For the last three years I have been using a set of Thule Wing Bar Edge Roof bars on my cars. The first car this set was used on was a F56 Mini John Cooper Works with a set of factory fitted flush roof rails and now they sit on my F31 BMW 3 Series Wagon/Touring.
Interestingly the last time I reviewed a set of roof bars was on my last F31 BMW in around 2016.
Now this set of bars is the latest from Thule and in my opinion is an upgrade to the Thule WingBars. The biggest difference is the much lower profile bar and clamp. It means that they offer a close-fit to the roofline for a low-profiled roof bar system. This was one of the main reason I wanted to go with Thule rather than the BMW OE roof bars that stand pretty tall.
When first bought I picked up the complete set from the Roofbox company here in the UK. I plugged the details of the Mini into the system and the parts were grouped together to order. They also did a key barrel matching service so I could have one key fit all of the bars and bike racks that I own.
The set up arrives in three main parts:
- 2 x sets of bars
- 1 x Edge flush rail foot kit
- 1 x clamp fit kit
This came in at £325 with a set of black anodised bars. Silver bars would be around £50 less. However the full RRP would be £375 on this set up. The BMW OE roof bars would have been around £240 but I would also have needed new BMW T track compatible T fittings for my roof accessories (Some Renault roof bars are the same). These are around £20 per set. So by the time I’d factor in two sets of these for my standard setup (2 x bike racks) plus another set for third bike rack I sometimes use there isn’t much price difference.
The length of the bars are determined by the width of the car. The system on the clamp does allow for 50mm of adjustment, so if you are moving a set from one car to another car of a similar size then the bars will probably swap over as well. At this point it is worth mentioning that when I moved from the F56 Mini to the F31 BMW I needed to order a wider set of bars (86cm) and different clamp fit kit which cost around £140 to swap out, but I have have sold the old ones on and recouped most of that back. The cost of changing the parts on the rack to fit the new car was considerably less than the cost of a brand new rack.
When I pieced the new set together for the F31 I sourced my parts from a range of places including Amazon. It takes a little longer to gather the parts but it can work out cheaper.
You do need to assemble the system when it arrives, but this is really easy and doesn’t require any special tools or skills.
Features:
The WingBars have a T-track slot along the top side of the bar, allowing for quick and easy accessory attachment, such as bike carriers and kayak carriers. The T-Track is in-filled with a rubber grip strip to help grip the load and prevent sliding on the bars when a load is secured down. Unlike the older bars this rubber strip is split along its centre and remains in place when you add your accessories to the bars.
The biggest problem of putting something on the roof of the car is wind noise. The WingBars feature wind diffuser technology and a Trail Edge design based on an aeroplanes wing, for an aerodynamic and quieter ride. With less resistance to the air, the WingBar is designed for better fuel economy than standard box/square profile bars.
Now, I have found the bars extremely quiet on both the cars they have been on. I have not been able to detect any noticeable difference between when the bars are on/off the car. I don’t have surfers ear and my hearing is pretty good! Therefore I tend to leave the bars on year round and give the locks some lube each time I wash the car in winter to fend off the nasty salt that we use on the roads in the UK.
Thule bars are crash tested with loads up to 75kg. This means that they can handle a few kayaks or bikes with ease.
Fitting:
Fitting is straight forward. On the F31 I have lined my bars up with the B and C pillars which in my case matches the position I need to fit a Thule UpRide bike rack carrier.
The system comes supplied with a preset torque allan key which allows you to tighten everything up to the correct spec (3Nm). I keep this tool permanently in the car.
Keep it safe as replacements are around £20!
Given the choice I will always go with Thule. The ability to easily adapt and swap between cars is a winner for me along with the easy of use and quiet aero profile. Let us know what you use in the comments section below.
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