As it is well known, bike riding can be a very fun and highly enjoyable activity; research has shown that riding your bike can greatly help with reducing stress, boost your overall physical condition, and it can also soothe some pains, and help during the recovery process.

Basically, your bike is very important and that is why you need a simple and convenient way to transport them and a Thule bike rack (one of the best brands of bike racks) is the best way to take your bike along with you.

Thule has a large range of bike racks currently out and a number a variety of replacement parts you can get to upgrade or fix your current bike rack.

What is a hitch bike rack?

So to answer the question first of all what is a hitch bike rack?

A hitch-bike rack is a specific type of bike rack that slides into the receiving end of a trailer hitch on an SUV, car, or truck. This hitch bike rack has some pros over the traditional roof rack and trunk-mounted bike racks:

• Accessible in a large variety of styles
• It will be much easier to load and unload bikes
• More aerodynamic than roof-mounted racks
• Eliminate overhead clearance problems with garage doors compared to roof-mounted racks
• Available with greater capacity than most trunk-mounted bike racks
• More secure than trunk-mounted racks
• Work with more vehicle models than trunk-mounted racks

Best Thule Bike Rack

Thule Passage Trunk Mount Carrier

The Thule Passage Bike Trunk Mount Carrier is designed to fit either two or three bikes stored at the rear end of your motor vehicle it has rubber cradles that protect your bike frame while also holding it securely in place.

The Patented “FitDial” hub allows you to make adjustments that provide the perfect fit to your car. The arms that twist down when not in use with an anti-sway feature to prevent the bike from coming into contact with each other and narrow cradle arms that have the ability to hold a wider range of bike frames including smaller child frames.

The Thule Passage has the ability to load  2 or 3 bikes on the trunk mount carriers. This clever device utilizes Thule’s easy-to-use, quick installation and a handy push-button feature for attaching and detaching the carrier arms, as well as twisting them to the side and then down so they are out of your way when not in use.

They also have a soft rubberized cradle that lock down your bike while still enabling you to have the entire adjustment along the bike arm, with no sway ages that will dramatically  minimize the frame movement to keep your bikes from colliding with each other.

The Thule Passage also gives you a robust stable fit to your vehicle with a total of six straps and a maximum carrying capacity of 70 lbs.

Another standout feature is the a wing adjustment knob with the “FitDial” combo with recommended numerical positions for specific vehicles.

This limits the trial and error in how the carrier should lay against your vehicle. Once this optimal fit position is confirmed it is locked into place with easy to turn wing adjustment knobs.

Pros

Lifetime Warranty on this Thule bike rack

Soft rubber cradles protect bike frame while holding it securely

Six strap system secures rack to vehicle

Narrow cradle arms hold a wider range of bike frames including smaller child frames

Cons

Assembling the rack can be difficult 

Thule EasyFold XT Review 

If you are asking yourself what is the best Thule bike rack? The Thule EasyFold XT is the simple answer.

The bike carrier is often regarded as the flagship model when it comes to the Thule bike racks, but does this high-end expensive product live up to the hype? We have the answer.

As the name suggests, this bike rack is fully foldable, which means that you can quickly turn this into a suitcase on wheels and take it with you. It even has an ergonomic handle which enables you to transport the bike carrier in a convenient and hassle-free way.

Since the Thule XT Easy Fold Bike Carrier is a 2-bike hitch rack, you can place two mountain bikes on the platform without any fears or concerns.

The bike rack has a maximum load capacity of around 130 pounds, which is more than enough for any two bikes. The actual bike carrier is quite heavy as well, and with a weight of 48 pounds, it is not the easiest to transport but this has wheels so actually it is easy.

This is one of the only bike rack that comes with FREE Anit theft design. You can lock your bikes to the bike rack and the bike rack to the receiver the locks are included 

The Thule XT Easy Fold Bike Carrier comes equipped with a smart foot pedal tilt, which means that the bikes will not be in your way when you need access to the trunk.

Also, there are adjustable wheel straps to prevent the wheels of your bikes from spinning. Additionally, this bike rack comes with a lockable Thule Uptight torque limiter knob which guarantees safety and security when attaching the carrier to your car’s rear end.

In summary the hype is believable this rack can carry the most heaviest electric bikes as well. With wheels to transport the rack with is and anti theft and so much more it does justice as thule flag ship model.

The only reason it didn’t win our editors choice is because of the price tag, if you have the extra money then this is the best thule bike rack but if you have an average budget then the thule passage trunk is better,

which is why we put that at number one as it accommodates for most people and this one at number 2 as this is if you have the extra cash.

Pros

Durable high-strength steel construction.

Soft rubber cradles protect your bike frame 

Easy access to the back of your car as the frame tilts away 

Cons

Receiver lock is sold separately 

Thule Insta-Gator Truck Mount

If you are looking for a lightweight truck mounting bike rack then the Thule Insta Gator is the solution for you. It features a secure hook which holds the bike by grabbing the front wheel (no frame contact is made)

Even though this carrier has a number of different features, it is still managed to be very light and it weighs just 9.9lbs. Because of that, you can easily transport it with you can it will not take up to much space.

If you have a pickup truck and think you can leave your bike in the back with a bit of rope or something this is not good. As it will lead to  unwanted consequences on the condition of your bicycle.

Naturally, the bike will fly around and also leave marks on your vehicle, not to mention the scratches on the bike’s paint job. You will save that headache and get the Insta-Gator which gives the best possible solution for this.

Thule Insta Gator Truck Mount bike carrier is compatible with Thule one-key system, and the installation of this bike rack is fast and easy. In other words, there is no bolting or drilling, and you don’t even have to remove the wheel.

This particular bike rack can accommodate tires up to 3 inches wide, and it carries up to 50 lbs.

Pros

Keeps your bike free from scratches as there is no contact with the frame

Easy to install to your truck

Cons

Thule One-Key lock cylinder  does not come free with the bike 

Thule Parkway Hitch Mount Rack

We have added on out list the Thule Parkway Hitch which has one of the most capacity to carry bikes on our recommendation. It can take up to 4 bikes with up 2 a 2 inch receiver. 

Firstly, as the name clearly gives you an idea, this is a Thule bike rack hitch mount carrier, which means that it connects straight onto the hitch bar of your vehicle.  With the ability to take up to 4 this is good for when the whole family goes cycling you can can store this and still have lots of room in the trunk for your other items.

The Thule Parkway Hitch Mount rack has a very soft rubber cradle and this will make sure your bike is protected at all times. Also, this bike rack tilts away from the vehicle and with this flexibility  it allows you to easily use your trunk even when the bikes are mounted onto the rack.

Even though this rack is made out of heavy-duty steel, this bike carrier is relatively light, and it weighs only 33 pounds.

When it comes to some additional Thule fit kit, this bike rack is compatible with both their Bike Lock and Snug-Tite receiver lock, which are sold separately.

Pros

Durable high-strength steel construction.

Soft rubber cradles protect your bike frame 

Easy access to the back of your car as the frame tilts away 

Cons

Receiver lock is sold separately 

Thule Vertex XT Hitch Mount Bike Carrier Review 

The second rack on our list is the Thule Vertex XT Hitch. This has to be one of their high-end models, and there is no doubt that even the most fussy customers would be satisfied with the quality of Thule Vertex XT Hitch Mount bike rack.

The new design has a unique arc design makes it easier to load and unload and provides better ground clearance while giving you a much greater distance between your bike to ensure they won’t collide with each other.

This bike rack can take up to two bicycles, and the maximum weight you can load on the rack is about 70 pounds (35 lbs per bike). It comes equipped with an integrated cable lock, which can be hidden away when not in use and it is made of highly durable material. 

Pros

Integrated handle for easy carrying and handling

Hide-away, heavy-duty integrated cable lock allows you to lock the bikes to the rack and stores inside hitch rack when not in use

Unique arc design for easier bike loading and carrying performance

Cons

If you have a bicycle with a non-conventional frame, such as a woman’s, child’s, or full-suspension bike, you may need a frame adapter to carry your bike.