Nice to see somebody else with the Thule aluminium roof bars on a GTI :-) Mine will be getting their 1st use next weekend on a family holiday to North Wales. How's the ride/look with them fitted? Anymore pics? ;-)
@Kenny/Alan - Yep, I use the same trick. Makes the car look like it's gone and cut itself shaving.
@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.
