Helium Pro Hitch Bike Rack

Much better then I expected. We had to replace our bike rack because we couldn't open the rear hatch on our new mini van with it on. I looked at a lot of different ones that would work on our Pacifica. Most of them were less expensive and would do the job, but this one was listed as being a good deal lighter. We are in our 70's and putting the old one the hitch took us both, not fun, so we finally agreed to get this one. It is fantastic! It went together very quickly and I think I could put it on the car by my self if I needed to. It locks to the hitch and there is a cable lock for the bikes. The old rack had trays for the tires and the bikes hang on this one so I imagine that will take both of us to load the bikes, at least it did for our trial run. But that's OK. It holds the bikes well and we are both happy with our purchase. And I almost forgot, it very easily folds away from the rear of the car. Of course the bikes can't be on the rack but that works fine for us.

Within a few hours of the box arriving, I had the rack assembled and attached to the receiver on my Forrester ready for a four hour trip. Assembly instructions were easy to follow. I had a bit of difficulty with the locking mechanism on the knob that tightens the hitch mechanism and called for help. Support response was immediate and the individual who answered gave very helpful coaching and then followed up. On my first trip I found the hold down strapping system holding top tubes and down tube held bikes very, very securely. The integral locking mechanism for the bikes worked like a charms. The mechanisms which lock the articulating the arms and the hitch lowering were rugged and easy to use. The overall build quality seems excellent. If you want a bike rack that will last, this is one to get.

I have not yet road tested this rack, and so I'm not yet committed to it, but here are my initial impressions: First what I don't like (thus the reasons for 4 rather than 5 stars): 1. The instructions are only cryptic graphics. There are no written instructions in any language, which just seems like plain laziness on Thule's part. I figured out the assembly, but I consulted YouTube for the locking features (hitch and retractable cable lock). 2. The vertical stays on the cradles are useless with my mountain bikes, which have a shock absorber spring in front of the vertical seat tube that makes it impossible to wrap the vertical stay strap around that tube. I'll use bungee cords or the supplied black nylon strap to keep the bikes from swinging on the road, knowing that there will be bike-to-bike contact. So, if your bikes are new or nicer than my old Raleighs and you don't want them scratched, consider this factor. 3. The nylon cradle straps require some fiddling to get them on and off, mostly because it requires significant, sustained pressure on the thumb tab to release them. This should be a much quicker, easier process. 4. The only folding for storage is at the cradle arms, so it's large and bulky to store. Now, what I like (mostly): 1. It's light but very solidly built. This is my #1 reason for the 4-star rating. 2. Attaching and removing the rack to/from the hitch is relatively easy (though it takes a little wiggling to pull out even with the hitch lock fully turned out), and very secure. If someone wants to steal this rack, it won't be by detaching it from the hitch unless they pick the lock. 3. Using the 2" hitch adapter for my 2" receiver (pre-installed out of the box), once it's locked down, there is zero wobble at the hitch. BTW, you also have to use some muscle to tighten the hinge bolt at the tilting joint to the point that there is no play - once that's done, no wobble. 4. The retractable cable lock is nifty and convenient. However, if you truly value your bikes, I wouldn't rely solely on this lock for long periods away from them. 5. The tilting feature is more than adequate to open the hatch of a BMW X3. Although Thule does not recommend using the tilt feature with bikes onboard, it should still work if your bikes aren't really heavy. 6. The one key system for hitch and cable lock is nice, and it comes with 2 cut keys and one spare uncut blank.

This product is strong, lightweight (I’m 73 and no problems), and easy to use and store. It takes about 7-8 minutes to remove my bikes, disconnect the rack, and store everything. So yes, 6 stars is what it deserves. I only gave it 5 because that’s all that Amazon allows and because of one problem—assembly instructions. In the long history of assembly instructions, these are the worst EVER. Someone in management decided that Egyptian hieroglyphics were a good idea, so all you get is nearly indecipherable pictograms. It took me about 5 hours to figure it out—yes 5!! Just think of all the FUN I could have had!! But no, my life has been blighted. MANAGEMENT!! Hire an English speaker who can WRITE clear, concise assembly directions. For the sake of the lives of your customers.

My back isn’t what it used to be, and putting a bike rack on the back of the car can be a real chore. This rack is lightweight, easy to put on and has all the features you need. I use it with one or two bikes and it works great. Not only is it much lighter in weight, it is very sturdy. My first one is several years old now and still in perfect shape.

Nice, lightweight, easy to set up, however the plastic ratchet straps do not secure your bike. At 60 mph the vertical strap locking mechanism went 180 degrees backwards and the strap backed off. My bike then went horizontal. Luckily the top straps held and I was able to pull over and re-secure my bike. This is a 20 lbs gravel bike with a narrow profile, so not much surface area to create a sail effect. This is kinda an unbelievably poor design and it is obvious it was never tested at any speeds above 40 mph. This is a really dangerous and creates a massive hazard to others on the road and will likely result in damage to bike and possible injury to others on the road. I have used Thule products for years and was not expecting such poor design from them.

Very easy to use bike rack, solid design, carries 3 bikes easily. First use had me nervous as the cable straps were very tight however each subsequent use built my confidence over time and street traveling thousands of kilometers with bikes on this bike rack I can confidently say this is a good buy. Easy to add and remove from your hitch, it is lightweight yet very strong and sturdy. Things just click in place and hold well. I like using all the straps and tieing up the wheels of my bikes well with the supplied strap to bundle the bikes together and stop any wheel rotation. Loading bikes together in weight order is simple and easy to align. Recommend.

Todo bien

The Thule helium pro has all the latch features as Apex VERSION but all aluminum and so a bit lighter. Just travelled 1200 miles over turnpike speeds and some bumpy highways with good results. Fits both 1 1/4 and 2" hitch mounts with no worries. Nice locking for hitch and bikes.

En general todo bien. Sólo que me llego abierta la caja y veo que no trae el cable de bloqueo. Alguien me puede aclarar si debería incluirlo?

If you buy this, you had better be mechanically inclined as the instructions (a collection of drawings) won't help you much. The locking mechanism for the lower hinge fell inside the case and I had to retrieve it with a magnet then figure out how it was supposed to work. This wasn't referenced at all in the manual. I did get it completed. The straps that hold the bike on the rack seem flimsy compared to my old Thule with the fat rubber elastic straps.