ProView – Thule Verse Bike Rack Review

When it comes to seamlessly transporting your bikes from your home to the trail, the Thule Verse bike rack is a luxury. This bike rack is simple to use and was clearly made with the intention of perfecting all of the details. I put this bike rack on the back of my Chevy Astro Van and have used it to transport my bike to a variety of front range trails. 

I am a little person, and bikes are hard for me to handle. I dread having to haul my bike out of the house and load it onto the bike rack. There have been several times that I have given myself a pinch or bruise trying to manhandle my bike and secure it into a bike rack. The Thule verse is a very different experience. Everything on it is easy to use – there is no manhandling involved.

Part of owning an old van is that the ride usually gets bumpy. I have had two other bike racks on the van, and all of them made me fear for my bike’s life. The Thule verse on the other hand, is reassuring. It is stable and secure and everytime I have my bikes in tow, I hardly give them a second glance.

Installation

This bike rack was super easy to assemble & install! It took my partner and I about 30 minutes to have the rack put together and on the hitch. It came with helpful tools but it did have a lot of pieces that were hard to keep organized.

Look

The Verse bike rack is sleek in a subtle way – It does not stick out and draw attention to itself. However subtle it may be, it still speaks for itself with a nice bike rack look. The look easily rivals modern bike rack styles from other brands. 

Fit

The bike rack fits nicely on the van and hugs close off of the hitch. Our vans doors open off the back and the bike rack fits in a way that allows us to lower the bike rack and still open its doors with the bikes on the rack. It fits me and my partners mountain bikes perfectly – it has ample room for two bikes regardless of their size. 

Features

I feel like this bike rack lacks a little in the features department. Looking at other bike racks, they have a bit more to offer with the purchase of the bike rack. On Thule’s website, there are several accessories that you can buy for the bike rack, but that means extra cost in addition to already buying the rack. 

One feature worth mentioning is the bike lock system. The lock that comes with the rack is sturdy and simple. The only downside is that you have to carry the cable with you in the car if you aren’t using it. The cable is thick so it is a minor inconvenience. 

Performance

The Thule Verse performs exactly as it advertises. All of the moving parts are easy to finagle and work smoothly. It is easy to secure your bike and does not make you want to re-tighten things a few times before hitting the road. 

Durability/Construction

The Thule verse SHINES in the durability department. When I put the rack on my van it was March, so I was still doing a fair bit of skiing. I was pulling out of a snowy trailhead and backed the rack right into a frozen snow bank. When I checked on the bike rack there was not a single mark on it. This thing holds up well to wear and tear!

What sets this product apart?

I would say that two things set this bike rack apart – durability and ease of use. It is so easy to load and secure your bike onto this rack. Thule really hit the mark with reliable moving parts and streamlined systems. The rack holds up to wear and tear super well! Whether bumping it while lifting your bike or backing into something it doesn’t show a mark!

Friendliness to the Earth

I would say that this product does okay for sustainability. It has a lot of plastic which isn’t great but the aluminum parts are recyclable. I would say what gives this product a leg-up is its durability. This is a product that you can use for a very long time! 

The Final Word

Ultimately the Thule Verse gets the job done! It makes loading your bike a breeze and keeps me from stressing about my bike loading process. It is reliable and keeps your bikes stable no matter the road (or the car). It may not have a bunch of fancy bells and whistles but it makes your bike life a whole lot easier!

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