Thule Pack 'n Pedal Tour Rack Gepäckträger

Holds our trunks securely. Easy to install. I used the long supports for 29" Cannondale moterra 3 full mountain bike. It comes with 3 different lengths of support and slides to level. When I bought it 2+ years ago. I installed one 4 mm screw and a 5mm nut as a washer on the lower arm which had preinstalled holes which prevents any movement. The strap just rests against the screw. The strap tightens with a ratchet and a key to release preventing theft of the rack. Just bought another for my wife's new Cannondale neo 2 carbon which set up the same. Well built but expensive, luckily I noticed they had a used one which saved me $80 and was complete.

I've bought two of these. Great quality and easy to use. The initial setup is a little bit of a pain, but after that, it's easy on/easy off.

Got this rack for my travel bike so I can take it off and on when packing bike in travel bag. It works as expected and I can put my trunk back on it to carry all necessities on longer rides vs. using a backpack. One thing I didn't like is the ratchet screws use hex key and there is no easy way to get one in there with more than a quarter turn UNLESS you use the ball end hex keys. Any cheap set will do the job and well worth it. Speeds installation and removal by noticeable difference. The rack itself is sturdy and stays put. I'm happy with my choice. Just did four 100k rides in a week with it and not one issue.

I have a very custom setup, unique frame with no way to mount from seat post, or from standard mounts around rear frame fork area. It took a few minutes to figure out the system they use with this, but once I figured it out, it actually makes sense and works great. I like how they give you 3 sets of different length cross braces to give a wider range of chance it will work with different style frames with different angles. I ended up using the medium sized braces for mine, but if your frame is different you have two other sizes that might make it work. I agree Thule overprices their gear, but at least they give you a fighting chance to add a very useful platform to your bike if you don't have the proper industry standard connections. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it's not easy to install, and it's overpriced. If they priced it right it would have been 5 stars all the way.

The advertisement pictures show these racks can be mounted on the front forks of mountain bikes (MBs). However, someone considering purchasing this rack should be aware that it has some oversights. I would not be so pointed in my Review had it not been that they are selling these racks for a high price, but have some things about them that devalue them. They use a strap ratcheting mounting system which seems to be much more secure than the Topek M1 racks that use Velcro straps that you can secure with very fragile screws. Unfortunately the Designers of this rack seemed to have overlooked the differences in MB forks. They did not provide enough strap length to fit around 40.5mm suspension forks. So I had to Jerryrig it on with hose clamps as one other Reviewer did. You have to lengthen the straps so much that the anchor end slips out when torqued. This is an unfortunate oversight of the Design and one that seems it should have been avoided. Put plainly, it mounts fine on the back of the MB, so far so good, but not on the front. A problem that seems it could have easily been avoided by better design management and oversight. Just know if you have large front forks on your MBs you will likely have this problem with the straps being too short. But overall, they have a better design than the Topek M1 front rack. Both cost a lot of money, and they both have their disadvantages for MBs without dedicated mounting eyelets. Finally, you could probably avoid all this by getting a MB with dedicated rack mounts on the frame, and just have the traditional bolt on arrangement. Update: I’ve had time to do some trips and see how the rack does on the back. Sadly, this rack too has some problems. Some of the ratcheting bolts broke loose from being jarred around on the rocky trail and the rack slipped down and rubbed on the rear tire. The frame was thereby scratched down to the metal in one spot. It was loaded with about 25 pounds (~ 11 kg). I’ve also bolted this rack down using hose clamps. As mentioned above, the mounting system of this rack is not very good. Straps slip when they get wet, and the ratchets broke loose due to vibration/jarring apparently. If you’re going to do some serious bike packing or trail riding, look for another setup. Bear in mind too, that much of the rack is made of weak metal and plastic. This includes the side hangers for panniers, that you have to purchase separately and install. I would not recommend this rack for an extensive off road multi-day tour. You will likely have to carry your bags on your back or shoulders due to the rack breaking on the trip. I will use the racks until they break beyond repair, and look for more quality, stronger products if possible. Finally, the Company/Seller shows a picture here on Amazon of the rack mounted on a Mountain Bike - this is totally misleading. This rack in my opinion is not made for mountain biking. It is far too weak and fragile to withstand the rigors of off road cycling when fully loaded, within the weight capacity of course. As I said, it is better to look for an alternative setup or product. Wish you all well and stay safe as possible when your out.

This rack looks really good and sturdy. I haven’t used it with my bags on a trip yet but I think it could handle about twenty pounds on each side safely. There was no way for me to attach a rack to my seat post so I had to get this one almost three times as expensive as others with less capacity too, but it works for me. Because of the design, all the weight will be on two rounded pipes, so avoid too much weight. Also the initial assembly was a pain. But it all turned out great so far. I may update after our 100 mile trip. New: During the trip one of the clamps got loose and the whole rack slid down ending in touching my tire. After opening everything including bags and all and remounting everything again in the middle of the trip, we didn’t have any other issue. The clamps are hard to mount and needs a better design.

This Thule solution to carry bags and baskets is a sure winner in my books. I have a Surron Light Bee X Dirt Bike which I plan to use to make deliveries by where I live. I will note that I did have to remove my front fender in order for this work but that doesn’t bother me as I have tried to make the bike look as little as possible as a Dirt Bike considering regulations by where I live. However if your looking for a solution for carrying bags with your dirt bike- than look no further as this is it. I’ll be honest I did my research and there’s not many choices that work with Dirt Bikes as the manufacturers don’t make or market them for Dirt Bike riders. I am grateful to Thule for making a solution that works hands down the best in carrying bags and packages.

A shout out to the Adventure Cycling Association. I read a recent article in Adventure Cycling about a retired couple who traveled the country on e-bikes with the Thule racks installed on the front of their bikes. I have three touring bikes, including an e-bike and the Thule rack and side rails were just what I was looking for my Trek. Installation was a bit challenging but doable. I haven't tested it under load yet but I was pretty pleased with how it went together and how sturdy it appears. If it works well under load, then kudos to the engineers on another well planned Thule product.