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Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount

$143.89
$179.95^*

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(13)

Item # 710452

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This Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount push the bike carrier envelope with their upright rack--please, no staring!

Features rack-level, dial-activated clamp, push button-clamp release and sleek, sculpted wheel tray
Easy loading; sculpted wheel tray and support arm clamp work together and help keep bike in position when securing your bike to the carrier
Simple-to-use rack-level adjustment dial closes clamp around bike tube for ultimate transport stability
Unloading the bike is a breeze with fast, push-button clamp release
Low-profile wheel tray and dual-action wheel strap fits all tire sizes without the need for a wheel adaptor
Accommodates bike frames up to 3-3/8'' diameter
Fits square and round load bars, sold separately
Made from durable anodized aluminum, steel and rubber
Please note: this bike carrier requires the use of Xadapter XADAPT8 when used on Aeroblade & Rapid Aero Bars, sold separately

Please note: Thule products cannot be shipped to Canadian addresses.

Imported.

Item 710452

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Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount

4.2

(based on 13 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Easy to use (13)
Stable (12)
Easy to install (10)
Lightweight (10)
Durable (9)

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain bikes (10)
Road bikes (9)
Small cars (5)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid cyclist (9), Casual/ recreational (4)

Reviewed by 13 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Oct

2011

4.0

Oh the convenience!

By Portland Jock

from Portland, OR

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I've been using this rack for about 3 months now. I needed it to replace one of my older Thule "A Frame" type of roof carriers - so I already had the Thule roof bars, locks etc.

I'm going to echo a lot some of the points others have raised:

The first plus is that I found it easy to "install" and by install I mean switching the arm around so I can use it on the other side of the car. The instructions aren't brilliant, but it's pretty obvious (although I installed the tire straps backwards the first time, d'oh!)

It is also an absolute cinch to operate. Actually lifting your bike up to the roof is the hard part! I found after 2 or 3 times that the trick was to put the arm up to near enough where it needs to be, then the bike clamps right in (as opposed to lift bike up, then try to move clamp). The locking mechanism is a breeze - twist the dial and it clamps down (soooo much better than my old A-frame clamp).

The only downside I've seen - that others raised - is that since this is a top/bottom style 'C' clamp it does interfere with brake cables and water bottle holders, which my old side/side 'A' clamp didn't. So far no damage from that, but it is a fair point.

Oh I did have one other minor point - whilst I was grappling with reinstalling the arm, I did manage to scratch the silver finish of the rack on my driveway, so slight concerns about long term longevity.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Better instructions would be helpful

By biker-bri

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Bike Security
Hard to Install or Use
Poor directions

Best Uses

Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

Purchased two of these carriers along with the aero bars to go on my new Jetta Sportwagon. With the exception of the installation of this carrier on the driver's side of the car, the entire installation was simple and straightforward. Switching this rack to install on the drivers side was an infuriating and frustrating experience due to the poorly written instructions, relying more on unclear illustrations rather than text. For most of the installation the directions weren't really needed, but to convert the carrier to be used on the drivers side of the car they were essential but almost worthless. Perhaps they could visit [...] to find out about writing better directions. Once it's on the car and it's a great rack and is really easy to use. I purchased the 8 additional locks so the rack is secured to the car, but making sure the bike is secured in the rack requires use of a cable lock or some similar arrangement to keep the bike safe when stopped on the road. It's a shame Thule didn't design the clamp that goes around the tube to accomodate a lock with a long hasp.

Comment on this review

Aug

2010

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Nice rack

By Grinner44

from SLC, UT

About Me Casual/ Recreational

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

Used this around town hauling bikes and it was Great. Just had to use it to bring my daughters mountain bike back with us from Wyoming. Talk about a VERY windy ride home. Car was bouncing all over the road. We were worried but the rack was great. Bike stayed where it was supposed to with no adjustments. wobbled a bit, but it was so so windy. Would HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Wyoming can be a pretty windy place and this rack really held up well.

Comment on this review

Jul

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Like the rack but be careful about theft

By Michael in Maryland

from Mitchellville, Maryland

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I like this rack for all of the reasons stated in the other reviews. Caution: Don't get any sense of theft security when you add the Thule locks to this rack. I had two bikes stolen (while locks were engaged) when I left bikes on the rack in an unattended vehicle for an hour or so. The racks were undamaged but the thief was able to pull the bikes out of the clamps. I'll be using a cable lock or some other added security to secure bikes to the rack in the future.

Comment on this review

Jul

2010

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Stable, Worry-Free and Easy to Use

By Jmoney88

from Portland, OR

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Large Cars
Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I purchased 2 of these racks in June of this year. They are mounted on a Thule 400xt base rack with 50" load bars on top of a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta MKV. They carry my 19" Hardtail mountain bike and my girlfriend's 16" women's specific hardtail mountain bike (WSD).

I have to say that these racks are extremely sturdy. The clamp that attaches to the downtube is exceptionally secure and combined with the straps for each wheel allow for very little sway or other movement. I'm a pretty spirited driver, especially on the twisting and quick roads that often lead to my biking destinations and have never once had to pull over to readjust due to the clamps or straps coming lose. After going over seriously bumpy roads they also don't need to be tightened. Once you get the bikes on, you are good to go!

I recommend when putting the bikes on, you set the clamp bar semi-vertical then lift the bike with one hand on the fork and the other on the seat post tube (not the seat post itself). Put the clamp in place and tighten it, then run the straps through the wheel.

The only con I can think of for these racks is that the clamp bar, when setting it semi-vertical, doesn't always stay put and goes back down to horizontal position (this can make it slightly more difficult when doing this solo and trying not to scratch the roof of your car), but I've been able to overcome this easily with no problems or damage caused.

Given the opportunity to purchase bike racks again, I would certainly buy these over again. Should I need to carry more than two bikes in the future, I'll definitely be picking up more of these.

Also, they are some of the best looking bike carriers out there, that's for sure!

Comment on this review

Apr

2009

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

INSTALLS TO FACTORY ROOF RACK

By GGSUBARU

from Littleton, CO

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I use this rack to carry my intense 6.6 which is a bit on the heavy side (about 34lbs) and it works great! My favorite thing is that the mounting brakets were wide enough to fit on my subaru impreza's factory rack. So I saved money on a thule base rack system. I am going to purchase another criterium for the other side of my car!

Comment on this review

Nov

2008

5.0

buying a second one

By ninet8brick

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Cyclist

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Road Bikes

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I use this rack for my road bike...56 specialized roubaix with 23 tires....wobbling is not problem if you bypass the the black plastic guide....it then wraps rite over the wheel/tire and cinch down tight. for the exposed cables....i simply placed protective tape between the cables and the frame....viola. easy and quick to use....im buying a second one!!!!

Comment on this review

Aug

2008

(9 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great rack

By Lower Bob

from La Honda, Ca.

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

May contact cables on bik

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I have both a criterium and a peloton mounted on my Scion XB. I find that I use the criterium more often because I don't have to remove the front wheel so it's faster and less hassle. The peloton is absolutely rigid. The criterium does have a bit of a front wheel wobble in the wind but the bike itself doesn't feel unstable. My mountain bike (Cannondale Jekyll) mounts easily, but I found that the clamp fits right where my under side water bottle bracket mounts so I had to remove it in order to use the criterium. I was concerned about the wobble buffing the bike paint, but after 6 months of use, it has not done so. When I put my road bike (Specialized Roubaix) in the rack, the clamp presses the cables against the paint, so I wrap a piece of non-slip plastic around the frame to prevent scratching.
Removing/replacing the Criterium only takes about 3 minutes.

Comment on this review

May

2008

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Holds MTB Steady, Road Bike wobbles

By denali00

from Anchorage, AK

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Use

Cons

Weak Construction

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

Tray fastening system works best with wide tires. Holds my MTB rock steady at highway speeds or over bumpy roads. The road bike is a different issue. The tray fastener doesn't adequately lock down on narrow tires, thus highway winds will cause the front wheel to wobble, translating that movement to the headtube and handlebars. I've cinched the straps down as tight as possible; I've added padding (pipe insulation) to increase the tire diameter, but still have people rolling down their windows at stop lights saying my road bike is wobbling on my car top.
ALSO, the front plastic piece that attaches to the metal tray fractured in two when I was loading my MTB. Very hard to find a replacement part.
Summary: If MTB'er, great gear, just use gingerly. If roadie, stay away.

Comment on this review

Apr

2008

(1 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Perfect!!! Any Bike Any Car

By The Wrench

from Portland, Or

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Lightweight
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Large Cars
Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes
Small Cars

Comments about Thule Criterium Upright Bike Mount:

I love this rack. Absolutely AWESOME. I drive a 95 BMW M3 coupe and this rack is very sturdy. My buddy and I threw a bike on top of the car and drove way to fast threw 40 miles of twisted roads in central Oregon. Rack didn't break, bend, or anything.
This rack is easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone. Easy install. Easy use of product. Very reliable. I've had bmx bikes, mt. bikes, and road bikes on this rack. No Problems eveytime!!!

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