Thule, the Swedish brand of premium vehicle accessories and luggage, believe that no bicycle should be left behind when travelling this holiday. Thule offer a wide variety of solutions for carrying bicycles, by car or plane, to your next holiday destination, safely and securely.
Towbar mounted bicycle carriers
Thule’s towbar mounted bicycle carrying solutions prioritise the easy and safe transportation of bicycles and in the last 18 months Thule have refreshed their range, with three new towbar mounted bicycle carrying solutions. These completely new products have been designed to meet the demands of modern cyclists, changing bicycle technology and how these products integrate with modern vehicles.
Thule Epos
Last year Thule launched the Epos, a brand-new rack that brought a host of new features to the market aimed at simplifying the loading of a wide variety of bicycles onto the carrier.
The biggest innovation that the Epos brought to market is the way in which the bicycles are now attached to the carrier. The Epos utilises an innovative telescopic bike attachment system where patented telescopic arms with a pivoting cradle, along with steel reinforced straps, mounted to the base of the rack, offer infinite adjustment for simple attachment anywhere on the frame or rear wheel. This system also eliminates the need to thread attachments through the frames of the bicycles loaded alongside and allows up to three bikes to be loaded in any order, eliminating the need for last on first off. All types of frames and geometries are supported including e-bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes with a generous 25mm between bikes.
A load capacity of 30kg per bike as well as extra-long wheel holders enable the easy transportation of bikes with slacker head angles, chunkier tyres and longer wheelbases up to 1350mm.
Thule Outpace
The Thule Outpace is a lightweight and compact platform style towbar mounted bicycle carrier that can transport up to three bicycles. Bicycles are secured by independent, articulating arms along with an adjustable pivoting head and strap. This design accommodates a wide variety of bicycle frames and designs and allows for bicycles to be loaded or unloaded in any order. The Outpace can be tilted vertically to save space and tilted rearwards for easy access to the vehicle’s luggage compartment.
The Thule Outpace is unique in the manner that it can fold up in order to be stored at home or in the boot of a vehicle when not in use.
Thule EasyFold 3
The Thule EasyFold 3 is a brand-new model that blends Thule’s tried and tested bicycle carrying design with numerous new features. A new platform offers enhanced flexibility which accommodates a wider range of bicycle styles, including e-bikes.
An innovative new securing arm with nested strap and pivoting head incorporates soft padding to ensure a secure fit on frames ranging in size from 22mm to 90mm, making it suitable for everything from children’s bicycles to chunky mountain bikes. Each arm is individually lockable, ensuring bicycle safety once loaded. The securing arm attaches to the platform via an intuitive click-in/click out attachment that allows for one handed loading and unloading of bicycles.
The Thule EasyFold 3 is capable of transforming from a two-bike to a three-bike or from a three-bike to a four-bike using an additional bike adaptor. Additional accessories include a folding loading ramp, longer wheel straps and a storage bag.
A fully foldable design ensures that the EasyFold 3 is simple to store and transport when not in use.
Roof racks
For those cyclists who want their vehicle to look like it belongs in the Tour de France convoy, who own a vehicle that is not able to be fitted with a tow bar or in cases where the towbar is utilised for other purposes such as towing caravan, Thule continue to offer a variety of roof mounted options. Cyclists can choose between fork, frame or wheel mounted rooftop bicycle carriers, all of which are super easy to mount to Thule’s roof racks, which are available for most of the vehicles on sale in South Africa today.
Cleared for take off
Cyclists who are jetting off to tick some European climbs or trails off their cycling bucket list or who simply just prefer to travel to their holiday destination by plane can take advantage of Thule’s range of luggage solutions that will ensure that their bicycle and gear are cleared for take off.
The Thule RoundTrip bike case is designed to ensure that bicycles survive the rigours of travelling in the cargo hold of an aircraft. Padded interior panels and secure mounting points ensure that everything remains perfectly in place. A moulded HDPE bottom tub and rigid side panels reinforced with 5mm corrugate polypropylene provide superior protection.
Innovative features such as an integrated work stand make reassembly an easy, hassle free affair and integrated wheels make for simple airport manoeuvring.
Thule are well known for their extensive range of luggage and backpacks that are both stylish and innovative. With a wide variety of options on offer cyclists are sure to find a solution that meets their packing needs.
One such solution is the Thule RoundTrip bike duffel, a purpose-built gear bag for cyclists, featuring a wide variety of compartments for the organisation of cycling gear and accessories. This innovative duffel bag measures 55-litres giving cyclists enough space to hold three to five days of road or mountain bike gear. A large opening offers an easy view of all items and efficient access to all compartments.
Shop online or in store today
Thule’s high-quality bicycle transportation solutions prioritise ease of use and safe transportation. Along with a host of innovative features, the latest models uphold the brands reputation of manufacturing equipment of an extremely high quality, which is backed up by a five-year warranty.
Thule’s wide range of rooftop cargo carriers, bicycle racks, accessories, luggage and car seats are available from Thule Concept stores located throughout South Africa. For more information please visit www.thulestore.co.za
