Thule UpRide Roof Bike Rack

Perfect for with my Cannondale Topstone AXS 1. Having a fully carbon bike meant I didn’t want any contact points on the frame and this rack has been great. No issues with the bike coming loose. Just understand how it works and set the rack up correctly and you are good to go. I do get nervous with the swaying and shaking that can happen on windy days, but so far so good. I would recommend this rack to anyone looking for easy transport of expensive bicycles.

Vehicle Make & Model2015 VW Passat SedanThule PurchasesThule 710500 Roof Racks, Evo Clamp in BlackThule Evo Clamp Fit Kit #145185Thule Wingbar Evo 135 (53”) in BlackThule UpRide Roof Bike Rack (Bought Two)InstallationHell for me, but not for my more patient, younger, less bitter and jilted brother. He made quick work of it and all I needed to do was walk out of the room before I threw the entire system through a window. The ease with which these Thule systems are assembled depends upon your disposition, not your IQ. I understood the videos on YouTube, for instance, far better than I did deciphering the cryptic diagrams in Thule's accompanying documentation. Matter of fact, Thule - an organization that clearly comprises brilliant engineers - are either utterly ignoring the ocean of steady criticism their instructions get, or they are just completely disinterested in hearing it.As mentioned, once this whiny visual learner took to YouTube, I understood the design, function and assembly instructions. I still had a calmer (never-married) person assemble it all however and it made the difference. He tells me that it was effortless assembling the fit kit to the feet and the feet to the car and the load bars to the feet and the bike and my kayak systems to the load bars. I strong recommend you watch a few videos and pause as you assemble. Using such visual aids made it easy(er).DurabilityIncredibly strong. I drove with my two bikes on the roof on a highway, but mind you, remained sensitive to the sub 80 MPH recommendations by Thule. Fact is, if you're barreling down an interstate at 90 or more MPH, with your precious outdoor recreation equipment on your roof, you deserve what happens to your stuff. I've heard some rather predictable critiques of the ratchet strap portion of the UpRide system, but my experience is that these criticisms are without merit if you follow the instructions of experts. For instance, I drove my two bikes on my roof to my bike expert for tune-ups. While there, I asked about how tight to make the ratchet assembly and they warned against overtightening. Said them, "it's for vertical stability upon stopping and going, not for holding the weight of the bike in place." They went on to explain that the front holding assemblies are what keeps the bike secure, stable and safe. The ratchet strap is meant to prevent the bike's rear from going up and/or down as the vehicle comes to a stop or accelerates.FitI have two bikes: one's a mountain, one's a cross or hybrid. Each fits perfectly and is impossible to free from the car once properly arranged in the system. Cautionary note however: tires must be fully inflated, lest vertical or lateral movement occur because there is play between the assemblies designed to press down on your front wheel and the inflation of the tires. Said more plainly, if the tires don't have air in them, you're introducing variability to the height of the bike's wheels, thus the slack you'll be introducing to the assembly.SummaryBuy it. Yes, you'll need to sell your least cooperative child to afford it, but then, aren't they not eating all their broccoli anyhow? Kidding aside, I love that the ONLY THING I'll need to buy again is the fit kit and feet, because the bars, the bike and kayak systems will go on any car providing the load bar length isn't too short for the width of your next roof.

I was a bit worried as to whether this would mount on a non-THULE roof rack, but this mounted well and securely to my BMW brand roof rack. It’s extraordinarily sturdy, holds the bike nicely without damaging the carbon frame, which was the reason I purchased this particular rack. It was easy to set up an install, and although as with any roof rack, it’s a bit more cumbersome to get the bike up there rather than a tail rack, for roof rack it’s pretty easy to use. As long as the bikes not too heavy. I certainly would not recommend it for an electric bike. I think it could handle the weight but I’m not sure you’d have any luck getting a 65 pound bike up there without a lot of help. I’d still be a bit nervous about having such a heavy bike up there anyway. It might be an expensive rack, but it’s amazingly well built and instills a sense of confidence when you have your bike up in such an exposed position.

Easy to load and unload bicycleMain part of rack is good quality and built solidDissapionted in the clamping components that attach the rack to the cross bars. clamps and not attached to the main bike frame which makes them prone to being lost when rack is not mounted to a vehicle. Also clamping components are bare steel, not coated or painted in anyway so the will rust. A small point but not quiet the attention to detail I would expect from Tule

Easy to install via the Thule track system. I can’t comment on the universal attachment as I used the track. There are no locks provided and can be purchased separately. The rack is solid on the vehicle once mounted. Loading a bike is pretty straight forward just be sure that the two uprights are locked together properly. The bike is held only by the front wheel and has safety strap on the rear wheel. That strap is not enough to keep the bike upright but it does stop it from bouncing around. When locked into the rack the bike does rock around a bit; certainly more than a rack which would use the front fork or frame as it’s holding point. While this was a bit unsettling at highway speeds I could not make the bike come loose when I rocked it hard by hand. This item is designed to fit all tires including those fat tire mountain bikes. When my road bike is loaded it looks like complete overkill but hey it works great.