PressCamp '16: Thule

Wherever you are in all of Australia, there’s a good chance there’ll be three common sightings at your local trailhead. At least 38 people on Giant Trances, about 25 Subaru Outbacks, and every car will most likely be outfitted with Thule racks. Pronounced “Tool-ee”, the Swedish brand has long dominated the car rack market, with a broad range of products designed for strapping your sporting toys in any which-way to the car. We’ve reviewed numerous Thule racks at AMB over the years, and they regularly achieve near perfect scores thanks to their quality construction and functional performance that lasts. Staggeringly, they’ve been in operation for over fifty years, and these days they have eight different factories around the world producing their roof and rear-mounted racks. As each year passes, the Thule range continues to grow, which now includes the Pack ‘n’ Pedal line and a whole array of soft goods. At PressCamp, Thule brought a selection of their finest wares to show us some of the improvements that have been implemented to the line.

The Thule T2 Pro Rack: From $899

The latest hitch-mounted rack from Thule brings with it the quality construction that the company is known for, but adds in some welcome changes to improve ergonomics. The T2 rack is available in a 2-bike hitch mount, and you can get an add-on module for $699 to make the uber 4-rack model seen in the above photo. Providing you have enough friends for that. The T2 mounts your bike via a front wheel hook, which compresses downwards to wedge the bike down into the rack. A ratchet strap then ties down the rear wheel, and the large, dual-channel tray allows anything from a road bike to a fat-tyred 29er to fit. The benefit of this system is that the frame of your bike is untouched by any clamps, so it’s ideal for bikes that have weirdly shaped downtubes.

A change to the new T2 Pro rack, is the move of the locking mechanism to a nifty handle at the most outer end of the rack. The previous design meant you had to stick your hand through all the bikes on the rack to release the mechanism on the other side of the rack. Now you can simply squeeze the trigger on the handle, and use the leverage of the design to lower the bikes down onto the crown so you can access the back of your car. Simple, but very effective, and if my chicken arms can cope with four heavy bikes on the end of that rack, then anyone can do it!

Thule ProRide Rack: $299-329

While it isn’t strictly new, the latest ProRide rack is sure to please many riders looking for a simple system to mount their bike to the roof of the car without having to remove wheels. The original ProRide set the benchmark for everyone else, and the latest version adds in a couple of neat improvements to make this one of the best racks on the market. The new G-clamp features a more pronounced hook, which helps to keep the bike more secure, even if some dirty thief jumps on your car and attempts to wrestle the bike from the clamp. Soft rubber traction pads help to increase grip on your bike, and are also kind on delicate paint surfaces. At the other end of the locking arm, the twist-dial has been equipped with a torque limiter, which stops ham-fisted users from crushing lightweight alloy and carbon downtubes.

Even the wheel trays have been improved, with a new ratcheting clamp and an angled strap offering easier installation across a broader range of tyre sizes. For the fatter tyres amongst you, a separate fat-tray can be purchased to increase the versatility of the ProRide rack.

Thule’s softgoods range continues to expand, with a great range of lightweight riding packs, hiking packs, luggage solutions and travel bags. They also make bike-specific items such as handlebar bags, saddle bags and panniers too.

One of the packs I found most intriguing at PressCamp, was the Thule Legend GoPro pack. Using a sturdy harness with wide waist straps to help distribute load evenly on the riders back, the Legend looks like a good quality mountain bike pack for all-day expeditions. Where it gets unique is in its ability to store numerous GoPro cameras and accessories for the riders who take their action filming seriously.

Internal pockets can be adapted for storing various GoPros and accessories, and there’s even an external mount that’s permanently attached to the pack, so you can film the riders or scenery behind you whilst out on the trail. At $399, the Legend GoPro backpack is likely to appeal to the enthusiasts out there who are looking for a dedicated storage solution for getting the best shots on their next adventure.

For further information on the new Thule range, head to www.thule.com.au for all you need to know!