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Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount

$159.89
$199.95^*

REDUCED PRICE You Save 20%

(8)

Item # 799926

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The Thule Sidearm Universal Upright rooftop single bike carrier is quick loading and accommodates most bikes.

SecureHook™ arm holds the front bike tire (not the frame) securely in place; no contact with frame means your bike doesn't get scratched
Offers quick loading in minutes without removing the wheels—even large 29 in. tires fit with the longer ratcheting SecureHook arm
Reinforced tray features rust-free protection; tray fits most 20 - 29 in. wheels and up to 2.6 in. wide tires
Rear ratcheting wheel strap is easy and quick, and holds bike securely to tray; rubber rim adapter for wheel strap provides additional security
Offering a universal fit, Thule Sidearm rack system works on round bars and most factory racks
Thule One-Key™ compatible system lets you purchase lock cores that match keys you already own

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

Made in USA.

Item 799926

How to Use Your 20% Off Coupon:

Online, at REI.com and REI-OUTLET.com

If you're an REI member: At steps 3 and 4 of checkout under REI Membership, enter your membership number and coupon code REIANNV. Note: Check "Use my dividend on this order" and we'll apply your dividend balance toward your purchase.
If you're not yet an REI member: Include an REI membership for a one-time $20 fee with your purchase and use coupon code REIANNV at checkout. (You won't have to enter a membership number.) Note: You will have the opportunity to buy a membership at checkout.
Coupon applies to highest-priced eligible item. Coupon good through 5/28.

AT REI STORES

If you're an REI member: At checkout, provide coupon code REIANNV (or a printout of this coupon) and your REI membership number to the cashier. Note: Ask to have your dividend balance applied toward your purchase.
If you're not yet an REI member: At checkout, include an REI membership for a one-time $20 fee with your purchase and provide coupon code REIANNV (or a printout of this coupon) to the cashier.
Coupon applies to highest-priced eligible item. Coupon good through 5/28.

BY PHONE: 1-800-426-4840

If you're an REI member: Provide coupon code REIANNV and your membership number when you call in your order. Note: Ask to have your dividend balance applied toward your purchase.
If you're not yet an REI member: Include an REI membership for a one-time $20 fee with your order and mention coupon code REIANNV .
Coupon applies to highest-priced eligible item. Coupon good through 5/28.

Exclusions:

Offer valid 5/17/12 9pm PT – 5/28/12 11:59pm PT.
Coupon (or coupon code) must be presented at time of purchase. Online and phone customers must use code "REIANNV" to receive this discount.
Offer valid at REI.com, 1-800-426-4840 and REI stores.
Offer not valid on REI-OUTLET.com items, REI Adventures or REI Outdoor School.
Offer not valid on sale items (prices ending in $ ._3 or $ ._9).
REI membership number is required at checkout. Not a member? You can join for a one-time $20 fee during checkout.
Offer not valid on special orders, package discounts, prior purchases, REI gift cards or e-gift cards, passes and tickets, gift boxes, memberships, shop services, rentals.
Offer not valid on bicycles, strollers, hard shell boats or stand up paddleboards.
Offer not valid on any item with GPS technology, personal locator beacons.
Offer is limited to stock on hand and backorderable items, is nontransferable and is not redeemable for cash.
Merchandise purchased with this offer is not eligible for the REI member refund.
Offer may not be combined with any other discount or offer.
Limit one coupon per customer.
To order by phone, call 1-800-426-4840 Mon. through Sun., 4am to 11pm PT.
Cashier Instructions: Apply 20% line discount to highest full-price item; please refer to exclusions.

Oversize shipping charge ($15) applies.
Or ship for FREE with REI Store Pickup.

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Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount

3.5

(based on 8 reviews)

63%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Easy to use (6)
Stable (6)
Durable (5)
Easy to install (3)

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain bikes (5)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid cyclist (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (6)

Reviewed by 8 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-8

Feb

2011

(8 of 13 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Excellent Quality, Fatal Flaw

By erroniousfunk

from Fort Collins, CO

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Does Not Secure Bike

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

I have spent a long time looking for the perfect bike rack, and I thought this was it. Thule? Best name. Upright? Easy Loading? Locking? Front wheel stays on? Fits my factory "aero" rack? Handles 29ers? All good. I thought I was in the clear. After spending about an hour getting two of them all set up nicely I was bummed to see that each rack needs two lock cores. Okay, that just jacked the price up more than I thought to buy some proprietary locks. The racks worked very well for the week that I used them, then I noticed the fatal flaw...I have had my bike stolen before, so I'm always on the lookout for weaknesses in my defenses. I was walking up to my car in a parking lot and had an epiphany. My cross-country bike was loaded properly and locked with both cores. I flipped open the front wheel's quick release (which most bikes still have) and removed the front wheel. I then released the back wheel from the ratchet strap and the whole bike was off my roof in less than a minute with the rack still standing, locked in place.If you decide to buy this rack, go the extra mile and get yourself a long cable lock to properly secure your frame to the car. [...].If you have absolutely no worries about your ride getting stolen, this is really an excellent rack. If there is any doubt in your mind, go with something more secure. There are few things that suck more than losing your bike. This is your one warning!

Comment on this review

Sep

2011

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Awesome Rack

By alirawk

from los angeles, ca

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

I've had this sidearm for a couple years now and I love it. I've read the other comments and the people who feel doesn't hold the bike securely simply don't understand how to use it. The locking mechanism that holds down the front wheel needs to be pulled down as snug as possible on top of the front tire and as close to the fork as possible. after it's pulled down and the lock secured while the mechanism is being pulled down to make sure the wheel is locked in there, the bike is solid. to test the security you can try to pull up the front wheel to see if it jostles. if it moves around, or can be pushed up more than a centimeter, then the sidearm mechanism hasn't been pulled down far enough or there's gap between the mechanism and the fork. in both cases, that's user error, not faulty product. the rear wheel is secured by a strap. you can even secure the front wheel with an additional strap, but that's not at all necessary if you operate the sidearm properly.

i've used this with my road bike, my mtn bike (26"), as well as my 29'er. All work perfectly. I've used it in the rain, taken bikes out to Joshua Tree, on the freeway more times than I can count -- no problems ever.

Admittedly it helps if you're not short, just because you do need to be able to lift the bike on to the top of the car and reach over the front wheel to pull down the sidearm locking mechanism.

I originally bought it because I had a lefty and didn't want to deal with an additional piece of gear to put on and take off when switching between bikes. I also have a road bike with locking skewers, so this device makes it super easy to transport bikes without having to fuss.

As far as security -- NO BIKE RACK IS THEFT PROOF. The most you can hope for is a mild deterrent to the thief looking for an easy opportunity. If somebody wants your blinged out, dura ace, carbon, titanium darling, a couple crow bars, two dudes, and about ninety seconds is all it takes for them to take your whole rack. Simple as that.

The rack is awesome, but like all gear, unless you use it correctly it can fail.

Comment on this review

Aug

2010

(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

My first review - this product rocks!

By TKREI

from Orange County, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Stable

Cons

Minor adjustment needed

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

I've never written a review before but was compelleed to do so for the Sidearm due to my almost not purchasing the product after seeing a single negative review.

The Sidearm is a great product! I gave it a good first test at freeway speeds and on a windy mountain road. The bikes are very stable and I love that I can put them on or take them off in less than a minute per bike, thanks to not having to mess with removing/installing the front wheel.

My only con is that the racks come defaulted for passenger side installation. Though it was not necessarily difficult to convert one for a driver's side application, it does not seem to rest perfectly horizontal when not in use. I am currently in communication with Thule to problem solve this issue.

Comment on this review

Sep

2010

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Beast os a roof rack

By daisycutter

from New York City

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Stable
Strong

Cons

Not for 29ers

Best Uses

Small Cars

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

I have found this rack to be very secure. Just put the arm forward, place the bike in the rack tray on secure the arm on the front tire. Latch the rear strap on the rear tire. Pull the arm tight on the front tire and you are done. It should take 30 seconds. I have put 45 pound dh bikes and 23 pound cross country bikes for two years and never had an issue. No other roof rack comes close to this rack. Its only real weakness is 29er wheels do not fit on it.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Easy to load / unload and solidly built

By zoshyii

from Pacifica, CA

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Best Uses

Large Cars
Mountain Bikes
Road Bikes

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

After using a variety of trunk mounted and hitch mounted bike racks, I decided to give the sidearm a shot. My initial problem with trunk racks was that they aren't secure enough to hold the weight of two downhill mountain bikes. The hitch products I looked at support the frame and have flimsy ties that hold the frame to the rack. That doesn't work for bikes with non-linear top tubes.

Some of my bikes that the time had 20mm thru axles, and others had standard skewer quick releases - and I didn't want to go through the hassle of taking off the wheel each time.

The sidearm is perfect because I don't have to readjust the rack at all to fit between a road bike and a DH bike, or worry about special geometry configurations with friends' bikes. I say that this rack is for a larger vehicle because of the overall length of the tray it sits on. It will mount on a compact car, but there may be overhang at the back that prevents the trunk from opening all the way (if you have a hatchback or wagon).

I agree with another reviewer that the security features of the locking core are to prevent theft of the rack itself, and not the bike on the rack since the sidearm does not latch onto the frame.

Overall, I've had this rack setup for about 4 years now with no issues, even with offroad driving.

Comment on this review

Aug

2011

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Good Tradeoff - Security for Convenience

By Hubschrauber

from Denver, Colorado

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to Use
Stable

Cons

Requires Cable Lock

Best Uses

Mountain Bikes

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

This bike tray is one of the best if you don't want to remove your wheel every time you load your bike on it. If your primary concern is security, take the wheels off and lock your bike in your trunk, with two or three cables threaded through it and a solid steel U-lock for good measure. There is NO external bike rack that will stop a determined bike thief, or even slow them down in most cases. Knowing that this rack isn't intended to prevent anything other than a crime of opportunity, if I'll be anywhere I can't watch the car, I'll loop a cable through the bike frame and around a load bar.If you are short and your car is tall, don't get a roof rack... of any kind, including this one. You'll have to lift the bike onto the roof no matter which roof rack you have, so that shouldn't even be a consideration when comparing this to other roof racks.Also, if you think a bike rack should compensate for your lack of care when applying clamps, levers, straps, or whatever, please just put the bike in your trunk instead. This tray holds a 20" kids bike and/or a 29'er perfectly securely as long as the bar is snug against the fork and the wheel. As with any bike rack, it can be improperly used, and, as with any device (including the actual bicycle), that could lead to problems.I have found this Thule product to be sturdy, high-quality, and easy to use. My bike and my son's bike are off the roof for a ride, and back on afterward quicker than any other similar rack I have ever owned or used.I've had two of these for a while, and will be adding a third one the next time they go on sale. I think they're worth the full price, but if you can wait, REI frequently offers a bit of a discount on rack equipment in their sale events[...]

Comment on this review

Jul

2010

(1 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Be aware!

By violetNnature

from Monterey, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to Install
Easy to Use
Quick Loading
Short local transport

Cons

Subject to error
Too much bike movement
Unstable

Best Uses

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

After driving on a rough curvy road, then on the highway, the front wheel became free when the 'arm' fell forward. My bike partially fell off the rack on the highway. Dangerous and NOT fun! My back wheel was damaged. I believe that there is too much room for bike movement and error with this model. I regret not having purchased a bike rack that attaches to the bike's front fork, with the wheel removed.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(0 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Not for the short person

By John Doe

from Massachusetts

About Me Avid Cyclist

See all my reviews

Pros

Looks good

Cons

Hard to Install or Use
Not for the short person

Best Uses

Comments about Thule Sidearm Universal Upright Bike Mount:

Ok, I'm short. I admit it. After buying a new car, I have been debating between a roof mount and hitch mount bike rack. I tried the roof mount first. Well, given my height (5'6") and the fact that the 2011 Subaru Outback is a tall car, it is very difficult to load this rack alone. My wife (5'3") rides alot and tried to load her bike on the rack. It was virtually impossible. I guess hitch racks are made for a reason, for those of us who are vertically challenged, but happy!!