Thule Easyfold XT2 - A good rack for ebikes and the best one if you have fenders

[Concord4826]

I recently bought a Trek Super Commuter 8, being that this is a great rack for fender bikes I'm extremely interested in getting one. The second bike that I have is a carbon bike.Thule states that this is compatable with carbon using the optional carbon protector. Has anyone experienced using this rack with a carbon bike? My major concern is using the clamps on a carbon frame.

 

[bonefish101]

Yep, absolutely love mine for ease of use and smart engineering.

 

[Alaskan]

Alaskan-I have a new Homage which I carry on my EASYFOLD X2 rack. Because of the geometry of the bike and the rack, I have not found that either the long or short clamp allows me to get a good solid grip on the seat post down tube. I had the bike in the slot close to the car. Do you have a photo showing how you do it?
Thanks

 

[Norm Harrris]

Thank you!

 

[Alaskan]

Thank you!

That photo is my wife's 2018 homage Rohloff HS which has a slightly lower step thru than the 2019 Homage. It goes closest to the car. I put the 2019 on the back/outer position with the clamp at the bottom of the seat post, angling up, lying parallel on the base between the seat post and the downtube. Make sure it is positioned to grab the seatpost well inside the clamp and also not close enough to wiggle and chaffe on the front bikes frame.

 

[jcpawlak]

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I am in the midst of researching a rack to carry both a 19" RadCity and a RadCity Step-Thru (with fenders). Finding one that will allow my wife to load/unload on her own if I am not around is key, and securing that Step-Thru appears to be the more challenging of the two bikes. The Thule is my front-runner so far, but curious if there are any thoughts that would sway me for or against the Saris Freedom 2-bike, the Hollywood Sport Rider (HR1450Z-E) or the BuzzRack Scorpion H?

 

[NWMI]

I do not have Rad City bikes but I do have e-bikes with fenders including a step through and did a lot of research.

I ended getting the Easy Fold because it seemed so well-designed and was so easy to store in the car overnight when traveling or in the garage, along with the ramp, and other features.

I have only used it once, to bring the bikes home, and it took a bit to figure out the best clamp position, but that is probably true of most racks.

I have been concerned to read of a few reports of the arm coming loose from the rack but hard to know the frequency of that and how many were operator error. I will be using a safety strap as a backup. Seems like I shouldn't have to, but better to be safe than sorry.

The Saris seemed nice but not as nice as the Easy Fold, not as easily stored, and I was put off by several reviews complaining of bad QC....racks put together wrong, missing parts, labels slapped on crooked.

The Hollywood looked like a very solid rack and I liked that, but primarily for 2" receiver.....no anti-wobble for 1 1/4 receiver. Initially I liked the look of the wheel baskets (which Easy Fold does not have) but then I read a comment that their wire design means that all the bikes weight (and impact of bumps) is on those 2 points of the bike wheel, not evenly distributed. Don't know if that is a legitimate concern or not. Also very big and heavy which was good for sturdiness but not good to handle and store.

I did not look at the BuzzRack.

The Kuat and One Up users absolutely love their racks but like many, are problematic for those of us with fenders.

So I got the Easy Fold based on my research but have not used enough yet to make friends with it.

Hope that helps.

 

[jcpawlak]

I do not have Rad City bikes but I do have e-bikes with fenders including a step through and did a lot of research.

I ended getting the Easy Fold because it seemed so well-designed and was so easy to store in the car overnight when traveling or in the garage, along with the ramp, and other features.

I have only used it once, to bring the bikes home, and it took a bit to figure out the best clamp position, but that is probably true of most racks.

I have been concerned to read of a few reports of the arm coming loose from the rack but hard to know the frequency of that and how many were operator error. I will be using a safety strap as a backup. Seems like I shouldn't have to, but better to be safe than sorry.

The Saris seemed nice but not as nice as the Easy Fold, not as easily stored, and I was put off by several reviews complaining of bad QC....racks put together wrong, missing parts, labels slapped on crooked.

The Hollywood looked like a very solid rack and I liked that, but primarily for 2" receiver.....no anti-wobble for 1 1/4 receiver. Initially I liked the look of the wheel baskets (which Easy Fold does not have) but then I read a comment that their wire design means that all the bikes weight (and impact of bumps) is on those 2 points of the bike wheel, not evenly distributed. Don't know if that is a legitimate concern or not. Also very big and heavy which was good for sturdiness but not good to handle and store.

I did not look at the BuzzRack.

The Kuat and One Up users absolutely love their racks but like many, are problematic for those of us with fenders.

So I got the Easy Fold based on my research but have not used enough yet to make friends with it.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the comments. Your thought process is very similar to how I arrived at the Easy Fold as my frontrunner The price tag is the only real reason I didn't pull the trigger already....if everyone else said any other is equally as good in terms of performance/etc, and a couple hundred bucks cheaper, then I'd reconsider.

If nothing else, we'll have two of the Easy Folds running around TC and can help each other out!

 

[NWMI]

I didn't realize that you are in TC...small world!!!

Sorry, re-reading your original post, I missed that your wife being able to load the bike herself would be key.

Ebikes are not light, especially RadCity bikes, and the Easy Fold is the only one with a ramp, so I think there is your answer.

I usually purchase most of my stuff on Amazon, but I purchased the Easy Fold locally in case that I wanted to return it. Both Brick Wheels and City Bike handle it.

Good luck and see you on the trail!!!

 

[Deacon Blues]

I recently bought a Trek Super Commuter 8, being that this is a great rack for fender bikes I'm extremely interested in getting one. The second bike that I have is a carbon bike.Thule states that this is compatable with carbon using the optional carbon protector. Has anyone experienced using this rack with a carbon bike? My major concern is using the clamps on a carbon frame.

I have this rack. I bought it to carry two e-bikes and also use it to carry my carbon road bike, using the carbon protector. I've only been carrying my carbon road bike on the rack for the last month, but so far it has worked fine. The trick is to screw down the clamp enough so that the jaws don't slip out, but not to over clamp it and possibly crack the carbon. I screw down the clamp until it gets snug and then increase the clamping slowly until the clamp won't move. It was a bit nerve-racking for the first 3 or 4 times, but not so much now. The optional carbon protector worked great.

 

[tomjasz]

I have a nice rack in Minnesota that I'll no longer use. Too expensive to ship, but if someone were near 55987...

Thule T2 classic

Go to etrailer for GREAT videos of their bike racks. Very helpful!

SWEET!!! XT2!!!! video. https://images.etrailer.com/static/...fold-xt-2-electric-bike-rack-th903202_web.mp4

 

[Over50]

From the Easyfold user manual - the one on the right resembles mine:
View attachment 31753

I posted that quite sometime ago and spent a couple of seasons without a safe/functional bike transportation option. My Subaru dealer installed the 1.25" hitch shown on the right in the Thule diagram above. Per Thule, it is not to be used with their EasyFold or several of their sturdier racks. I had purchased the EasyFold prior to having the hitch installed. I could not get my Subaru dealer or Subaru (opened a ticket with them) to recognize any deficiency in the part they were selling particularly when they partner with Thule and sell Thule products out of their showroom. Subaru actually said it was a Thule problem. I still used the EasyFold for short local journeys carrying one bike only and using a stabilizer strap. I looked at all options of adding extenders etc but nothing seemed to solve the problem above which relates to the location of the hitchpin hole.

I finally bit the bullet, tired of not being able to transport two bikes for weekend outings with my wife. I had a dealer uninstall the hitch and install a 2" hitch that I purchased from eTrailer. It required a separate order of a new bumper crash guard from Subaru. With the new hitch installed, I got a good deal on a Kuat N.V. 2.0 (at about a $200 discount). I've only mounted bikes on the Kuat as a test but it seems solid. Native for a 2" hitch, it has zero wobble whereas the EasyFold with the 2" adapter still had some wobble. I may still use the EasyFold (not sure) but I would definitely pair it with a stabilization strap. On the other hand, I may sell the EasyFold (very lightly used) and if so will post it on EBR and ship to purchaser. Probably the other benefit of the Kuat, is that it does not stick out as far as the EasyFold. At the LBS, we measured from the end of the hitch to the farthest point on the racks and Kuat did not protrude as far. The EasyFold would have been ideal if it was made to rotate and lock to the side when not in use. Apart from that, I think it is more designed to be easily removed when not in use.

In the pics, I threw a Tern on the Kuat just to see if it would handle 20" wheels which it seems to do.

 

[gkgeiger]

I have owned an Easyload 9032 (first version) for about 3 years now. I think it is the best carrier for ebikes. I have a couple of Rad City step thru's here in FL, and the carrier does everything I want. I do agree with the security concern when traveling. I'm going to solve that by purchasing 2 bikes for my place in Ohio. The bikes I've decided on have built in batteries in the front down tube like the picture Alaskan posted in the first post. I see that he clamps on the seat post tube. That's probably a great location for the inner bike but what about the outer bike? I think that the front down tube with battery will block the arm from reaching the seat post on the outer bike. Since I don't have the bikes yet I can't verify this. Am I over thinking this? Help Alaskan!

 

[Lynne5]

We just purchased the Thule Easyfold 903202 for our two Gazelle E bikes.
We are very pleased, but have a couple of questions, perhaps for @Alaskan or anyone familiar with the rack.

We notice 1) that when the rack is mounted, the hitch attachment is very secure. But there is a small amount of forward/backward movement at the point where the rack attaches to the tongue (not at the hitch). Is this normal, perhaps, to allow for the various positions that are possible?
2)We don’t hear a true click when tightening our short clamp. It basically tightens up but then just turns. The longer clamp makes two quiet clicks when it is tight enough. Is this cause for worry?
Otherwise this rack seems very secure overall.

 

[Alaskan]

Not sure about your first question. I have not noticed this on mine but I do use 2 Curt Bike Rack Straps on mine to stabilize and support the whole set up.

As to your second question,I would submit the short clamp for a warranty claim. Both of mine work the same way, with a distinct click and release when they reach the requisite tension.

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[Lynne5]

Per your previous comments, I do have the Curt strap and I think it is a good idea.

Thank you @Alaskan !

 

[TNEP]

I have this rack and 2 ebikes . Mine is a little older and has a useless 1 piece ramp that is poorly designed. The rest is good. I've never used straps to secure to the rear hatch but I do use a ratchet strap underneath which pulls the back of the ramp down from underneath and also pulls forward pressure so it could never come out. I attach it underneath in a perfect spot just in front of the latch to release the bikes backward for rear hatch access. I dont have to remove the strap for this. This works very well and takes most of the up and down slop /movement out it, very rigid now.
Also, I've noticed in your pictures that your rear tailights are obstructed . Mine are too and I purchased a rear light kit that I can use with or without my cover system that I use for a longer journey.

 

[gkgeiger]

I have owned an Easyload 9032 (first version) for about 3 years now. I think it is the best carrier for ebikes. I have a couple of Rad City step thru's here in FL, and the carrier does everything I want. I do agree with the security concern when traveling. I'm going to solve that by purchasing 2 bikes for my place in Ohio. The bikes I've decided on have built in batteries in the front down tube like the picture Alaskan posted in the first post. I see that he clamps on the seat post tube. That's probably a great location for the inner bike but what about the outer bike? I think that the front down tube with battery will block the arm from reaching the seat post on the outer bike. Since I don't have the bikes yet I can't verify this. Am I over thinking this? Help Alaskan!

I've been hauling my R1U 700 step thru's for a few weeks now and everything is fine. Clamps work well on both seat post tubes. I agree with tnep, the ramp is useless. I lift mine on.

 

[RandallS]

Per your previous comments, I do have the Curt strap and I think it is a good idea.

Thank you @Alaskan !

Another Wagon owner! It's getting harder and harder to find them. I've a VW Sportswagen and a Volvo XC70, and have a group of friends who also drive wagons. Come to think of it, they're cyclists too.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I owned a Thule Easyfold for a couple of years and recently sold it.
For me the rack to two faults:
1. I found mounting two bikes on the rack to be a real PITA.
2. Even though the clamps are rubber I found that on a long drive the clamp would leave marks on the paint. Using Thule's rubber sleeve (recommended for bikes with carbon frames) helped.

Trying to mount two bikes was my major beef with this rack. Having to snake the clamp arms through the bike frame and turn it to clamp to part of the frame took way longer than it should have.