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Submitted by
jarek
a Weekend Warrior
from Guangzhou, China
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | 2nd hand | | Strengths: | Easy to install & use | | Weaknesses: | Fork mount breaks | | Bottom Line: | Older Velo Vise Pro, same as other reviews listed here, my head assembly began to fail when the roller seized up, and then cracking, causing the fork to be held only on one side. the only thing that saved the bike from falling was the rear wheel strap. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
clarkejimw
a Downhiller
from laguna beach
Date Reviewed: June 15, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | easy to use, no worry of the bike flying off. Can't steal rack/bike | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | King Cobra,Sidearm | | Bike Setup: | Thule roof racks | | Bottom Line: | LOVE IT!!!! Never had any issues. I have #50 downhill bikes that don't budge going 75 down the freeway. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tracy White
a Cross Country Rider
from Memphis, TN
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$130.00 | | Purchased At: | Auburn VW, Washington | | Strengths: | design, ease of installation and use | | Weaknesses: | cheap, brittle component | | Similar Products Used: | n/a | | Bike Setup: | specialized stump jumper | | Bottom Line: | AVOID THIS RACK!! Only used twice before the fork cam assembly shattered. It never properly attached. One side would be secure while the other side was loose. I tightened it, applied very moderate pressure and multiple components shattered. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Spyder
a
from santa fe, nm
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | rack attack in CO | | Strengths: | ease of use and product support. Thule warranties all their products with no questions asked. Great staff too. | | Weaknesses: | short lifespan: The plastic cam fatigues and fails. Also, the skewer broke and my bike fell off the roof | | Bottom Line: | The older Thule Velo Vises are poorly constructed and evident by the new design and construction. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BobL
a Cross Country Rider
from Silverado Canyon, CA
Date Reviewed: November 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$99.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Ease of use, looks | | Weaknesses: | Cheap plastic parts, internal and external. locking device seizes, becomes un-even. | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mounts, old style Yakima, upright style carrier | | Bike Setup: | SC BLT, Carbon Allez, Alu Lemond, Trek 9.0 Carbon | | Bottom Line: | After using old style fork mounts that required a fair amount of fiddling to deal with "nader nubs" on the fork drop-outs, the Velo-vise design was a welcome relief. I'm sold on the concept of fork mount carriers but these have been nothing but a headache. I have replaced the heads at an avaerage of 1 per year until this year, when the score is 3 replacements so far.
At first, I thought it was me. But after repeated failures of the same type, I realized that this carrier is just plain junk. Other reviewers have speculated that the weight of mountain bikes vs road bikes could be an issue, but as most of my bikes are under 25lbs, save the Blur which is 28, it is not the bike, it's the crappy rack.
Every failure has been this: the drop-out adjustment wheel starts getting hard to turn, then almost impossible w/out the use of a screwdriver, then the drop-out grabbing knobs become un-even resulting in only one side holding one drop out securely while the other will not snug up. I have even had one head's internals explode.
The final straw was 2 weeks ago when our community was being evac'd due to the wildfires. I went to put my wife's bike on the rack and the head literally disentegrated. Not a good time...
Bottom line: don't buy these, they are absolute junk! They will fail on you at the most in-opportune times and Thule takes forever to warranty. if I could give no flamin' chilis I would | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Ease of use, great design if the components of the product were engineered better, can fit both Yakima and Thule racks | | Weaknesses: | Engagement mechanism is plastic and breaks OFTEN. I've been through 4 of them now in a little less than two years. | | Bottom Line: | I'd have serious reservations about buying these again. On the one hand, my local bike shop (Bicycle Village) has been great about getting them replaced for me and now they have a limited lifetime warranty. On the other hand they seem to break at the worst times, one was in Fruita and we had get creative to figure out how to keep one bike up there.
Luckily, mine have only ever broken at the plastic mechanism and I can always tell when they break. If the head cracked in half and sent my bike through the roof like other reviews I think I'd be taking them all off the car and finding something else pronto. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO
Date Reviewed: August 17, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Ease of use, great design if the components of the product were engineered better, can fit both Yakima and Thule racks | | Weaknesses: | Engagement mechanism is plastic and breaks OFTEN. I've been through 4 of them now in a little less than two years. | | Bottom Line: | I'd have serious reservations about buying these again. On the one hand, my local bike shop (Bicycle Village) has been great about getting them replaced for me and now they have a limited lifetime warranty. On the other hand they seem to break at the worst times, one was in Fruita and we had get creative to figure out how to keep one bike up there.
Luckily, mine have only ever broken at the plastic mechanism and I can always tell when they break. If the head cracked in half and sent my bike through the roof like other reviews I think I'd be taking them all off the car and finding something else pronto. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gui
a Cross Country Rider
from Belo Horizonte, MG - Brazil
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Trip Aventura | | Strengths: | Easy to use, can lock the bikes on | | Weaknesses: | Durability
Reliability | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Titus Racer-x | | Bottom Line: | This review is for the Velo Vise system mounted in Thule Aero bars.
After three years of little use I have experienced just too much trouble with this rack system. I have seen that the problems are the same as the ones reported in this review board, which makes me believe that the Velo vise system has yet to improve a lot to be considered worthwhile.
1o - Breakage ! The head unit in secured in the bars with a single bolt and it just cant take the continuous side to side loading when driving in unpaved roads (this unit is designed for disk brakes, used in MOUNTAIN BIKES, which trails sometimes required driving in unpaved roads to get to, no surprise here Thule !).Even driving carefuly, my head unit has cracked TWICE and the third time it was the bolt itself that snapped. Almost had the bike flying on the highway...
2o - The plastic roller adjuster seizes, compromising proper securing of the fork. Mine actually failed and unexpectedly realeased the fork dropouts while driving, almost resulting in a catastrophic event.
After all this trouble, I just cant trust this sytem anymore. Nothing is worse than drive to trailhaed constantly worring if the rack is going to fail. Cant recomned this. I wish I could find Yakima here in Brazil... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
stufdptato
a Weekend Warrior
from woodside
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Braille Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | backcountry.com | | Strengths: | looks, ease of use, interchangability (is that a word?) fit | | Weaknesses: | locking mechanism in the silver 'alligator' clamp. for a $130 mount, why place all your structural integrity in a plasic screw set? | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Kona Hoss (the kind with the Red Bull Wings in the event my V2 system fails and it needs to save itself at 70 mph). | | Bottom Line: | I had one of my V2 mounts fail two months after initial purchase:(
Do yourself a favor....avoid these racks if you value your bike. If you've taken the time to read up on REAL reviews (not the ones written by magazines funded by the industry), then you value the mtb community's opinion: listen up! these racks will fail! (if you're a brand new V2 owner and have that funky uh-oh feeling in your gut, join the club. I just joined the uno chili club!)
90% of the V2 system looks and operates well, but unfortunately it's the crappy 10% of the system that the whole shebang depends upon for function. Thule, I can't understand why you'd allow your 20-40lb rigs +misc lbs. of wind/g forces to rely on the the cheesy plastic screw system. For $130, I'd think you could use some kind of steel/lever clamp system in the V2 mouth.
So, I'm locked in my investment now, and crossing my fingers - luckily I have a sunroof so I can keep an eye on my carbon babies. Hopefully I can catch any slippage during highway runs to the Demo and Skeggs. I think I'll make the most of a funky situation and cable lock the bikes to the racks for insurance. Fortunately, unlike some of the reviewers on here, Thule provided excellent customer service and turned over a new V2 replacement in 8 days. For the record, I love my Thule ski clamps, bars, and old school rack hitch.
Hope I haven't screwed myself with bad Thule/bike karma with this post, but I feel I should at least pass the word to others who value their rides....1 chili cause they broke, 2 cause at least they send me a replacement clamp in 8 days. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
ePic biCH
a
from Wilkes Barre Pa USA
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | After all the failures it has no strengths | | Weaknesses: | I have had my Velo Vise 2 replaced twice and now the third one failed also. The first two times could have been bad but this time was the worst. The head unit snapped completely in half with the whole front of the bike hangin down the side of my suv nothing holding it but the tire being strapped into the tray. Had it occurred differently it could have come down harder and gone though one of my windows. There is no doubt a desgin flaw here and total failure of the materials used to make this. I had given hope the first time it was warrantied and should have been reluctant on the second time but I will never trust my bike to one of these units again. Thule must know of an apparent problem as there is no question of even seeing the damaged part or wanting it returned for replacement. before the the units actually breaking in half (all three of them) I did also encounter the same problems as some others with the wheel mechanism. DO NOT BUY WHATSOEVER unless you do not value the bike you put on it. feel free to email me for a pic of this latest installment of dealing with thule garbage. mtnrider1009@yahoo.com | | Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bottom Line: | Absolute flaw in design and materials nothing more to say!!!!!! I am not sure if roadies have the same problem but it seems like the unit might be more tollerable to a 20 lb bike. anything more than that you are a gamblin man. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
eric
a Racer
from Washington, DC
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$68.00 | | Strengths: | easy to lock and secure | | Weaknesses: | they break... often | | Similar Products Used: | rack start and saris roof systems | | Bottom Line: | DO NOT BUY THIS SYSTEM!
I bought these racks in September or 06 for a trip to GA. They broke after one week of use. Bought replacements at REI to get my bikes home. The replacements broke three weeks later. I returned those to REI got a refund and have been in a three month battle with Thule to replace the fork mounts...
The problem is the roller in the assembly breaks and the unit no longer tightens to hold the fork... Thule first told this happens because the system is not designed to hold long travel mountain bike forks (anything over 80mm). When I explain that the original set broke when I had road bikes on the roof, they still marked the problem up to user error.
Then I got a rep to agree to send new fork mounts in February of 07 it is now May and I have still not received them. I call Thule about one every two weeks and go through the same conversation about how the rack broke and how any replace is on back order and they email me when a replacement is available. They don't even have a case file or anything. I finally got a package from Thule this week. It was u-bolt for the mount. THAT”S NOT EVEN THE PART THAT'S BROKEN!
This is by far the worst costumer service I experienced in the bike industry. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rick harrison
a Cross Country Rider
from edinburgh, scotland
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | All of wilderness Scottish Highlands | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$500.00 | | Purchased At: | Halfords UK | | Strengths: | Interesting design, simple and fast to load up. | | Weaknesses: | Die cast sections fractured twice, followed by a more catastrophic failure where the whole rack collapsed at 60mph. Now imagine what that would look like as it came towards you through the windscreen of your car. A lot of force goes through one bolt which failed. A critical compoment couldnt do the job. | | Similar Products Used: | Saris Bones for 3 bikes | | Bike Setup: | Marin Attack Trail and Spesh Epic Comp | | Bottom Line: | Great design involves a knowledge of the laws of physics and the strength of materials.
Great design alone does not make a great product. This is pants and a liability. Avoid. Interestingly Thule no longer sell this in the UK... curious or what... Wonder why that is ? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam
a Cross Country Rider
from Milwaukee, WI
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Strengths: | Decent finish, solid mount to load bars | | Weaknesses: | Locking mechanism of 590 V2 (for disk brake bikes) is utter junk. If it hasn't failed for you yet, it will. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima upright mounting system | | Bike Setup: | GF Tassajara | | Bottom Line: | I'm getting sick of having to call Thule every couple months for a replacement locking mechanism. Ive noticed 2 problems with their design. First, the parts that lock the fork into the mechanism pull closed via a PLASTIC screw type adjuster. This is where mine has failed both times. Ive also noticed that, when brand new, both mechanisms that clamp into the fork dropouts pull in at different rates, meaning that there isn't equal clamping force applied to each side. Luckily I haven't had a bike go flying off the roof yet, but it makes me nervous to use this product for just 20 mile drives. I'll probably be looking elsewhere if this product fails again for me. Why take a chance anymore! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Biff Condor
a Downhiller
from Hood River, OR
Date Reviewed: July 5, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | sport rack outfitters | | Strengths: | Ease of use. | | Weaknesses: | It fails. Bang. | | Similar Products Used: | Other Thule & Yakima trays. | | Bottom Line: | Beware the Velo Vise. It's a bad design. I've had two fail, and the last one cost me a $600 Fox Forx. The VV has a plastic aduster wheel in the center, and when it fails it usually lets one side get loose, while still clamping the other dropout. When the bike falls over (which it will), it takes the dropout with it. Snap. Crackle. Pop.
Most Thule stuff is great. I have three Thule rack systems, 2 boxes, etc. This particular design is JUNK. Buy something else other than the Velo Vise if you value your bikes. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashbunr,VA,USA
Date Reviewed: December 5, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | Difficult Run | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Great fit and quality | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | Specialized stumpjumper, fox fork, XTR crank, sram XO derailers and grip shift, Mavic Crossmax avid juicys | | Bottom Line: | I think the velo vise with disk brake option is the best fork mount on the market. It only takes one hand to secure the bike to the rack and secure it is. It is very solid and fits perfectly on the rack itself. I have never had any problems with it coming loose and with the optional keyed lock I feel confident it never will | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin Powers
a Racer
from Vermont
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | the dirt roads of vermont | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | ems in Lebenon N.H | | Strengths: | easy on and off | | Weaknesses: | I use the rack for both my mountain bike and my road racing bike. I had a serious problem with my racing bike.
The front vice could not get tight enough and it eventually pulled out of one side. I stopped the car and found my bike leaning heavilly to one side. the event bent the folk at the point of contact of the side that held. i am now waiting to hear from my bike store to find out weather the folk can be bent back or wheather i need a new folk. | | Bottom Line: | I have serious concerns about the velo vice rack for a racing bike. Has anyone else had a similar problem? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard Beller
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Collins, Colorado
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Easy to use. Good lock. Fine for street use. | | Weaknesses: | This rack broke on a bumpy 4x4 dirt road in Arizona, despite slow speeds. My bike fell over and was banging on the roof. Thule wouldn't replace it, saying their warranty doesn't cover off-road use. I looked, and their warranty didn't say that. Fortunately, REI replaced it under REI's money-back guarantee. I now recommend Yakima. | | Bottom Line: | I'd buy Yakima next time. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glynn Tate
a Weekend Warrior
from Colorado Springs
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Palmer Park, Jone's Park | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | Agee Bike (ageebike.com) | | Strengths: | Easy to install and use. Holds bikes securely. Good looks. | | Weaknesses: | Paint comes off aluminum trays easily. Some of the mounting hardware rusts easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima, Performance | | Bike Setup: | '02 NRS Air | | Bottom Line: | I really like these racks. I've used them for years and they're by far the easiest to install and operate. In my experience, they hold your bike very securely - and for long periods. I'm in the military and have moved cross-country 3 times and never had one work it's way loose at all. As with other Thule products I've had, some of the hardware does tend to rust. On my latest set, the paint didn't adhere to the trays very well. I still have an older set that doesn't seem to have the problem. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
termite
a
from mt. sinai, ny
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | nice design | | Weaknesses: | poor attention to the plating | | Bike Setup: | bianchi single speed white xc fork | | Bottom Line: | i have used thule products for over twenty years [!] including every single fork mount that they have ever made. by far, the vv is the easiest to use and the most secure for bike transporting at high speed. the problem that thule has continued to have is that the plating on all of the bolts and fasteners begins to rust w/in months of installation. result is that the expensive bike tray looks like crap shortly after purchase... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Randy
a Cross Country Rider
from New Haven, CT
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | supply ponds | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$80.00 | | Purchased At: | rack warehouse | | Strengths: | Ease of use, speed (set once and go), security | | Weaknesses: | hard to release? maybe it needs to loosen up. | | Similar Products Used: | thule upright racks | | Bike Setup: | specialized rockhopper | | Bottom Line: | WAY WAY better than the uprights i had before. hold the bikes securely--no more looking out my sunroof to see if they're still there. no rocking. only real concern is that I see other people's velo vices that are all rusty on the fork clamps--hope this doesn't happen to mine. i'll keep them oiled (but not the part that contacts the fork!!)
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Philadelphia, PA USA
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Pennypack and Wissahickon | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$460.00 | | Purchased At: | Guy's Bicycles | | Strengths: | Trusted brand name; ease of installation of rack (had a tough time with the fairing for a SUV, though); quality construction; verstatility of Thule system; options available for carrying other types of outdoor gear (looking to getting into some type of kayaking some time in the future). | | Weaknesses: | I had a tough time putting on the fairing for a 2000 Ford Explorer. The arms for holding the fairing to the rack need some type of lock tight sprayed on them to keep them from moving around and un-screwing. | | Similar Products Used: | Saris Bones trunk rack. | | Bike Setup: | 2002 Ventana El Saltamontes with 2002 Z1 Fly. | | Bottom Line: | A little expensive, but worth the price for its versatility and options. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dogbert
a Cross Country Rider
from Lebanon, NJ
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Chimney Rock | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Bike N Gear | | Strengths: | The new V2: all-metal head is bombproof and very secure; disc brake compatible tray (you don't need to cut a relief area out of the tray for caliper clearance) | | Weaknesses: | all-metal head is noticeably heavier than original glass reinforced nylon [plastic] head (good thing my car is a turbo!); tray is a little too short for my bike; the front clamp mounts to the cross-bar with a u-bolt instead of a plate like the older VVs (see below). | | Similar Products Used: | Thule Velo Vise 589, Yakima Ankle Biter, Saris Bones trunk rack. | | Bike Setup: | Turner XCE
| | Bottom Line: | This thing installs in a snap and can fit either Thule or Yakima bars. After a few days, I heard a squeaking sound while driving. The u-bolt that clamps the V2 head to the front cross-bar loosened a little as it settled in, causing the clamp/tray to wiggle a little. I just re-tightened it and it's secure as ever. I think the plate-type clamp from the older VVs would prevent this as it has more of a flatter contact area. When tight, I've driven 90+ mph and the bike doesn't sway at all. I'll just keep an eye on the clamp bolts from time to time in case they loosen.
This V2 is more secure than the older VVs. My ex-gf had two "incidents" with her bikes with the older VV. On one, the front clamp released the fork as she was driving and the whole bike flipped over backwards (the rear wheel was still attached), denting the rear of her car. This was with an older bike that didn't have the safety tabs on the fork dropouts. The other time was when one of the dropouts came out while rounding a turn and when the bike leaned over, the dropout that remained in the clamp bent. This 2nd incident was on a different bike that did have the safety tabs. Both times were probably due to operator error as the adjuster dial on the clamp probably wasn't set tight enough (either the clamp adjustment loosened over time, or she didn't make it tight enough since that would've made it harder to open...see next paragraph).
The instructions say that the clamp is tight enough when you feel resistance at the halfway point when closing the clamp. This makes it too tight, and very difficult to release, unless you like banging the back of your hand on a fork leg. Resistance about 2/3's down, or 1/3 from closed, holds just as well and is a lot easier to open. The clamp also "clicks" in when it's fully closed so it should remain closed while driving, even if you don't lock it (I lock it anyway since I don't want to find out).
My rear tire rests on the end cap on the back of the tray, but the wheelbase on my bike is approx 43½" ±. You can leave the end cap off, but then you risk the rear wheel strap or the side "skins" (which are available in different colors for those who feel the need to color-coordinate their bike &/or car) sliding off the back of the tray. Another inch or two of tray length would be great.
The only advantage I'll give my old Yak Ankle Biter is that I wouldn't have to take the front wheel off. Although it held my bike at high speeds, the bike would often sway, which didn't instill confidence as I watched this through my sun roof. And it was a pain to install.
You can now get a disc brake adapter for the regular Velo Vise to accomplish the same thing (you also get an extra clamp block with the adapter). Or you can just dremel a little clearance area out of your existing tray, which is what I did with my old VV. It voids the warranty, but does little to affect how the VV works. Since I don't have my old Velo Vise and tray anymore, and didn't want to stick with Yakima, I opted for the new V2. I'm glad I did. Yeah, the new V2 clamp head is heavy, but it's a heck of a lot lighter than the Ankle Biter unit. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A Swan
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$99.00 | | Purchased At: | Adventure Bicycles | | Strengths: | Velo Vise 589- Easy to install (hopefully not easily to be unauthorized removal), Bikes are fitted to rack nicely, and vise holds desired fork settings for easy in and outs. | | Weaknesses: | Pretty flimsy trays, and vise appears to be plastic. My setup has the allen bolt holding the rack to the rail. It requires some force to close vice without alot of room to move. The rear tire is held by a rubber strap (no locks), and the aft part of the tray is mounted by simple plastic finger nuts (easily removed and in the wide open!) | | Bike Setup: | 2 GT I-Drives 3.0, | | Bottom Line: | I have this rack installed on my 99 GMC Yukon, it is quite a reach for me to put the bikes on; however, I purchased a step that straddles my vehicles tire and provides a stable platform to manuever bikes. I have to remember to remove the step from the tire after bikes are mounted; and that the clearance now needed to clear the bikes is around 10 feet. Watch out for drive ins to popular urban stops, or peel the bikes off!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
erkobeserko
a
from sydney
Date Reviewed: March 5, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | Update to previous review -- DON'T GRIND A HOLE IN THE RACK TO FIT THE DISC. I e-mailed Thule and they called first thing next working day, then e-mailed me to ensure i received the message. Replacement fork mount to suit discs in the mail as we speak (honest), free of charge. Apparently it's an import (on this side of the earth anyhow) which they don't retail. Assuming it turns up and solves the problem, 5 flaming arseholes for customer service. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
erkobeserko
a
from sydney
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Bottom Line: | Bought this one after talking to various people who already used it, due to the front lock and due to the fact that i was told (by two separate reps) that it would take a disc brake. 5:30 am, in the dark and the rain, trying to get my ATX890 onto a set of racks on top of a 4WD. Wish i had have read the reviews earlier.
OK it's not the rack's fault that i was lied to. One allen bolt and it'll fit. Have some security concerns, but a secondary chain/lock will fix that ( i own a ute (pickup for the yanks) so can physically lock the bike to the vehicle). All that said, it worked a treat with a different bike, on a 400 mile / 70mph freeway trip. Re tensioning, as i drive off-road as well, i'll give the threads a hit with LocTite.
They're bloody expensive on this side of the earth, so 4 stars, but i can now lift my bike above the fuel cans, chainsaws, and other 4WD "bike killers", so i'm happy, but not happy having to attack it with a grinder.. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Clem Hobbs
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: February 28, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | bike shop | | Strengths: | Built to last, ease of use & installation | | Weaknesses: | expensive, tray doesn't hold wide tires as well but it's not a performance flaw | | Bottom Line: | I've had this on my Civic for years now and it works flawlessly. I've had all sorts of bikes on the rack and never encountered any problem I couldn't deal with.
As for disk brake issues, one guy below had an awesome suggestion of turning your forks 180 degrees or you can grind away a small portion of the tray. One other solution is to get the DB1 from Thule which converts the front end to accept disk brake calipers (basically does the same thing as grinding)
As for the security issue, if you want to leave your bike unatended or out of site for any length of time on the top of your car (like waving a $$$ flag), you have to live with the consequences. Anything can be stollen by someone who is determined enough.
Even though my car has been broken into 5 times so far, the rack (and bike carriers) have always remained since everything is locked to the car. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a
from NY
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$89.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Bike hasn't fallen off. | | Weaknesses: | Handle doesn't provide adequate leverage to tightly close and open the velo-vise. With all of the crap on top of the car already, who cares about the aerodynamics of the closing device. Make it easy to grap!!
Flimsy channel and rear mounting hardware.
| | Similar Products Used: | taking off the wheels and seat in dumping the bike into the trunk of an '88 Ford Crown Vic, Rhode Gear trunk rack which sucked. | | Bike Setup: | current vehicle-honda odyssey with factory rack, also bought the thule square mounts made for the vehicle, these are nice. | | Bottom Line: | In order for the velo-vise to grab both sides of your fork, you have to turn the adjustment for a tight fight. There's no way a person with weak finger/hand strength could release the bike.
The aluminum channel into which the rear tire fits is very flimsy, otherwise, the Thule velo-vise is solidly built. I have no complaints about the Thule racks, they are solid and very strong.
Low value rating due to excessive price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peteer
a Racer
from Novato, CA
Date Reviewed: August 30, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$125.00 | | Purchased At: | Adventure Bike | | Strengths: | The section of tray I had to cut off works well as a door jam. | | Weaknesses: | This rack sucks. I bought the Velo Vise along with the cross bar that converts a factory rack to Thule. Or half of it, anyway. The proprietary screws for mounting the cross bar to your factory bar are too damn short; you need two people and a vise to get them on an '02 Protege5. Also, if you want to mount any other kind of rack on this half Thule/half stock rack, YOU CAN'T. Furthermore, the wheel tray is too long and will scratch the hatchback when you open it (new car... well, it was.) Had to hack-saw it off and then re-drill the required holes.
Really, Thule just sucks the big one. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima. | | Bike Setup: | Doesn't matter | | Bottom Line: | Bottom Line:
Thule sucks. Go to their website and try to leave feedback. Their website is so bad it makes their racks look like engineering marvels of the 22nd century. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nick
a Cross Country Rider
from surrey UK
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Strengths: | it works, no straps, | | Weaknesses: | none, | | Bike Setup: | klein mantra with hayes disks | | Bottom Line: | Never had a problem with this rack, but had to remove a 1" bit from the metal V section at the front to get the brakes to fit. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
W. C.
a Weekend Warrior
from Southern USA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Ruston | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | one of the online retailers, cant remember | | Strengths: | Ease of installation, ease of bike loading, locking.
Inventive fork locking mechanism. Ease of Adjustability. | | Weaknesses: | Load bars recommended are to long, they are about 1 foot too long. I imagine i could take the rack off and cut them to the lenght desired. | | Similar Products Used: | Allen rack. | | Bike Setup: | Road, and mountain. | | Bottom Line: | This is my 1st roof rack. It has been one of the best purchases i have made. I love not having to mount my bikes on the trunk or inside the vehicle. I bought the rack pack, which attached to my Expedition rather easily, especially since I'm not much of a tool/wrench guy. It is a bit of a challenge putting bikes up that high on the vehicle, but I can do it using the running boards.
Alot of people have complained about the velovise not being made of heavy enough steel, and I kind of understand that. I imagine that aheavier tray gives an impression of more security; but if you think about it, how much of the bike actually touches the tray? about an inch of rear wheel, and the fork. I guess it does allow for a little more lateral flexibility, which could pose a problem. I would also like to see the vice part (fork mount) made of a stronger feeling material, like steel. I'm sure its strong enough, but would feel better if it were steel. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bonehead
a Weekend Warrior
from Cleveland, OH
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Rackwarehouse.com | | Strengths: | Very easy to use
Slightly cheaper than Yakima | | Weaknesses: | More flimsy than Yakima
Security (a small screw-driver could snap the plastic tabs)
Front cross bar clamp doesn't tighten enough | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bottom Line: | This is a nice rack that's easy to use, but really pissed me off about two weeks after I bought it. I noticed that the front clamp that holds the rack to the cross bar wasn't tight enough. This caused the front of the rack to move back and forth, and made my bike shake like a motherf'er. I tried to tighten the clamp, but it wouldn't get any tighter. So...I had to wedge a cut piece of metal between the clamp and the bar so that it would be tight. Now it's fine, but it should have been fine when I got it.
I would recommend the Yakima over the Thule, even if you have square bars. The Thule is a little cheaper and easier to use, but the Yakima is made from slightly thicker metal and probably stays clamped to the cross bar. Plus, if you don't have lawyer tabs or have disk brakes, you're pretty much S.O.L. with the Thule. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from San Jose,CA
Date Reviewed: April 10, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$107.00 | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Rack looked okay in box, but couldn't test it out, because it didn't fit on my car. Rep and book stated it would. | | Weaknesses: | The Thule rep that I talked to in person recommended the Velovise rack pack. He also said it would fit my factory rack. But when I tried it at home, the clamps are made of plastic and didn't fit tightly around my factory rack. The 2 screws given to connect the clamps together were too short, so I couldn't get the clamps around all the way. | | Bike Setup: | Thule 889 and 589 | | Bottom Line: | The Thule 889 Velovise Rack pack sucks. I returned it and bought a Yakima instead (much better purchase). | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa
Date Reviewed: March 30, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Kanata Lakes | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$89.00 | | Purchased At: | Auto Racks | | Strengths: | The velo vise fork quick release is easy to use. It’s fast and when you release it the bike comes off without having to loosen the quick release any further. Good for forks with the quick release safety lips. | | Weaknesses: | The same thing as the strength. I often wonder what would happen to my $2000 frame should the velo vise suddenly break. I imagine the quick release would let go and the safety lips on the fork would not be of any use...bye bye bike. | | Bike Setup: | Roof Rack/Car Set-up: I have the 50 load bars on my 2000 Mazda Protege. With a wind faring and one velo vise bike carrier. | | Bottom Line: | For those of you that have lost your bikes while driving, I have a story for you. I was driving west on the Quebec Super highway (Route 20) and them on to the Ontario 417 highway to Ottawa. From Drummondville to Ottawa (~250 km) I averaged about 120 km/h with a brutal head and cross wind (you can only imagine the gas that I burned that day). Anyway, the bike stayed put, in fact my rear wheel was destroyed. The front velo vise held the bike firm in place, the cross wind was trying so hard to take the bike off the roof that it ripped one spoke right out of the rear wheel rim and bent several others. Needless to say, when I arrived home in Ottawa two hours later I was pleased to see the bike was still there; pissed that I need to replase my wheel; and impressed that the velo vise held on. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike O
a Racer
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: January 16, 2001 | | Favorite Trail: | Gaspipe | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Ease of use & installation. | | Weaknesses: | While it is not plastic, but a glass resin, an all steel construction would have allowed a greater sense of security. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima steelhead | | Bike Setup: | Moots YBB & Yeti Road Project | | Bottom Line: | Yakima or Thule: it is basically personal preference. My sister is a kayaker/snowboarder & she owns Yakima & they are fine, though they do tend to bend under a load. I own a Volvo so I bought the Thule as they fit perfectly. Yakimas don't always. I can cary two bikes + my surfboard on trips without any problems. If your bike or your rack is falling off your car your an idiot--the racks are bombproof. If your bike falls off it is because you forgot to lock the folding mechanism or you didn't have it setup properly. Unlike the Steelhead you set it once for your bike & forget it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
zeke249
a Cross Country Rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: November 30, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Lynn Woods | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | ease of use | | Weaknesses: | none so far | | Bike Setup: | 4-banger, stratos fr-4, helix pro, hayes 8" | | Bottom Line: | i just bought the velo the other week and i was concerned with the messages posted here about not being compatable with disc brakes, well here are 2 ways to get around it not fitting. 1) buy an 8" front kit, it sets the caliper back just enough to fit in the vise 2) if you are not running a double crown fork just spin it around 180 deg. now i only know that this works on a hayes system but i'm sure the others cannot be to far off from this | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dick Miller
a Cross Country Rider
from Alameda, CA
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Saw Pit | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$300.00 | | Purchased At: | Turin Bicycles | | Strengths: | The Thule rack system I purchased for my 97 Jetta is the best fitting rack for my car. It was nice that the Velo Vice worked on Yakima rack systems. | | Weaknesses: | On two occassions the Velo Vice mounts have let bikes fall off the rack. Only use these mounts if your fork has lawyer lips. These are the small tabs that force you to loosen your quick release to remove the front wheel. | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima Steel Heads and Standard mounts. | | Bike Setup: | Numerous Bikes | | Bottom Line: | The Velo Vice mounts really suck. If you are forced to purchase a Thule to get a good fit on your car buy Yakima mounts. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Grothoff
a Cross Country Rider
from St Louis
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$95.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikeline | | Strengths: | sturdy, looks kinda areodynamic, familiar with the rack from other peoples' cars. | | Weaknesses: | the fork clamp doesn't really have much of an area to grip when trying to open the thing, and sometimes i wonder if one screw on the front is enough to keep the tray clamped to the horizontal load bars. pretty damn expensive. | | Bike Setup: | 99 Trek 7000 | | Bottom Line: | aside from the price, it has been great. the clamps are easy to adjust and whatnot; overall a very simple design, which is good. less to break. i found it interest that instead of shelling out a lot of money for one of their specially made lcoks for the clamp, i just bought a padlock with a very long U clamp to it, and it slides right through the two holes that are for the factory locks. look into it! saved me about 7 bucks. 3 chillis for the prce, 5 chillis for everything else. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Austin Burgess
a Weekend Warrior
from Norfolk, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: September 8, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | York River State Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | HDK Cycles in Virginia Beach | | Strengths: | Quick, painless installation! When locked, the vise is locked to your rack and your bike is locked to the vise. | | Weaknesses: | Long tray is a bit too long. I have a '96 Honda Civic HB and the trays were hitting the spoiler on my hatch when it was up. I loosened the rear tray screws and placed a 1/4 inch thick shim underneath it and tightened it. It raised the tray enough so that it doesn't interfere w/ my hatch. Largely plastic construction in the locking mechanism makes me a little nervous | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima Steelhead | | Bike Setup: | Trek 6500 | | Bottom Line: | Great tray, less expensive than the steelhead, but construction is not as sturdy. So far, no problem with transporting my bikes. It is a bit longer than the steelhead...a couple inches shorter and it would still fit my bike and be a better fit on my Honda. Overall, I prefer the Thule system over the Yakima system that I previously owned. Regardless of what type of system you go with, make sure you get trays that lock your bikes to them, not just the trays to the car. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charlie
a Cross Country Rider
from Hell City, AZ
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | hawes | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | REI | | Strengths: | Very easy to adjust and use. Easy to install. Stays adjusted for your fork. | | Weaknesses: | Not as sturdy as Yakima Steelhead, but has held up well for 2 years + .... even after driving into garage with bike on rack (DOH!) | | Similar Products Used: | Steelhead, Anklebiter | | Bike Setup: | V Brakes | | Bottom Line: | Excellent rack. I would recomend to all. Over time the Velo Vise had been far easier to use then the Steelhead because it stays adjusted for my fork. The steelhead on my girlfriends truck self-adjusts itself when not in use -- so everytime I mount the bike on the thing an adjustment is required. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
scott rogers
a Cross Country Rider
from slc,ut
Date Reviewed: September 6, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | ant trail my tire hits | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$90.00 | | Purchased At: | wasatch racks | | Strengths: | ease of use,security. used to have both older versions with the skewers, some scumbag tried to steel my y frame and just beat the hell out of my rack and mangled my kryptonite kc 4( cut partially through with some type of bolt cutter, he never got the bike though.Those older models were a big pain with that skewrer. I had some of those ripped off when the bike wasn't on it. i don't think that any one will get a bike of these racks easily but thereisn't a product on the market thats theft proof, use a secondary lock and get renters insurance to cover alll your toys. If you have friends with a yakima copperhead don't lock your bike on it with out a secondary lock, you could lose your bike in under 5 mins, biggest piece of crap on th the market | | Weaknesses: | the two nipples on the inside lip that make it just that much of a pain in the ass to open when your tired after a good long ride, they can be cut off with a good knife | | Similar Products Used: | both of thules earlier models, some yakimas | | Bottom Line: | great product, takes a beating from theivees and keeps your bike yours. always use a secondary lock if your bike stays on your rack when if go out after rides. for all those whining about disk brakes not fitting, just get a dremel and put a notch in the plastic and the tray, it doesnt effect the strength of the rack at all | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
SHAWN SR
a Cross Country Rider
from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | DOES IT MATTER? | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | THIS RACK IS REALLY EASY TO USE. I'VE HAD IT ON MY CAR FOR
OVER A YEAR AND IT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING UP WELL.
| | Weaknesses: | I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLASTIC ON THE VELOVISE. EVEN WITH
MY LOCK SET IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULDN'T TAKE MUCH TO PRY IT
OPEN WITH A BIG SCREWDRIVER OR SOMETHING AND STEAL MY BIKE.
THE BIKE I'M IN THE PROCESS OF BULIDING IS GONNA HAVE A
MARZOCCI Z1 X FLY WITH A HOPE DH4 DISC BRAKE. I HOPE THIS
IS NOT GONNA BE A PROBLEM? | | Similar Products Used: | NONE. | | Bike Setup: | MY STUMPJUMPER WITH A MANITOU SX AND MY WIFE'S DIMONDBACK
WITH AN SR DUO TRACK FORK. V BRAKES ON BOTH BIKES. | | Bottom Line: | I REALLY CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS RACK. MY WIFE GOT IT
FOR MY BIRTHDAY LAST JULY SO I'M NOT CERTAIN HOW MUCH SHE
PAID. THE RACK HAS WORKED ABSOLUTLY FLAWLESSLY FOR OVER A
YEAR NOW. I MUST ADMIT THAT AFTER SEEING THE YAKIMA STEEL
HEAD, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY CHOSE IT OVER MY THULE. IT
LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD BE A LITTLE HARDER TO STEAL MY BIKE
WITH THE STEELHEAD. I WAS RECENNTLY PRICING OUT THE FEET
AND FIT KIT FOR MY MERCEDES 300E, THE LBS WANTS $160.00
FOR THIS STUFF. IF I CAN'T GET THE VELOVISE TO WORK WITH
MY NEW BIKE, I WILL PROBABLY TRY THE STEEL HEAD ON MY 300E
AND THE NEW DISC BRAKE BIKE. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | ease of use | | Weaknesses: | cannot get my disc brake bike into the Velo Vise!?? | | Bottom Line: | Scott from below: The system won't let me email you about this, but I'm wondering if you've learned anything from Thule on a solution? Email me at dmiller@iea.com. I give the product a couple chilis off. As Scott says there is no notification this is incompatible. I got mine on a recent business trip at a shop 1500 miles away and am screwed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Oregon
Date Reviewed: August 10, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Full locking system, Stable, Easy to use | | Weaknesses: | NOT COMPATABLE WITH FRONT DISC BRAKES!!!!! | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima roof and trunk racks | | Bike Setup: | One with Manitou fork, one with linkage style fork, and one road bike | | Bottom Line: | I bought the Thule system because of it's ease of use and the quality of their ski racks (yakimas new style sucks). I asked all kinds of questions concerning compatability between road and mountain bikes, suspension and rigid forks, and forks with and w/o lawyer tabs. I was told that the velovise system was able to work with any type of bike, with any type of fork. This was all good untill today when I tried to load my friends bike with a disc brake on the front. IT DOESN'T WORK! Untill Thule pulls their heads out I would not endorse this product for anyone. Face it at least half the bikes sold today come with a front disc. Even if you don't have one someone you know probably does or will soon. Since I asked all the right questions before I purchased this, I expect that Thule will offer the upgraded version of this to me for free with the trade in of my current junk. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom K
a Weekend Warrior
from Long Island
Date Reviewed: August 8, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Piece of cake to use! I ordered it from REI and put it on my car in 30 minutes, rack and all. The velo vice even open enough for the fork safty tabs so I don't have to keep adjusting like I did with my last Thule fork mount. | | Weaknesses: | The adapter to hold the rear wheel that adjusts for both road and mountain bike is a pain to flip but I only have to do it once | | Similar Products Used: | Rhode Gear strap rack - not the best way to go. | | Bottom Line: | I've never had a bad product from Thule, been using them since '77. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Terri Clark
a Weekend Warrior
from Baltimore MD, USA
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | Rolling hills of Hunt Valley | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Great fit on my car -Dodge Intrepid, I use 3 velo vises and ride with different friends, the change to different forks is a breeze. I thought about the wheel holders but wasn't that impressed besides the trunk works fine. The rack stays on my car most of the time but I remove it once a month for car washes, it's not that hard to remove and replace. | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Yakima, always used them in the past. I tried a friends ankle biter and the name fits, it BITES | | Bottom Line: | I'm glad I made the change to Thule | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a
from England
Date Reviewed: July 18, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Similar Products Used: | The boot of my car | | Bottom Line: | Thule did eventually respond to my e-mail about the problem of incompatibility with disc brakes. They acknowledged there is a problem and said they are working on a solution.
As for it being obvious that the it wouldn't be possible to use the rack with a bike fitted with a front disc brake, well I disagree. It uses the dropouts to clamp the fork leg and there is nothing to suggest that the calliper would foul. I would have thought Thule might have looked into this before they put the product on the market, especially given the number of bikes that come fitted with disc brakes as standard nowadays.
Many fine design features but a long way short of perfect. Good choice if you run V-brakes
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
george
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | millcreek pipeline | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | it is very easy to use, no quick release ratchets, stable the bike stays where it should. thule... | | Weaknesses: | not the cheapest rake around. | | Similar Products Used: | thule standard upright, yakima ankle-biter. | | Bike Setup: | Gary fisher hoo koo e koo | | Bottom Line: | This is quite different from the rack i used 3 years ago. no rachets to worry about, just pop up the front and load the bike into the carrier. easy, very good if you have a taller vehicle. my standard was harder to use. watch out for tree limbs when driving! Of course it won't work with disk brakes, just look at the disk brake fitting, duhh.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Kenilworth, England
Date Reviewed: March 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | Well thought out features.
Thule reputation.
Good reviews in maagzines. | | Weaknesses: | Instructions supplied good for some aspects, poor on others.
I had bought the new aero bars but instructions supplied were for the older square bars which use different fittings and assemble in a different way -possible to work how to put it all together yourself but proper assembly guide would have been nice.
Incompatible with bikes fitted with fron disc brakes | | Bike Setup: | Orange P7 with Pace forks and Hope disc
Specialized FSR with Bomber Z1s and Hope disc brake | | Bottom Line: | What appears to be a quality well designed bike rack is spoilt by poor instructions and lack of compatibility with disc brake equiped forks -nothing was mentioned about this in the instructions or on the box which is annoying as both my bikes have discs so the rack had to be returned to the shop as it was useless to me.
I've e-mailed Thule about this and I'm now waiting for a reply.
Seems expensive (£70 for each bike carrier and you still need bars and all the fitting kit), but you're supposedly getting the best rack out there. I never got to find out so not very impressed. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad
a Cross-Country Rider
from Virginia
Date Reviewed: December 17, 1999 | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
easy to use | | Weaknesses: |
loosened itself and let the bike go! | | Similar Products Used: |
Yakima, custom steel rack | | Bike Setup: |
Judy XC shock | | Bottom Line: | The things were easy to use, but really unstable. The bike would waver back and forth and I'd have to tighten the thing to the bars all the time. One time, on a dirt road, with the Velo vise locked, the plastic knob inside vibrated loose and released the fork. Luckily, I have a beast of a rear wheel, so it hung on without any damage. I've since gotten rid of the whole rack. I mailed Thule a letter about it, to see if they had a fix or something, and they never responded. :( | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Slugman
a Weekend Warrior
from Providence, RI
Date Reviewed: November 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Kingdom Trail in E. Burke VT | | Duration Product Used: |
2 Years | | Strengths: |
Gotta love the 1 handed adjustments | | Weaknesses: |
Lower quality materials. I see rust on one side that is only a year old. The strap to hold down the back tire broke on the other side that is about a year and a half old. And if you drive fast without a bike attached or the system locked, it opens up. This forces you to buy the locks. | | Similar Products Used: |
Older skewer style Thule | | Bike Setup: |
Have used the system on my hardtail. But I have also used it on others with dual suspension, a hybrid, and a serious road bike. The forks have included RockShox, Marazzochi, and Manitou. | | Bottom Line: | Improvements over the last system b/c of ease of use. However there are some serious material defects, and a slight aerodynamic issue. | | Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dave
a Weekend Warrior
from bogota, nj
Date Reviewed: September 22, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
ringwood | | Duration Product Used: |
1 Year | | Strengths: |
simple system. open the vise, fit your fork in and close. no more skewers to deal with. | | Weaknesses: |
the plastic nob that tightens the front of the rail doesn't tighten enough, thus the rail will wobble a bit. thule knows this and if you call them they will send you replacement bolts and allen wrench. this fixed the problem completely. | | Similar Products Used: |
saris and yakima | | Bike Setup: |
it fits rock shox and manitous cleanly. i'm not sure about other brands. | | Bottom Line: | this is a natural evolution in roof top fork mount rails. it's great! | | Overall Rating: |
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