etrailer | Thule Epos 2 Bike Rack Review

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https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Bike_Racks-sf-Platform_Rack.aspx

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Full transcript: https://www.etrailer.com/tv-review-thule-epos-2-bikes-rack-TH99XE.aspx
Hi everyone, Aidan here at etrailer. And today we're gonna be taking a look at the Thule Epos two-bike platform style bike rack. It's gonna be a great option to carry your bikes if you've got a variety of different styles anywhere from carbon frame to bikes with fenders, e-bikes or alternative frame. Let's check it out. The thing that makes this so versatile is the mast system and that's gonna be the primary way we're holding the bikes. And with that you've got the option to attach to that rear wheel like we have on our outer bike today, or you can attach to the frame like we have on our inner bike.

This is going to be able to rotate 360 degrees. It's height adjustable. We'll see that a bit more later in the video. But that allows it to adapt to all kinds of different alternative frames. For bikes with fenders where attaching to a front tire isn't very feasible, you've got that frame hold that you can do.

Or in the case of our carbon frame bikes where we don't want frame contact, that rear wheel is an option too. The rear wheel does come with a bit of a caveat. It's really only this front quarter of that rear tire that we can clamp onto where we are today. Front tire is not advised by Thule and anywhere else on that wheel or maybe say the forks, these points of movement they don't recommend. So at the very least though, you still have the option.

And the only limitation you'll really find for yourself is say a carbon frame bike that had fenders that maybe stretched really far. But even so, this section here would be okay and very likely would be available. At the bottom of the tray, we've got our secondary points of contact, these ratcheting wheel straps on both sides that pull the bike down and in. And these are true ratcheting straps. That's one of the things that lets us get really secure is the fact that we can get it just a bit tighter than we would be just pulling the strap through by hand.

That extra little click goes a long way to make sure your bikes are solid. And that's one of the things that gives it its great weight capacity. The Epos can support 140 pounds of weight across your two bikes, so that could be two 70 pound bikes or even if you had one 75 pound bike, you can do that so long as your second bike weighs no more than 65 pounds. So pretty solid capacity there considering the average weight of an e-bike is around that 60 pound mark. If you've got some heavier ones, they'll be able to attach to this rack no problem. This rack is gonna work for a wide range of bikes and I really like that about that boast, but one of the things I like even more is how accessible it can be for a lot of different people. And what that really comes down to is the ease of use. And for me that all starts with the tilting feature where you can tilt the rack away from the vehicle using the foot pedal on the outside and gain access to the back hatch of your vehicle, allowing you to get stuff out of the back, your helmet, biking shoes, a snack. Maybe just have a place to sit down and change your shoes before or after your ride. You can do that. And the reason I like the tilting feature so much is one, how aggressive it is. It gives us tons of room so even on a larger lift gate like a Suburban or a 4Runner, you're gonna have the space more than likely. But it hinges at a different point than most platform style racks do. So even though we've got an e-bike on here, it's not super heavy, at least it doesn't feel very heavy. It positions that weight a bit closer to the car so it's not all coming down on you at once, making it easier to operate. Not to mention that foot pedal is so easy to reach that we don't have to crouch down or reach through our bikes. We maintain a stable upright position where when this releases, you've got a strong hold, and it's not all coming down on top of you like it might with some other racks. One of the other things I really like about it is the fact that it's compatible with a ramp attachment. It doesn't come with it. So if you don't have any need for a ramp kit, that's okay, you don't have to get it. But if that's something that concerns you, maybe loading those heavier e-bikes is challenging. You can get that ramp and it'll just slot into the very end of the tray allowing you to roll the bike up that ramp for easier loading and unloading. When you're unloading the bike, I always like to start with those wheel straps we saw at the bottom first

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