Thule EasyFold XT

(My Requirements)I purchased the Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack after doing a lot of homework on an easy-to-install, easy-to-use bike rack for our 2 bikes. A Trek FX3 road bike and an Electra Townie 7D Step-Thru bike. Two totally different types of bike frames, weight and design. I also wanted an easy rack to pull out of the box and install on either of our SUV’s hitches, a 2” and a 1.25-inch hitch. Storage was also a prime requirement as our garages already had so many items to store in an organized fashion; I didn’t need something that did not store easily.And the most important requirement was the ease of loading, unloading, and protecting our bikes, without lifting, numerous bungee cords, protective padding, etc. And a rack that would be useful as our bike styles change.I read all of the reviews, watched many videos, and decided to give it a go. Why not? It had a 30-day return policy.(Delivery and Install Day!)The product arrived on time, and the box was in perfect condition. It was time to dive right in, open the box, and pull the product right out of the box. I found it fully assembled as promised by the videos and reviews. Removed some packing materials and the product was ready to use. How easy is that? I rolled it over to my SUV, pulled down the receiver arm (stinger), picked it up (only 45 pounds), and it slid right into my hitch receiver. Turned the nob to tighten the hitch and the receiver arm. I used the key to lock the knob and was on to the next step.Folded down the platforms, and it was ready to mount the bikes.OK, so it's time to mount and adjust the bike secure arms. This took a few minutes since it was new to me, and both bikes differed in frame design. Instructions tell me to install the heaviest bike closest to the vehicle first. So, I used the included ramps to load the Towne first. Wow, was that easy! Just rolled it up! I strapped down the wheels with the built-in straps with a ratchet feature and found the best location for the stabilizer arm to attach to the bike and the rack. Tighten it down, locked the knob, and got ready for the next bike.For the FX3, I just picked up, strapped it down, and found the best mounting place for the stabilizer arm. And I was ready to go.No more straps, bungees, pads, etc. I’m ready to go. All was secure and locked, and we were on our way!(Driving with it attached and loaded)We have had a few very good and well-made hitch-mounted bike racks. However, the strapping down, bungee the wheels, protecting the bikes from hitting each other in transit, the locking with a cable lock, and the noticeable bouncing and swaying became annoying. I even built an antisway bar to keep our bikes from hitting each other. And for the Townie, I required a top tube adapter sometimes called a crossbar substitute.This took way more time and frustration to secure everything than with our new Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack.Biking is supposed to be fun, right?Unloading was just a reverse of loading; we folded up the platform. We are ready to ride!!We have taken the bike rack off and stored it in the back of the SUV, but for many of the places we go, we just leave it on, fold it up, and back our vehicle into our parking space so the rack does not hang out into the riding or driving areas.Now for the take-it-off and store. Well, reverse of install, roll it into the garage and let me tell you the footprint of this product is smaller than my snow blower or lawn mower. Don’t even know it’s there.(Overall recommendation)If you’re looking for an easy-to-assemble, easy-to-install, easy-to-use, easy-to-store, which I was, I give this product a thumbs up!!! It was well worth the price paid. Now, as our bikes change our lifestyle, we can add mountain bikes and e-bikes without a problem. We even take our little kids' bikes just to take them someplace.Enjoy and Bike-On!

My only complaint is that it doesn’t support fat tire e-bikes with up to 5 inch tires and that there is no harness to hook up tail lights. It only comes with reflectors. My bumper sits low so it is hard to see the red reflectors at night. However, besides those 2 issues, absolutely well thought out and easily the best bike rack I’ve ever bought or owned. The wheels on the bottom make it as easy to move when not attached to my car. Also, I should mention, it comes fully assembled and ready to be mounted on your vehicle. Extremely easy to hold, lock in place with a key and remove from vehicle.

Based on online reviews, I did not think that this rack would be sturdy enough, so I bought a Kuat NV 2.0 -- a gorgeous, tough rack, but a total beast to manage. If I wanted to leave a rack on the car or truck however, this is the one I would get. But after I wrestled it on and off the car a couple of times, I sent it back. Too damned heavy.Start with what sort of eBike rider you are. If you are young, strong, and race up hills, heavy racks are fine. But if you are old, strong, and race up hills -- or old and like flat roads -- having a lighter rack that is easy to manage counts for a lot.My local eBike shop assured me that they had seen great results with the EasyFold, so after I sent the Kuat back, I bought one. And it immediately made me nervous. Lots of plastic on this thing. Long wheelbase bikes don't fit well. The clamping system seems kinda hinky. I thought the ramp was a joke -- although some people really like it.But getting it on and off the car is a breeze. It folds up, wheels away, and stows easily. I even found the cover for it. We have tested it with two expensive eBikes a few times now -- and it's been rock solid.Check YouTube to see how these racks work. I learned a few things:1. I pay a LOT of attention to clamping the hitch tightly into the receiver. I move the rack every which way and get the hitch very, very tight before locking it down.2. I don't use the ramp. I just toss the bikes up. You can do one wheel at a time if you need to. YMMV -- some people like the ramp. Looks fussy to me.3. The clamps work fine on our bikes because we have round, normal seat tubes. But the clamps take some practice. You want to get them on straight, no weird angles. Tighten them until the torque clutch slips. I am not sure that these clamps will work with every pair of bikes, but they do a decent job with ours. And the clamps lock, which is nice (I would trust these locks for few minutes in a store. Much longer, add a proper lock or a serious cable). Update: my bike was stolen (not off the rack) and my replacement bike is MUCH harder to secure. If your bike doesn’t have normal, vertical seat tubes or a seat post within reach of the clamps, this rack doesn’t work well. Dropped to four stars.4. Strapping and clamping the wheels is easy and important. Again, I am not sure that a real long wheelbase will be happy on this rack, but up to 1200cm or so works fine.5. Most of the miles we have with this rack are on-road or good dirt roads. I would hesitate to take it on really rutted roads -- but then I hesitated to buy it in the first place and it has been fine.6. Some cars, including ours, freak out when there is a hitch rack on the vehicle. All of the backup collision sensors go nuts and sometimes you cannot turn them off very easily. Nice thing about this rack is that you can fold it up, pop it off, and store it in the car in about a minute.7. E-bike batteries are heavy, but removable. Taking them out and carrying them in the cuts the weight on the rack a lot.So far (six months in) I am happy with the rack. Maybe a bit more city than country -- it's made for smooth roads and small garages. But if that is what you need and the price does not scare you off, it's a very clever, decent rack worthy of the Thule badge.

I love this bike rack because I can put it on my SUV by myself and load my E bike onto it using the ramp! It holds the bikes in place well. It takes a little space in the garage when not using I highly recommend this bike rack!