Roof racks and winter.

[Greydon Clark]

In the final sage of my relocation to the PNW, I’ll be driving from SF to Seattle the first week of December . Obviously I stand a pretty good chance of encountering snow, or at least a few hundred miles of wet dirt and salt. Should I risk throwing my bike on the roof or spend $50 and ship it to my brother in-laws house? The bike is steel with a new shock and I recently replaced some drive train components.

[homerjay]

In the final sage of my relocation to the PNW, I’ll be driving from SF to Seattle the first week of December . Obviously I stand a pretty good chance of encountering snow, or at least a few hundred miles of wet dirt and salt. Should I risk throwing my bike on the roof or spend $50 and ship it to my brother in-laws house? The bike is steel with a new shock and I recently replaced some drive train components.

It's a mountain bike...just wash it thoroughly when you get there.

Or, get a bike bra.

[KarlHungus]

i wouldn't think twice about tossin it on top, $50??? f that.
put some garbage bags around it the best you can wrap with duct tape to hold them on well.

[Free Range Lobster]

yeah i'd say just strap em on and give them some TLC and a bath when you get there.

[m1e448]

If you are too scared to just put it on top. Ask the bike shop for an old bike box, pack it in there all nice with some pipe insulation and put a tarp or plastic around the box and put that on the top of your car.

[yentna]

Also, you may wanna think of gas prices. I get 2-5 miles less per gallon with bikes on top, depending on how many bikes and if they are DH or not. If gas prices go up like the've been, it could actually be cheaper to ship it. See how it goes at the time. Looks like for my car with the mpg I know it gets, it would cost me about $20 bucks extra to drive with the bike on the roof, $30 less than shipping it. Depending on your car and speeds and gas prices, could be more.

[Greydon Clark]

I like the garbage bag idea. Cheap, effective. Should I lube up the drive train, kind of like a protective wax for skis, or will it act like a magnet for dirt?

[Greydon Clark]

If your going to be doing some ski touring along the way, I'd be a bit leery of leaving a bike at a trailhead for someone to snatch. In this case I would ship it.

Well, I was thinking I could just lock it in the car, but that depends on how much stuff I have in the car…

[bagtagley]

You can't partially strip it down and toss it in the car? Unless I'm carrying multiple bikes, my bike goes in the back of the car.

Edit: I just got done shipping my bike to and from WV (actually, it's on its way back right now), and it was a pain in the ass, and I've been stressed wondering how my baby is doing.

[Hugh Jass]

I think you should ship the drivetrain and frame, and do the drive with all non-corrosible parts on the roof.

Hope that helps.

[Greydon Clark]

I think you should ship the drivetrain and frame, and do the drive with all non-corrosible parts on the roof.

Hope that helps.

Wonderful suggestion. The entire things is going UPS, I have too much shit.

[Kellie]

And mine is going to the PNW on top of my car

[chaka]

I guess I late to the game to affect Greydons decision, but here's $0.02. Drove a 2800 mile triangle last December, connecting Auburn CA, The OC, and Northern New Mexico, with teo mtn bikes on the roof, no garbage bags, etc. Went through several snow, rain, road salt events, no big deal whatsoever.

[El Chupacabra]

Also I guess a bit late, but...

Put it on the roof, complete, wash it when you arrive.

Put a bit of tape on the bike covering the headset seals, since that's really the only vulnerable part on your bike on the roof -- wind-driven rain can be forced into the headset bearings. The hubs & bottom bracket are better protected.