Holding the title as the first company to ever build and market a bike rack for a car…well…let’s just say that Thule has been in the business for a long time.  Last weekend I picked up my parents SUV and strapped on a borrowed Thule T2 hitch mount bike rack.

The first thing I noticed about the rack was its weight.  I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a bad thing, as it seems like this rack is built like a rock.  The hardest part about mounting the T2 to the hitch on the SUV was getting the rusted hitch cap out.  It took no more than 30 seconds to mount the rack (with the included wrenches) and prepare it for mounting the bikes.  This is alone makes me want to ditch my sedan in favor of a vehicle with a hitch.  There is nothing worse than having to set up a bike rack on a trunk mounted system.

Tossing a couple bikes on the rack and securing them was incredibly easy.  Previous designs required you to use a system of straps to secure the bike.  No longer.  They have a very smart ratcheting system that locks your bike down in seconds.  The rack had nearly no contact with the frame of the bikes, and the bikes were not touching each other, which is a huge bonus.  Even throwing a mountain bike onto the rack left plenty of room between the bikes.

Driving around town with the bikes on the rack was a pleasure.  There was no rattling, or flapping of straps coming from the rack.  I really could have forgotten they were even there.  When I got back home, I did notice that some of the bolts needed a bit of tightening, though this could be simply because it is such a new product, and may need to “break in” a bit.  There are also a bunch of accessories such as locks to secure your bikes to the back.  My only real complaint is that you can’t use a standard hitch pin to secure the rack, as they make you use their nut/bolt system.  Not a deal breaker, though.  Here are some specs from Thule:

• Offers quick rear loading in seconds, with no need to remove wheels
• No contact with frame means your bike doesn’t get scratched
• Carrier folds up for storage and folds down for access
• Fits 20- to 29-inch wheels and up to 3-inch wide tires
• Carries bikes up to 60 pounds, or 100 pounds total (based on the 1-1/4 inch hitch size)
• Want to carry four bikes? Purchase the T2 Add-On accessory (for 2-inch hitch size only)
• Four-bike mount carries up to 160 pounds total
• Thule One-Key™-compatible system lets you purchase lock cores that match keys you already own

Pick up the Thule T2 Here