When it comes to transport solutions for bikes on passenger cars of all kinds, Thule is one of the world market leaders. For bicycles alone, the company currently has seven roof racks, ten trailer hitch or towbar racks, and seven boot racks on its website as of April 2022.
With the Thule T2 Pro XT hitch carrier, the manufacturer has created an excellent all-rounder for spontaneous activities.
The bicycle carrier is quick to assemble, has an attractive design, and there’s the possibility of adding tail lights. Its state-of-the-art features ensure a comfortable and safe hauling of up to two bicycles.
In this Thule T2 Pro review, you will find everything you need to know about the hitch bike carrier.
This T2 Pro Thule version has some vast improvements over the older design. They introduced better spacing between bikes, so you don’t have handlebar and seat post interference.
Then there’s an integrated cable lock, a tool-free installation possibility. And one of our favorite features is the Hitch Switch. With the Hitch Switch, they made it so easy to use the rack. In this review, we will be looking at the design and see how secure, compatible, versatile, and easy to mount and install your bikes on the rack is.
The design of the Thule T2 Pro is straightforward, although not so elegant as the Thule 938 T2 Pro, which has no tail lights, for example. However, the main frame of the hitch carrier is made of high-quality aluminum.
The manufacturer guarantees its stability and overall factory manufacturing with a lifetime warranty. And at the same time, it is light, weighing around 35 pounds. The low weight is also due to its aluminum construction.
There are no rear lights. However, the bike rack makes a very high-quality and modern impression. It adapts optimally to every car and is not so hard to mount or use.
This model can be outfitted on class 1.25-inch and 2-inch hitch receivers, depending on the model you pick. It’s not designed for 3-inch receivers, nor will it fit 2.5-inch receivers. The bike rack, like other hitch racks from Thule, is compatible with a rack extender, according to the manufacturer.
So, you can increase the payload and the number of bikes to 4 by simply adding the Thule Add-On for T2 Pro XT, which is sold separately and only compatible with a 2″ receiver. But if you want a successful installation, a safe and peace-of-mind traveling, don’t extend it.
Instead, if you still want to be able to mount up to four bikes on your vehicle, we would advise that you check out the best 4-bike hitch racks for safer travels with more bikes.
This bike rack is versatile enough to accommodate all types of bikes, from fat bikes to mountain bikes and even the slimmer road bikes and other standard bicycles. The bike rack has a cradle system that will fit bikes of 20 to 29-inch diameters.
Thule introduced an integrated locking cable into the arm of both bikes for more security.
However, this locking cable is only a deterrent. You don’t have to use it for an extended period as it’s not fail-safe.
Other than that, this bike rack is easy to use. The rack has a more secure fit. It doesn’t grab onto the frame, so it’s not going to chip the paint, especially if you’re riding a carbon fiber bike, which is a little bit more delicate.
The rack is easy to handle and store. It can be kept quite easily in the garage, and it is handled more easily than a traditional bike rack. It has wheels that make the bike rack more movable and storable. At 16kg, it’s not that heavy to handle.
As we mentioned earlier, the rack is made of high-quality aluminum. It’s very sturdy, according to what users are saying. The frames are heavy-duty, and the components are well made.
The mounting of this rack to the receiver is tool-free. Overall, it takes about 10 to 15 seconds to lock it and mount it on the vehicle.
First, you must note that the Thule T2 Pro XT bike rack is only compatible with 2-inch receivers.
Now that you’ve installed the rack in its stowed position, next, you have to mount your bikes.
One of the great things about this bike rack is it is adjustable to multiple positions. If your bikes are mounted, you can still access your cargo area. Just pull the lever back, tilt it downwards, and you will have access to your tailgate.
This is a 2-bike rack. Each can hold 60 pounds and 120 pounds altogether. Thule also provides an extension where you can add two bikes onto this rack. So, it becomes a 4-bike rack.
Each wheel cradle can accommodate up to a five-inch fat tire bike, a mountain bike tire, or even a skinny road bike tire.
In addition to accommodating multiple tire widths, you can accommodate various tire sizes with the ratcheting wheel hook. It also features a rubber coating to hold on to the tire and accommodate anything from a 29-inch wheel to a 20-inch wheel.
The rear wheel cradle is also adjustable to accommodate multiple frame sizes. If you’re only carrying a single bike, keeping it in the closest position of the vehicle offers it a lot more protection.
If you have multiple bikes, put the heaviest ones at the back. It will be easier to load and unload it.
The Thule T2 Pro is mainly delivered pre-assembled. This eliminates the need for complex assembly for you. In addition, safety cannot be impaired by incorrect assembly.
The carton dimensions are given by the manufacturer as 54 x 43 x 15 inches. The product weight, including the packaging, is 16.42 kg, so it’s lighter than the Thule VeloSpace XT 2, for example, which is 23.2 kg. Below you will find an overview of the entire scope of delivery.
The Allen key required for assembly is included in the delivery. Additional tools are not needed, which makes assembly very user-friendly. You can mount the bike carrier quickly and flexibly.
The bike rack comes with Thule’s limited lifetime warranty, which covers against damages that have been caused by or occurred during the manufacturing process. This warranty, however, doesn’t cover accidental damages, modifications, unauthorized repair, or misuse.
The Thule Pro XT, although sold for under $800, is still expensive; some would say too expensive. Is it justified? Well, it is safe, and its foldable side is really practical.
And if we consider that with its price, we can put on 2 or 3 bikes, it is not so expensive to take care of them during transport.
In addition, it must be taken into account that at this price, spare parts are easily available for many years.
The Thule T2 Pro Bike Rack comes with a lot of features. The most essential of them are listed and explained below:
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The Thule T2 Pro is a great bike rack for travelers and cyclists who want to take their bikes on holiday and mountain bikers heading to the trailside. It’s ideal for those who have a vehicle with 1 to 2-inch receivers.
The bike rack is perfect for carbon frame bikes, such as fat-tire bikes, mountain bikes, downhill bikes, kid bikes, or standard bikes. We also think it’s one of the best bike racks for minivans and standard SUVs.
There’s not much difference between the Thule T2 Pro XT series and the Thule Pro XTR Bike Racks. Both are available in 1.25 inches and 2 inches receivers. The weight capacity is the same for them. They are also made of aluminum, and both don’t come with tail light repeaters. However, the XTR versions now feature wheels that make them more maneuverable after taking them off from your vehicle for storage.
Thule offers various bike racks tailored to the needs of different customers. In addition to the comparatively expensive T2 Pro, Thule Trusted Source Thule | United States www.thule.com offers much cheaper models. These usually also have a large range of functions. One of these models may even better suit your individual needs.
The Thule T2 is the classic version of the Thule T2 XT/XTR. While it is sold at a much lesser price (more than $200 price difference), it has a design with features found in the Pro version missing.
While the Pro versions have easy installations that are tool-free, this model needs tools for installation. The bike locks don’t come with this product also. But you can purchase this separately.
Asides from these, there’s not much difference between these versions and the Pro versions. Of course, there are no wheels like you have in the Pro XTR. But they all have the same weight capacity of 120 pounds in total. But the T2 is slightly lighter in weight, weighing 50 pounds, compared to the 51 pounds of the Pro XT/XTR versions.
At first glance, the Thule EasyFold XT bike carrier is impressive. Its design remains basic and goes everywhere while the quality is immediately visible.
Always with the aim of increasing user satisfaction, this rack is capable of supporting 2 bicycles with a maximum of 130 pounds, i.e., a capacity limited to 65 pounds per bicycle.
Note that the protection of the frames of each bike is optimal thanks to the internal rubber surface. In addition, even if the frames are fragile, they are not at risk.
Loading the bikes is easy. Thanks to the removable mounting arms, safety, and stability are also increased. In support of this, the AcuTight system emits a click when the tightening is done well. At the level of the installation of the wheels, the tightening straps ensure a quick fastening with adjustable micro-clip buckles and are adaptable to all wheels. They can even support 4.7” wheels if a strap kit is purchased.
In addition, to deter thieves, this bike rack is equipped with the One-Key System mechanism. This ensures a balanced installation, regardless of the terrain taken during the journeys. Alternatively, you can use a single key for locking the bike rack to the towball and the fixings of the bikes to the bike rack.
The Thule Apex XT is a durable hitch ball carrier that allows you to transport four bikes securely. It has three attachment points for each bike to minimize their movement during travel. To access the trunk of your vehicle, tilt the bike carrier backward using the lever for this purpose.
The good thing about this solution is that it is sold for nearly half the price of the Pro XT and can accommodate twice the bike capacity (4) with no dangerous extension made.
You can fold the arms when not used to help you park in tight spaces without removing the rack. This locks to your vehicle’s hitch and includes a cable lock that works with the same key.
If it doesn’t have to be a hitch carrier, the ProRide is a good alternative. This bike carrier is attached to the roof of the vehicle. A prerequisite is existing roof rails. The ProRide offers space for two bicycles, each of which must not exceed a weight of 20 kg, or 44 pounds.
The ProRide is considered one of the best Thule roof rack models. The bicycles are securely fastened to the tires and frame. The advantage of this carrier is that it is compatible with all standard wheel sizes.
However, heavy e-bikes Trusted Source Why are electric bikes heavier than regular ones and is it important? delfastbikes.com cannot be transported with this bike carrier. With the ProRide, you get a cheaper alternative, only recommended for lower demands and light bicycles.
Like the Thule T2 Pro, the EuroRide 2 also offers space for transporting two bicycles. However, since this carrier has less stability, the total load is only 80 pounds. The transport of e-bikes or heavy bikes is restricted at this point.
A maximum load of 40 pounds is possible per rail. The distance between the rails is relatively small at 17 cm. Overall, however, the two bike racks share many similarities in terms of functionality. The EuroRide 2 also has anti-theft protection in a one-key system. In addition, the carrier can be folded down to access the trunk at any time.
The EuroRide 2 thus offers a cheap alternative, which, however, lags in terms of stability. However, if you are only on the road with ordinary bikes, you will find a perfect bike carrier in this product.
We’ve seen how good this rack is in the Thule T2 Pro Bike Rack review. The T2 Pro XT/XTR models by Thule are all solid bike carriers attached to the trailer hitch. It can transport up to two bicycles and offers a wide range of functions. In addition, this carrier is suitable for a variety of different bicycles. Transporting heavy e-bikes or thick downhill bikes does not pose any significant problems for the Thule T2 Pro. This makes it very versatile for all activities. The bicycle carrier can be expanded to accommodate four bicycles using accessories.
