Submitted by
ZGOZZ
a Weekend Warrior
from Edison NJ USA Date Reviewed: July 11, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Allaire State Park NJ
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$375.00
Purchased At:
Haulters
Strengths:
Just easy to use Solid. Ratcheting system easy to use and holds bike securely.
Weaknesses:
Nothing yet just heavy. Really should have the locks included in the kit.
Similar Products Used:
NA
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher HIFI 29er.
Bottom Line:
This is the best bike rack I have owned over the past 10 years. Works great with 29er FSBMB. Easy to use and just built well. Very easy to fold up, and drop down to get to the back of my Rav.
Will never use a cheep rack again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
AKA Monkeybutt
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: July 7, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Thule direct
Strengths:
Looks good but manufactured wrong from the factory.
Weaknesses:
Manufacture defect on the lever system that allows you to change the position of the rack. The rack is stuck in the bike carrying position. I expected better quality out of an expensive rack. Even with several attempts to resolve the issue, Thule ignored me and blew me off for over a month. Thule finally said they would exchange the defective rack but I would need to ship the oversized rack back at my expense.
Bottom Line:
I would not buy from Thule again or recommend Thule products to anyone based on my customer service experience. I’m sure the rack would be nice if it were manufactured correctly. Rack gets a D rating since it’s only 1/3 useful (can still carry bikes but cant fold up/down). Thule as a company gets a big fat F since the customer service department ignored me and blew me off hoping I would go away.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Geist262
a Cross Country Rider
from PA USA Date Reviewed: June 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Ho Chi Minh
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$360.00
Purchased At:
amazon.com
Strengths:
Ratcheting system. Holds bike securely.
Weaknesses:
Locks are not included. Price.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima Double Down
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher X-Caliber 29er
Bottom Line:
This bike rack is great. It holds two bikes very securely. The T2 DOES work with 29er bikes as well. You have to push down the ratcheting arm all the way down towards the outside of the rack. Put the bike in the rack and pull the arm back. Once its near the tire, tilt the bike to one side until the arm clears the tire. Then push it down until it clicks at least twice.
The core locks and hitch lock should be included in price. That is my only beef besides price. Thule gets a 4 Overall because the rack should come equipped with locks.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Rich H.
a Cross Country Rider
from Granite Bay, CA, USA Date Reviewed: April 24, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$320.00
Purchased At:
Rack & Road, Sacrame
Strengths:
Well built, easy and fast to use
Weaknesses:
A bit awkward to store but who really cares. If this is my only compliant I guess it is a great product
Similar Products Used:
Yakima 4 bike hitch mounted rack
Bottom Line:
Although a bit expensive for a 2 bike rack, the speed and ease of putting the bikes on and taking them off is great. On days when I shuttle for DH I thank myself for the purchase each time I put the bike on and take it off. Once bikes are installed they are very secure even at high speeds.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DesertRatliff
a Cross Country Rider
from Durango, CO Date Reviewed: April 18, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Slick Rock
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$357.00
Purchased At:
Local Bike Shop
Strengths:
Good fit and finsh
Weaknesses:
Expensive, Does not work, nees a serious update to be considered a viable option over something as simple as securing my bike over my tailgate.
Similar Products Used:
Bed of my truck, Other Thule and Yakima racks
Bike Setup:
'08 Slayer 70
Stumpy Single Speed conv.
Bottom Line:
I purchased this rack at my local bike shop based on recommendation from a friend (should have read the last review here first).
Good overall first impression. Concept is good as it fits a variety of different frames and bike types without removing wheels or buying 20mm hub adapters. Seemed to be built well;built like a tank (heavy). I like that, so that's why I bought it.
However, when I put my bike on the rack for a weekend trip to Moab, I first noticed that the rachet system for the front tire had no tightening system which made me push on mechanism hard to have the rachet catch at all. Then I noticed how close the rachet was to my 36mm fork (within 1 cm; too close for comfort). This wouldn't be a problem if the rack kept the bike from moving a lot, but it didn't. BIKE WOBBLES A LOT! I noticed how much my bike moved on the rack. I went through all the hardware, tightend all bolts, but that did not help. Plus, girlfriend's bike hit the seat of my bike, so I had to take the seat off. After securing bikes with bungies and rachet straps, I still felt uneasy putting $5000 worth of bikes on the rack.
Bottom line: Good fit and finish, but a very poor overall concept that needs a serious update to be worth $350. I WANT MY MONEY BACK! This thing sucks!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
moorereason
a Cross Country Rider
from Abilene, TX, US Date Reviewed: January 1, 2009
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$340.00
Purchased At:
RackOutfitters.com
Strengths:
Easy to use; tilts down for rear hatch access; folds up when not in use; can fit about any bike; very sturdy
Weaknesses:
No security features included (lock cylinders and locking hitch lug available separately); 2-bike add-on has no reflective device or material; sturdiness means it's heavy, especially with the 2-bike add-on
Bike Setup:
Diamondback XSL
Bottom Line:
After a ton of research, I decided to go with the Thule T2 916, and it's been great. I've had the 916 for about 6 months, and recently added the 918 2-bike add-on. It's working out great as well. Everything I hate about hanging racks is gone with the Thule T2.
Overall, the rack has been outstanding. The documentation says it won't work below a 20" wheel, but I've secured my 3-year-old's 16" bike without problems. The bikes I carry are my FSR Diamondback XSL, my wife's Townie-looking bike, my oldest son's Trek MT60, and my youngest's 16" kids bike. Works great.
Now, about security. Unlike some other reviewers, I actually appreciate the fact that lock cylinders don't come with the rack, and here's why: I originally just bought the rack and the STL2 locking hitch lug. The STL2 comes with a specific, numbered locking cylinder. Once I had that number, I ordered matching lock cylinders from Thule's website so I only needed one key. I just now bought two additional lock cylinders for the 918 that will match what I've already got. But even still, these lock cylinders are not the only protection you will want; they are easy to remove with the key tool that Thule sends you. Regardless of what bike rack you have, I would recommend getting a long cable lock system to weave through your frames, wheelsets, and hitch.
The 918 2-bike add-on works great as well, although it significantly increases the weight of the rack. I can easily man-handle the 916, but with the 918 attached, it's almost a two-man job to add and remove the whole thing. It is, however, relatively easy to detach the 918, so I don't always have to lug that thing around unless I have to. It's connected to the main 916 by two bolts. It would be nice if you could use another STL2 to lock the 918 to the 916...maybe that will come in the next revision. Tilting the 4-bike rack down to access the rear hatch is also more of a two-man job, but it does work. I also had to tighten the bolts on the 916 hinge joints to reduce the swaying that initially happened with 4 bikes loaded. After tightening those bolts, there's hardly any sway.
One last thing about the 918 2-bike add-on is that it has no reflective material on it. With the 918 attached, the rack sticks out about 4.5 feet. Around here if you have something longer than 3 feet protruding from your vehicle, it needs some kind of red reflector or red flag on it unless you want a ticket. I haven't figured out a long-term solution for that issue yet, but I would like to see Thule come up with a solution to save me the trouble.
Anyway, overall I love the racks. I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Auggie
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy Eggo Date Reviewed: August 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Any that will prolly cause me to face plant hard
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$341.00
Purchased At:
Amazon
Strengths:
Insanely quick and easy to load and unload. Can be folded up for storage as well as down for accessing trunks/tailgates/liftgates. Fully adjustable racks to accommodate almost any imaginable bike setup. Sturdy construction. Even the tools to completely assemble it are included (though the flat wrenches are a little painful to use when cranking down on them).
Weaknesses:
For its relatively high price, not a single lock is included. Rear tire clamp mounts are not safely secured to rails when not being used (at least, no guidance is provided in the instructions; I figured out a way to wrap the strap through the front tire arm). Low ground clearance means the lower tube hitting pavement on deep gutter crossings when hitched to a car/mini-van. A bit heavy so the average female may have a hard time installing/removing it. Included hitch bolt has the potential to loosen (get the Thule STL2 locking hitch bolt).
I researched exhaustively to determine the best hitch rack out there for me and my uber-expensive bike, and I finally settled on the Thule T2.
I couldn't be more pleased with the selection!
Easy of use, sturdy construction, adjustable rails both sideways AND fore/aft, tilt up for stowage AND tilt down for rear car access, none of the other brands out there can compare to all these features combined. Though not the most elegant looking rack, these are quality built and very functional. Even the plastic wheel well is very solid and thick, unlike the more flimsy, aluminum-strip backed Saris Thelma's.
Bikes load and unload ridiculously fast and easy that my 8 year old niece can do it all by herself. Only the wheels are touched, leaving the frame unmarred and unstressed.
Unlike one of the reviewers, I have had no quality or finish issues, such as cracking, peeling, chipping or easy scratching (thus far). Regarding the release latch according to same reviewer as being too short and "hurting finger", I can't understand how it "hurts" as for one, it has a soft vinyl tab over it, and two, it doesn't require much force to lift it the short distance to unlatch the pivot joint (if it hurts you THAT much using one finger, use two or the palm of your hand).
For all its functionality, it is a bit heavy (50 lbs), so it is a chore to install and remove if you must do it every time you ride (which I do since I bike almost every evening after work but don't want to keep the rack mounted during work). Finally, the included anti-wobble bolt has the potential to loosen and fall out since it uses both a flat and lock washer. I recommend not using the flat washer (meaning your receiver side will get chewed up from the lock washer digging into it) or buy the optional Thule STL2 locking hitch pin.
Regarding security, lets be realistic: NO bike rack is theft-proof. ALL security measures can be defeated, given a determined and well-equipped thief. So degrading the rating of this rack to the lowest for having supposedly "no security" is not a fair assessment.
With that said, for the price, I feel this thing SHOULD have included at least lock cylinders for the arms as an out-of-the-box theft deterrent for the grab-and-go low lifes out there; having to buy them separately blows.
Regardless, you should add a cable lock that threads through both wheels, the frame(s) and to the hitch itself. Even then, I would never leave my bikes unattended, out-of-sight for any extended periods of time, no matter which brand of rack it was on (even though I have insurance that would cover the bike).
Overall, if you are hauling any worthy bike(s) of value on a carrier and have a receiver hitch, this is the rack to get. In fact, at a local trail I noticed that almost all of the hitch racks I saw in the parking lot were the T2.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skijor
a Cross Country Rider
from Wisconsin Date Reviewed: June 22, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Any backroad
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$332.00
Purchased At:
Amazon w/free ship
Strengths:
Fast to load/unload. Secure hold/no bouncing, bumping into other bikes. No bungees required. Very sturdy. Tilt down feature is handy to access hatch/trunk with two bikes mounted. Vehicle protects bikes from bugs. Tilts up when not in use.
Weaknesses:
Lock is easily defeated. Need to supplement with another lock. Not quick to remove from hitch and therefore is somewhat in the way for accessing rear of vehicle (mind your kneecaps :) Tilt feature takes some strength to lift/click back into place with bikes mounted although not overly so.
Worth every penny. Supplement with a quality cable lock. I used blue Locktite on the fasteners for extra piece of mind. The bike trays slide onto the center beam and are cinched on by tightening 4 bolts per bike. Loosen these and the bikes and their trays can be slid right off, cable lock or not. Yes there are security issues but the ease of use easily offsets them.
Buy this if you have pricier bikes that you want to protect the frame. You'll want to keep this on all season, then remove it just once because again...it's heavy.
Don't buy if you ride beater bikes. A much cheaper rack would do.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dial Tone
a Weekend Warrior
from Duarte, CA Date Reviewed: March 24, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$325.00
Purchased At:
Jenson USA
Strengths:
Ease of use, easy to assemble, proven Thule design and durability, very quick to mount and dismount.
Weaknesses:
a bit on the heavy side, pricey and for a rack over $300 the locks should be at least included.
Similar Products Used:
Saris Bones 2
Bike Setup:
Trek 7100, Trek 4300 WSD, Fisher Hi-Fi Plus
Bottom Line:
If you want a quality product you'll have spend some money. There are less expensive racks out there but buying the good stuff generates rack-envy.
No need for high lifting especially on a tall vehicle and the bikes are easily mounted onto the Thule T2. The arms adjusts and locks in place with no frame contact. The bikes are also held on securely. Mounting a bike takes less than 20 seconds--seriously!
Unlike the other cheaper brands, the Thule T2 platform is far from the tailpipe that hot exhaust will not be aimed at the bike wheel and tire.
For a rack that costs as much as this one, Thule should at least make the locks included. Bikes can be locked using a cable lock (such as Kryptonite), just loop through the frame and secure onto the hitch. Visible cable locks are theft deterents and adds a extra level of security.
I highly recommend this one.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dean
a Cross Country Rider
from california Date Reviewed: October 2, 2007
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$380.00
Purchased At:
online
Strengths:
This rack is very easy to use. Road and montain bikes mount easily. I like that it folds up out of the way when not in use and also tilts down to allow access to the back of my SUV (I use it on a Highlander) with bikes loaded. We also have racks on top of the car and bought this rack because my wife had trouble getting bikes off the top of the car due to her height. I also like that the mounting points are only the wheels not hanging from the frame which can be a pain with full suspension. Durability to date seems good. We live in a mild climate and store it in the garage when not in use.
Weaknesses:
This rack is heavier than many, so heft it in the store before buying it. It also takes up more storage space than some other racks, I welded a piece of receiver to the metal ballard by my water heater to easily store it. Thule provides the option of locks on the portion that holds the front wheel, but all a would be thief needs to do is let the air out of your tire to get the bike; buy a cable lock long enough to go through bikes, rack and the hitch. We bought ours at the time Thule took over and changed the Sportworks design, which looked more robust than what Thule has done to it; but no problems to date.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima roof racks
Bike Setup:
road and mountain
Bottom Line:
A nice rack that is easy to use. There are cheaper and lighter alternatives that may require just a little more time to load the bikes on. We use ours frequently and are overall very happy with this rack. Like most sport equipment it probably costs a bit more than it should because it is a 'specialty item'.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Julie
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego, Ca Date Reviewed: September 10, 2007
Favorite Trail:
lots !
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$330.00
Purchased At:
RackAttack
Strengths:
I have the 2" hitch model. Very secure connection to the hitch when the "extra" lock is used. Minimal wobble. Fast and easy bike loading. Generates RackEnvy.
Weaknesses:
The hitch-to-rack lock should be included in the basic purchase, particularly because it adds a great deal of strength to the hitch-rack junction.
Similar Products Used:
Many racks over the years NONE as convenient as this one.
Bike Setup:
Turners
Bottom Line:
I've had roof racks (hate 'em...I'm only 5'6"), Yakima hitch racks where the bikes hang and bang into each other, racks where you had to add heavy bars between the seatposts and headtubes to properly cinch them up, Hollywood racks where you had to climb into a truck bed and take off the front wheels to load them, etcetcetc . I have finally found rack nirvana. The 2 biker is not too heavy for me to handle alone. The connection to the hitch is hefty and snug, minimizing movement. There is a double pivot design which reduces the effect of a lot of weight hanging off the hitch so no banging the ground over dips. Superfast to load and unload. Folds up nicely against the vehicle and folds down so you can access the back with the bikes on the rack.
The only points off are for 1. making the hitch lock an add-on when when without it there is only a single short bolt through ONE SIDE of the hitch holding the entire rig onto the car, and 2. the plastic straps holding the rear wheels snug have to be carefully tightened if you are traveling without bikes on so the straps don't fall off.
So 4 for value ($30 for the locking long bolt) and 5 for overall.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jason Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Dallas Date Reviewed: July 29, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Oak Cliff Nature Preserve
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At:
Richardson Bike Mart
Strengths:
Not very many.... very little wobbling, strong hold...hmmm read on
Weaknesses:
rear wheel straps are not mounted to frame, latch to release rack into down position is less than an inch and hurts finger, scratches very quickly (new rack looked very used within days)
Similar Products Used:
Sportswork (similar rack)
Bike Setup:
Canondale Jekyll 800 w/ Lefty Trek 4500 w/ disc
Bottom Line:
I WANT MY SPORTSWORK RACK BACK. A tail-gater put my Sportwork rack to rest so I used the insurance money to buy the Thule. BAD MOVE! This rack BITES! First, the rear wheel (plastic) straps are removeable, so you can easily lose one, or they can easily be stolen. The latch that brings the rack down from the upright position seems to be installed backwards. The plastic wheel well that holds the front tire is made of cheap plastic, for its already cracking. Don't buy this rack, its a very bad design. The Sportswork is 100 times better.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Beau
a Downhiller
from park city, ut Date Reviewed: July 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$150.00
Purchased At:
THULE
Strengths:
This is an awesome rack that is so easy to use. It is one of the few racks that actually works well with big downhill bikes. Super easy to load.
Weaknesses:
It pretty much doesn't have any weaknesses as of yet, but the one thing that I have noticed is it seems to be a bit wobbly when it is loaded up with two 45 lb downhill bikes, but i'm sure that it is actually very secure.
Similar Products Used:
none
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Vp Free w/ 888's
Bottom Line:
This rack is awesome, and is probablly one of the easiest most practical racks for big bikes that you can buy.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Roy
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto, Canada Date Reviewed: July 4, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Strengths:
I've bought the 4 bike system and overall the rack is great for carrying the bikes. Easy to use and the bikes are really stable.
Weaknesses:
The locking mechanizim that holds the front wheel is basically useless when it comes to security (theft) even when locked with the key. The bikes can easily be removed from the rack by opening the quick release on the front skewer (or using a wrench with bolt-ons). Once the skewer is loose and the rear wheel clamp is open the bike simply lift off the rack and the front wheel can then be reattached. It takes less than 30 seconds to remove the bike with the lock in place.
Similar Products Used:
This is my first hitch rack.
Bike Setup:
Titus Motolite Exogrid.
Bottom Line:
I really liked the rack until I realized there is no theft protection at all.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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