Locking Bike Rack Towball Mounted

[drumtochty]

I have emailed both manufacturers but no local dealer to go and look at the kit and a lack of answers from emails and a few dealers are just box shifters and cannot answer one detailed questions.

Interested in either

Witters ZXE 502
Thule 916 only old stock left as the 918 is the new version
Thule 918

Therefore has anyone any of these racks and can they answer the question.

I know that they all have a key lock on the lever that fixes the rack to the tow ball

They all have two struts that fix's to the upper frame of the bikes but from the adverts and some online comments I cannot find out if they all have locks on both the struts to stop someone in the middle of town removing the bikes from the racks in daylight.

I'm aware that the struts are plastic and if it there is no one about they could be cut with boltcutters.

Therefore do they come as standard with a key lock on each of the upper struts or is this an extra cost option or are any of them without key locks on the struts and are there no retro fitted locks available.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 17694]

I have a Thule EasyFold 931 and the struts have locks on the 'bike end', or to be more precise, locks on each end of the strut as part of the tensioning wheel. That's a later enhancement however, so the earlier Thule versions don't have that.

However, note that the struts can be disconnected from the vertical bar, so the bike could be stolen with the strut attached. e.g. If you watch the video here which is the 931, you'll see the guy take the strut off the vertical bar when he loads the second bike.

So if you leave the bike unattended on the carrier, you should use an additional lock to secure it to the carrier.

 

[drumtochty]

Yes I noticed that feature but assumed that when you locked the strut at the bike end it would tighten up the rear o bar end and not allow the strut to be easily taken off. That's the problem with not seeing the kit in the flesh.

 

[Deleted member 17694]

Indeed, I thought the struts were somehow robustly locked too. Thule supply a part (538) which is a cable lock (for £29.95) which is nothing special, so if you already have something then obviously you use that instead.

 

[Jimod]

Yes I noticed that feature but assumed that when you locked the strut at the bike end it would tighten up the rear o bar end and not allow the strut to be easily taken off. That's the problem with not seeing the kit in the flesh.

I have a Thule 3 bike carrier with the same struts as in the video. When you put the strut onto the carrier then tighten the other end onto the bike, it pulls the end at the carrier tight. Once locked at the bike end it can't be removed from the rack. All 3 of my struts have locks. The same key locks each strut and also locks the carrier to the towball.

 

[Deleted member 17694]

I have a Thule 3 bike carrier with the same struts as in the video. When you put the strut onto the carrier then tighten the other end onto the bike, it pulls the end at the carrier tight. Once locked at the bike end it can't be removed from the rack.

I agree and that's ok for transport. But if you were to give the strut an almighty push by stamping on it, it would come loose. So you could steal the bike with the locking end of the strut still attached.

A quieter approach would be to put a junior hacksaw through the nylon clamp at the car end of the strut. That would only take a minute or two.

 

[Jimod]

I agree and that's ok for transport. But if you were to give the strut an almighty push by stamping on it, it would come loose. So you could steal the bike with the locking end of the strut still attached.

You would have to climb on top of the car to do that. a professional thief with lots of time and privacy would beat any lock. The Thule lock is secure.

 

[Deleted member 17694]

I agree a thief would need to climb on the rack, but it's only one big kick downwards and job done. Cutting the clamp with a hacksaw could be done at ground level and would only take a minute or two.

Thule offer the cable lock accessory for that reason, they describe it as being 'for peace of mind' i.e. I don't rely on the carrier for full security.

 

[EddiePJ]

Local trips aside, I always go a bit OTT and run additional locks down through the towbar itself.

 

[Jimod]

Local trips aside, I always go a bit OTT and run additional locks down through the towbar itself.

You need to move to a nicer area.

 

[EddiePJ]

When traveling abroad I don't like to take any chances.

Also after having witnessed a carrier falling from a vehicle into the path of following traffic on a motorway in Switzerland, I'd rather know that if the worse did ever happen, that I'd be dragging the carrier behind the vehicle.

 

[Jimod]

Also after having witnessed a carrier falling from a vehicle into the path of following traffic on a motorway in Switzerland, I'd rather know that if the worse did ever happen, that I'd be dragging the carrier behind the vehicle.

That bit I agree with.

 

[Deleted member 17694]

This is the Thule lock here.

But anything with a good security rating would do equally well.

 

[Crockers]

When I'm taking my bikes abroad - which can entail leaving them in a hotel carpark enroute - I go over board.

2 D locks, long cable interwined with two padlocks, plus the Thule locking arms, plus if possible back up against a hedge or wall.