Description:All new clamping design allows carrier to mount directly to square, round and factory racks. Includes 31 inch load bar, universal clamp, and one Velo Vise bike carrier. Mounting hardware and locks for adding a additional bike carrier.
Submitted by
Matt Tamasco
a Weekend Warrior
from Hackettstown, NJ Date Reviewed: July 30, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Chimney Rock
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$105.00
Strengths:
Super fast to mount and dismount bike; survived 30mph impact.
Weaknesses:
no security device - though I use my bike cable through the factory rack which works fine.
Similar Products Used:
Yakima; various trunk racks; Thule hitch rack
Bike Setup:
Trek X/C Hardtail
Bottom Line:
This rack is bullet proof. I hit an underpass at over 30mph. The way it is designed - the bike slipped out of the padded jaw and only suffered one broken wheel strap (and a bent tray which I mashed back into shape). Only cost $16 to fix the rack afterwards (no damage to bike) - and only 3 days to get the new strap from Thule. The breakout design avoided the bike coming through the rear window of the car or damaging the car's body. It was smartly designed to be strong - but give when all hope is lost. Good move, Thule!
Hint on the "wobble" issue. Mount it so the wind hits the bike square. If on an angle - the wind strength (and frequency) will cause the bike to wobble slightly due to weakness of factory bars and/or weight of bike. Nothing that would cause the bike to fall however.
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Submitted by
Cruzader
a Cross Country Rider
from Jersey City Date Reviewed: October 10, 2006
Favorite Trail:
HUnter
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$90.00
Purchased At:
Campmor
Strengths:
Ease of mounting and dismounting.
Weaknesses:
Weak pivot points at base of clamping arms. Easy theft item.
Bike Setup:
Trek 4500, Rockly Mountain Element.
Bottom Line:
This is a decent bike rack for the money, but it does have its faults. The bike will sway back and forth some, but not to worry about that . . until the weak rivets & holes that connect the arms to the base get worn. Then the rack is much looser, although I havent had the bike fall off yet. Thule should really redesign that joint and make it stronger. Even when you buy these brand new, some will have play at that joint, and some won't- so make sure you check it before buying. Otherwise, I would probably recommend the Criterium for a little more money. I also had to make a couple of modifications in order to make the rack secure and thft-proof. At the very least, don't use the thumb screws that came with the kit- even just replacing them with nylock nuts will help . . the longer it takes for a thief to remove it, the less he/she will be apt to commit the crime.
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Submitted by
Andrew P
a Cross Country Rider
from Rolla, mo, USA Date Reviewed: March 29, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Council Bluffs
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
swap meet
Strengths:
Study, holds every bike I've ever put up there, easily adjustable, allows you to place the whole bike on the rack no disasselbly required.
Weaknesses:
Locking feature seems kinds weak, I lost a part.. oops
Similar Products Used:
Saris Bones... its a rack but not a top mount rack
Bike Setup:
dos Niner w/ SC 32, Fuji Cross, GF Rig
Bottom Line:
This rack does what a rack should... It holds two bikes on top of your automobile with little effort in a quick mannor. I've never had a problem with any part of this rack. One time I forgot to clamp down the downtube clamp when I was going around a sharp corner the bike fell down sideways but remained on the rack as a result of the great rim straps... This was completely my fault I think it speaks to the quality of construction that the bike didn't fall off.
It will hold any bike W/ the exception of a sling shot or something completely missing a down tube... I've put my 26ers up there my 29ers up there everything and it holds them well..
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Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Bloomington, IN USA Date Reviewed: October 7, 2004
Favorite Trail:
nebo ridge
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$95.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
easy to use, stable, holds my road bike and my jekyll
Weaknesses:
factory cam locks-broke one trying to tighten it, then got washers and nuts to hold it to rack. now more secure than before
Similar Products Used:
thule super g
Bike Setup:
?
Bottom Line:
i bought one big mouth carrier for my road bike and one super g for my jekyll. well upon subsequent trips with my jekyll in the super g and my girlfriends hardtail in the big mouth, we both noticed that her bike was more secure and didn't sway. to make long story short, the super g's ratchet mechanism is prone to slippage and i have since returned it to thule along with two others purcahsed by LBS employees who were able to duplicate the slippage after i showed them my super g. so now i have two big mouths, only problem might be for tallet mtb frames(mine is a medium) the clamp arm might not reach the frame. mine barely fits but once on, it doesn't let go. i give it a 5 for value, but only 4 overall b/c it should be able to fit my frame a little better. my road bike and any other of the six bikes i've tried all fit excellent.
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Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Ft. Wayne, IN Date Reviewed: June 21, 2004
Favorite Trail:
The kind that go through the woods
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Strengths:
Durable, quiet, strong, secure
Weaknesses:
They aren't free!
Bike Setup:
Yes, my bike is setup.
Bottom Line:
Follow-up review. I've had it for 3 years now and haven't had an ounce of trouble. I leave it on my car year-round, and we have some pretty nasty winters - very cold, lots of salt, and regular freeze/thaw cycles. I made a 15 hour drive last summer up to the Bimidji, MN and never once did the highway winds and semis bother the bike.
The only thing I've ever done is regularly lubricate the locks on the bike rack and roof rack. Otherwise, I've nearly forgotten about the thing. It still looks new and keeps my bike nice and safe while I'm on the way to the trail.
Simply put, it takes me a grand total of 12 seconds to load my bike and lock it in place. It might take me another 12 to unload it when I get to the trailhead. I've seen other guys removing wheels, trying to get the fork positioned properly, etc. It's great to just throw the bike in place, lock the "claw" around the downtube, and simply drive away.
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Submitted by
Joe Mamma
a
from Boston/Seattle/Salt lake/Breck Date Reviewed: July 24, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Lynn/porcupine rim/victor falls/Vail
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$100.00
Purchased At:
greggs greenlake cycle (Dont shop here, go to ti cycles instead)
Strengths:
easy to load, don't have to take off front wheel.
Weaknesses:
Very shaky on top of car. When driving behind me while a bike is loaded, it looks like the bike is about to fall off! Cannot accomadate larger tubes, i.e. DH bikes and some free ride bikes.
Bottom Line:
I wouldnt recomend this product because of how much it allows the bike to move back and forth on top of the car. There are upright bike carriers on the market that work much better!
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Submitted by
Dominic
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexandria, Virginia Date Reviewed: March 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Performance bike
Strengths:
Good looking, hold bike really good, easy to install, easy to load and unload
Weaknesses:
Easy to steal, wheel strap too short, and flimsy, high wind noise
Bike Setup:
NRS and Hardrock
Bottom Line:
Mine was stolen at the night :( I wish Thule could have invented some kind of locking devices, so I don't have to remove it everytime. Besides that I am fairly happy with it.
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Submitted by
Jason
a Weekend Warrior
from Ottawa, ON, Canada Date Reviewed: May 28, 2002
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Extremely easy and to load/unload. Bikes are held securely. Gets lots of admiring looks.
Weaknesses:
Wheel straps do not appear all that durable. Wind noise is loud over 80km/h. Bike sway slightly at speed. Gets lots of admiring looks.
Bottom Line:
I checked out all the availabe racking systems and it came down to the Big Mouth and the Ankle Biter Duece. I went with the Big Mouth for its ease of use.
I recently took two bikes on a two hour, high speed, twisty and bumpy ride up to Mt Tremblant. The Big Mouth worked perfectly. Hell, I even closed the sun shade for my sunroof on the way back - nothing to worry about...
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Submitted by
Rick Mescallado
a Weekend Warrior
from East Northport, NY, USA Date Reviewed: April 1, 2002
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$450.00
Purchased At:
Action Sports Sayville
Strengths:
Easy to install. Secures bike relatively well.
Weaknesses:
Easy to steal. Could use some kind of locking device so that it doesn't have to be removed every time. Wheel straps are a little flimsy.
Bike Setup:
Gary Fisher Hybrid.
Bottom Line:
Overall, I relatively happy with it. The convenience of the quick load/unload is what prompted me to purchase it.
So far, so good.
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Submitted by
keefe
a Cross Country Rider
from dover,nj Date Reviewed: March 16, 2002
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$415.00
Purchased At:
roof racks direct
Strengths:
Load bikes in seconds
Weaknesses:
Wind howl, trays not wide enough for 2.6 tires
Bike Setup:
XC and DH
Bottom Line:
Had to bend/spread tray out to fit DH 2.6 tire. Otherwise, bikes have been fine.
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Submitted by
Brian
a Weekend Warrior
from Indianapolis, IN Date Reviewed: December 26, 2001
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$110.00
Purchased At:
Ski Pole
Strengths:
Simple design - makes mounting my bike simple and quick. Even better b/c it converts to handle road bikes as well. Very high quality materials - everything fits together like it should and is a cinch to assemble. Plus, I don't have to screw around with removing a wheel like you do with fork mount carriers.
Weaknesses:
Haven't found any yet - I'm looking though!
Similar Products Used:
I've only used other Thule carriers for my skiing equipment. This is my first mtb carrier.
Bike Setup:
Trek 8000, Shimano all around
Bottom Line:
Just got if for Xmas so haven't used it a whole lot yet (only had it a day). Amazingly simple - holds the bike securely and makes loading and unloading a snap! I'm biased though. I've used Thule racks for my skiing gear for several years and I simply think their stuff is beyond compare!
$
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