Hey everyone, i was wondering if any of you have bought bike racks for your Xterra? I don't want to store them inside the truck and I don't have a hitch. what, from experience, is the best brand/type of bike racks? I see one on eBay that's around $45 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nissan-Xterra-1-Bike-Rack-Upright-Roof-Rack_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33651QQihZ016QQite mZ260005557495QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V)
please give any input!

Thanks

Get a factory one made by yakima. They use mighty mounts to utilize the factory bars rather than the thule or yakima kits that use their own horizontal bars.

I just saw a factory yakima/nissan one go on ebay for $50. Shoulda bought it but you can get them for $120 on most aftermarket sites.

I already had the bars from my old truck and they are Thules. It was cheaper for me to by the new mounting kit, on sale for 80.00, vs buying all new bike rikes from yakima which can be over 100.00. If you have no prior gear go with yakima and you can find used ones on ebay or craigs list. you will just need to buy the mighty mounts, which are a lot cheaper.

Not to sure with the roof racks. But I can tell you from experience that if you did get a hitch on your X it would be worth it in the long run. Hitch mount racks can be a little pricy, but what isn't these days. Mine is a Thule ( 3 mount ) got it off a friend for $ 25 canadian ( pocket change for you people down there below the border ). In the end you want something that will be kind to your X and your bike.

Roof racks are just to high on the X unless your 7'5.
here is a link this is the brand I have and I love it.
Comes on and off in 10 seconds!
http://www.autoanything.com/bike-racks/20A50684A1.aspx

http://reecephoto.smugmug.com/photos/94121789-M.jpg

http://reecephoto.smugmug.com/photos/98933065-M.jpg

You can get a hitch for $88 on ebay. And then you can buy the Thule T2 rack for the hitch. I know it is not what you asked for but it is truly the best system for your Xterra, and your bike(s).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AVRI&viewitem=&item=270132156755&rd=1,1


http://thuleracks.com/thule/product.asp?dept_id=8&sku=916

I debated this for a long time, I really liked the look of the roof bike racks. But, my wife also rides so it would be very hard for her to get the bike up and down. So, I went with the Saris brand of Hitch Racks. They are argueably the best rack you can buy. We are extremely pleased with ours. I would definitely check them out. www.saris.com (http://www.saris.com)

Roof racks are just to high on the X unless your 7'5.


X2 on this one. You've got to think about where you will be driving too and the clearances. I mean you could be looking at close to 10ft from ground to handlebar.

Right, I agree. I have Saris Bones on my MR2, or I did, before the Navy lost it, and now I have a Thule rack where I user the horizontal bars from them, the rack and the "feet" WAY expensive, let me tell you. Plus my X is pretty darn high off of the ground and I am a whole 5'7" on a warm day. I am thinking of a custom swing away.

i use thule racks. but then again i get a nice discount on them from the place i work at.

I've used the Yakima Anklebiter in the past & it worked very well. I thought that I would have bottom bracket problem due to the rack clamping the crank arm but never had any issues. I also used the Yakima Lockjaw & it worked well also. The only issue with the Lockjaw is that it clamps the down tube of the bike & any decals that aren't clearcoated over will be ruined by the rack.

If I were to go back to roof racks I would buy the Thule Sidearm. This is a design developed by Sportworks & used on city buses all over the country. Thule bought out their personal auto division & now offers the racks. Great design that is simple to use, holds the bike securely & doesn't touch the paint. Rack is here:

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.asp?dept_id=8&sku=594

I use a hitch-mounted Sportworks rack now that has been is use for over 5 years now with no issues. Thule's version is here:

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.asp?dept_id=8&sku=916