Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Unlike the previous poster, I'm not so happy with this rack. Car it was mounted to is a 2002 BMW 330ci.First of all, it's heavy. 37Lbs. Second it's mostly plastic. [...] Third, the weight combined with two 15LBS road bikes put 2 sizeable dents in my car's rear bumper. It's a plastic bumper. Since the rack sunk into the bumper, the bottom cross member in between the rubber contact points, made contact with the paint and scratched it.I'm not a first time owner of Thule's bike racks. I have T2 hitch mount and a roof rack. Both of which are solid. I was looking for a solution like the T2 that is easy to load and didn't touch the bike's frame or require a tow hitch install. Unfortunately, this unit was not the answer. It needs to be lighter, stronger, not mar paint or dent body work. Thank goodness for REI's return policy.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Unit was easy to install. Was one of only a few racks that would install on both of my vehicles, a Ford Escape and a ZX2 with rear spoiler. Easily fit both of our bikes a hybred and a Trek 6000. Unit secures both bikes well and is securely mounted to the vehicle. We did have one problem with a cable, which did not want to come out at first. I would suggest that you don't rely only on the locking of this unit. The arm clamps lock by releasing the internal threding so it spins. This only makes it harder to get off. At least at first. Maybe as it ages (I've just recently got mine) it will spin so freely as to make it impossable to remove the unit. I would of also like to see both sides on the unit lock it to the vehicle, not just one side. locksing strap for the wheels would finish it off greatly. Overall a very nice unit which will fit most of the vehicles and bikes out there, loading easily, securely, and stabily. Easily a very good buy. I really doubt anyone would regret buying this unit! Happy riding.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Let me preface this review with some commonalities of the other reviews. It is very heavy, and could potentially damage your car per the images of one review.

About my use:
I drive a Mazdaspeed3 and my wife and I ride mountain bikes so it will be heavy when attached. I was a little hesitant because I didn't want it denting or scratching my car. Our first trip with it was from Southern California to Monterrey all up the windy Highway 1.

Pros and Cons of rack OFF car:
It folds up to a nice compact size. A lot of my friends commented saying it looks like a transformer when it goes from closed to open. it is very easy to break down to store, and open to prep for use. The one issue I have run into is the lower arm (that rests against your car) can lock up and not move. I asked a Thule rep and he said it is because it is a safety function so it doesn't swing closed when the top arms are up. He said the Lower arm and Upper arm are connected when breaking it down for safety of your car.

Installation:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the number system per car for prep. You don't have to set it up and hope you have the right setting. Dial in your number, loosen the straps and it installs in about 5 minutes. The ratchet strap system is hands down the best method of attachment EVER! They allow you to make the rack nice and level without too much readjustment, and can be done easily while it is on your car.
Now to the controversial part of the rack...Denting or scratching your car. I don't remember off the top of my head if the instructions say to rest the lower arm on your bumper, but DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!! Raise the rack so it braces against the horizontal portion of your trunk. You only need to raise it a couple inches and you will NOT have any issues when it comes to the bouncing that may occur when driving. As far as the scratches go, I applied 8 pieces of clearbra sheeting (got some from a local Tint shop) for where ever the rack was going to touch my car (4 strap points, and 4 arm points). I had this affixed to my car for its entire maiden voyage and when I got home I had ZERO scratches and ZERO dents.

Installation of the Bikes:
I had to play a little puzzle game with our two mountain bikes so we could use the arms that grab the top tube correctly, but once I solved the puzzle, it is very easy to mount the bikes on the rack. The telescoping trays for the wheels are also very convenient. I love the locking method for the upper arms as well. My one minute gripe about the holding arms, is that the tightening locking knob is metal, and the arm is plastic. This can damage the plastic and may break down after loosening and tightening many times in its life.

Performance of the rack while driving:
The windy roads, and bumps and humps of Highway 1 were a GREAT test for the bike rack and my car. This rack performed BEYOND my expectations. It was basically an extension of my car. The bikes barely moved, the rack almost NEVER moved, and the my mind was at ease so that I could concentrate on driving instead of the bikes.

Wrap Up:
--> DON'T rest the lower arms on your bumper and raise it up a touch!
--> Get some clearbra pieces if you are worried about scratches
--> Once installed properly it did not harm my car at all.
--> AMAZING performance both ON the car, and off.
--> Performed WELL above my expectations!
--> Be prepared to have people oogle your new setup. :)

I would absolutely recommend this to anybody!

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

[Too bad this review site doesn't let you edit your reviews. This is really an extension of my previous review, instead you will have two reviews here, skewing the stats. Maybe you could delete my earlier one?]

I chose this rack primarily for the stability aspect of it. I've previously only used roof racks and not trusted rear racks because of too many horror stories from friends. I've seen too many rear racks with wheels spinning as their drivers speed along the highway. NO THANKS!

In this regard, I was very pleased with this rack. If you want a solid, stable rack similar to what can be achieved with a trailer hitch attachment for cars that won't accept one, this is a great choice.

However, its strength is also its weakness. This stability is achieved at the cost of weight. This is a HEAVY rack. One person CAN install this rack by him or her self, but it's much easier with two. Thule has gone to great length to describe how to fit it to each model of car. They have taken one-size-fits-all to its best possible implementation. But you must follow these instructions. If you don't, you could well scratch or damage your car. But if you do follow the instructions, you will achieve a stability that's hard to beat. That's what you're paying for.

One other question I have. The upper arms are kind of rigid, which is a good thing that contributes to stability. There's a tradeoff here too. You perhaps don't have as wide a choice of deployment positions as you might with a less rigid rack. There is an infinite range of possible accessories you can put on a bike. I came close to frustration as the drop handlebars of one bike were almost blocked by the rear pannier rack on the other bike. I had to remove an easy to remove rear seat pack in order to get the two bikes on. No biggie, but I can imagine that people might own bikes that might not fit so easily if they have stuff added to them. Of course you have some freedom in setting the left-to-right positioning of each bike, so you might be able to overcome this with enough finagling.

The installation instructions are very good, but could be better. I find that on my Toyota Prius 2007, I could not easily slide the bottom clips under bottom of the hatchback door. The shape of these clips precludes that. Once in the crack, though, they work fine. The instructions do not say how to overcome this, but the clips are easily removed from the rack and put back in later. This isn't documented.

So on this model car, the way to success is to remove the clips from the cables before installation. open the hatchback, temporarily tape them in place with some masking tape, then close the hatch and remove the tape. The clips should now slide freely. Then load the rack onto the hatch, put the top hooks in place (which easily fit into the groove), and then reattach the lower hooks to the cables.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

OK, I've only just taken it out of the box. I mounted it on the car with bikes. Was pretty easy to do once I figured out the tip below - even in the rain. Looks pretty solid, will add more info and a bottom line after I've used it.

One problem I had which Thule did warn not me of in the instructions was that it seemed at first impossible to insert the clips behind the bottom of the hatchback on my Toyota Prius without opening the hatchback - which is almost impossible to do with the rack on given the heavy weight of the rack. At that point I was ready to take the thing back to REI. However, I eventually figured out that the plastic clip covers slide back so you can then finagle the clips into the space under the hatchback without opening it and then slide the covers back into place. With that understood, mounting wasn't so hard.

I like the numbered fit system. Thule appears to have done a good job defining the settings for each model of car, so it's not a hit-and-miss thing as it is with cheaper racks.

It's heavy, but maybe that's also a good thing? We'll see how it performs on the road and update when we do.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

I needed a bike rack. I was looking at cheap models because I thought they would get the job done. Talked to a lot of people and read a bunch on the internet. REI told me this model would not fit my car according to the catalog. Nevertheless, it fits great. It is a bit heavy....but I don't mind, since it adds to the sturdiness of the device. After 3 or 4 times of installing/removing, the weight isn't a big deal since you learn how to handle the device. One big thing I did not even think of when looking at bike racks was whether or not they are lockable. This one is....in two places and I use the heck out them. Also, having the platform for the bikes to sent on, eliminates sway and gives me peace of mind. If I was buying another bike rack....I would get this one in a heartbeat. Awesome. Plus, REI's warranty and service gives me peace of mind that I made the right decision.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

I was a little concerned if I would like this rack when reading reviews early on about the rack. After getting the rack and unpacking it, I was really surprised by what others were complaining about or considering it a con.

The weight of the rack is nothing different from any other rack that holds or carriers bikes in this matter. Yes its heavier than the traditional bike truck rakes but it's like comparing apples to oranges.

Reading that you need two people to install this of course I requested someone to help me attach it to my car but I put it all on by myself without any trouble.

If you need two people to put the bike rack on then you must have really weak upper body strength. It's simple. Before putting the rack on, you must dial the setting to fit your car and that's it. Pull the cables out to hook onto the top of your car and it's all super simple after that.

The aesthetic of this rack, yes it's odd at first but I've become to really like the look of the rack. The security the rack provides is much better than other truck racks but it's not theft proof. Thule also states that in the manual/instructions. The locking mechanism is to deter thieves and to better hold your rack down to your car.

The only thing I think Thule should've designed into the product was to lock both sides of where the cables pull out to hook to your car. It doesn't make any sense to just lock the cables down to the right side and not the left. What's the purpose of locking one side of the rack to your car and not the other side. Even if Thule did design it my way I guess a thieve would just cut the cables and bolt with the rack and bike. Like I said, this rack if a deterrent rather than a completely theft proof.

This is the exact same thing as I said on the Thule site as well. If you are concerned about reviews also then check out Thule website to see more peoples comments.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Purchased the product from an REI store. Once I got home and opened the package I could see the rack had been previously used. The tray would not stay locked in the up position. Having the tray swinging down combined with the extreme heaviness of the product made it impossible for one person to even balance the thing to install it to the car. But once I realized how many contact points there are with the car and how heavy it was I was afraid it would damage my vehicle. I will return it rather than exchanging for a new one.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

The entire unit weighs about 30lbs, but is easy to remove from the car when you don't need it. The steel cable hooks and ratchet system are secure. The platform trays can expand lengthwise to adjust for larger or smaller wheelbase bikes. The rack has a lock on the hub to secure the rack to the car. Additionally, the support arms clamp (and lock) to the top tube of each bike. This rack is a great alternative to a roof rack for those who live in the city (drive into parking decks frequently).