GTI - Kills bugs fast.

[AGB]

@kgreenway - You went for the 754 and Pro Ride 591 combination? Good choice if you did. I had to get them in aluminium, the black ones were crude squared off pieces which looked like a home DIY project. You still notice wind noise above 50MPH though with the aluminium aero bars, especially when there are strong cross winds.

I'd recommend using the mounting clamps versus the T-bolts to affix them. They're quicker and you don't have to take the rubber insert off the roof bar, looks better on too but just be careful you don't drop them on your roof.

Don't leave your wheel straps on when you leave your car either. They're too easy to steal as there is no way of securing them and my dealer chucked in a couple extra for me for 'when it happens' as he put it. Apparently it's one of the most commonly required spares.

The vinyl paint protectors that you apply on the sill are a swine though and will distort once you tighten up the bars so my advice would be to do it when it's warm so you can flatten them out as much as possible.

Another shot of the bars below as requested. I've got the 591's mounted front to back and back to front to allow clearance for handlebars. You can slide the feet off and have both bikes facing the direction of travel but it doesn't really make much difference with two.

AGB, I did go with that combination indeed..Although this trip around will be attaching a box (Thule Atlantis 200).  I hear what you're saying on the aero bars..I thought exactly the same with the black ones.  The aero bars look so much nicer.  Thanks for advice on the vinyl paint protectors, I'll see how I get on.  Hope they don't mark the fresh Candy white paint.

The bars do look pretty mint though I have to say 

They won't mark, just make sure you've got them warmed as they sit over the sill and getting them to sit flush in the corner radius of the roof is a nightmare if they're not warm. It's fairly thick material and hard to get the air bubbles out of. Doubt you'll notice them on a white car.

[AGB]

Roof bars and a GTI  just don't look good.

Amanda, all we have to do now is to wait for a smart arse answer from Alex. 

I don't think the roof bars look that bad to be honest, they're not a permanent accessory and are less hassle than sticking two muddy mountain bikes into the body of the car. The aluminium versions look a hell of a lot better than the standard square bars that Thule supply.

@Asker - I don't supply a smart arse answer every time, just most of the time.

[gizzywizzy]

Well I guess it's a case of "whatever floats your boat" really.  TBH I just feel that if you are going to be trailing mountain bikes around the country the GTI is not really the kind of car to do it, a hot hatch with bikes on the roof  I mean that's gonna slow you down big time so defeats the object of the car really.  But I shalll shut up now and admit ETTO.  Just not for me.

Nice to have some friendly banter though.

Giz

[MAW73]

Well I guess it's a case of "whatever floats your boat" really.  TBH I just feel that if you are going to be trailing mountain bikes around the country the GTI is not really the kind of car to do it, a hot hatch with bikes on the roof  I mean that's gonna slow you down big time so defeats the object of the car really.  But I shalll shut up now and admit ETTO.  Just not for me.

Nice to have some friendly banter though.

Giz

Agree with that.....  get a jeep or f*eck the bike off 

[AGB]

Well I guess it's a case of "whatever floats your boat" really.  TBH I just feel that if you are going to be trailing mountain bikes around the country the GTI is not really the kind of car to do it, a hot hatch with bikes on the roof  I mean that's gonna slow you down big time so defeats the object of the car really.  But I shalll shut up now and admit ETTO.  Just not for me.

Nice to have some friendly banter though.

Giz

It's more practical than sticking them on the roof of the Porsche.

The GTI is a touring car unless Golf GTI stands for 'Golf Gizzy Travels In'... 

No issue with slowing me down to be honest, cruising within motorway speed limits is perfectly fine. I'm not going to go flinging the car around A/B roads with the bikes on, that's for when the bikes are dropped off at their destination and the roof bars are off. 

[gizzywizzy]

Well I guess it's a case of "whatever floats your boat" really.  TBH I just feel that if you are going to be trailing mountain bikes around the country the GTI is not really the kind of car to do it, a hot hatch with bikes on the roof  I mean that's gonna slow you down big time so defeats the object of the car really.  But I shalll shut up now and admit ETTO.  Just not for me.

Nice to have some friendly banter though.

Giz

It's more practical than sticking them on the roof of the Porsche.

The GTI is a touring car unless Golf GTI stands for 'Golf Gizzy Travels In'...    LOL

No issue with slowing me down to be honest, cruising within motorway speed limits is perfectly fine. I'm not going to go flinging the car around A/B roads with the bikes on, that's for when the bikes are dropped off at their destination and the roof bars are off. 

[gizzywizzy]

Well I guess it's a case of "whatever floats your boat" really.  TBH I just feel that if you are going to be trailing mountain bikes around the country the GTI is not really the kind of car to do it, a hot hatch with bikes on the roof  I mean that's gonna slow you down big time so defeats the object of the car really.  But I shalll shut up now and admit ETTO.  Just not for me.

Nice to have some friendly banter though.

Giz

It's more practical than sticking them on the roof of the Porsche.

The GTI is a touring car unless Golf GTI stands for 'Golf Gizzy Travels In'...    LOL

No issue with slowing me down to be honest, cruising within motorway speed limits is perfectly fine. I'm not going to go flinging the car around A/B roads with the bikes on, that's for when the bikes are dropped off at their destination and the roof bars are off. 

Didn't realiise your other car was a Porsche, yeah that would look really daft.  Anyway all the best to you, I'm done on the subject now I'm bored with it 

[rgb]

Hi there - great to see someone with the same Thule setup.

Did you work out what to do with the black tubes that Thule supply ?  The instructions show them pushing the door seal out of the way, but I suspect this is just a generic cartoon. I couldn't see how they help on a Golf. Any ideas?

The door seals have gone back to their proper shape this time but I worry that they'll split eventually...

[AGB]

Hi there - great to see someone with the same Thule setup.

Did you work out what to do with the black tubes that Thule supply ?  The instructions show them pushing the door seal out of the way, but I suspect this is just a generic cartoon. I couldn't see how they help on a Golf. Any ideas?

The door seals have gone back to their proper shape this time but I worry that they'll split eventually...

There are two mounting systems, the brackets (50552) or the T bolts (50335). To use the bolts, you have to slide the black rubber insert out of the aluminium bar and the bolt slides into the runner. The brackets slide under the bar and clamp with 50553 and 34357 and 50551.This is on the 754 aero bars, not sure about other variants but expect it will work in a similar fashion. Hope this helps.

[rgb]

thanks!  rather hard to explain the black tubes - they came with the "rapid fit" pack (1323). I'm sure they're meant to stop the door seal distorting around the metal part of the foot (ie the bit with the metal peg).... I'll post a picture when I can find one....