Thule  Apex XT 2-Bike Hitch Rack

Based on some of the reviews I was a little concerned about this rack, but it works very well. I carried two road bikes on a 400 mile round trip without any trouble at all. I stopped and checked the straps every 100 miles just to make sure everything was ok and they hadn't loosed at all. The bikes never shifted and didn't bang into one another or into the rack. The rack was very easy to install and loading and unloading the bikes was fast. I'm not sure about the built in cable lock, it seems like it would be easy to defeat but hopefully I never had to find out the hard way.

Kind of a bummer. I've only had this a few years and am already looking to replace it. BEWARE...bike moves around on rack at highway speeds. The bike cradles are not well attached...they move up and down the shaft. I added duct tape on both sides to prevent this. So now the bike doesn't slide up and down on the rack. The bike also slides in and out of the cradle despite adequate tightening of the loop straps. This has damaged the brake cord casing on my bike. And, the locking knob on the hitch only works sometimes...it somehow doesn't grasp or tighten when turning the knob while in the unlocked position. Disappointed with this rack at this price range and further disappointed with the damage to my bike. I no longer use this bike rack for long distances and avoid highway speeds when able. Kind of defeats the purpose of even having a bike rack if you cannot take your bike with you to your destination.

I love this bike rack. It fits perfectly on my pickup. It has an anti-theft lock on the hitch (My previous bike rack was stolen off my pickup. That bike rack was only attached by bolts and the thief just used a wrench and removed the rack). There is a locking cable that makes it impossible to steal the bikes off the rack. The bikes ride firmly and there is no chance they will fall off the rack. The rack can be lowered on the hitch, so it is easy to access my pickup bed to load and unload things when the bike rack is attached. In short it has everything I wanted in a bike rack.

So the first and largest problem is that the bikes don't stay on the bar. They come out of their cradled spot and at least one of the plastic straps becomes undone. I end up using 2 bungee cords which keep the bike from falling off-- but it shakes like crazy and looks as if it will fall off. Secondly the straps are very difficult to undo. Lastly the cable lock is very temperamental and difficult to lock and unlock. Thank goodness for the year return policy-- these problems have become worse over time.

The carrier is very well made and heavy. Made in USA. It attaches to your tow hitch via an insert. It sits tight with no wobble as a bar mechanism is tightened by a dial moves the bar tight in the hitch slot, and locks after it's tightened, so it stays put. A locking bar inserts into the hitch hole as a safety catch. The instructions are pictograms that are terrible... too smalI with no explanations. I had to view three U-Tube videos to understand how to attached the straps for the bicycles. There should be more detailed photos and "plain English" instructions on how to assemble the carrier. That's the reason for the four stars out of five.

I just purchased the Thule Apex XT and used it last weekend. Super easy to put together. Solid construction. Doesn't vibrate. Very sturdy. Easy to to load bikes and take them back off. Lock system works well.

I bought this rack about a year ago and have decided to get a different style instead. The rack is very sturdy and strong, but the straps for the bikes are weak. On multiple long trips, I have had the straps become loose and found my bike precariously hanging onto the rack. I thought that maybe the straps that came with the rack were faulty, but alas, after I purchased a new set and replaced the old ones, I ran into the same problems. If there was a way to ensure the security of the straps, I would strongly recommend this product. It's very lightweight, and I loved being able to easily take it off my car and store it in my trunk. But the issue with the straps are a major safety hazard.

unless their engineers come with a better design, the cradle are not holding the bikes securely. The shape of the cradle is too flat and the straps get loose all the time with vibrations. your bike are not secured

Overall this would be an excellent bike rack…… other then the poor cradle design for a wide frame mountain bike and the straps( really poor design) ratchet straps that don’t hold the bike and this causing damage to the bike and the rack. Returning the to REI!! Thank you REI for easy returns

I bought this so I can bike more after work before I have to pick up my kids - trying to juggle being a working parent and staying in shape. It was pretty hard to assemble, I won’t lie. But several YouTube videos later (the instructions were all pictures, no words - not very helpful), it’s on and I love it. Some reviews have complained of wobble, I haven’t found that to be an issue at all! Doesn’t move at all even when I put 70 on the highway. Keeps my bike super secure and has really helped me exercise more :) I love the feature to tilt the bike rack and base down so I can still access my trunk easily, too. I would definitely recommend but plan to spend a few hours putting it together.