Unless you have a pickup or a van, at some point you are going to have to put your bike in the car. This is no problem at the start of the ride, when your bikes clean and sparkling; however it’s a different game when your bikes covered in cow shit and it’s raining. If you regularly drive to a spot to ride your bike, in order to save your sanity and certainly your upholstery you are going to want a decent bike rack.

There are a lot of options for carrying bikes on a car, but the most popular are roof bars and tow bar mounts. If you have a tow bar fitted to your car, then the tow ball mounted racks offer one of the most convenient and secure mounting options available, keeping your bikes behind the car in the most aerodynamic location. Bike carrying rack super giant Thule have a range of options available, and we were keen to test their flagship €339 VeloCompact 925.

The Thule Velocompact 925 has proven itself over 1000km of use
The Thule VeloCompact 925 has proven itself over 1000km of use
We especially like the sturdy tilt control for boot access
We especially like the sturdy tilt control for boot access
Mounting to the towbar is an easy one person operation and the rack can be locked on the car
Mounting to the towbar is an easy one person operation and the rack can be locked on the car

The VeloCompact 925 is Thule’s lightest and most compact two bike carrier, weighting just 14.3kg and has adjustable wheel holders to accept long wheel base bikes. During testing we have mounted 12 different brands of enduro bikes with different wheel sizes to the rack and have yet to find a combination that could not be successfully secured. The ratchet straps that secure the wheels makes loading and unloading an easy one person job and we found that once setup for a pair of bikes, we can load and unload in seconds.

The velocompact is load rated up to 46kg, and feels very secure
The VeloCompact is load rated up to 46kg, and feels very secure
Loading is very simple, simply place the bike on the rack and secure the two quick adjust straps....
Loading is very simple, simply place the bike on the rack and secure the two quick adjust straps….
Then wind on the rubberised and lockable frame clamp, you are now good to go
Then wind on the rubberised and lockable frame clamp, you are now good to go

The first time a new combination of bikes are loaded you have to think a little about the orientation of the securing arms, but once set they can be left in place, so if you often transport the same bikes it takes seconds to load. The benefit is that the bikes are held in place with no contact, and the spacing is compact and well thought out, with no points where the bikes could rub. Simply drop the reverbs and place the bikes in opposing directions and you’re good to go.

The rack is available for two bikes, and in a three bike version
The rack is available for two bikes, and in a three bike version
Unloaded the rack weighs just 14.3 kg making it easy to store...
Unloaded the rack weighs just 14.3 kg making it easy to store…
The U shaped top bar will also fold flat without tools to minimise storage space
The U shaped top bar will also fold flat without tools to minimise storage space

The tilt control is actuated by pressing the footplate, and can be tilted fully loaded should you need access to the boot while you are carrying bikes. The lockable rubberised frame clamps are a nice addition (accepts frames up to 80mm in diameter), once locked the release mechanisms simply spin round, but we would not trust these to deter a persistent thief.

After 4 months of almost daily use the rack is showing no signs of wear
After 4 months of almost daily use the rack is showing no signs of wear

The rack can be fitted easily by one person and the one handed clamp makes securing to the towbar a 5 second, tool free job. When driving, even on rough fireroads the rack does not bounce around and is very secure. We worried initially that the plastic materials used in the VeloCompact 925 were a little thin and fragile, but when some idiot drove into the back of us while parked this proved not to be the case. After being shunted forward we got out of the car expecting to see the rack in pieces, but the rack was unscathed with only a few scuffs of Mercedes silver paint left as a legacy of the event.

Even when some jerk in a Mercedes drove into the back of us, the only evidence was scuffing to the chasiss
Even when some jerk in a Mercedes drove into the back of us, the only evidence was scuffing to the chasiss

Bottom line

It takes a while to orientate the two frame arms to work in harmony, but if you often carry the same two bikes, the Thule VeloCompact can be loaded in seconds once set up. The rack can be carried and fitted with ease by one person and is compact to store while not on the car. Lockable clamps give piece of mind for very short stops and the bikes are held clear of each other with no movement. A car rack is certainly not the sexiest of products but the Thule looks like a supermodel compared to most and works impeccably.

For more information check out the Thule website

Words and photos: Trev Worsey


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