The Thule 970 Helium is an extremely light-weight bike hitch rack made from aluminum, cutting the weight to nearly half of a traditional bicycle rack. This makes for much easier installation and removal of the bike rack.
The Thule 970 Helium 2 bike rack is feature packed as well, offering a No-Tool installation platform and Thule's patented T3 cradles that hold your bicycle in place during transport. The Thule rack also features narrow cradle arms that will allow you to load a much wider range of bicycles than some racks on the market today. Mountain bike frames and road bike frames often have wildly different geometry and these arms will alleviate that issue. The Thule rack also features a Patented No-Sway Cage™ that will prevent bike-to-bike contact and keep your investment in tip top shape.
The 970 bike rack arms fold down when not in use and the carrier can tip away from vehicle for easy trunk, hatch or tailgate access. The 970 also features an integrated locking cable that stores conveniently in hitch rack and Snug-Tite™ Receiver Lock (#STL2) are included with this rack as well. A very nice added feature that will save you from having to buy your own locks. A hitch adapter is also included that will accommodate 1¼" or 2" receivers using the same hitch.
Models: 970 – 2 bike; fits both 1¼" or 2" receivers 971 – 3 bike; fits both 1¼" or 2" receivers
The Thule 970 Helium 2-Bike Hitch Mount Rack is a super light weight bike rack that is designed to be as hassle free as possible. The Thule 970 features optimum security, protection, and convenience for your bicycles at almost half the weight of a traditional bike rack. Constructed from ultra-lightweight, high-grade aluminum alloy, the Helium is up to 40 percent lighter than steel bike rack counterparts--and just as strong. For simple installation and removal, the Helium is equipped with an easy-to-use, tool-free Stinger Swinger mount with a tightening knob that attaches to 2- and 1.25-inch hitches.
Specifications:
Holds up to two bikes
Ultra-lightweight
40 percent lighter than Thule's steel counter part
Constructed with high strength 6061-T6 aluminum
Close spaced cradle arms accommodate kid's bikes, women's frames, and full-suspension bikes
Fold-down bike arms
T3 cradles
No Sway Cage
Integrated locking cable
Hitch Switch quick-release lever
Stinger Swinger hitch adapter
Accommodates 2- and 1.25-inch hitches
No-tool installation tightening knob
Locking knob locks rack to receiver
Manufacturer's Warranty Limited lifetime warranty
Bike arms conveniently fold down when not in use with Hitch Switch lever. (2" & 1.25" receiver)
Maximum bike stability ¿ T3 cradles and No Sway Cage
Fully Locking ¿ Integrated cable lock and locking knob
Simple - no tool - installation to receiver
Hitch Switch quick-release lever for rapid rear vehicle access.
Thule Helium outshines Yakima, Saris and Softride
Review Date: July 30, 2010
Reviewer: J. Cullen, Boston, MA
I have tried out almost every hitch mounted bike rack out there, including the lines from Thule, Saris, Yakima, and Softride. I have owned the Thule Helium for over a year and it the best rack is the best out there.
My criteria:
1. Access to the back of the vehicle (Mazda MPV)
2. Securely holds bikes
3. Accommodates kids bikes
4. Easy to install/remove
The Short Story:
1. Access: just as good or better than any other models.
2. Secure: holds bikes securely and has good anti theft measures
3. Kids Bikes: Takes a little creative thinking, but is better than most.
4. Easy to install: Head and shoulders above the pack. It is so easy that we store it in the back of our van most of the time and whip it out when needed. This rack is completely manageable for my small framed wife!
If I had to list the major pros and cons, it would be these.
Pros:
- light, compact, and fast to attach/remove
- bikes are secure,rack is secured to the vehicle
- easy access to the back of vehicle
Cons:
- expensive
- only for two bikes (three bike model available)
- if you were to back into a pole with the rack on you would probably severly damage the tightening knob which is necessary for attaching and removing the rack
The Long Story:
======Access to the back of the vehicle======
The Thule Helium rack tilts down to allow the hatch to swing up and out. Pretty standard stuff. Just one level to flip up to tilt it. You are not "supposed" to have bikes attached when you do this. However, you can do it, but it probably puts undue stress on the rack and the bikes not to mention that it is very heavy to lift back up with all those bikes on there.
When reviewing other models, I ruled out platform rack early because they make it so hard to get into the back of the vehicle. I considered the swing-away racks, such as the Revolver, which allow you to keep the bikes on the rack when accessing the back, but they required too many steps to swing the rack out of the way if you are using the back on a regular basis. Also seemed to easy to damage the car next to you in the parking lot.
The Softride racks had an promising design that allows the bikes to remain parallel to the ground when tilting down. However, when I looked at them in person, they were *really* hard to move back up into place even without any bikes on them. Not recommended.
======Securely holds bike======
Check. I really like weight of the Thule rubber straps. Very secure. The sway cages (which are optional on lower end models) are a must in my book. The really lock down the bikes.
======Accommodates kids bikes======
No rack did a very good job here. This rack has a slightly narrower fork so it is easier to use with kids bikes, but it still takes some creativity (again sway cages help here).
The other part of secure is security. It has the best security features of any rack. It has the standard cable lock to lock bikes to the rack, but has an excellent system for locking the rack to the car. The tightening/locking knob would have to be destroyed to remove the rack, making the rack useless. Other racks have a lock on the end of the safety pin which comes off with a few quick blows of the hammer leaving the rest of the rack undamaged and re-saleable.
======Easy to install/remove======
This is where the Helium outshines the rest.
First, the rack is light! It is made out aluminum almost entirely. I can lift it with one hand.
Second,no tools are needed. Just insert into the hitch and tighten the adjusment knob. The saftey pin then locks into place without a nut. My wife has no problems lifting and installing this in place. In fact it is so easy that we have been keeping the rack in the cargo area of the MPV (It is narrow enough that it stands upright in the back without taking up too much space). When we need to use it we just whip it out and hook it up. Collapsing the upper part (the fork) does require removing a pin rather than pulling a lever, but it is not much harder than having a lever. Storing it in the back has turned out to be a HUGE advantage since the rack is always available, but doesn't add baggage onto the back of the car. Having a foot and a half less to worry about when parallel parking in Boston is wonderful.
Another easy rack to remove and store in the trunk is the Saris T-Bones rack. However what I didn't like about it was that 1) the tongue was left sticking out of the hitch (I was afraid I would forget it was there and back into something with it), 2) the arms of the rack were harder to lower, 3) I didn't like how the bikes attached to the rack (in particular, no no-sway cages), 4) it doesn't tilt for access to the back of the vehicle (you have to remove the rack which is actually pretty easy) and 5) its thin aluminum and composite plastic design, although very light, did make me wonder about durablility especially the rotating arms (that said, Saris makes nice stuff so they probably did over engineer it enough even if it didn't appear so). The Saris rack did have some advantages though. 1) it was very, very, light and it was easier to remove than the Thule Helium since you leave the tongue of the rack in the hitch, 2) the width of the arms is adjustable which might be useful for fitting kids bikes on, and 3) it came with a bag for storing the rack in the back of the car.
=======Summary======
If you only need 2 bikes or less, this rack is worth it!
Helium 2
Review Date: July 16, 2010
Reviewer: Humble Power (Consignment),
I use this rack on a Toyoda Highlander and purchased for the rack from HumblePower for a little over $240. The rack is light and clean looking. The aluminum will not corrode and is stiff enough to service two bikes for the 20 plus years I plan on using this rack. The rack is easily moved when it is stored in the back of the Highlander. The Helium works as advertised, could not be happier.
Thule new design Helium 970.
Review Date: August 9, 2009
Reviewer: Vladimir Raykin, San Jose, CA
I purchased Thule Helium 970 in July of 2009. I like the bike carrier because it is light and very convenient for every day use.
I just unsure about the rack anti - theft protection. You can't lock the receiver pin like on previous Thule models. And in locked position the Thule Stinger Swinger hitch knob will spin freely but you could easy release the hitch rotating the tighten bolt using a fine plumbing pliers at the open bolt space next to the knob.
I think the stinger assembly needs better anti - theft protection or Thule should design a lockable receiver pin for the model.
great bike rack
Review Date: June 22, 2010
Reviewer: hollow rock, United States
I use this bike rack to transport a road and mountain bike on a Subaru Impreza hatchback. It adjusts well to either bike. It is light weight and does not require a ton of ground clearance like some platform models. I can open my trunk without moving the rack. It is easy to load and move around. My only concern is that it sticks out far from the car. Of course, I love this feature when I open my trunk without unloading the bikes, but not so much when I realized I have to park a little farther into the garage to make sure it didn't interfere with the garage door.
Great Rack
Review Date: July 2, 2010
Reviewer: eCommerce Dave, Wellesley, MA United States
This a great rack. Light weight, easy to put on and take off. The arms for the bikes could have been about 2" longer; would have made this 5 stars.
Thule Helium outshines Yakima, Saris and Softride
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