To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Thule and ElectriCity Bikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Thule products.
There are a lot of bicycle racks to chose from out there, so it is no surprise some attempt to go the distance to best the competition. Lucky for us as consumers, we reap the benefits, and such is the case with the Thule EasyFold XT 2 bicycle rack. This is the 2nd generation of the rack and packs a ton of features, so let’s start going over those now. The rack is strong and sturdy thanks to intelligent use of steel, light-weight aluminum alloy, and plastic. It is about 33.25” from the back of the hitch to the receiver and weighs about 42.5lbs. This overall weight is important because this is actually a rack you can fold up and carry around or push around like luggage since it has wheels (more on that later). At the tail end, you will find not only reflectors and an optional brake light plug in, but one of my favorite features, a license plate frame holder. This is great because I have actually been pulled over before with other bike racks as some municipalities will count it against you if the viewing of your license plate is obstructed, so I am really glad they put this into consideration here. The rack is more aero dynamic being placed back here, rather than a top rack. Also, there are some accessories you can get for it too like a door-swing so you can get the rack out of the way to reach the rear of your vehicle, or a bag for the rack itself when it is folded up for storage or transport. Included is this cool little accessory, a carbon fiber tube protector, with this you can wrap the section of the bike where it might strike another loaded bike frame and keep them from making contact and leaving scratches or scuffs. This is such a capable rack as well as more ebike rated than others. That is thanks to its 130lb weight capacity, ability to fit up to 4.7” fat-tires, and having an adapter piece to fit both 1.25” and 2” hitches on your car. The EasyFold XT 2 retails for about $750, which is quite a bit more than other racks, so let’s dig deeper and see how it compares.
Security and locking of the rack and bikes are made a priority here, and that is something I think is great. Ebikes can be quite expensive, so it is nice to have security as a consideration since it will really protect your investment. Overall, there are 3 locking cores in total. You get 1 on the short arm, 1 on the long arm, and a 3rd lock on the hitch knob so nobody can walk away with your nice bike rack too. Out of the box, it comes with two keys and it looks like the locking cores can even be ‘keyed-to-like’ with other Thule products, meaning you can get matching keys and potentially only need to carry around 1 key for all your Thule products.
Loading and unloading on the EasyFold XT2, is, as the name states, quite easy. You get a ramp that makes loading the bike on and off a breeze. The ramp is quite light and flexible, yet I am assuming it can hold 65lbs pretty easily as it worked with the ebikes we tested just fine. If you have an ebike with walk mode, you are in even more luck as this makes getting bikes up the ramp super easy! The ramp has a flexible tongue that allows you to mount it and remove it and is also foldable for storage. The ramp itself stores in a center pocket that you reach by tilting the rack forward with the large plastic button on the outside. Once tilted forward, you can stow the ramp by finding the arrow on the folded ramp and aligning it with the arrow on the pocket. Once snapped into place, you can tilt the rack back to its standard position. Once the bike is on the rack, you can secure the tires by using these ratchet straps. If unloading, once the straps are undone, they conveniently can be tucked away down in the center where they wont flap around while not in use. Other than the straps, securing the bike is done through these locking arms. These are really interesting as they mount to a larger bar rail, but they can be mounted anywhere on that bar rail leaving you with quite a number of configurations, unlike other racks where you only have 1 option that usually cuts into the fender if you have fenders on the bike. I love that these are super versatile and are engineered so that they cannot be over tightened, making sure you get the best grip on the bike possible. However, they can take some time to get positioned perfectly to your setup and can be a little finicky at first. As with any rack, once the bikes are loaded, you should spend some time with careful consideration as to how to configure your pedals, handlebars, and seat post when having two bikes close together.
A big win here is the folding and storage capabilities. As mentioned before, the ramp can be folded down and stowed in the center. The straps can be tucked away to prevent flapping around, and the grabber arms can be removed. In addition to all of this, the entire rack folds into itself starting with the platforms and the rest begins to fold into itself. Once folded, it is easy to carry thanks to that lightweight 42.5lbs. But carrying it around is only one form of transport since it has these nice wheels on the bottom. This way you can cart it around like luggage! This makes carrying it around very easy, this is also a great rack if you need to switch it from one car to another. When all folded up too, its very compact and can fit in the back of your car nicely. Although I am not as big of a fan of carrying around large metal parts in my car as I would hate to have it slide into me during an accident.
In conclusion, the EasyFold XT 2 is a feature rich electric bike rated rack that is well thought out and portable. It really is a fantastic accessory for anyone looking for an ebike rack. However, let’s go over some of the tradeoffs. Thule’s main competitor, Küat, has a quad rack option, while the Thule only as a triple rack option. Also, the Küat comes with a repair stand for your bike, whereas the Thule doesn’t. Probably the biggest tradeoff though is the price. $750 is a lot for a rack, but that cost could be worth it considering it is a pretty secure investment in your already expensive ebike purchase. Combine that with Thule’s wonderful reputation and their limited lifetime warranty, and you have a rack that just might check all your boxes. A big thanks to Thule for letting me check out this cool new rack!
Pros:
- The EasyFold XT 2 is a feature rich electric bike rated rack that is well thought out and portable
- Rack is strong and sturdy thanks to intelligent use of steel, light-weight aluminum alloy, and plastic
- Weighs about 42.5lbs, this overall weight is important because this is actually a rack you can fold up and carry around or push around like luggage since it has wheels
- The rear has reflectors on each end and an optional brake light plug in, a great safety feature I really appreciate
- Has a rear license plate frame, this is great because I have actually been pulled over before with other bike racks as some municipalities will count it against you if the viewing of your license plate is obstructed
- Available accessories like a door-swing so you can get the rack out of the way to reach the rear of your vehicle, or a bag for the rack itself when it is folded up for storage or transport
- Included is a carbon fiber tube protector, with this you can wrap the section of the bike where it might strike another loaded bike frame and keep them from making contact and leaving scratches or scuffs
- Ebike rated from its 130lb weight capacity, ability to fit up to 4.7” fat-tires, and having an adapter piece to fit both 1.25” and 2” hitches on your car
- Locks with 3 cores, 1 on the short arm, 1 on the long arm, and 1 on the hitch knob to protect the rack itself
- Ramps make loading and unloading easy, are flexible, strong, removable, foldable, and have their own storage space
- Locking arms that mount to a larger bar rail, they can be mounted anywhere on that bar rail leaving you with quite a number of configurations, unlike other racks where you only have 1 option that usually cuts into the fender if you have fenders on the bike
- It is easy to carry thanks to that lightweight 42.5lbs, carrying it around is only one form of transport since it has these nice wheels on the bottom, this way you can cart it around like luggage! This makes carrying it around very easy, this is also a great rack if you need to switch it from one car to another
- If your ebike has a walk mode, getting it up and down the ramps takes ease a step further than is already here
Cons:
- Thule’s main competitor, Küat, has a quad rack option, while the Thule only as a triple rack option
- The Küat also comes with a repair stand for your bike, whereas the Thule does not have that option
- The cost is a bit of a con, $750 is a lot for a rack, but that cost could be worth it considering it is a pretty secure investment in your already expensive ebike purchase
- Folding it up is a fantastic feature, but I would still be worried about having it sitting in the back of my car, I would hate to have a big hunk of metal slide around and potentially bash me during a car accident
Resources:
Jim Toth
5 years agoHi Court, Just a couple of comments I wanted to add about the Thule EasyFold XT 2 rack. I ordered mine on line and it arrived with the wheels damaged in shipping. Thule promptly replaced them at no charge for parts or shipping. When the rack is extended with the bikes parallel to the ground you can open the tailgate all the way on a 2016 Chevrolet Colorado. Also this rack will accommodate fat tire bikes if you purchase fat tire straps available on the Thule website for $20.00 a pair. I do protect the bike frames with foam pipe insulation where it looks like they might come in contact with other objects. I purchased Thule rack about six months ago and have used about 10 times, so far, I am very pleased with it.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoWonderful! Thanks for sharing your hands-on real world experience, Jim! It’s nice to hear that it fits well on your ’16 Chevy Colorado. Which bikes are you hauling around with it? Has it made ground contact on any steep transitions?
ReplyVelma Blake
5 years agoI have that model. When it’s connected to my hitch receiver it makes a good bike stand for working on your bike. Unfortunately, it’s not rated for most RVs, with the exception of class B’s.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoSweet, are you liking it so far? Sounds like it comes in handy as a bike k tand, I appreciate you sharing that tip Velma :)
ReplyChuck Morrow
5 years agoPurchased mine at Lone Star Bikes in Salado, Texas. They did a full demo and sample install. Once shown installed on my jeep, I told them to leave it there, I’m buying it now!
To me its not ( a ) bike rack, it’s ( The only ) Bike Rack. Period. Goes back to “you get what you pay for in life,” and this Rack is simply essential.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Chuck, great feedback here! Thanks for the quick testimonial, I hope the EasyFold XT holds up well and you get some great rides in this summer!
ReplyDAN
5 years agoA few comments. Used it for first time on hitch receiver of 2018 Silverado Z-71 to pick up two r-m Homage which are fairly large and heavy. 52 cm frame barely fits on track and tough reach to grab the seat post with the holder arm, just barely enough horizontal range on the arm holder. Both bikes together weigh close to the limit, so took out batteries to be safe. Mounted on hitch receiver ramps are too short to reach the ground at any reasonable angle so had to lift them up to the track, which is pretty high off the ground in this application. Not surprisingly tailgate on the Silverado wont fully open with the rack mounted. A little wobbly with the bikes loaded, so just to be safe, re-tightened and added a ratcheting strap to tie the frames together and to the rack. In the end it worked well, pleased, better than throwing them in the truck bed. Suggestions would be to add more range to the movement of the holder arms, perhaps ability to rotate the claw, and an XL version of the ramp.
ReplyCourt
5 years agoGreat feedback Dan! Thanks for sharing your vehicle type and the specific limitations you encountered. I can almost visualize what you’re talking about, with the higher hitch position, the tailgate of your truck bed, and the little arms being difficult to align and clamp onto parts of the bikes. I struggled a bit with the little arms during this review as well. Thanks again for the tips and feedback, hope Thule reads this and continues refining their products.
ReplyNick
5 years agoWhat I’m not seeing is whether or not it folds up while still attached to the hitch and no bikes are on it. If I don’t have a bike on it I’d like to just fold it up close to the gate so i don’t have to remove it every time i take my bike off. Does anyone know if this is possible?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoGreat question Nick! I just called ElectriCityBikes (where I filmed this rack) and asked about folding while mounted to the car. Yes, they confirmed that the sides will fold up and that the rack will tip back away from the car in this position, so you can access your trunk. Pretty sweet! I’ll remember to mention and show this in the future when doing rack reviews. Hope this helps :)
ReplyNick
5 years agoYeah I see that the wings fold up and out but not the direction I was hoping for. I was hoping that it would fold up parallel to the vehicle, not perpendicular. That way you could keep it on and shorten the length of the back of your vehicle while it was still attached.
Mary Huerstel
4 years agoDid you ever get an answer to this? I don’t look forward to taking the rack off when not in use and would like it to fold up next to the car….
ReplyMark
3 years agoI have an Easy Fold rack. This is a downside to this rack. It remains perpendicular to the vehicle bumper when it’s not in use. The wings fold up onto it, but it remains at full 33″ (or whatever) extension behind the vehicle. This is a major flaw with this bike carrier.
Also of note is that, in my opinion, the 130 lb weight limit is marginal if used for ebikes. There are many ebikes on the market that will exceed this. Removal of batteries is a must.
Also: when sliding the rack onto the hitch receiver, it has a pin that snaps into the slot when a hitch pin normally goes. This pin stops the rack from sliding out and off the receiver. The problem is that this pin on the rack has some slop on it and it sometimes blocks you from sliding the rack onto the receiver. It also doesn’t properly line up with the slot because is moves around. This problem speaks to problems with manufacture: higher tolerances would be nice.
Michael Borden
5 years agoHi Court, this review mentions you also reviewed the Kuat rack. When I search for “Kuat” on EBR, it doesn’t come up. can you please send me a link? thanks!
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Michael! It’s a bit tricky to find the article, sorry about that. Here’s the link to an older Küat NV 2.0 bike rack that I reviewed, and a more recent review of the optional ramp accessory. I eventually sold both and purchased the Küat aluminum rack, called the Sherpa 2.0, because it’s lighter and more compact. I frequently detach it from my car and store in my closet, so even though it cannot support as much weight (in part because it’s a 1-1/4″ hitch), it still works alright. I just remove ebike batteries and put the heaviest model closest to the car :) if you ever want to haul four bikes with the Küat NV 2.0 you’ll need a 2″ hitch version.
ReplyKeith
4 years agoHi Court. I am considering the Dost Drop bike and was wondering if you thought the Thule would work. Dost recommends the Thule however without a top tube on the drop bike I am a little concerned. What do you think?
ReplyCourt
4 years agoGreat question Keith! I don’t know for sure, maybe it just barely works as-is? I’ve had some situations with my Küat rack where I used bungee cords to secure the arm and front wheel when borrowing demo review bikes. What you might really need is a crossbar adapter like these to create a virtual top tube so the bike rack functions as intended :)
ReplyJulian
4 years agoThanks for showing us the detail. I am planning to get two low step bikes (Gazelle Arroyo 8 and Ultimate T10) and this looks like the only option. You mentioned about the hook type issues with fenders and on your Kuat video you clamp in front of the fenders. However, the Kuat manual says that you should absolutely not clamp over fenders and you should clamp next to the fork, never in front of the fender. Am I missing something or is this frame clamp style the only option for low step e-bikes?
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Julian… I’d defer to the official manufacturer recommendations, but I personally do not always follow them. I’m assuming risk, but working around the limitations of the racks by adding crossbar adapters or extra straps or bungee cables that secure the bike to the platform and arm. To me, this is the best way to work around fenders and ensures that even if the bike were to tip over, it would not fall completely off the rack. Again, to protect myself legally, this is not something I am recommending… just sharing my own workarounds and interest in finding the best solutions.
ReplyDmw
4 years agoWe purchased ours per a recommendation from the REI sales person. Overall, we’re pleased with the purchase. The ramp comes in very handy to load the e-bikes so we don’t have to lift them. Only downside is sometimes the post interferes with with the bike peddle when loading the bike, and you have to lean the bike toward you. We generally transport a Genze e-bike and an REI-coop e-bike. Both fit nicely on the rack and are secure. The straps secure the wheels tightly, with little wobbling. It’s a lot of money for the bike rack but well worth it. Especially if your older and cannot lift the heavier e-bikes.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoGreat input, Dmw. Thanks for making that point about the main post and how it can collide with the pedal if it’s not forward or back. I’ve experienced that as well. I hope the rack holds up well for you!
ReplyDMW
4 years agoWe have a Thule Easyfold rack and overall were very pleased with it until this week. We have been transporting both my husbands and my electric bike, each weighing around 56 and 52 lbs. We like the ramp which helps older person with weak shoulders and upper body strength load the bike. The problem we encountered was my bike was furthest from the car, I secured the wheels on the rack and had tighten the knob on the tube bar. However, the tightening knob did not get locked. As we drove on the interstate the vibrations loosened the knob and the bike fell off the rack and drug on the payment. Luckily, the wheel straps held the bike to the rack so we avoided an accident. However it is unsure if my bike is reparable. So everyone, its a great rack just be sure you LOCK ALL the pieces in place. Yes, we would probably purchase the rack again, even though I am disappointed that the srew-knob vibrated loose.
Roger
4 years agoI’m thinking about getting this rack for 2 Trek Allant 8. The spacing looks pretty narrow. Can two ebikes fit on this rack without banging into each other?
Unfortunately I have front fenders which narrows my options for a platform rack.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Roger, you’re correct about the spacing being a little tight here. I found that there were times when a seat had to be lowered so as not to collide with the handlebar of the other bike (since they face in opposite directions). Similar situation with the crank arms and pedals, they have to be in different positions which can require a bit of extra balance or helping hand when loading. Once the bikes are on, the second arm piece can be tricky to fit through or over to lock down the bike that is furthest to the back. It’s all doable, but it does feel a bit crowded. I should have covered this more in my review and will do so in the future ;)
ReplyRoger
4 years agoThank you for your response.
Donna Willoughby
4 years agoWe transport 2 trek allant +7 bikes on the rack. It’s tight but doable even with mirrors extending out of the handlebars, still like the carrier especially the ramp for the heavy bikes.
Reply3 years ago
Appreciate your video but you failed to address how secure the bikes were attached to the rack. I have read a lot of reviews of bikes popping out of the frame clamps on the Thule Fold Up, presumably from the clamp being open ended and not fully encompassing, I wish you would have addressed this concern.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoGreat feedback, sorry this was glossed over. Thanks for the input!
ReplyRobin
3 years agoI want to buy this BUT I really need the 3rd bike extender to accommodate a 3rd bike!!!!! I can’t seem to find any details. Do they still sell it? What is the model number? Thanks.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi Robin! Perhaps a dealer can help you to get an answer. I don’t really know, but I wish you luck :D
ReplyMark
3 years agoHi Court – The next time you do a video review on this (or any) bike rack, will you please do a quick demonstration of loading and unloading a bike from the rack? Thanks!
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi Mark, that’s a great suggestion. It has been a while since this was filmed, I wonder if we ran out of time or something. Hope you’re well!
ReplyChris
3 years agoWork great on Honda Crosstour, class 1 hitch, 2 Juiced Rip Current S e-bikes.
ReplyCourt
3 years agoThat’s wonderful to hear, thanks for the feedback Chris!
ReplyBill Gehring
3 years agoI purchased one several months ago for my new Nevo 3. My biggest criticism is that the ramp (at least MY ramp), is very hard to insert into the slot on the rack. I wrote to Thule and was assigned an inquiry number. However, weeks have passed with no follow up. Perhaps it will be less stubborn over time. Any suggestions anyone?
ReplyCourt
3 years agoInteresting, thanks for the feedback Bill! I hope they get back to you, and maybe someone else will chime in with some feedback. Sorry to hear that the ramp has been more difficult to use than expected.
ReplyJames Werstak
2 years agoMy Thule ebike rack wobbles excessively with two bikes mounted when traveling down the road. I use two ratchet straps on the nearest bike and attach them to my truck with minimal results. With bikes on and off the rack I can shake the rack easily with little effort. Yes, I do tighten the rack to the hitch and tighten.
I just ran into another Thule owner in a parking lot and his hitch is rock solid with absolutely no movement. I bought the hitch in Colorado and live 2,400 miles away in Florida so taking the hitch back to the dealer is not an option. I am very displeased with my purchase.
ReplyCourt
2 years agoInteresting, my Küat rack has a twist handle that pushes a ball out to tighten the hitch and reduce wobbling. Maybe that’s a new design that Thule is using too, or maybe your friend just has a tighter hitch receiver? Sorry to hear about the wobbling, I just found this thing called a hitch tightener that uses U-bolts to help snug the hitch and reduce wobbling… maybe that will help! I imagine it would make it time consuming to remove the rack from the hitch, but perhaps that’s not as much of an issue for you as the wobbling :)
ReplyChet
2 years agoThanks for the reply. Never heard of the hitch tightener. I’m going to try that!
James Werstak
2 years agoGot m my hitch tightener and put in on. Significant improvement, but doesn’t work into a quick load for bikes. Well worth the extra time. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyCourt
2 years agoAwesome! Thank you so much for reporting back on the accessory. I’m so glad it worked for you and appreciate the feedback James. It sounds like the part requires some extra time to setup, but adds a sense of peace. That’s wonderful, happy riding :D
Reply