Thule 961XT Speedway, Nice Rack

Overall Rating4.674.674.674.674.67

Nice Rack

I’ve used this bike rack for over 10,000 miles across the U.S., on two sedans and one SUV. It’s always been secure and rock solid (tried only one bike) at every speed I’ve driven, ranging from highways to gravel roads in all weather. It is an effective bike carrier and I do recommend it. There are some minor pitfalls though.

The mounting is tricky, with any car. It took me 40 minutes the first time, now I can do it in 15, ensuring everything’s good. The documentation isn’t terribly clear either because the actual mounting is a nonlinear process. You’ll need to factor the rack mounting into your “getting ready” time. Tying up excess length on the straps is troublesome; you’ll probably be rolling them up and taping them together. So you’ll need tape with this rack. Last, its two screwknobs are easily lost and the product could have well been designed with a better mechanism for adjusting the rack to fit other cars. These are minor though, and the rack does carry a bike quite well.

Things to note about trunk racks in general:
They’re easy theft targets; at the end of the day, the canvas straps can be cut and the whole assembly stolen. This is acceptable for driving and stopping along an interstate, but not for sitting in the Ikea lot all day. Mounting the rack also renders the trunk inaccessible, entailing some foresight when loading the car for a multi-stop trip.

Update (5/19/2012):

The featured review for this product, Thule 961XT Speedway 2-Bike Trunk Rack Sports Aug 4, 2007, was written by James Cho.

The average rating for this item is 4.7 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.

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Reviews (3)

Amazonian

April 22nd, 2010 at 2:05 pm    


Overall Rating55555

The best car rack I’ve tried
Recently decided to replace my old Rhode Gear rack (clasps were rusted). Saris Bones tried the 3 - terrible. She returned to the store the next day. Very difficult to get the bikes on and off. Well bought the Thule 962XT from Eastern Mountain Sports ($ 104 on a 20% discount special). This is a beautiful piece of equipment. Well-made, solid, easy to set up and has three wheels, very secure. The no-control mechanism works well (this seems to be the primary upgrade from the earlier 962 version which now retail for about $ 105 without discount) and holds the bikes at a slight angle away from the car. The wheels sit very firmly in place. still need the front wheels of the bike with the included RCA cable (I prefer to use long pieces of Velcro to secure). Great product. A definite buy.


G. W. Winters

May 21st, 2010 at 7:36 am    


Overall Rating55555

Thule 926xt works great, costs less and is versatile
We ordered our rack for a Pathfinder but it works great on our Miata too. That’s really close to being universal. Easy to mount, easy to load & unload bikes, easy to take off. The no-sway brackets do their job well and everything sits secure and safe.

Half the price of hitch mounts without the cost of the hitch.

I just have to figure a lock system so they can’t “rip and run” with the whole rack.


James Cho

May 27th, 2010 at 9:31 pm    


Overall Rating44444

Nice Rack
Rated 4 stars.


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