Review :: Thule T2 917
The back of my 93 Cavalier looks terrible, chipped and scratched to death. Bike pedals are not forgiving. Plus the hassle of using a bike rack that's not designed well adds stress to my ride days. Not to mention the idea of hanging a $$$$ bike from a K-Mart rack is just not cool. Lets face it, the "cool factor" exists and adds to all of our decisions one way or another. So I bought what
I've always wanted. The Thule T2.
2 the Internets!!
Internet research is a great way to gather your wits, because most of the time you can use experiences from around the globe to compile an educated decision, or what I refer to as my Wiki-cision. Who knows the accuracy of what you are reading, who cares. All I knew was that I wanted the following::
1] Hitch Mounted Rack. My car was equipped with a 1.25" hitch.
2] Ease of use. Dismounting the bike had to take > than 20 seconds.
3] Good value.4] Secure.
5] Able to carry a 39 lb oddly shaped mountain bike.
6] Looks cool. Obviously!
I chose the Thule T2 917 1.25" Hitch Mount System. Official Thule T2 Site
Details
Won on eBay, brand new from Auction Logic.
Sale price was $299 + $34 S&H.
Auction Logic shipped it quickly. > than 3 days from KY to PA.
Review
Upon first encounter at the UPS terminal I wa
2] Ease of use. Dismounting the bike had to take > than 20 seconds.
3] Good value.4] Secure.
5] Able to carry a 39 lb oddly shaped mountain bike.
6] Looks cool. Obviously!
I chose the Thule T2 917 1.25" Hitch Mount System. Official Thule T2 Site
Details
Won on eBay, brand new from Auction Logic.
Sale price was $299 + $34 S&H.
Auction Logic shipped it quickly. > than 3 days from KY to PA.
Review
Upon first encounter at the UPS terminal I wa
s amazed at its weight. Felt over 80+lbs. I had to take it out of its box to fit it in the car ( 2005 Honda Civic 2-door) for its first official ride home. Because it was a brand new unit, everything was included. Directions, screws, bolts, everything. They include all tools necessary to complete assembly and after you finish, the tool used to turn the bigger bolts doubles as a bottle opener. A nice touch. It now resides in our kitchen tool drawer. Cool!
Assembly was short and sweet. Carrying it down the stairs from my second floor apartment was a challenge because of its weight. However, I am light (135lbs) of pure beef. Installation on my car was a snap. Simply slide it into your hitch, install and tighten 1 bolt.
In a unique sequence of events, 1 hour after initial install, I was off on my first real adventure. A 6 hour from PA to NY. Aboard were 2 bikes, a '08 Giant Reign and a recently purchased Schwinn Suburban circa 197?. What attracted me to the T2 was the similarities it had to city bus bike rack systems. As an avid transit rider I've always liked their ease of use and would laugh thinking about my car rack because the words "struggle" and "ugly" usually peppered its use. The problem wasn't in its design, because it worked. The main issue was because my bike has an oddly shaped frame that always posed problems getting it through the hanging bars. This is no longer an issue!! The T2 takes the city transit idea to your car. Two bikes loaded and ready in > than 1 minute. AWESOME!
The 6 hr from PA to NY was great. The bikes
Assembly was short and sweet. Carrying it down the stairs from my second floor apartment was a challenge because of its weight. However, I am light (135lbs) of pure beef. Installation on my car was a snap. Simply slide it into your hitch, install and tighten 1 bolt.
In a unique sequence of events, 1 hour after initial install, I was off on my first real adventure. A 6 hour from PA to NY. Aboard were 2 bikes, a '08 Giant Reign and a recently purchased Schwinn Suburban circa 197?. What attracted me to the T2 was the similarities it had to city bus bike rack systems. As an avid transit rider I've always liked their ease of use and would laugh thinking about my car rack because the words "struggle" and "ugly" usually peppered its use. The problem wasn't in its design, because it worked. The main issue was because my bike has an oddly shaped frame that always posed problems getting it through the hanging bars. This is no longer an issue!! The T2 takes the city transit idea to your car. Two bikes loaded and ready in > than 1 minute. AWESOME!
The 6 hr from PA to NY was great. The bikes
aboard looked cool and didn't move an inch.
Cons
The only issue I have with the T2 are the bolts used to secure metal beams which the bikes sit on to the main hitch assembly. Thule used Allen Key bolts, small Allen Key Bolts! This makes for securing these important pieces difficult. You want these bolts tight and with a small Allen Key its tough to say that they are 100% tight. I'm planning on changing them out with regular bolts that I can tighten with a socket and ratchet.
Sugarcoated
If you have a hitch, go buy one.You won't regret the three hundred dollar void in your piggy bank.
Cons
The only issue I have with the T2 are the bolts used to secure metal beams which the bikes sit on to the main hitch assembly. Thule used Allen Key bolts, small Allen Key Bolts! This makes for securing these important pieces difficult. You want these bolts tight and with a small Allen Key its tough to say that they are 100% tight. I'm planning on changing them out with regular bolts that I can tighten with a socket and ratchet.
Sugarcoated
If you have a hitch, go buy one.You won't regret the three hundred dollar void in your piggy bank.
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