Living in the Los Angeles area, you have to deal with a whole lot of bullshit. Everything from the traffic jams, to the local news stations’ overblown fascination with precipitation, to the visibly apparent wealth gap throughout the neighborhoods of this city. All of this is why you get the hell out of LA for some quiet time in open spaces any time the opportunity presents itself.
My girlfriend and I were prepping to set out on a Thursday morning to make the two-and-a-half hour trip to Joshua Tree National Park. We were meeting up with a friend who had been camping and riding there for the past week, so we brought our bikes in the unlikely chance that we’d want to ride in between our booze filled car camping sessions and sporadic day hikes.
When I asked Jim Merithew for a bike rack to review, I assumed he would have sent me something more fitting for the “Dirt” that he seems to think I am. Something on the less expensive end, kind of a “Dirt’s Guide to Crappy Things.” Instead, as it turns out, this review ended up being more of a “Dirt’s guide to Really Fancy Things.”
I doubt the hardcore bike enthusiasts and designers at Thule would have ever envisioned that their $450 Thule T2 2 Bike 916XTR platform hitch rack would be sporting a Trek Multi-Trak hybrid and freakishly ugly Frankenstein fixie. But hey, when your editor gives you a super pricey Thule bike rack, you hit the road and get your bikes out to the desert.
My first impression of the rack could only be summed up in one statement: “Jesus, this thing is heavy,” followed by, “Dammtit, I have to assemble this thing?” So I set up my camera and let it roll as I assembled the rack in the most amateur fashion possible. In under an hour we were ready to go. Well, almost ready.
It turns out that with the added weight of our camping gear, including four days worth of water and wood, in addition to the rack, our suspension had dropped, especially in the rear, probably by a good two inches. This really wasn’t an issue on the road, but since we live in suburban Los Angeles, our driveway inclines could put mountain road grades to shame, and with the ridiculously long length of the hitch mount there was no way to get onto the street without removing the bikes, then the hitch, then reassembling the entire thing once we were clear of the driveway.
As soon as we hit the road the rack was a complete champ. The bikes stayed secure and upright with minimal movement. The hitch was securely locked into the receiver, most likely due to Thule’s threaded locking hitch pin (Thule STL2 Snug-Tite Lock) that was provided. On top of that, unlike all the “Dirt” bike racks I’ve owned in the past, Thule provides retractable locks on the rack itself. This added security really provided a level of comfort for us when we stopped for gas or groceries along the way. Not to mention, it definitely put me at ease when we got up to cruising speed on the highways. My bike may not be the best, but the last thing I wanted to see through my rearview was it getting crushed by some bro’s lifted Tundra as we drove through the IE.
Upon arrival out at “Camp Weird” we learned that the bike rack, being so heavy, works as a really great anchor to lock your bikes to. We wanted to have access to the rear hatch but still be able to have our bikes secured. By locking our bikes together and using the rack as an anchor we had the piece of mind to leave our bikes out but still had access to the car.
We’re now back from the trip and I have to say, I’ve come to terms with the price point because the rack worked so well and gave me total peace of mind. And when I think about it, I realize I was only slightly frustrated by the assembly processes. And don’t worry about the driveway problem I mentioned because I’m guessing most of you live in places where the roadways and infrastructure aren’t the complete nightmare that exists in Southern California. If you buy this thing, you won’t be disappointed.
