So I finally got the Thule bike carrier I ordered. I'm very disappointed. Dig this: the bar and the locking head are held by only one screw. The locking head, which holds most of the bike's weight, and more importantly maintains it vertical, it held onto the roof by 1 (yes, *one*) measly 5mm screw! For the rear, it's even worse: it's a metal-and-plastic plate with a single plastic locking handle. The carrier is so narrow the bike rocks from side to side alarmingly, with nasty creaking noises, at the slightest vehicle movement. And worst of all, the locking head actually tends to open up by itself, and the only thing that prevents it from doing so is the fragile-looking key lock thingy. Check out these pics:
(Say hello to the only screw preventing the bike from flying off the car)
(There you can see how narrow the thing is, barely twice the width of a tire. How do they expect the bike to not rock sideways like a chihuahua on crack cocaine???)
(That's my bent on the car. Admitedly, it's a big top-heavy bike, but still, I believe the bike carrier would be inadequate for any but the lightest bike).
In short, avoid this bike carrier like the plague. It's definitely a rip-off.
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It looks like you are not using standard Thule load bars. With the standard load bars (black, rectangular cross-section, no slot on top), the carrier is secured to the standard load bars by a big U-bolt with two separate nuts in the front and by two large nuts and bolts in the rear connected by metal plates. So both front and rear are secured by metal completely encircling the load bar. I've been using these carriers on standard load bars for years and they are rock-solid.
(锕侊箒)~~~~---------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Posted by dmw010
It looks like you are not using standard Thule load bars. With the standard load bars (black, rectangular cross-section, no slot on top), the carrier is secured to the standard load bars by a big U-bolt with two separate nuts in the front and by two large nuts and bolts in the rear connected by metal plates. So both front and rear are secured by metal completely encircling the load bar. I've been using these carriers on standard load bars for years and they are rock-solid.
The Thule carrier comes with 2 options: one is the U-bolt for square section load bars, and the other is a screw with a square head that slides into the load bar's railing. So presumably, both mounting options are supposed to be just as solid. Which they are, since the U-bolt looks just as flimsy as the single screw, just more reassuring because of the two nuts. Trouble is, if one nut goes, the other isn't secured anymore, so in the end it's just as dangerous as the single screw.
I suspect you didn't carry heavy bikes with your carrier. My bike on that thing is a disaster waiting to happen.
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I don't know, the U-bolt seems strong enough to me, considering I trust my own weight on 4mm and 5mm stem bolts. I snugged down the nuts with some grease on the threads and they haven't loosened yet. I do check them every so often, just in case. How much does your bike weigh? The heaviest one I have is under 30 pounds.
In any case, it seems like the mounting system for the square section load bars is clearly stronger than the one you are using. Spreading the load across two bolts at each attachment point has to be stronger. I didn't know there was another option -- it is not shown in the instructions for the carrier:
I have to ask -- is your rack made by Thule?
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I have to ask -- is your rack made by Thule?
Oh yes, very much so. The euro model (the 511-1) apparently has more mounting hardware than the US model (590 v2). Check out the 511-1 fitting instructions: http://82.145.131.168/webbase/PabloD...rName=Document. On page 2, there are mounting option 3a (the U-bolt) and 3b (the single bolt).
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if there was room, i'd mount it with both the u-bolt and the centre bolt. belt
Originally Posted by dmw010
It looks like you are not using standard Thule load bars. With the standard load bars (black, rectangular cross-section, no slot on top), the carrier is secured to the standard load bars by a big U-bolt with two separate nuts in the front and by two large nuts and bolts in the rear connected by metal plates. So both front and rear are secured by metal completely encircling the load bar. I've been using these carriers on standard load bars for years and they are rock-solid.
The Thule carrier comes with 2 options: one is the U-bolt for square section load bars, and the other is a screw with a square head that slides into the load bar's railing. So presumably, both mounting options are supposed to be just as solid. Which they are, since the U-bolt looks just as flimsy as the single screw, just more reassuring because of the two nuts. Trouble is, if one nut goes, the other isn't secured anymore, so in the end it's just as dangerous as the single screw.