Convenient and easy to use bicycle rack for transporting your bike to the trails

Price: £95

What they say: The best and most convenient roof mounted bike carrier on the market – for bikes up to 20 kg.

What it is:  Unless you happen to live very close to your nearest riding spot, travelling to the trails by car is inevitable. You could sling your bike in the back of the car, but when it’s covered in mud? No thanks. The Thule ProRide 951 is an excellent roof-mounted bicycle rack that is easy to use and very convenient.

Installing the rack on the car couldn’t be easier. . First, you need to ensure you’ve fitted the relevant roof bars for your car (Thule’s website has a handy compatibility guide to help you choose the right ones) then it’s simply a case of sliding the ProRide into the channels in the roof bars, and clamping it down into place. A ley locks the front of the rack to prevent theft.

The ProRide 951 race then secures the bike in place with an articulating arm that clamps around the down tube. It can accommodate most oversize down tubes and every bike we tried it with worked just fine. Some bikes with very oversized or convoluted down tube designs might not be compatible, so it’s worth checking first.

A large turn dial clamps the arm onto the down tube. Once tightened up, it can be locked in place with a key. It’s a good theft deterrent but we wouldn’t place too much trust in leaving the bike and car alone for long periods. A push button releases the lock. Ratchet straps lock down both wheels onto adjustable curved wheel trays. The rack can accommodate bikes of all sizes and any wheel size. Thule also states a maximum bike weight of 20kg (44lb) which should be plenty of most bikes.

Using the ProRide 951 is easy, with one-handed operation of the clamp.  It’s very secure – I’ve used it on many long journeys – and while the bike does wobble a bit when you load it up, it’s fixed very firmly in place so is just fine on high speed motorway drives. The only downside is the impact on fuel economy, how much depends on your vehicle, but it’s worth considering. And of course remembering you’ve got the bike on the roof…

Who it’s good for: Quick and easy way of safely transporting bikes to the trails with a high quality build and nice attention to detail, and accommodates most bikes with ease

Contact: www.thule.com