Thule Epos 3

Great light weight bike rack. Love how easy it is to install and take off and move about using the built in wheels. Bought the ramp and lock which makes it even better. Great overall and nice upgrade to my old Thule bike rack.

This review is specifically for Tesla owners. I had Tesla install a tow hitch after I bought the 2023 Model Y. I had gotten this bike rack (with the lights package) specifically because the bike rack has taillights. The bikes obscure the car's taillights and make backing up at night a bit dicey. The rack connects to the car's trailer plug for electricity. Unfortunately, the Tesla has a round plug and the bike rack a rectangular one. I bought an adapter at the local Walmart and it didn't seem to work. I took the car to a U-Haul store, thinking their adapter might work. A technician there plugged his tester into the car and it indicated there was no current at the outlet. Out of frustration, I a different this adapter from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049MTHP4). I plugged it in and plugged the bike rack into it and everything worked great! As for the bike rack, it seems incredibly well built. The installation instructions, which were just diagrams, was difficult to understand in a couple places, but I made my way through it. You can download a larger version here: https://www.thule.com/-/s/approved/std.lang.all/78/58/1397858.pdf?rev=3.4 Our two e-Bikes weight 65 lbs. each, which is the maximum capacity for both the Tesla hitch and the bike rack. In fact, this was the only rack I found that could carry two heavy bikes like these. We plan to carry the bikes' heavy batteries in the car, increasing the safety margin a little. Once mounted, the bikes seemed very stable on the rack, even on bumpy roads. I added a bike anti-theft chain to tie both bikes together, to make stealing them seem even more daunting. Tilting the bike rack to allow access to the car's hatchback is relatively easy, once you get the hang of it. I especially like the way the rack folds up and the suitcase-like handle provided for carrying it. The important thing is the downward press on the release pedal just releases the latch. It's NOT how you tilt the rack. To tilt, grab your bike near the top of the frame and pull back. The bikes will tilt, but the release pedal stays where it is. One disconcerting thing is a couple illustrations from the manual that are provided here. The latch is shown "clicking" into place doesn't click. The hole in the sleeve that adapts the rack for a 2" receiver does not line up with the hole in the hitch. I don't know if this is safely attached or not and have a call in to Thule Support to ask about it. (They're closed on the weekend.) In case this is a design flaw, I plan to add a safety chain to secure the rack to the hitch's chain attachment points. I may do this anyway as a second theft-prevention tactic. There is also an image of the torque specification for the collet-like expanding mechanism that grips the inside of the hitch's receiver. It shows a person's arm with a bulging bicep and "7.5 lb ft" as the torque spec. How are you supposed to measure the torque??? The crank for this mechanism has a lock so no one else can loosen it to steal the rack. Overall, this is a premium product with a premium price tag and my first impression is that it will do the job.

I grabbed this to accommodate my family's 3 bikes, one of which is a 60 lb. e-bike with tire fenders. As far as I could tell, this is the only rack on the market that could both handle the heavy bike and not use a "tire grabber" like most do (you can't use those on bikes with fenders). I've driven multiple long trips through the Colorado mountains with this loaded up and never had any issue with stability, etc. I also maxed out the weight capacity one day with 3 heavy e-bikes and had no problem whatsoever. It is really well designed and I love how it magically kicks back to swing the bikes out of the way with no effort. Bikes are locked up really well to the rack and the rack locks to your hitch with the same key. I've never felt the need for an additional cable lock but you can use one if you choose. I did add the lighting kit which I'm really glad I did. The peace of mind knowing your brake lights and blinkers are visible on I-70 is well worth it. That kit also includes a mount for your license plate on the very back which keeps police happy. Side warning with the lighting kit: be very careful when installing it to follow the directions exactly when routing the wires underneath. You have to do it in a very specific way with slack at the correct points to make it work right and Thule uses wordless illustrations in their manuals... It just requires some patience and focus to interpret each step properly. Beyond that, I didn't plan on spending over $1000 to get bikes on my car but am really happy with this overall. I actually look forward to using it, its a really cool piece of gear.

This is a fantastic rack. Simple to attach to my vehicle and easy to load two heavy electric bikes onto securely. I use this on my Ford Mustang Mach-E and even with two bikes on, the ability to fold it down and access the rear cargo area is simple. Highly recommended for anyone transporting bikes and wants the securely attached and locked down.

We purchased this Thule Epos bike rack because we already had another Thule bike rack for our regular bikes, however the other rack doesn't support the weight of two e-bikes. The ratchets work well (much easier to get on and off than the ratchets on our other rack) and the rack is relatively easy to install. We use a 1-1/4" hitch, so this rack will accommodate that size along with a 2" hitch. Because it's a platform rack, there seems to be a little more jiggling of the bikes than with our other rack. Other than that, it's a solidly built Thule -- and we trust the brand.

Very easy to put on and take off my car. Once it is fully attached, it does not wiggle. I have used it on overnight trips and it held up very well. I suggest getting the light attachment, my e-bikes make the brake light difficult to see. So the light kit is a big plus.

We wanted a bike each for two e-bikes (Lectric XP4s 62 lbs each without battery) that was light enough for us to life as we get older. This fit the bill perfectly so we ordered. It weighs 48 lbs and we can handle it easily. We also bought the ramp that allows us to load the bikes without lifting. They fit perfectly without touching. They strap down securely and there has been no damage to the paint on the bike. The straps have no sharp edges. The ratcheting tight feature is a real plus. The straps each have a slot to place them in when not in use so they don’t flop around. Very well designed each and we are very happy with it

this is the best carrier for our ebikes. it is so sturdy it amazing. he hold downs are easy and all can lock in place. Also adds the turn and brake lights to the back as well as the license plate. Everything can be seen.

Excelente soporte para bicicletas, tiene entrada para tirón de 2” y luces con conector de 4 agujas. Es compacto, fácil de instalar y plegable. Permite uso de rampa si la bicicleta es muy pesada.

This is by far the best Thule bike rack that I have purchased. I have to ev bikes and they fit perfectly and safely on rack. Many great improvements from previous generations.

suitable for my bikes.

Fácil de instalar y las bicicletas quedan muy seguras aparte de buena calidad que tiene el producto

Es muy fácil de instalar y utilizar. Es un poco pesado, pero las llantitas ayudan mucho para transportarlo cuando lo necesito guardar