After our second kid I had to sale my beloved Nissan Frontier and get a sedan. Now I need a bike rack. A roof rack is out if the question. The wife is not able to lift her mountain bike onto a roof rack.
I am looking at a trunk mount system and am leaning towards a Thule 9001 or 9003. Reviews on the Thule Raceway 9001 and 9003 have been all over the place (2-5 stars). Biggiest complaint is the Sure-tight racheting cables not retracting all the way after a few use. Saris Bones is consistent with a 4-5 star rating. The only thing I don’t like the Saris Bones is it does not have a lock system.
Anyone use a Thule Raceway or Saris Bones? What’s your experience with either rack?
I have both. Thule is WAY more stable, but also a lot heavier, and it’s easier to collapse to store in the trunk. Yes, I have trouble retracting one of the cables – but sadly it is too heavy for my current car (I’d sell it to you cheap if you were nearby). I’ve had to replace the straps and the plastic screws on the Saris; they wear over time especially if you drive at high speeds and there’s some vibration.
I’d buy the Yakima SuperJoe 3 over the Saris Bones. I have the Yakima and a friend has the Saris, and the Yakima is nicer. Unlike my older Yakima hitch rack, the SuperJoe 3 will actually fit 3 bikes.
The SuperJoe 3 doesn’t have a lock system, but I just use a cable and a master padlock to secure everything (bikes and rack) to the tow loop on my car.
I have the raceway and it is the best trunk rack I’ve owned. I’ve had 4 and the Saris was the last before this one. The trays on the Thule and the arms protect your bike much better than the Saris. It damaged one of my frames from rubbing. REI had the Thule for 25% off a while back. It’s heavy, but fits both our cars with ease, locks are a plus too.