Thule T2 Pro Bike Rack

Hinge

Of course, one of the biggest downsides of a hitch-mounted rack is that it cuts off access to the rear of your car. Fortunately, the T2 Pro — like the original T2 — has a hinge at the junction of the rack to the hitch. This allows the rack to fold up vertically when not in use, as well as fold down (about 30° past horizontal) so that you can still access your trunk when the rack is fully loaded.

Cy Whitling reviews the Thule T2 Pro for Blister Gear Review.
Thule T2 Pro folded

The lever that actuates this function on the T2 Pro is more accessible than on the original T2; it sticks out the back end of the rack, making it easy to activate the folding function with one hand.

Durability

While I haven’t had the T2 Pro long enough to make claims about how it holds up to long-term abuse, so far it’s done very well, even on some very bumpy shuttles. And I did have one incident, right at the beginning of my time with the T2 Pro, that really put it to the test…

The Location: Construction on I 90, somewhere just west of Royal City, WA.

The Players: The Thule T2 Pro bolted to the back of my Scion and carrying my Giant Reign, and a Toyota Corolla piloted by a short, fat man with a poor grasp of brake lights and the English language.

The Soundtrack: An audiobook of Touching the Void.

My Mood: Bad. I was already three hours late thanks to Border Patrol deciding they need to rifle through my stinky bike clothes for contraband.

I was stopped in traffic, waiting for the endless construction that haunts I 90 right now, fully engrossed in Touching the Void (Simon had just cut the rope, and I didn’t know if Joe was going to live or die), when my whole car lifted and pushed forward. The gentleman behind me had neglected to brake for the stopped traffic, so he proceeded to impale his grill on my T2 Pro.

As I pulled forward, out of his grill, I prayed that (a) My bike was OK, (b) My car was OK, and (c) The rack was OK.

Things weren’t pretty back there. The grill of his car was smashed to bits and hanging at an angle, one of his blinkers had fallen out, and there was shattered plastic everywhere. But remarkably, none of that plastic on the ground was mine. The collision bent and separated the plastic grip for the handle that actuates the T2 Pro’s folding mechanism, but did no actual damage.

While the man proceeded to get out and swear at me with expletives I’m not familiar with, I was mostly delighted that not only had the T2 Pro not been harmed, it had actually protected the back of my car from what would have been a lot of body damage. A short but pointed discussion of brakelights and the fact that the car in front, like the downhill skier, always has the right-of-way, and I was back on the road, none the worse for wear.

So while I can’t say that the T2 Pro is guaranteed to protect your car in an accident, I can say that I was very impressed by how it handled the impact.

Price

The old Thule T2 (now called the “T2 Classic”) is still available for $399. While I don’t think the changes made to the $549 Thule T2 Pro make a compelling case for replacing your T2 Classic, I do think the new T2 Pro is a much better designed rack. It’s easier to assemble and use, and fits a much wider range of tires without the adaptor the T2 Classic requires. And if you’re going to be hauling a fat bike, the T2 Pro is the obvious choice, and the redesigned straps and folding mechanism make it an all-round easier rack to use.

Bottom Line

The Thule T2 Pro represents a nice evolution in ease-of-use and versatility from the original T2. The updated trays can now fit just about any bike on the market, and the tweaked straps and folding lever make it easier to load and use. If you’re looking for a tray-style hitch rack and need the versatility to carry anything from a road bike to a 20” kids bike to a fat bike, the Thule T2 Pro is a great choice … and it might just save the back of your car from getting crumpled in a fender bender.

 

 

 

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