also seem to make a lot of noise, unexplained bangs and thumps on the roof etc.

is this normal or am I doing something wrong? and any top tips for going on mway with it - will it be very noisy?

thanks!

We put one on the roof and 3 on the back and we do sometimes hear funny noises - usually a tie banging on the car in the wind.

If you have put it on so it is secure, it should be fine - the one we have has a clamp on the frame and a tie on the front wheel I think.

BTW, great film!

thanks for advice, my bike rack sounds same as yours.

and yes isn't it!

We took our four bikes on the roof for a 2,400 km journey (Berlin-Chamonix and back) last year, mostly motorway, and it was fine. Well, something did fall off at one point, but we slowed down and pulled in, screwed the thing in again, no problem. Even with one screw open the bike didn't fall off. I think our rack is from Mont Blanc and has the clamp on the bike frame and ties for both wheels, but it still clonks about a bit. Agree with JohnPeel that it's the ends of the ties banging on the roof.

We keep a voluntary speed limit of 110 kmh, which is extremely restrained on German motorways, but you're not allowed to drive faster than that in the UK anyway so you'll be fine.

thanks - very reassuring, will just make sure it's super-secure and ignore the clonking!