Reviewed: Thule T2 Pro hitch rack

Thule T2 Pro

“Solid, intuitive rack that’s capable of hauling any bike in your stable, from fat to skinny”
Price: $549
Rating: 9.1/10

All hitch racks should be this easy to use. Thule hit it out of the park with the T2 Pro, a two-bike hitch-mounted carrier that hauls everything from your road bike to your fat bike with no adapters or special parts.

Thule does recommend repositioning the rear wheel straps to accommodate big, 5-inch fat bike tires, which is a quick process: just tug on the strap, slide it out of the guide holes, and slide it back into the other guide hole higher on the wheel tray. We ended up leaving it in the fat bike position for all our bikes, which is only a problem on the skinniest wheels and tires.

The rack installs in seconds without tools; just slide it into your hitch, turn the dial until it’s snug, and lock it. The conveniently-located HitchSwitch hand lever on the end of the rack has such an exceptionally light action that you can use two fingers to pull it, and folding the rack up when it’s not being used takes almost no effort. It even tilts downward for easy access to your car’s trunk.

The rack trays sit higher and further away from the hitch than previous T2 models. Exact measurements will vary by vehicle, but the 2002 Toyota Tacoma we used for testing was set up with 16 inches between the rear bumper and the inner tray; The outer tray sat 33 inches off the ground. This helps accommodate spare tires, and offers more clearance should your travels take you off-road.

The only fault we could find with the T2 Pro was the occasional difficulty with the release of the rear wheel strap. It sometimes got caught in the ratchet mechanism, so we had to use two hands to give it a good yank. It was a minor inconvenience, but for the money, we really wanted this rack to be flawless. Otherwise, Thule has made a reliable and easy-to-use hitch mount rack suitable for your entire bike stable, no matter how fat or skinny your tires are.