Apex XT Swing Away Bike Rack - 4 Bike
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Why We Like The Apex XT Swing Away Bike Rack
Thule's racks are trusted the world over, but the Apex XT Swing Away Four-Bike Rack is even awesomer than the company's numerous other offerings. Sure, it has the same Soft Touch anti-sway bike cages, Thule Road Dampening Technology, and integrated locking cable as many other Thule racks, but those aren't what set it apart. The real moneymaker is the Swing-Away hinge, which lets us tilt the rack away from the hatch—even when it's fully loaded—so you can reach in and pull out our favorite post-ride snacks and beverages.
The Apex is easy to use, for sure, but it's also bombproof. Thule's EasyMount system and Locking Receiver Knob secures it solidly onto any two-inch hitch receiver, and the reinforced cradle straps are 25% stronger than past iterations, so you don't have to worry about your bikes breaking free. There's also a Hitch-Switch, so you can fold down both the arms and the rack body to keep it out of the way when it's unloaded, and an integrated handle at the back that makes the Apex easy to move when you're taking it on and off the car.
Details
- Hanging hitch rack with top-tier protection and easy accessibility
- Hitch-Switch folding design lets you access trunk easily
- EasyMount hitch-mount system makes installation a breeze
- Locking Receiver Knob prevents theft during pit stops
- Soft Touch anti-sway bike cages prevents bike contact
- Thule Road Dampening Technology makes for a smooth trip
- Reinforced cradle straps bolster security
- Integrated locking cable further protects against theft
- Item #THU008V
- Bike Capacity
- 4
- Compatibility
- 2in hitch
- Locks Included
- yes
- Part Number
- 9027XT
- Claimed Weight
- 42lb
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited lifetime
Reviews
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Overall Rating
3.5 based on 37 ratings
Review Summary
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageNovember 5, 2024
Love my Thule swing out bike rack
I’ve. Been using his rack for 7 years and it’s still works great, it’s very cumbersome and heavy so it takes 2 people to guide it in the receiver, but once you do it’s there for the season, which is April -October here in New England. I love how I can still have access to the trunk by swinging it out, with or without bikes loaded on it. It’s very sturdy and comes with excellent straps to hold the bike, they easily pop in,. We are looking to get fat tire bikes so we will defintelt go with the Thule brand as it’s trusted cabs well made.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
October 15, 2024
Poor execution to a great concept
I have had this bike rack for a year now and have used it to carry 1-4 bikes over many many miles on the road. This has been one of the most disappointing products Thule has made due to how much potential it has and how difficult it is to live with on a day to day basis. I had high expectations that I would be able to keep the rack on day to day and carry bikes easily. Both expectations were not met. Two major flaws with the design doom it from the start. The strap system when carrying bikes and the locking system of the arms. The straps system is a disaster and there isn't any way around it. I have yet to find a way to release the straps without using two hands, ton of pain to my fingers and a ton of time. I've worked on a single trap for 3 minutes before I was able to release it. I've read and reread the instructions to see if there is something I'm doing wrong. Nope. The plastic straps just don't let you depress the release mechanisms. I can't even imagine doing this in cold weather. The second flaw is that the swing arm locks with a screw that is accessed down near the bottom between the hitch and the rack. this means every time you want to swing the rack out you got to get down and unscrew the swing arms. This can take a while if the rack is loaded with bikes. Every other mechanism on this rack is a simple latch placee in a easily accessible and ergonomic position. For what it's worth the plastic alignment piece also broke within the first 2 months. I will give credit where it is due and say there are no sagging issues with the swing arm and the locking cable is a nice touch. I also haven't had a bike fall off either. 1 Star there i guess. Buyer beware. This product is hard to live with day to day with bikes, it's even harder to use when putting bikes on the rack. For the price I was expecting much better and regret buying this product.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
September 11, 2024
Solid bike rack!
This is a solid rack that once tightened in the hitch doesn't move, rattle or squeak. The rachets take a bit of breaking in but once used are tight and the bikes don't move. Use the strap for the tires. A huge convenience. The rack weighs a little bit but the compact nature when folded makes it easy to move around or on and off the hitch mount. Way less weight than a 4 bike bottom tray carrier and the Apex minimally obscures the rear camera. Not a huge deal you can still use the rear camera feature of the vehicle, unlike some other racks. Overall I'm very satisfied with the Apex rack.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
June 17, 2024
Good product
I bought this a few months ago and used multiple times. I have a Infinity QX80 and when I extend the arm with the bikes on I can't open the trunk. I guess this product is designed more for small and medium SUV not for a big one. But so far I'm happy with this product.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
June 11, 2024
Very Stiff and hard to open.
Bike rack looks stable. I had an earlier version of the same thing and it would open fairly easily. The new one is very hard to swing out. Not sure how to make it smoother. Also, once you fully swing the rack out to open the liftgate, the swing rack locks into place. Trying to figure out how to unlock it.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
March 19, 2024
Could have been so much better
We wanted to love this rack, but there's just too much to dislike about it. It's a pain to have to squoosh between the bikes and the car to unscrew the locking mechanism every time you need to swing the bikes out to open the tailgate. Surely some sort of locking quick release like on other brands could have been designed. You're also advised to unlock the hitxh lock and tighten the knob every couple of hundred km. Does not inspire confidence. The biggest pain is that the tailpiece sticks out so far from the hitch receiver, that you will keep grinding the back end of the rack into the pavement every time you go up or down a steep driveway entrance, unless your receiver is particularly high. On our Forester, which is quite high, we were forced to install a hitch lifter in the middle of a 10,000 mile road trip after numerous bashes. So we used it for the one trip, and are now going to sell it. Great ideas, very poor execution.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
October 10, 2023
Worth every penny!
This bike rack is amazing! Very easy to mount/unmount, stabilizes bikes and looks great too. The added feature of the swing allows is so convenient to be able to access the trunk.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
August 10, 2023
Repeat Thule customer
Easy to install and use right out of the box. Very sturdy. First major trip was 4 bikes (2 adults, 2 kids) and no issues. My old hitch rack (from ~90's) would bounce and seemed unsteady. Not the case with the new Apex....rack seemed very stout. The swing feature was very helpful for still accessing the bed of my 2019 Tundra.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
July 12, 2023
Manual Lacking Instructions
Great product but the manual is lacking important details, like instructing you to use the 'blank' key to install the lock bolt into the bike rack. There is a major lack of copy in the manual and just a little direction would have made the entire installation process smoother.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
June 25, 2023
Love this rack!
Straight forward installation, sturdy with quality built even fully loaded.
Originally reviewed on manufacturer
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