Often, the most stressful part of a trip is getting the bikes, bags, humans and other essentials packed safely, and in comfort. Thule has been reducing this angst for 80 years, with its refined collections of bike, boat and bag transportation solutions. The Swedish firm is famed for its quality and user-friendly design, no more so than in our two go-to units, which combine perfectly to make your next adventure all about the bike.
Thule EuroWay G2 3-bike carrier
If your car has a tow bar, this is the best and most affordable carrier in the Thule range. We’ve used ours on tar roads and on dirt, from Clanwilliam to Morgan Bay – and three years later, it’s still going strong.
It can take three full-sized mountain bikes, or any combination of road, mountain and kids’ bikes. We’ve even used it to transport a Specialized Turbo Levo e-bike, another adult mountain bike and a kid’s bike.
Loading the bikes is easy, but it takes some practice to get them into a position where they won’t injure each other (removing the pedals is usually the best way to achieve this). Once they’re on, you can tilt the carrier so you can still open your boot.
Back home again, you can collapse the vertical support and stand the carrier against the wall, out of the way. It takes up about as much space as a large suitcase.
- Detachable bike arms for convenient mounting of bikes.
- Folds flat easily for simple storage and fits in most boots.
- Smart foot pedal tilt for easy trunk access even with bikes mounted.
- Adjustable one-hand coupling with low closing force for easy mounting of carrier.
- Pump buckles with long wheel straps for easy fastening of wheels.
- Carrier lockable on tow bar and all bike positions lockable to carrier (locks included).
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Max number of bikes 3 Max weight per bike 24 kg Max load capacity 51 kg Dimensions 102 x 73 cm Product weight 16.4 kg Fits frame dimensions 22-80 mm Detachable frame holders Yes Distance between bikes 19 cm Carbon frame compatible Yes. Adapter/s required: Thule AcuTight Knob, Thule Carbon Frame Protector Tilt function (with bikes) Yes Fits cars with exterior spare tyre Yes. Adapter/s required: Thule Off-Road Adapter 9202 Rear lights Yes Power connector 7 Pin One Key System Compatible Yes Lockable bike-to-rack Yes Lockable rack-to-vehicle Yes
R9 999 / thulestore.co.za
Thule Touring S roof box
A roof box will change your travelling life. No more whining kids crammed in between piles of bags and sundry – put them in the box, and forget all about them. The bags, obviously, not the kids.
The Touring S has a 330l capacity, and is rated to bear 50kg of luggage. How much space is that in the real world? Well, the average boot-space quoted for the Golf/Polo/Corolla grouping of family sedans runs to about 380l – so you double your carrying capacity by simply bolting a fuel-friendly aero box to your roof racks. You can even buy a set of four Thule duffel bags that fit perfectly into the box, for extra neat-freak-ness.
- Simple, secure fitting thanks to the FastClick quick-mount system with integrated torque indicator
- DualSide opening for convenient mounting, loading and unloading.
- CentralLocking system provides maximum safety. The grip-friendly Thule Comfort key can only be removed if all locking points are securely closed
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Volume 330L External dimensions 139 x 90 x 40 cm Load capacity 50 kg Mounting system FastClick Weight 10 kg Locking system Central Lock Ski carrier No Colour Titan Aeroskin Fits Thule WingBar Evo Yes Fits Thule WingBar Yes Fits Thule SlideBar Yes. Adapter/s required Fits Thule SquareBar Yes Fits Thule AeroBar Yes
R7 999 / thulestore.co.za