Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Trunk Rack

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

This is a great rack. I had been contemplating purchasing it for many months. I wanted a rack that would support my bike and keep it stable. It is all that and then some. Unfortunately the rack that I purchased had a defective lock. At first I could not get it to open. The REI tech unjammed it. Then I could not get it to unlock. I have had to return it to the store twice. I hope that the third time is the last time I have to go back to the store.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Instead of paying much more to get a roof rack installed, or have a hitch installed, I decided to go for the Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack. First, I decided on this rack to save money. Second, I decided it was nice to have a rack that was interchangeable between my car and my wife's car and any potential car we might buy in the future.
So far I have used it about 3 times for short 20-30 mile trips to access some local trails with my road bike. Except for its cumbersome bulk and heavy weight, the actual installation is logical and simple, so much so that I didn't read the directions and had no trouble. I read the manual later and realized that my car (2005 2-door Pontiac sunfire) was not on the approved list, but the rack still fit well. Once installed the rack is incredibly sturdy and balanced and makes me feel very comfortable that my bike is secure, even when hitting potholes and bumps on the road.
I will say that the locking mechanism isn't the most secure. I think it works just fine for leaving your car in the parking lot while you grab a bite to eat or something else for a couple of hours. However, I definitely would not leave a bike locked to the rack overnight.
Very happy with the purchase.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

Use this many timess a week. Easy to mount, easy to load bikes, easy to adapt to different cars and bikes.

Comments about Thule Raceway Platform 2 Bike Rack:

This rack was installed on my 2006 Volvo V50 wagon by a Thule represetentative and used with 2 Specialized full carbon road bikes only 3 times, mostly it sat on the car unused or only carried one of those bikes. According to the Thule fit guide, it is supposed to fit on my car.

The rack has damaged my car through normal use in the first 30 days that I have owned it. The rubber attachment strap covers have created dents in the top of the hatch door and scratched the paint, and the rubber coated metal hooks that actually hook on the hatch door have dug into my roof panel when the hatch is opened. Obviously I am returning the rack to REI, I only hope I can somehow recover the cost of getting my hatch and roof fixed as well.

Aside from the damage to my car, the rack has some significant design flaws:
1) the rack hooks to the car by 4 ratcheting cables. That ratchet system is independant on each side of the rack, however it locks on only 1 side, so you can completely unhook the cables from the car on one side without any effort.
2) there is a latch that locks the platform down in the open position when you are putting bikes on it, but there is no latch to keep the platform up the in the collapsed position when you are not using the rack. I had to use a nylon strap to keep it up out of the way.

The plus side is the rack is very easy to use and is very stable on the car and the bikes are very secure in the rack. The armiture that grabs the top tube is very easy to lock onto the bike, although if your top tube is not round but oval, theoretically someone could rotate the bike in the jaws and it would easily slide of the locked jaws.

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:

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:

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:

[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.