Paddling tips, tricks, news and gear reviews from an Unsponsored point of view

Tag: carrying kayaks

Thule Wing Bar Edge – Review

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.

Thule Wing Bar Edge – Review

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.

Thule WingBar Edge – Review

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.

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Thule Wing Bar – Review Update

A change of car has forced me to seek out a new set of roofbars. I wanted the best set of roof bars for my car without going silly on the cost. This time I have went for the Thule Wing bars (aka Aeroblades in the USA). I love cars that can have a set of roof bars bolted to them, either to fittings hidden within the roof or roof rails.

The new Unsponsored HQ paddle wagon/family transporter is a very sensible two litre 184bhp Skoda Octavia VRS estate. It has replaced the BMW 320d Touring shown in these images.

Thule Wing Bars

So am I still using these bars with the new car?

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Thule Wing Bars – Review

A change of car has forced me to seek out a new set of roofbars. I wanted the best set of roof bars for my car without going silly on the cost. This time I have went for the Thule Wing bars. These are known as the Thule Aeroblades in some parts of the word. I love cars that can have a set of roof bars bolted to them, either to fittings hidden within the roof or roof rails. The new Unsponsored HQ paddle wagon/family transporter is a very sensible two litre 184bhp BMW 320d Sport.

Thule Wing Bars

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Strap It Down

Flying boats! I have seen it happen and it has happened to my kayak on one occasion. The sinking feeling you get as you see your boat fly off the top of the car isn’t very nice.

In the case of my kayak there was a flapping sound, followed by the clunk of the buckle hitting the car roof followed by a whoosh as two kayaks flew off down the road! Fortunately on both occasions no one was hurt and the damage to the boats minor. If it had been later in the day it could have been a different story.

Tying your boat onto the roof rack correctly is critical. It could save both your kayak and car from serious damage and keep other unsuspecting motorists that little bit safer. Using good quality straps or rope is a must and if the strap/rope is worn then they must be retired.

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