OT Lost my Google mojo - roofrack pads.

I need some roofrack pads[1] to fit 'aero' style bars (thick & flat)
rather than the usual square or round bars, & I'm buggered if I can
find any. Lots of aero pads, but that applies to the pads themselves,
not the bars. Likewise a pair of mast carrying cups, which appear to
only be available for Thule racks or square bars. Help!

[1] For carrying a windsurf board.

 

Any old roofrack pads should fit aero bars, as they're all soft foam-type
material, so will just squish to fit. As for the mast cups, I wouldn't
bother with them - just strap on your board with roofrack straps, and shove
the masts between the two halves of the straps - 's what I've done for
years.

 

Mine don't! Can't see how any would tbh. The bars are very wide - much
wider than the hole in normal bar pads. I'd have to slice out most of
the foam to get it anywhere near closing over t'other side when I slide
it on.

Me too (or between straps & edge of board), but I've never done a
several hundred mile trip across France with the kit before. If I can't
find any I'll just bodge something.

 

Colour me surprised. I think my Thule pads would manage it though, as they
have drawstring closures
(http://www.roofrackshop.co.uk/ski/thule-windsurfer-roof-rack-pads.htm), so
even if they don't sit completely flat, they're not going to fall off or
anything. Alternatively, have you considered a padded board bag, which would
mean you don't need pads at all.

I've done 400 miles round Ireland with that setup with no problems.

I find pipe lagging is the simplest and cheapest bodge. Disintegrates after
a few months, but is find for protecting the board.

 

The ordinary cheap grey stuff does, but Armaflex is tougher.
url:http://www.armacell.com/WWW/armacel...Document&Nav=04A655AE22E915E4802576CE0044D066

 

You've made me go & measure them now - they're 3" x 1.25". I've ordered
some of the aero pads anyway in the hope they fit.

I have but didn't know for certain what size new board I was going to
get. Ended up getting a Carve 131 which I'm collecting tonight from
Weymouth, & which I think will fit inside the car anyway.

 

Bloody hell! OK - ignore everything I said, they're *huge*! The last set or
aero bars I had weren't much more than the standard square ones.

 

Heh. The aero pads I bought turned up yesterday & do actually fit,
which surprised me. But the board did fit in the car anyway. And he
knocked 30 quid off as he felt guilty for not replying to an email -
result!

 

Monkey wrote:

<stuff>

Can I pick your brains on something? I've got a reasonably modern board
now (probably around '03-04 Starboard), but the rest of my kit's 25+
years old, so needless to say the mast base won't fit the new board.

I'm so out of touch with this stuff I haven't a clue what's used these
days, & whether a new mast base will fit my old extension, or if I'll
need an extension too, & if that'll fit my mast etc etc. Googling
hasn't really helped.

Can you recommend anywhere that does mail order & is likely to just
sell me what I need without trying to stiff me? Or if you can tell me
what I'll definitely need or point to links or or or... Trying to keep
the costs down so used or cheap & cheerful would be good.

Needless to say the nearest windsurfing shop is bloody miles away.

 

You could give these a try: http://www.boylos.co.uk/

They're sorta friends of friends family, but I have no real connection.

 

I've got a real mix of kit, the most modern being a three-year-old sail, and
the oldest being a 10-year-old mast extension. I'm assuming that as you're
asking about the mast base 'not fitting the new board' that either the old
board or the new one has a sliding mast track, and hence needs a specific
pin? If I knew better what you're moving from / to, I might be better able
to advise - though if your mast base and extension are *that* old, I'd be
tempted to buy new ones anyway, as it can be nasty when they fail.

Well I've been using this lot (http://www.24-7boardsports.com/ - formerly
Solent Sailboards) for 15 years (in person rather than mail order), and most
of my business with them was buying bits and pieces to repair my crappy old
kit, rather than splashing out on the new stuff they sell, and they've never
given me the hard sell. The owner (Jon Popkiss) has been in the business a
lot longer than I've been windsurfing, and knows his old kit pretty well.