If you have 2 bikes, want to get them on and off your vehicle quickly, and also want them to stay secure on your car without the rack jostling around when off-road, then i think that this is the best rack out there. I have not tried other racks, but I have noticed how much otherws move around while people are driving, and that makes me soooo unsettled. I have dirven way too fast on dirt roads, taking corners with aggression, and i look in my rearview, and there is no jiggle. I have a road bike and a mtb. The one piece with multiple molds front tire holder is really well made so i can put road or mtb on either one without any fussing. The rack is also designed to prevent over-tightening, which would hurt the raack and my wheel. Speaking of wheels, it has wheels on ... MoreIf you have 2 bikes, want to get them on and off your vehicle quickly, and also want them to stay secure on your car without the rack jostling around when off-road, then i think that this is the best rack out there. I have not tried other racks, but I have noticed how much otherws move around while people are driving, and that makes me soooo unsettled. I have dirven way too fast on dirt roads, taking corners with aggression, and i look in my rearview, and there is no jiggle. I have a road bike and a mtb. The one piece with multiple molds front tire holder is really well made so i can put road or mtb on either one without any fussing. The rack is also designed to prevent over-tightening, which would hurt the raack and my wheel. Speaking of wheels, it has wheels on it, so when i take the rack out of my garage to bring to my car, I can just roll it which saves my back.To sum it up, the rack is OBSESSIVELY designed. If you are a believer in the "buy once cry once" mantra, and geek out on features then I would recommend. If you just want something for your old hybrid, then maybe consider something cheaper.Cons: when front tire bar is recessed, it sits over the handle to bring the rack up or down. I try to just leave the bar an inch above, and it stays where I put it. This solves the problem, but I am a gear head so I complain ;)It is also heavy, which I dont notice much, but its the price you pay for a lifelong tool.Lastly, it can be a tad awkward getting the rear wheel situated without putting it on top of the plastic buckle (the thing with the teeth.) I also fear that this piece is just plastic, and gets pulled around pretty hard, so I fear it will break over time. Also, the little pad on itto protect the wheel is awkward to align bc the buckle moves as it gets tighter. Maybe just a a longer protective piece would work better?

Car vs. Rack? It depends

For the past several years, I've celebrated the absolute simplicity of suction-cup affixed SeaSucker bike carriers. When they were sucking to the top of my low-slong Audi RS3 rocket, mounting/dismounting was easy. However, the addition of one dog to the family and a move to a place with "winter" mandated a different car. I managed to wrestle my road bikes to the top of our Audi Q5 but had to include a step stool in my luggage to do so.I just obtained a Thule T2 Pro XTR 2-bike Hitch Rack, "on sale" for 20% off at REI. My Q5 didn't come with an Audi hitch, so I priced one at my dealer. Almost $3K!!!! (but it includes electronics for controlling trailer brakes, lights, etc.) Chats with fellow cyclists in parking lots led me to U-Haul and a total outlay of < $500 for ... MoreFor the past several years, I've celebrated the absolute simplicity of suction-cup affixed SeaSucker bike carriers. When they were sucking to the top of my low-slong Audi RS3 rocket, mounting/dismounting was easy. However, the addition of one dog to the family and a move to a place with "winter" mandated a different car. I managed to wrestle my road bikes to the top of our Audi Q5 but had to include a step stool in my luggage to do so.I just obtained a Thule T2 Pro XTR 2-bike Hitch Rack, "on sale" for 20% off at REI. My Q5 didn't come with an Audi hitch, so I priced one at my dealer. Almost $3K!!!! (but it includes electronics for controlling trailer brakes, lights, etc.) Chats with fellow cyclists in parking lots led me to U-Haul and a total outlay of < $500 for sale and U-Haud installation of a 2" receiver. Back I went to REI, where I learned that rack set-up and installation would be an additional $56, but the estimated time and tool requirements made that sound reasonable, so I returned the next day and a VERY knowledgeable sales associate had the rack dialed in and on my hitch in almost no time at all.Things went south immediately when I sat down in the driver's seat and started my car. IMMEDIATELY the rear proximity sensor wailed at me that there was something dangerously close to me behind my lift gate (true, except for the "dangerously" part). More attention to the 300 pg Q5 manual's index than I've ever bestowed on the car before came nowhere NEAR finding a solution. A friendly AWD Subaru SUV owner and cyclist had chatted me and the REI employee up (and given the rack VERY high marks) while we were toiling in the parking lot, and when I ran into the store for possible help, he and the same sales associtate were chatting about HIM buying one. The REI staffer had no suggestions for me about the proximity sensors other than "call Audi" (which of course was quite reasonable). I'd already tried Thule telephone support, learning that they don't work on Fridays or weekends (after all, they're laid-back Scandinavians). My local Audi dealer repetitively demonstrated their notion of call processing (a BOT says they'll call me back, which of course they don't do), but informing the receptionist that I was terrified about inappropriate emergency braking being triggered on an open road with a REAL car behind me and my bike rack, so EVENTUALLY I was routed to a senior service tech, who told me that it wasn't Audi's "Pre-Sense" rear radar (that WILL activate emergency braking—but unfortunately, not always, but that's another story that involves REI, my Q5, a bulky and heavy Wahoo Kickr Bike purchase, the REI loading dock, and $13,000, 2-month Covid pandemic-delayed body repairs, and a thankfully robust insurance policy).The Audi Service tech said I didn't need to use the in car electronics to silence the scream, but just a tap on the console to disable the "Parking Assistant," (One would think I could find that in the user's manual, but the word "bicycle" is not in the index.Once I knew that, I discovered that the rack itself is extremely well thought out. Mounting a bike is easy; tilting the rack with bikes on it to obtain lift gate access is a piece of cake (but it did take me one errant tug on the electrically operated "pop open the lift gate" switch for me to hear Stanley Kubrick's "2001" ghost imploring "Don't DO it, Dave" (actually the voice was my wife's, and her admonitions would have earned MY little movie a much more restrictive language-based rating as the lift gate swung into the NOT tilted down rack (fortunately, with no damage except to my ego)..One more thing. Before receiving the correct answer to my dilemma from the Audi dealer, I'd envisioned having to return the rack to REI, but I'd seen LOTS of hitch mount racks on Audi's, some of them from Thule, so I'd spent a few monents on Audi's website, where ONE of my discoveries was that THEIR every day price through their online parts catalog for exactly the same rack was $20 less than the "special 20% off" pricing at REI. That, of course, means this story will have one more chapter, because as any experienced Audi customer knows, it's extraordinarily difficult to craft a sentence pairing the adjective "inexpensive" to the noun "Audi."

Good rack and recommend for all types of cycling

I purchased this rack to replace my 1.25 RM rack. The instructions could be better but was expected and could eventually figure things out on my own. The rack is very easy to install and remove from my vehicle and the wheel balancer is a very nice feature. I am skeptical about the attachment to the hitch receiver without a screw or latch and hope to never need to file a warranty claim. So far have been on very technical roads and terrain and seems to be durable. No sliding out as others have experienced. Just be sure to tighten the knob and lock it. I really like how secure the bikes feel when loaded compared to previous racks and I've used quite a few other main competitor brand racks. I've used all tire types from skinny road to 5" fatties, they all fit just fine. ... MoreI purchased this rack to replace my 1.25 RM rack. The instructions could be better but was expected and could eventually figure things out on my own. The rack is very easy to install and remove from my vehicle and the wheel balancer is a very nice feature. I am skeptical about the attachment to the hitch receiver without a screw or latch and hope to never need to file a warranty claim. So far have been on very technical roads and terrain and seems to be durable. No sliding out as others have experienced. Just be sure to tighten the knob and lock it. I really like how secure the bikes feel when loaded compared to previous racks and I've used quite a few other main competitor brand racks. I've used all tire types from skinny road to 5" fatties, they all fit just fine. Make sure to follow the directions and secure the arm as close as possible to the fork...I also like that the arm doesn't rub on the front fork when secure and is tilted more to allow space between the arm and fork.

Great way for transporting bikes!

I’ve been using a Thule hitch mounted hanging bike rack for 20+ years. It was an older model without folding arms. Making it awkward to leave on the car and to store. But super sturdy for carrying four bikes safely. We’re empty nesters now. So, it was time to down size to an easier loading and friendlier to use bike rack for two. We chose this Thule T2 Pro XTR hitch mounted platform bike carrier because it fit all of our needs: super easy loading for two bikes (even strong enough for heavier electric bikes), good built-in security for both bikes as well as the bike carrier, the platform folds tight the back of the car when not in use and folds down for easy trunk access (with or without bikes onboard). These are all things we didn’t have on our old bike rack. Simply ... MoreI’ve been using a Thule hitch mounted hanging bike rack for 20+ years. It was an older model without folding arms. Making it awkward to leave on the car and to store. But super sturdy for carrying four bikes safely. We’re empty nesters now. So, it was time to down size to an easier loading and friendlier to use bike rack for two. We chose this Thule T2 Pro XTR hitch mounted platform bike carrier because it fit all of our needs: super easy loading for two bikes (even strong enough for heavier electric bikes), good built-in security for both bikes as well as the bike carrier, the platform folds tight the back of the car when not in use and folds down for easy trunk access (with or without bikes onboard). These are all things we didn’t have on our old bike rack. Simply love this new carrier! It was easy to assemble following the pictorial instructions - just thought of it as solving a puzzle. This is a very sturdy piece of equipment. So, it’s overall weight was a bit of an eye opener but not really surprising. Having built-in storage wheels was a big help moving it into our garage after removing it from the car. For me, storage was actually the hardest thing to resolve. Once assembled this bike carrier does take up a fair amount storage space (width and height wise). Honestly, I hadn’t planned for that eventuality. But ended up resolving that piece of the puzzle fairly quickly. Bottom line, our bikes fit on and secured to this platform carrier very well (easy, secure and safe). For years Thule solutions have fit our recreational equipment transport needs (skiing, cargo, kayaking, biking, etc.) exceptionally well. It was no surprise that this bike carrier would would live up to our needs and expectations, now and into the future!

I would not recommend this bike rack for the price

I have been using the Thule T2 Pro XTR and I have some mixed thoughts about it. I wanted to like this bike rack but I am actually disappointed in the design and for the price, I thought that folks designing and engineering this rack would take into account some important considerations. First, why does the lever handle pull up? It's really awkward. If you have this bike on a truck and your not the tallest person in the world, you have to lift the lever up. We have another bike rack where the lever is level to the ground and you push it down. Another weird one is the rear wheel latch. Again, you pull the latch down and it doesn't leave very much tail to grab to secure it. I think the front wheel cup basket is poorly designed too and does not feel secure for MTB ... MoreI have been using the Thule T2 Pro XTR and I have some mixed thoughts about it. I wanted to like this bike rack but I am actually disappointed in the design and for the price, I thought that folks designing and engineering this rack would take into account some important considerations. First, why does the lever handle pull up? It's really awkward. If you have this bike on a truck and your not the tallest person in the world, you have to lift the lever up. We have another bike rack where the lever is level to the ground and you push it down. Another weird one is the rear wheel latch. Again, you pull the latch down and it doesn't leave very much tail to grab to secure it. I think the front wheel cup basket is poorly designed too and does not feel secure for MTB tires. There's a nice divet for road bike tires but the bikes seem to wobble, even though we follow the directions very well and have used bike racks like this for many, many years. Also, if you have truck, know that you cannot put you tail gate down without having to put the bike rack in the down position. This is really annoying for us as we get in and out of the truck shell often. It's really bulky. The wheels are completely unnecessarily. If we could return this rack we would have.

It does the trick.

I chose this rack after it kept coming up as the best bike carrier in numerous online ratings. Despite the horrible assembly instructions, it does everything I want it to do but I have never used another tray-style hitch mount bike rack before to compare it to. It does seem more sturdy and easier to customize than my previous hitch mount hanging-style bike carrier. I have two large mountain bikes and there is plenty of room between them now whereas it was hard to fit those same bikes on my hanging-style bike rack without piecing the puzzle together just right and they still tended to bang into each other along the ride. As many other reviews have stated, the instructions to put it together are absolutely horrible so, I watched some unaffiliated person’s YouTube ... MoreI chose this rack after it kept coming up as the best bike carrier in numerous online ratings. Despite the horrible assembly instructions, it does everything I want it to do but I have never used another tray-style hitch mount bike rack before to compare it to. It does seem more sturdy and easier to customize than my previous hitch mount hanging-style bike carrier. I have two large mountain bikes and there is plenty of room between them now whereas it was hard to fit those same bikes on my hanging-style bike rack without piecing the puzzle together just right and they still tended to bang into each other along the ride. As many other reviews have stated, the instructions to put it together are absolutely horrible so, I watched some unaffiliated person’s YouTube video to get better instructions. Many of the complaints I read in other reviews were really just people who didn’t understand how some part or function worked because the original instructions were so absolutely horrible. Some functions, like the cable lock connections were not intuitive to me and the instructions were not much help so I too would’ve been angry and frustrated had I not found alternate instructions. Also, I’d like to mention that all my friends told me that it is way easier and faster to put your bikes on this tray-style of rack than on my hanging-style rack. I have not found that to be the case. I mount the bikes in about the same time on either style but the rack itself is much heavier (50+ lbs.) and takes some extra effort to mount onto my hitch and it also takes up more room in my garage. Despite the extra effort needed to put the rack on, it definitely holds the bikes much sturdier and keeps them from banging into each other and the bonus integrated cable locks, although not completely theft-proof, definitely discourages any convenience thieves from snatching my bikes off while I run into the gas station to use the bathroom. Did I mention that the instructions were horrible, though?

Not nearly the quality I expected.

I have had this rack for 9 months, and the quality and Thule support have disappointed us. We use it to carry 2 fat tire ebikes, and it does not stand up to the load. The worst issue is that the front tire cradle is made of a plastic that soften enough on a hot day that the front tire was able to turn significantly to the side, causing the bike to start to lean and nearly fall off the rack. This bike has 26x4.5" tires, so it is not that the tire fit too loosely in the rack, the plastic cradle actually softened and deformed in the heat. I had to ease my way to the nearest store to find some heavy duty zip ties, in order to secure the sides of the tire cradle tightly around the front tire.There are additional design and quality issues that make me no longer ... MoreI have had this rack for 9 months, and the quality and Thule support have disappointed us. We use it to carry 2 fat tire ebikes, and it does not stand up to the load. The worst issue is that the front tire cradle is made of a plastic that soften enough on a hot day that the front tire was able to turn significantly to the side, causing the bike to start to lean and nearly fall off the rack. This bike has 26x4.5" tires, so it is not that the tire fit too loosely in the rack, the plastic cradle actually softened and deformed in the heat. I had to ease my way to the nearest store to find some heavy duty zip ties, in order to secure the sides of the tire cradle tightly around the front tire.There are additional design and quality issues that make me no longer comfortable in recommending or using this rack for our ebikes.I filled out Thule's online warranty claim form 11 days ago, and received an automated email response that, "An agent will be in touch with you shortly." Over a week later, I submitted an online support request to get a status update. I have heard nothing from Thule on either request.

REI Excellent. Thule VERY POOR

Used twice and worked fine. Less than one year old and now the wedge on the end of the 2" rack will not allow the 2" square to go into the trucks 2" receiver. It is loose and will not stay in place. Even for two people, it is very difficult to install due to this reason.Overall the rack is fine but seems to be over-engineered. They thought they were building this great rack but should have stuck with the basics. The wedge to lock in the rack and keep from wobbling creates more problems then it solves. A cheap steel clamp with a nut and bolt (like a Harbor Freight design. LOL) works way way better and doesn't fail like the wedge on this Thule. Next is the pin that flips into the receiver hole to secure the rack. Again, overkill. Just just a standard hitch pin and ... MoreUsed twice and worked fine. Less than one year old and now the wedge on the end of the 2" rack will not allow the 2" square to go into the trucks 2" receiver. It is loose and will not stay in place. Even for two people, it is very difficult to install due to this reason.Overall the rack is fine but seems to be over-engineered. They thought they were building this great rack but should have stuck with the basics. The wedge to lock in the rack and keep from wobbling creates more problems then it solves. A cheap steel clamp with a nut and bolt (like a Harbor Freight design. LOL) works way way better and doesn't fail like the wedge on this Thule. Next is the pin that flips into the receiver hole to secure the rack. Again, overkill. Just just a standard hitch pin and Clip works perfect and seems to make it safer and more secure.Tires on a low pressure fat tire bike works great on this rack for holding the bikes in place. We replaced with a tire width 2.35 and 45psi and the Thule arm that holds the front tire does not hold in place all that great.Thule Support is one of the worst I have dealt with.I would pass on this rack if I could do it all over again. And for the ridiculous cost?

Solid as a rock

I bought this for my wife as a birthday present, and we finally got to use it over Memorial Day weekend. Because her bike is a step-through and mine has a funky soft tail suspension, traditional bike racks won't work so this platform style rack is the only option. This thing is HEAVY but with the wheels on it, it's no trouble moving it around. The integrated anti-rattle/lock mechanism works perfectly, the rack was barely even moving in my rearview mirror on the highway, and it was probably just the play in the tilt mechanism. The arms are very simple to adjust and hold the bikes steady. The cable lock could be a little longer, but I'm still able to get it through the frames of both bikes to deter any opportunistic criminals. As other reviews have mentioned, the ... MoreI bought this for my wife as a birthday present, and we finally got to use it over Memorial Day weekend. Because her bike is a step-through and mine has a funky soft tail suspension, traditional bike racks won't work so this platform style rack is the only option. This thing is HEAVY but with the wheels on it, it's no trouble moving it around. The integrated anti-rattle/lock mechanism works perfectly, the rack was barely even moving in my rearview mirror on the highway, and it was probably just the play in the tilt mechanism. The arms are very simple to adjust and hold the bikes steady. The cable lock could be a little longer, but I'm still able to get it through the frames of both bikes to deter any opportunistic criminals. As other reviews have mentioned, the cable only locks the bike to the platform, which is held on by standard Allen screws, so if someone really wants your bike they can disassemble the rack. But it's unlikely someone is just walking around with the correct size allen wrench on them so I'm not worried. It's nice that the same key is used for the cable locks as well as the lock to the hitch. The tilt-down feature comes in handy for accessing the tailgate when the rack is empty, doesn't really work with bikes on it.Note to anyone with fat tire bikes: some reviews complained that it doesn't fit 5" wide tires as stated in the description—it does, but not as it is assembled from the factory. You have to remove the straps all the way from the back tire rest, and reinsert them in the second hole 90⁰ farther around from the standard location, so they will reach around bigger tires. I do not have a fat tire bike to try, but this is just something I noticed when assembling the carrier.Note to Jeep Wrangler owners: you CAN use this as-is without an adapter. I originally installed it and I was able to load both bikes on it with no issues, nothing touching the spare tire. However, the rack would not lock in the up position due to the spare tire, and even with the rack in the tilted down position you cannot open the rear hatch more than 30⁰ (not far enough to open the back glass on a hard top) because the tire runs into the hinge mechanism which doesn't move when the rack tilts down. In order to get the full functionality out of this rack, you WILL NEED a 4" drop hitch adapter, I just went to my local warehouse big box home improvement store and bought one from a trusted brand in hitches so I can't comment on the Thule brand adapter, but I did save money and it works perfect. I also got an anti-rattle kit for said adapter because even thought the rack won't rattle in the adapter, the adapter will rattle in the hitch.All in all, it's a solid rack that works well for any bike that's not the standard flat top bar frame, it does claim to be "non-frame contacting" but if you don't care that much, it secures the bike a lot more positively to sandwich the arm against the front forks (the arm is padded so I won't scratch the paint). I am just slightly suspicious that a good bump could pop the arm up and off the tire if it's not sandwiched between the tire and the forks, but it hasn't happened yet. My motto is "buy once, cry once" and after all the looking I did at bike racks of this style, I'm happy I spent the money on this one rather than trying to save a little money and ending up dissatisfied with a cheaper brand.

Still not happy, would K*** be better - more $$$$

Bought and assembled the Thule XTR. Assembly was fine, but caution - don't strip over over tighten the screws!The Good:- No tools to attach to your vehicle- One Key System- Wheels are a nice touch for easy moving around the garage floor to/from storage.The Bad:Compared to the "T2 Classic" I think it's called, this thing just seems less quality. More plastic, which I get, reduces some weight.The biggest problem I have is the security/locks. I want a truly frameless touch rack, but the cable locks - because they are so short (as I now see in other reviews) force you to put a cable on/through what could be an expensive carbon frame (some of you might have custom bike paint jobs).The cable is way too short and easily cut. The T2 Classic locked the front ... MoreBought and assembled the Thule XTR. Assembly was fine, but caution - don't strip over over tighten the screws!The Good:- No tools to attach to your vehicle- One Key System- Wheels are a nice touch for easy moving around the garage floor to/from storage.The Bad:Compared to the "T2 Classic" I think it's called, this thing just seems less quality. More plastic, which I get, reduces some weight.The biggest problem I have is the security/locks. I want a truly frameless touch rack, but the cable locks - because they are so short (as I now see in other reviews) force you to put a cable on/through what could be an expensive carbon frame (some of you might have custom bike paint jobs).The cable is way too short and easily cut. The T2 Classic locked the front wheel arm - why did Thule go away from that design? Even writing this review was frustrating as I was only given a tiny little window on their website.I'm NOT impressed for the money spent and it's just down right disappointing. I'm considering returning this rack and likely still on the hunt for a bike rack. Thule went down quite a bit in my ranking.