Comments for Bike Rack Guide

Comment on Thule 4 Bike Rack 964 Revolver by Bel

Bel — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:13:22 +0000

SATISFIED CUSTOMER
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am so happy I didn't settle for less when making this purchase. This rack is an excellent product. I leave it on our Tahoe and can easily access our rear hatch door. I would highly recommend this rack to anyone.

Comment on Thule 4 Bike Rack 964 Revolver by P. Jacobs

P. Jacobs — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:27:51 +0000

Thule Bike Rack - 4 Bike, Swing Arm
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This works well with our family mini van. We had a tow package put on our mini van to "seat" the rack and it works well. We used the rack 2x in a 2 week period and found that the black covering on the lower level of the rack (where the arm joins) was peeling off and starting to rust!!!

This wasn't a good thing. We contacted Thule customer service and within about two weeks they rectified the problem. Thank You Thule, for making our experience a positive one. Thule 964 Revolver 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)

Overall, we are very happy with our purchase and look forward to using the rack more in the future.

The J. Family
Atlanta, GA

Comment on Thule 4 Bike Rack 964 Revolver by Mr. & Mrs. Johnson

Mr. & Mrs. Johnson — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:32:11 +0000

Great carrier for the money and features
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great rack if you need access to the rear tailgate. I considered pretty much every rack out there. All of them have tradeoffs. I didn't want to remove a wheel then climb on the roof to mount each bike. I also didn't want to have the bikes in the way when I needed to get something out of the trunk (that happens quite a bit with kids on a roadtrip). I looked at the models that fold down. That's a great idea, unless you have the rack loaded. 4 bikes can be 120 - 140 lbs. That's a little much for some folks to lift up. Besides, just lowering the rack doesn't give great access to the rear since you still have to step around the rack.

On to the Revolver, which is almost perfect. My mountain bike has the cables running under the main tube. That means that I have to put a protective cloth between the cables and the tube or the cables would rub the paint. Obviously that's not Thule's fault. That's it though as far as negatives. It's the best rack I've seen (the Swing Daddy by Yakima seems to be a clone, but it has some issues). The Thule Revolver does everything! It includes the anti sway cages that lock the bikes in place really well. It includes a lock that secures the frame (someone could still steal the wheels so a second lock could be used. It includes an anti-sway hitch pin w/ lock that snugs the mount to the hitch. The swing-away works so easily anyone can use it.

If I didn't need to get into my trunk, if I wanted to remove wheels and mount to the roof, if I wanted my bikes banged up I'd have gone with something else.

Comment on Thule Speedway Bike Rack 962XT by Sarah A. McPherson

Sarah A. McPherson — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 19:31:14 +0000

Great rack
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I commute 5 times a day about 40-50 miles roundtrip carrying one bike. After a horrible experience with a “budget” bike rack, I went to the bike store and purchased this one based on their recommendations. It is a great rack! Very sturdy and holds my bike in place. The only con is that I cannot open my trunk when the rack is on (I drive a Kia Rio), but I do not use it much, so it’s not that big of a deal. Great purchase.

Comment on Thule Speedway Bike Rack 962XT by C. Hu

C. Hu — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:57:48 +0000

Solid rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
No problem in using it. Easy to install in general. In the beginning I bought the roof type of rack but it turned out difficult for me to put the bike on. This one is pretty convenient for occasional (weekends) trip.

Comment on Yakima Hitch Rack DoubleDown 2Bike by carlover

carlover — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:35:25 +0000

Great but lack of security
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Its a great product but lack of security even with deadlock accessory. The pivot bolts can be taken out if you have the correct wrench. I have to custom made by drilling a hold through the vertical bar so that I can secure with cable and padlock against my hitch/vehicle.

Comment on Thule Speedway Bike Rack 962XT by John Lewis

John Lewis — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 16:47:43 +0000

Perfect Fit !
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It is just what I need for my QX56 ! Easy on and off !

Comment on Thule 4 Bike Rack 964 Revolver by Loren Haas

Loren Haas — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 16:40:26 +0000

Great Rack with a Flaw
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
We puchased this rack about six monthes ago. We were attracted to it’s ability to swing out of the way of the tailgate of our Mazda Tribute SUV.(Note that it requires a 2″ receiver, which is not standard on this vehicle) It also is lower in height than other models, enabling the glass to open without swinging the rack out of the way. The bars that carry the bikes easily swing down out of the way, unlike some other models we have seen. It also comes with effective locks for the bikes and and the hitch pin. With the heavy-duty design, be prepared for it’s considerable weight. Not everyone will be able to install or remove it form the receiver without assistance.

My beef is with the design for securing the swinging arm to fixed part of the rack. Like most other “swing-away” bike racks, it uses a large threaded bolt to lock them together. It holds securely, but ours cross threaded after just one month of use. I had to take it back to the dealer and get a replacement rack. This is a dumb idea! How about some kind of a cam action latch instead of threads that are bound to wear out? It is odd that everyone slavishly copies this inferior design!

I would recommend this rack to a friend, but only with the warning that they be especially carefull when inserting the locking bolt. Look for better systems in future racks.

Comment on Thule Speedway Bike Rack 962XT by Karen

Karen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 16:29:59 +0000

Great bike rack
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I bought this I was very hesitant as I saw older reviews referring to flimsy plastic parts. I think its possible there was a re-design, the model I got was rock solid. I drove it for 1400 miles, including a couple hours of rain, going probably average of 75 miles and it did not fail me. The no-sway attachment that comes with it is the key and it works great. I am using it on a hatchback style car with a road bike.

Comment on Thule 4 Bike Rack 964 Revolver by Dan Weaver

Dan Weaver — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:59:36 +0000

Solid Rack but Damages Bikes
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This is a solid, durable bike rack and the swing feature is great. Every major component of the rack is excellent and up to the Thule standard - EXCEPT ONE. The anti-sway component is a poorly engineered, cheap, piece of junk that will damage your bike. I have three bicycles that carry scars from the antisway accessory. Unfortunately you need the antisway so that your bikes do not rock and bang into each other on the rack. I strongly suggest that you never strap a carbon frame bike to the anti-sway. At the point(s) where the bike frame touches the antisway I have a brand new Cervelo P3 that has a dime sized area with no paint on it. My road bike, TT bike and my son's aluminum frame road bike all have scars from this rack.

I cant afford a new rack so I've glued felt to all points on the rack that touch the bike frame. This looks terrible but it is protecting my bicycles. You can also use an old inner tube as a protective sleeve over your frame. It's a shame that Thule ruined an otherwise excellent rack with such a poorly thought out anti-sway device. I guess the idea is to save $2 at the risk of damaging a bicycle frame that costs $'000s.

If you take good care of your bikes, I would look for another option. If you dont mind the missing paint, it's a solid rack.