Both types you're referring to seem plenty sturdy to me. My dad has the hitch post rack on his Jeep, and I have the roof rack on my Buick. They are both leaps and bounds more stable than the strap-on trunk racks I used before.

I love the roof rack b/c it is very easy to use quickly and I feel like the bikes are plenty secure. I've had mine for just over a year now and have probably taken my bikes over 4000miles on top of the car (I never leave home without it on weekends). When I first got it, I was paranoid and checked on them often while driving. The only issue with these is that you better remember your bike is up there (before say, driving into your garage). I haven't had a problem with this, but have seen awful pictures. In my experience, the windflow disturbance created by the bikes makes noise reminding me they're there...and I don't use my garage.

For the hitch rack, you obviously don't have to worry about removing the wheels or low clearances, but you do have to worry about someone else rear-ending you and similar situations. These racks seem more than sturdy enough, IMO...I've seen my dad haul 2 bikes on 500+ mile round trips multiple times.

As far as cost goes, they should be comparable since the base mounting systems are already on your SUV...so it's more about personal preference.

are you short? do you think you'll ever forget you have a bike on top? get a hitch mount. most of the trailer hitch models have a rubber strap so you need to lock the bikes independently.

for the roof racks, you can purchase the lock cylinders, but you need to put the wheel somewhere (in the vehicle is most secure)...the only reason IMO to not get fork mount is if you have or anticipate disc brakes

i have thule fork mount that i like a lot (but i have a wagon and i'm tall)

Tough call. We have both roof on the subaru and hitch and the volkswagon van. If you get the hitch, bag the bike, you'd be amazed how much crap gets thrown up by the car tires into the bike... If it's really buggy the same thing happens with bugs on the bike... It looks like you have an aluminum bike, so compression is not an issue. (with CF, you shouldn't use a compression based system like a hitch mount)
Hopefully there's a nugget there you can use :)
Good luck.

There are pros and cons to each. I go with a hitch rack because I don't trust myself not to drive into my garage with bikes on my roof.

If you do go the hitch route, be aware that carbon bike frames and hitch mounts where you strap the top tube of your bike are supposedly a bad combination--the thinking goes that you can crush the carbon top tube by strapping it. Look instead for a wheel-grabbing type of hitch rack.

If you have alu, steel, or ti bikes, no big deal getting a hitch mount with top tube straps.

I have had both. I had an SUV where I used the tow hitch and now I have a Subaru hatchback and use the roof rack. I prefer the tow hitch because for 1) I don't have to remove the front tire and 2) I NEVER have to worry about parking garages! I am one of those who damaged their bike (fortunately just the saddle). The problem wasn't that I forgot it was up there, but not realizing the height clearance of some garages changes due to random signs hanging down or sloping entries/exits. I entered a garage from one street fine, but exited from another and clipped my bike. Now, I never go near garages!

I have the roof mounted wheel carrier for my Thule roof rack but since there isn't a lock for it (at least none that I know of...only for the bike carrier), I am always paranoid someone is going to take my wheel just to tick me off! I try not to leave my bike on it for long periods of time but when I have to do a brick, I have no choice.

Since I live in a condo with a parking garage, I don't have the clearance to use the roof rack. After a long day, coming home tired and driving on "autopilot", I'm sure one day I'd forget that I had a bike up there and do some damage in thegarage.

I just got an '09 Yakima HoldUp for my SUV. The HoldUp is a hitch mounted carrier, that locks the bike by the wheels. It doesn't contact the frame at all. it's great for babying your baby. It's very sturdy, very stable, and I don't have to worry about clearance anywhere. Easy access to the rear hatch, and very quick to load/unload bikes.

I vote hitch.

[quote=PJT]There are pros and cons to each. I go with a hitch rack because I don't trust myself not to drive into my garage with bikes on my roof.
[/quote]

My wife solved this problem by filling up the garage so that I can't park in it. That plus the 9 bike, 14 prs of skiis, climbing wall, etc.

Roof rack: I fear the drive thru lane. Hitch mount: I fear the uninsured motorist rear-end collision. Try making a claim on a ti frame. "Sure, your bike was that much. We'll settle for $50."

Unless you are really tall, a roof rack might not be that convenient on an SUV.
We have a luggage carrier for our minivan, so I bought some bike racks to fit on the same rails way back when. Even though the van is not too tall, it was a real pain to heft bikes up there all the time so I took them back. It is much easier to use the hitch rack on both our van and our SUV.
Also, my wife has a couple of friends who have crushed their bikes on the roof racks. One was a nice carbon tri bike too. Ouch!

hitch + bike bag!

I have a hitch and roof racks on my large SUV. I use the hitch the most, as I'm usually packing at least 4 bikes for group rides etc. I can 2 more bikes on the roof with my Rocket Box, 4 without the box, which is great for trips with a lot of folks or if your are towing a trailer. The nice thing about the hitch is I can use it on my minivan as well. Loads easier than switching racks on roofs.

It's a bit of a hassle to get bikes on the roof of the SUV, as in I have to get a small step to lift the bikes over my head and onto the rack. The hitch is certainly easier for drive through and garages, but can make parallel parking interesting.

I have a tow hitch for my Jeep. No way I could get my bike on top.

I just replaced my roof rack. I DID drive it into my garage. Damaged the bike, garage, rack, AND the car. Total loss was more than $2000. I still prefer it to the hitch rack.

I have a wagon and use a Thule roof mount, they make an attachment that will hold your front wheel or they also make a roof rack that you don't have to take the front wheel off. I see these on craigslist for cheep all the time.

best price and brand for a roof rack for a sedan that doesnt come stock with luggage rails on the roof? Suggestions? Looking to get a roof rack for some easy transport.

I have a std sunroof. As much as I love them, I would not have one given we take our pepper off road; I'd be very worried about leaks over time due to a reduction in torsional stiffness.
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[url=http://www.cbtservices.com.au/]Towing[/url]

If they flatbed towed it then you're fine. I doubt they did that, though. If they towed it by the front then they could have damaged the LSD. It's a very sophisticated and sensitive unit. The manual state not to tow the car under any circumstances unless it's by flatbed. If they towed it from the rear then you're lucky they didn't rip the front airdam off. The front suspension is probably fine except it just got one hell of a workout for which it was never designed to handle.