There are different types of bike rack manufacturers available on the market. Thule is one of them. They are famous for making car roof boxes, but they make bike racks also.
If you are in a hurry, then you can use the links below to buy the best roof cargo boxes for your car. You don’t need to worry about the quality of the products because we only recommend the best.
– Best for Load Capacity – Thule T2 Pro XT
– Best for Extender Ski and Snowboard Carrier – Thule Raceway Pro 2
In this article, you will find a review of some of the best available Thule bike racks. Our testers team has tested these bike racks. They installed these racks in different types of car such as trucks, and SUVs and drove up dirt roads, down highways, and uphills around town.
So, You can find all the details about these Thule bike racks, and we hope that it will help you to find the perfect roof rack to support your bike-loving lifestyle.
Thule Bike Racks Review:
1. Thule T2 Pro XT Bike Rack
The Thule T2 Pro XT is a very good quality hitch-mounted tray-style rack. It comes with a user-friendly design. The easy-to-reach tilt release handle at the end of the rack and a tool-free vehicle mounting system ensures that. The hassle-free rack can accommodate almost any type of bike available on the market. It comes with a black finish. The black color is very useful in preventing the rack from scratches.
The T2 Pro XT comes with many exciting features, such as the remote tilt release handle and a tool-free vehicle attachment system.
Thule was the first brand that manufactured a hitch-mount rack with a remote tilt release handle on the market. There are many types of bike racks available on the market. But still, Thule T2 pro has the smoothest and most user-friendly release mechanism on the market.
This bike rack is easy for everyday use and easy of loading bikes. The low loading height and easy one-handed front wheel clamps loading bikes in this rack very easily. The Yakima Dr. Tray bike rack comes with the tool-free tray adjustment, which is a great feature for those who need to load bikes with different combinations frequently. But if you do not need to load bikes with different combinations frequently, then the Thule T2 pro will be better for you.
The T2 Pro is easy to install in your vehicle. It comes with a tool-free installation system. You just have to slide the rack into the hitch receiver and release the stinger pin; it will drop into the hole that traditionally would hold the locking pin. Then, you have to turn a knob on the rack’s body to secure it with the vehicle. It comes with included keys to secure the rack and keep it safe from theft.
The first generation Thule T2 Classic is available with a threaded hitch pin to prevent wobble, and it requires a wrench for attachment and removal. The T2 Pro XT is so heavy. It weighs 51 lbs. If you want to install and remove the rack from your car regularly, we recommend you not to choose it. If you’re going to store T2 Pro XT after use and have a lot of space to store it, this rack will be an excellent choice for you.
Thule T2 Pro XT can accommodate bike tires up to 5 inches. It is a very durable bike rack. So if you are looking for a very durable bike rack, the T2 Pro XT can be a good choice for you.
2. Thule UpRide Bike Rack
The Thule UpRide is a roof-mounted bicycle rack. This rooftop bike rack comes with a complex design. This rack can carry your bikes without any contact with the frame of the fork. So there is nothing to fear about your expensive bike being scratched or damaged. It is very user friendly also. The loading process of a bike in this rack is tedious. The UpRide can accommodate almost any type of bike available on the market.
Moreover, you do not have to remove the front wheel to carry your bike with this bike rack. This bike rack comes with great versatility. And it is quite easy to assemble. The installation and removal of this rack are also easy. In case of being a rooftop bike rack, the UpRide will be better for hatchbacks and sedans with lower roof heights. If you want to spend a good amount of money on a bike rack, you can take this.
There are two counteracting arms available on The UpRide. These arms are used in securing the front wheel to the rack. One of these arms is with a hooked or curved end that holds the front wheel. And the other one is a secure cradle that secures the rear part of the front wheel. These two counteracting arms are so good at their job, and these will keep your bike in place by squeezing the front wheel.
The UpRide can feature you to adjust the arm to the specific wheel size of the bike you want to carry with it. You can accommodate wheels around 29″ – 27.5″ – 26″ and kid’s bike wheels also in this rack. First, to load your bike on this rack, you need to get the arm with the hook into the proper position on the front of the rack.
You have to pull the rear cradle upward until it clicks into place in a set position that uses the ratchet closure system to tighten down the cradle that squeezes the front wheel against the stationary hooked arm. At last, strap down the rear wheel with a ratchet system. After completing all of these steps now, you are ready to go.
The Thule UpRide is a unique, designed, durable roof-mounted bike rack. The loading and unloading of bikes look a little trickier. But the UpRide comes with an excellent level of security for your bike. This rack is an excellent option for smaller vehicles.
3. Thule T2 Classic Bike Rack
The Thule T2 Classic is a good-quality tray-style hitch mount rack. It is compatible with almost every type of bike available on the market. It can accommodate any size of the wheel and any frame design. A ratcheting arm clamp secures the front wheel and tire of the bike with the rack. It also comes with cable locks to ensure the safety of your bikes, and a hitch lock keeps the rack connected with your car.
The Thule T2 Classic comes with a low loading height. So the loading and unloading of bikes are easy. The Thule T2 Classic is a little bit heavy as other hitch mount racks. It weighs 56.1 lbs. so it is a little hard to carry from your garage to your car. The T2 classic comes with the hitch pin design.
The hitch pin removes the wobble and secures the rack. It works well but is much more time-consuming and difficult to handle than the expanding wedge designs available on most new high-end contenders. The shape of the Thule T2 classic is not so good. And it requires a fair amount of space to store. This bike rack also comes with great versatility. The weight carrying capacity for this bike rack is 100 lbs, and the 2” variant comes with 160 lbs capacity.
The T2 can accommodate almost any bike with a wheelbase of 48″ or less and wheels from 20″ to 29″. The only limitation of this rack is the tire size. Some of the new 29″ plus tire and wheel combinations are too tall, or wide for the ratcheting arms to clear. The assembly of this rack requires a bit of time and patience. The directions given in the manual are excellent. It also comes with included two wrenches and a 5mm hex key. Besides, you’ll need a ½” socket for assembly of the wheel trays and a flat head screwdriver.
The Thule T2 classic comes with a locking hitch pin, as well as cable locks to keep your bike secured. Both the hitch pin and the cable locks take the same key. It comes with two included keys for the locks and a blank key that allows you to pull the lock cylinders for a replacement if necessary. It also features individual cables and locks for each bike. This bike rack is a well-constructed, durable rack. The trays are sturdy. So if you are looking for a durable rooftop bike rack, you can choose it.
4. Thule Raceway Pro 2 Bike Rack
The Thule Raceway Pro 2 is a trunk-mounted bike rack. The primary support arms are individually adjustable, which helps to increase the compatibility with full suspension bikes. This rack comes with a fit dial system that specifies the support arm position for all compatible vehicles.
Most of our review’s trunk-mounted bike rack comes with nylon straps, but The Thule Raceway Pro 2 comes with a ratcheting steel cable system. It also comes with an included cable lock for the bikes, making it more secure than previous versions and far away from the most secure trunk-mount rack we have tested.
The Thule Raceway Pro 2 comes with an extremely versatile design. And this rack is better for the people whose vehicle is not compatible with a roof rack or hitch mount rack. Loading and unloading bikes from this bike rack is easier than some other trunk-mounted racks available on the market.
The loading height mostly depends on the height of your car. If you want to adjust the angle of the support arms to accommodate a given frame design, it may be impossible to carry the second bike securely. And if you want to carry small bikes, then you have to position one of the frames supports inside the front triangle and the other support at the junction of the head tube and down tube outside the triangle frame. There are rubber straps available in this bike rack to secure your bikes with the rack.
The Thule raceway pro 2 uses the frame of your bike as a primary point of attachment. So it can damage your bike’s frame, paint and cable stop. The Thule Fit Dial System makes the installation process easier for this bike.
The Raceway Pro 2 is compatible with most of the cars such as sedans, wagons, vans, and SUVs. And it can carry two bikes at a time. It has 35 lbs. per bike weight limit. This rack is not the heaviest trunk-mount rack we have ever tested. It weighs only 22.4 lbs. but the weight does not make it difficult to install the rack.
Four ratcheting knobs are turned by hand to tightness the cables and secure the rack in place. The included cable and ratcheting knob combo is the easiest to adjust of all our tested trunk racks. To prevent damage to the finish of your car caused by abrasion, you have to make sure that surfaces where the rubber pads will make contact with your vehicle, are clean before you install the rack in your car. This rack is very durable also. So it will last for a long time.
5. Thule ThruRide Bike rack
The Thule ThruRide is a fork mount roof rack. It is compatible with different kinds of axle standards. This rack comes with an adjustable clamp design. It can hold any diameter axle regardless of length, which makes it compatible with any of the various wheel spacing standards found on bikes.
Mounting the tray of this Thule ThruRide with your crossbars does not require any tools. But it seemed to be a little harder than other racks that require tools. You have to adjust the cam levers and wing nuts perfectly to get the rack installed securely. Otherwise, only one clamp has to do all the work, and the rack will shift from side to side, or sit at an angle which can be dangerous.
If you want to move your bike rack very often, then it will be better if you do not choose this rack. The ThruRide also takes up a minimal amount of space to store when not in use as other roof mount racks.
This roof mount bike rack can carry almost any axle standard with its adjustable clamp mechanism up to 20mm, except 9mm. You have to use the included 9mm adaptor for 9mm axles. Moreover, the ThruRide is not only compatible with any axle, but also it is compatible with any style of the crossbar.
The ThruRide does not come with any lock cores. So if you want to use one, then you have to buy an additional lock core.
The assembly of this bike rack is not so hard. The tray portion of the Thruride comes fully assembled. You have to adjust the rear wheel strap so that the ratchet mechanism is on the correct side of the tray.
The Thule ThruRide comes with a decent design. But we are not going to recommend it because of its poor ergonomics and lack of security.
Conclusion:
Here in this article, you read about some of the best Thule bike racks reviews. The reviews are written after testing the racks for several months by our professional testers. To choose the perfect bike rack for you and your car we are recommending you to consider your vehicle type your bicycle type carefully, and where you live. We hope our review will help you in choosing the right bike rack for you.
-our editorial board has reviewed this article and has been approved for publication according to our editorial policy.
Last Update : 2024-03-26
