Q: I’m interested in purchasing the HighRoller bike rack and the whispbar rail system. I’ve heard that they are not compatible and the FrontLoader was suggested. I’m not interested in it. Are there any mounts available to solve that problem?
I’m also concerned about the size of the whispar for my car… I own a 2003 Audi Allroad and another website recommended a different size from the one specified in your Fit Guide. Unfortunately I don’t know the exact size between the rails, but I’m going to check that prior to the order.
Could you provide me with links for all that’s required to make the rack? and locks for rack-bar and rack-bike?
A: First, I cannot find an authorized Whispbar fit for your 2003 Audi Allroad with factory raised side rails. You must be looking under a different Audi model than I am in the fit guide.
You can mount the HighRoller on the Whispbars and other wider bars, including factory installed crossbars, using the Yakima Universal Mighty Mounts.
While you can lock the bicycle to the HighRoller with the included cable lock and Yakima Locks SKS two-pack, sold separately, you will not be able to lock the HighRoller to the Whispbar rack.
The below text is from the HighRoller product page and does a good job of spelling out the differences between the HighRoller and FrontLoader.
Tim asks – What is the difference between the HighRoller and the FrontLoader?
ORS Crew answers – Great question. There really isn’t much that separates the considerably more expensive HighRoller and the cheaper priced FrontLoader except that the HighRoller has a rear strap that can be accessed from either side of the bike tray. Unlike the FrontLoader, which will mount directly to factory rack cross bars, the HighRoller will NOT connect directly to factory racks however, you would need to use a set of Yakima Universal MightyMounts clamps with the HighRoller to connect it to factory rack crossbars. Also, while you can use a Yakima SKS lock in the integrated locking cable on the HighRoller to lock the bicycle to the HighRoller, you can’t simply use another Yakima SKS lock core to lock the HighRoller itself to the roof rack. You would have to also purchase a Yakima Lock Housing Unit to insert a lock core into. The FrontLoader, however, offers the convenience of simply using a Yakima 2-pack of locks to lock the bicycle to the carrier, via the integrated cable lock, and also the FrontLoader itself to the roof rack by inserting a lock directly into the front end of the carrier. Basically, Yakima Racks first released the HighRoller, then a couple years later realized they needed to offer a similar bike rack that connects directly to factory racks and will also optionally lock to the vehicle. The FrontLoader also uses the same very sleek low-profile bike tray as found on the fork mount style Yakima ForkLift bike rack. So really, unless you feel strongly about the need for a two-sided rear wheel strap, you will want to choose the cheaper priced FrontLoader bike rack over the HighRoller. And you’ll be gaining better security features and the ability to attach the carrier directly to factory racks.
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