Thule Frame Adapter
Make nearly any bike frame compatible with your Thule hanging-style or strap-mount bike rack (not included) by quickly attaching the Thule Frame Adapter.
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- Telescopic adjustment design (18–30.5 in.) fits most bike frames
- Molded rubber pads protect your bike's finish; durable rubber mounting collars secure easily and safely to your bike's stem and seatpost
- Attachment and removal is simple, thanks to the easy push-button clamps
- Weight limit of 50 lbs.
- Not compatible with tandem or recumbent bikes
Imported.
View the Thule Apex Product LineView all Thule Bike Rack Accessories| Best Use | Cycling |
|---|---|
| Weight | Unavailable |
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Only works if handlebars are same height as saddle
So here’s the problem. You can’t adjust your frame adapter to the best size for your bike - it just expands to the point of resistance. The hooks on each end are far too large, which means that they slide up as far as the saddle on one side, and as far as the handlebars on the other. Assuming your handlebars are higher than your saddle (which is how most of us female non-racers ride) you end up with a diagonal angle on your adapter which is already sitting several inches higher than the corresponding crossbar of your male companion’s standard bike. Bottom line, when you hang the bike on your bike rack, your bike hangs at a downward angle with the front wheel hanging lower than your trailer hitch. Not helpful. We returned our Thule frame adapter and purchased a similar item for a third of the cost from a well-known online retailer that allowed one end of the adapter to be adjusted to the best width. We then bought a $1.50 split ring from the plumbing aisle of our local hardware store to provide a “stopper” for the frame adapter so that it would sit horizontally from saddle to handle-bar stem. And hey presto, it worked.
Easy to Use
I purchased this Thule adapter to replace a recently REI-purchased Yakima adapter because the Yakima bar is designed with a hard to reach sub-surface push button to release each end. The Thule has a surface mounted and slightly protruding button lever that is very easy to use. Also, the Thule bar has a spring loaded button that locks the bar in place once extended, and the Yakima does not have that. Other than those two differences, I did not find any other significant differences between the two adapter bars.
Takes some extra work for safety
The best way to use this is to snap the clamp under your seat tube loosen/tighten mechanism to keep the bike high off the ground. Then the front clamp goes around the steering tube. But for safety, you then need to use a nylon strap to affix the bike frame to the bike rack. Otherwise, your bike would fall if one of the clamps let go. The advantage of a hanging bike rack is that it is lightweight compared to one where you need a trailer hitch to install, can be taken off easily and stored in the trunk. The only problem I'm now having is finding a Frame Adapter to fit around the head tube of my new ebike. The head tube is much larger than on a manual pedal bike.
Too long, too loose and too expensive.
I bought this for both of our mountain bikes. One is a medium sized Rocky Mountain Slayer (all mountain bike) that is a rather long bike for a medium and the other bike is a small Novara Bonita. For the RM, it was just barely short enough to fit but was scary wobbly and almost instantly loosened up by a dangerous amount. I don't see how this is supposed to stay in place with no cam or locking mechanism to keep it from extending. Forget about it working for my wife's Bonita...way too long. Two stars just because the build quality is okay though the design is terrible. Please check it to fit your bike before buying. In the end, I took it and the rack back to get a platform/tray style hitch rack which cost the same total price anyway.
Well intended, Poorly Designed
I bought a couple of these frame adapters to go along with the Thule Gateway 3 Bike Trunk Rack. The adapter does not properly fit the trunk rack it was supposedly designed to work with. If the adapter is set in it's neutral position, then the thick plastic on both ends of the adapter disallows a flush seating on the bike rack. Slight wear was visible after one round-trip use. I do like the locking mechanism that secures around the handlebars & seat post. The bikes seemed secure, but it is off putting to have a misaligned fit while using products (frame adapters & trunk rack) that were meant to be used together.
Does not fit some common women's bike sizes
This did not work for my girlfriend's bike. Her bike is not an unusual size or shaped bike, it's a women's hybrid by Trek (WSD FX 7.x). The frame size is 17", which is medium, not the smallest. At its smallest, this Thule adapter is too big. I can put it on the bike, but it's very loose and floppy on the bike. If I mount the bike on the bike rack, this adapter will be held securely to the bike rack, the bike itself will be loose and bounce around. That's seriously awful. If the Thule adapter were 2" shorter, or the bike had an extra 2" between the stem and seat post, then no problem. My girlfriend is not abnormally small, nor is her bike. I don't know why Thule would make a top tube adapter that's too big for a fairly common women's bike design.
Decent product, but look at Yakima
I bought both this and the Yakima top tube adapter to compare, and returned this one. The Yakima adapter is about 1.5 inches shorter at its shortest, so it fits more smaller bikes (including kids bikes). Other than that, they are about the same, although the Yakima adapter was a little simpler and appears slightly better built. It's also $10 cheaper.
DO NOT BUY
I purchased this adapter to go along with my new REI 2.1 Step thru bike (size XS) purchased in the summer of 2021. After only riding the bike 6 times the adapter has chipped the paint off the bike. And the adapter does not fit well into my Thule bike rack and the adapter/bike has fallen off the bike rack multiple times. I did reach out to Thule support but was disappointed with their response. Since I did not feel that bike would be secure on the bike rack I stopped riding the bike and have gone back to riding my old road bike,
Scratched Bike Frames - Beware
Purchased 2 Frame Extenders to be used with a Small Trek Frame and a Co-Op 26" Kid's frame since basically nothing fits on the Thule 5 bike hitch rack without extra parts. The Extenders don't work when kid's seats are at the lowest level so allen wrench seat adjustments are needed for each use. What's worse is that the material on the extender is rough and scratched our BRAND NEW bike frames after one use. It's unacceptable craftmanship on Thule's part and we've contacted their customer service for help with the damage done to our bikes. If you care about the longevity of your bike's frame paint do not use these. The suggestion from another bike store was to cut pool noodles to protect the frame. Please improve this product Thule!
Check the size
I can't find in the Spec the length of the adapter. The 982XT I got has a maximum of 78.7 cm (31 inches) but also a minimal size of about 16 inches (40cm). The adapter is too long for my bike :-( The product seemed fine, but REI and THULLE should put the minimal and maximal sizes in the description