Thule 954 Ridgeline 4Bike Hitch Mount Rack 1.25
Brand: Thule Average Rating 21 reviews Biking can be such a hobby to hold, and a great means of keeping your...
Biking may be such a sideline to hold, and a outstanding means of keeping yourself fit. With the advent of more technologically modern bikes, as well as the gradual loss of free exercise space, biking fans are driven to carry their bikes in their cars and find a good deal of wide space for them to cruise on their lovely vehicles and have all the exercise they may get. With this, bikers are in need of strong and lasting bike racks to incorporate their bikes as they travel. While there are dissimilar varieties of racks available, in this review, we will focus on the Thule Ridgeline Hitch 4-Bike Carrier, which as the name implies, is a hitch carrier that allows you to use a trailer hitch without the wheeled trailer. So is this fellow member of the Thule Bike Racks worth your buck? Read on to find out. Key Features * Can carry a load of 4 bikes at a time The Unit The Thule Ridgeline Hitch Bike Carrier carries mounts on 1.25 x 2” hitches, and may carry a whopping 140 lbs in weight. The rather easy-to-use fellow member of the Thule Bike Racks gets most everything you need set up with your trailerhead. Thule’s distinctive Stinger Swinger quickly converts from a 2- to a 1- inch hitch right out of the box if need be. Moreover, the quick-release Hitch Switch system’s levers make it simple to connect and remove the Ridgeline Rack so you may without apparent effort get it latched into the back of your vehicle. As implied in the name, the Ridgeline hitch carrier may secure up to 4 bikes down in it is T3 cradles, making it a very handy device when carrying multiple bikes at once. The carrier’s No Sway Cage prevents your units from bumping into and scratching each other while you are on the road, ensuring your bikes will still be in top notch form after being strapped into the hitch rack. The rack’s STL2 security locks do the occupation of further securing your bikes to your car, and warrantees that you will have no trouble whatsoever with the locks and bikes coming loose. The locks have likewise been found to protest harsh wind conditions, so this ought to work as a plus for the unit. Where to get it Amazon.com lists assorted members of the Thule Bike Racks including the Thule Ridgeline Hitch Bike Carrier at $329.95, with eligibility for it is Super Saver Shipping promo. This item is likewise sold where sporting goods are available all over the US. more info
Most helpful customer reviews 53 of 59 people found the following review helpful. 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful. 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. I’ve only put two bikes on it since I got it. I did try to put them close together, but it looked like it was going to be more work than it was worth. I’m sure I’ll have to work through a 3 or 4 bike jigsaw puzzle some day. I definitely couldn’t get my daughters little Schwinn Mesa on the rack because of the thickness and distance of the rack arms, but I’m guessing that is an issue with probably all bike racks. The tilt away feature I could not live without. It tilts just enough on my F150 so the tailgate comes all the way down. And I like that I can tilt the rack arms down (when the rack isn’t in use) with the pull of a lever also. I leave the rack on my pickup and throw the bike on it in minutes. My exercise has increased quite a bit from the ease of using the Ridgeline. The receiver bolt attaches with a supplied wrench. It would be nice if this was tooless, but even still, I had the rack off within a couple of minutes to wash the truck the other day. If this rack is in your ballpark for spending, go for it. |
Buy the Roadway
What an awesome rack!
Great Rack
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Sturdy, secure, comes with all the locks. I gave it four stars because nothing is perfect, but this rack works like a champ. I used to have a roof rack and much prefer this one. Would recommend the adapter bar for non standard geometry bikes, (women’s beach cruiser or MTN bikes with other than straight top tube).
What an awesome rack!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I would rate this bike rack as my best purchase of the year.
It is very quick and easy to install.
The quick releases work extremely well. I just leave the rack on my station wagon most of the time, taking it only off if I have to put very bulky items into the trunk. So now I can just throw my bike on the car on short notice, without any hassle – which led to a 200% increase in the amount of exercise I get
I had a rack before that didn’t fold down, and I very quickly learned that this is a feature that you simply can’t live without (unless your garage is huge), so I returned it after a week of having to take the rack off the car every evening and got the Ridgeline instead.
I have not transported 4 bikes on it yet, but have loaded it up with 3 bikes regularly. I could imagine 4 bikes being a bit of a hassle to figure out how to arrange them without handlebar conflicts. But the 3 always worked out well. I have used the rack with one bike on it on long drives, which included both interstate and bumpy dirt road use, and had no trouble whatsoever with the bike coming loose. I even had the car parked with the bike on the rack during near-Tornado-level winds, and found absolutely no evidence of the bike having banged against the rack or the car.
So, in summary: Love it, couldn’t imagine life without it anymore!
Great Bike Rack!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve researched all comparable bike racks Yak & Thule for a 1 1/4 hitch that holds 4 bikes….this is the best. One concern: the back of the rack was scratched in several places….not sure how Amazon handles that??
Solid, functional rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This rack works perfectly on our RV. It folds down easily when not in use. We were able to put two adult and two kid bikes on the rack with no trouble. The hitch bolt locks on, and there is a security cable hidden in one of the tubes. You just pull it out and lock your bikes. Great feature! Very sturdy and convenient. Highly recommended!
Fit for 3 bikes only
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Bike rack is too tight. Very difficult to mount even three mountain bikes.Scrathes your bike as they are tightly packed.
Bike Rack Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a very nice, well built bike rack. And it work great. It has a high price tag, but if you want a quality rack this is for you.
Good, with a couple of drawbacks
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This works well and is relatively easy to install. Two annoyances:
- It’s darned heavy. It would be even easier to install, and you’d get better gas mileage, if it were made out of aluminum vs. steel.
- The locking cable can easily come loose and drag on the ground, causing the tip of it to break off. Apparently this is a common issue.
Great Rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent product.
I’ve only put two bikes on it since I got it. I did try to put them close together, but it looked like it was going to be more work than it was worth. I’m sure I’ll have to work through a 3 or 4 bike jigsaw puzzle some day.
I definitely couldn’t get my daughters little Schwinn Mesa on the rack because of the thickness and distance of the rack arms, but I’m guessing that is an issue with probably all bike racks.
The tilt away feature I could not live without. It tilts just enough on my F150 so the tailgate comes all the way down. And I like that I can tilt the rack arms down (when the rack isn’t in use) with the pull of a lever also.
I leave the rack on my pickup and throw the bike on it in minutes. My exercise has increased quite a bit from the ease of using the Ridgeline.
The receiver bolt attaches with a supplied wrench. It would be nice if this was tooless, but even still, I had the rack off within a couple of minutes to wash the truck the other day.
If this rack is in your ballpark for spending, go for it.
Buy the Roadway
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Buy the Roadway, it’s the exact same rack sans the hitchlock, No Sway Cages, and the built-in securty lock. These extras are not worth the money so buy the basic rack. Here’s the deal:
1. Sure, you can secure the hitch pin (mediocre anyway). But, you can remove the upright by loosening two nuts and removing the two bolts.
2. The No Sway cages appear to work. But, you’ll need to strap the front wheel down or it will bound around. So, use a synch strap through the wheels and the hitch, and no more sway! Even with the No Sway cages, you’ll have to do this.
3. The integrated lock is kind of nice. But, it’s not really long enough to go through the front wheel. So, if you want to secure your front wheel, you’ll need another cable lock anyway. So, just buy a cable lock that can go through the wheels, frame, and hitch and your golden.
Save your money.
Great Rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This rack is great: high quality, well-designed, easy to use and does its job very well. No complaints after using it for 3 months.
Good Overall….but some basic design flaws…!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a sturdy and functional hitch mount bike rack but I have found some really basic design flaws that causes me to rate this product with only 3 Stars.
** the 2 inch (combo) hitch mount is very sloppy in the receiver of my factory 2007 Yukon XL. The rack sways and bounces around like its about to fall off my truck. Very poor fit on the 1-1/4 inch / 2 inch combo hitch mount.
** the hitch pin is under sized for a 2 inch hitch mount. Sure the pin threads are sized correctly, but the portion of the pin that extends through the pin hole to the lock is undersized and adds considerably to loose rack fit and sway. The pin is also too long and allows the pin threads to back out unless tightened down with a wrench. Luckily, the pin lock keeps the pin from completely falling out and allowing my 4 bikes to crash on the pavement at 70 mph!
How could Thule make such basic fitting errors after building a good, a heavy duty bike rack that is otherwise well engineered?
Thule Ridgeline is better than Yakima Flipside, but …
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought a Thule Ridgeline in April. Three weeks later I found inside of one tubing was holding lots of water and got rusted severely. Water came in from where the locking cable was positioned when it was folded. In addition, the other end didn’t have a drain hole to let go the water. I was concerned this rack wouldn’t last, and returned it for an exchange.
This time I was recommended to give Yakima Flipside a try. I took the rack home, opened the box. The first thing I noticed was the locking cable was hanging out and would not go all the way back to the storage compartment. I spent about 10 minutes, and couldn’t figure out how to return the cable back in. Then I un-folded the two arms, found they would NOT get in lock-in position without some work. Played with it for another few minutes, and found the bottom cap of the rack didn’t even have a locking screw. It was just snapped on.
Comparing both the racks, I really liked the Thule design over Yakima Flipside. I went back and got another new Thule Ridgeline instead.
I think I’ll have to live with the water in the tube problem. I may just cut off a small zip bag, and use a tie to wrap the bag on top of the tube where the lock is positioned to prevent water to go in.
Solid, Simple, All-in-one
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I just purchased the 954 and installed on 2005 Honda CRV. I assumed I was going to need a hitch extender to get past the rear mounted tire, BUT IT FIT PERFECT as is. Do a sample fit w/ a dealer model (i did) if u can, as not all CRV year models are the same with regard tire mount space. I put a U-Haul installed 2″ hitch receiver on the CRV.
Installation right of the box was no hassle and simple. The tilt away is awesome, can’t completely open CRV swing door, but able to get stuff in and out. Very sturdy rack, like the built in bike lock cable and hitch locks. Putting 1-2 bikes on is very easy, no sway cradles are great. Haven’t tried 4 bikes yet, might be interesting puzzle.
mike
La Crosse, WI
3 Bikes, Yes… 4 Bikes, No Way
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We have a family of four, and thank goodness our daughter’s bike is small enough to fit in the back storage area of our SUV. There’s no way we’d be able to fit a 4th bike, regardless of size, on this rack. Fitting 3 is a puzzle enough.
Good Design But Incomplete Package
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This rack is adaptable to two hitch sizes. It’s easy to assemble. It’s reasonable to get bikes on and off the rack. It provides good tailgate clearance for our SUV.
I am disappointed with Thule’s quality control for packing an incomplete rack (missing parts). For the premium price, I expect it to all be there. I have three times over three days to get Thule customer service on the phone and could not, and gave up. The hours and days Thule publishes on their website are different than my experience. Further, it is clear when a consumer calls that dealers are given preference for contacts. The 800 number refers consumers back to the website, but you end up paying Thule to resolve their problem. For about $12, this consumer got one nut and two washers just so I could use the product (sheesh, Thule, throw the consumer a bone!).
Good design and engineering. Solid materials. Good instructions. Unsatisfactorily executed and supported by Thule.
Amazon did a fine job, as usual, with the ordering and follow up on their end. I will continue to use Amazon.
Thule 954 Ridgeline 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (1.25 and 2-Inch Receiver)
Best value & feature hitch bike rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a hitch bike rack, this is the one to get.
It’s very sturdy for a folding-featured hitch rack, meaning the arms fold down and the entire rack folds out for easy trunk access. It’s heavy, but it’s only because it’s pretty much all steel. Again very sturdy, and anything lighter and as sturdy would cost a lot more (like the Thule’s helium models). The two folding joints are very solid, and feels like they won’t move once they’re “clicked” into place (down or up).
It comes with locks for the rack and the bikes themselves, which are accessible with the same key (very convenient). You cannot lock the bikes in place without the key, so you’ll won’t forget your lock key. The rack also comes with the anti-sway straps, which works exceptionally well.
If you are to buy all those separately from Thule, you’ll pay much more than the Ridgeline. Even comparing other brand/models, it made sense to buy the ridgeline model.
Other’s have noted that the bike locks can come off and drag. Well, unless the locks break off, which is highly unlikely, they will not drag. When there’s no bike loaded on the rack, and the arms fold down, the bike locks “can” drag off. But if you’re that worried, just pull them out and lock them in place, and you’re done.
I’ve read from another review that the hitch lock is a joke, and can easily be broken off with a hammer or something like that. Well, that’s absolutely true. But unless you weld your rack to the hitch, there will always be a way for a willing person to brake a lock. Any $20 bolt cutter will cut most chains & locks, and any any $20 portable drill will drill through the toughest key pad lock, etc, etc etc. My point is, the Thule lock system is as good as any bike rack will get, and it’s very convenient.
If I had to, I can complain about the fact that the paint on the rack can easily scratch, especially on the 2 folding joints. So if you have moisture on the scratched area, expect some rust. However any can lubricant will cause any further serious rust damage. Also, since it is a folding rack (and has joints), the rack will bounce from front to back, and may be side to side a little bit. That’s normal, and if you have more bikes on the rack it will bounce more. It may appear to be loose, but it’s not. If you don’t believe me, just mount the rack, and jump a little on the rack joint. The entire car will bounce before the joint gives.
Finally, it says Sweden everywhere, but it’s made in USA. Gotta love that one.
Again, I could not find a better value and set of features than this one, and I’ve looked at several others at nearby stores. Hope it works out for you.
Very Pleased
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This rack is awesome. It has everything you need built into it from adjustments to security I have been very pleased. Bungies be gone….
It keeps the bikes from swaying, holds all angles and shapes of tubes with every angle, spacing, ect. being easy to adjust and locking once the built in straps are closed around the bike. The security locks for the bikes and the car bring peace of mind when parking around town with a loaded rack, and the folding features are great.
The best improvement I think that could be made is the bolt which tightens the rack down through the hitch. It would be much better if this was a pin or hand mechanism which did not require a tool. A second improvement would be that the hitch reciever portion folds up for more compact storage, and third feature to add would be lengthen the arms so a fifth bike could be added as an option.
The best bike carrier.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I compared Thule to Yakima and Thule is by far the best carrier. It is easy to assemble, easy to break down, easy to use and it looks a ton better too. It has a feature that locks the carrier to the hitch as well as a cable that locks the bikes to the carrier giving you greater peace of mind. I love mine! You will too!
Great Rack!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Switched from a strap mounted system to this and love it. Very heavy duty and the built in lock cmes in handy.
Solid and Rugged Hitch Mount Rack
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Main Parts:
Hitch connector, Central vertical bar, and the bike carrier arm
Assembly:
This is my first Hitch Rack. The assembling of the rack is quite easy. Most of the parts in the rack are already mounted in place when I received the shipment. I used two bolts to connect the hitch connector and the central bar that holds the bike carrier arm and the rack is ready.
Flexibility:
This bike carrier arms will fold down when there are no bikes on the arm by pressing a switch, which gives the rack a very sleek look. The rack itself can slide away from the trunk for using the trunk space. The sliding action works even when the bikes are loaded. The bike carrier arm “fold down” motion and the “slide away” motion are controlled by two switches that are very easy to operate.
Security:
The rack comes with two locks. The hitch lock is used for locking the hitch connector to the vehicle hitch. The bike carrier arm comes with a securing cable which has a lock to secure the bikes to the arm. The locks are operated using a standard key.
Security Weakness – The central iron bar that connects the hitch connector and the bike carrier arm is held by nuts and bolts that are easily removable using tools. No big deal. Additional securing cable can secure the bike caring arm and the hitch connector which makes it all very secure.
Bike Mounting:
Four bikes can be mounted very comfortably and are held very well by the bike carrier arm. The sway cage holds the bike firmly, preventing the mounted bikes from contact during motion.
Overall:
This is a solid bike rack carrier. If you have decided to buy a hitch bike rack, this one stands up among its class. This is also a multi purpose rack that can be used for other sports. Check the accessories section of this product in the thuleracks.com website. I would recommend it.