Anyone Got Thule 532

iwilldoit

Hi All

Just bought some of the above and was wondering when the bike is locked into the carrier should the bike be rock solid no movement what so ever or a very slight wobble, when I looked at my bike in the rack there was a very slight bit of movement, nothing as I would think the bike would come off the rack, seems a very slight movement from the hinge on the locking bar.

Just wondering is this normal or do I need the clamp tighter ??

nicklouse

The bike should not move relative to the arm but will wobble if you wobble it.

I found it the more wobbly of the ones they do.

iwilldoit

Hi All.

Anyone got these bike carriers, find it quite hard with the clamp/locking mech, seem to get it right holding the bike secure and shutting the clamp quite easy, then you go to put the bike back in it and the clamp is really hard to shut sometimes having to loosen it off a bit.

Is it me doing something wrong, or are they awkward to get right ??

Festerfeet

I have three of these and not had a problem.

Assuming you have the wheel supports in the appropriate position then it should be fine. I found it much easier to set it up for the bikes on the floor the first time I used them.

iwilldoit

Festerfeet wrote:

I have three of these and not had a problem.

Assuming you have the wheel supports in the appropriate position then it should be fine. I found it much easier to set it up for the bikes on the floor the first time I used them.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes that's what I did setting them up on the floor, got it working well then put it on the car sometimes it would close easily and then other times a real pain in the a**e.

I take it you need the clamp as tight as you can get it on the frame of the bike, it's the lever that locks in position and closes the clamp on the frame seems very hard to close at times

Festerfeet

Yes that is the part that holds the bike, the wheel straps alone will be useless.

If it is new I would take it back to the shop as if the clamp is not secure you will lose your bike, (or find it coming in your window).

I have now done a fair few miles with these on some very bad roads and they have proven both reliable and secure. Although I always stop after two minutes driving just to double check everything is as it should be.

Just sounds like you have a sticky clamp, I think it is worth getting it sorted and then you will be pretty happy with it.

brunlea

The bike is probably not directly upright when you are tightening the clamp. You maybe parked on a slop etc which causes the bike to tilt to one side. For the clamp to fix easily, the bike needs to be as bolt upright as can be. I have this issue with the 530 model - i'm guessing it must be similar.

iwilldoit

brunlea wrote:

The bike is probably not directly upright when you are tightening the clamp. You maybe parked on a slop etc which causes the bike to tilt to one side. For the clamp to fix easily, the bike needs to be as bolt upright as can be. I have this issue with the 530 model - i'm guessing it must be similar.

Thanks for that info it's a bit of a stretch as we have mpv so it's quite high to start with, even for my 6'3", don't know how short people get on.

Giraffoto

For long trips I supplement the clamp with a tie-down strap around the down tube - it just makes things a little bit more solid, and would keep the bike in place even if the clamp undid itself. For a couple of pounds and a couple of minutes, it's a lot more confidence in the attachment.

iwilldoit

Giraffoto wrote:

For long trips I supplement the clamp with a tie-down strap around the down tube - it just makes things a little bit more solid, and would keep the bike in place even if the clamp undid itself. For a couple of pounds and a couple of minutes, it's a lot more confidence in the attachment.

Like your thinking, I put a cable tie around the clamp/frame just in case, yes some straps just to make sure, the bike racks are the wifes new car she would kill me if anything happened :shock:

Giraffoto

iwilldoit wrote:

Giraffoto wrote:

For long trips I supplement the clamp with a tie-down strap around the down tube - it just makes things a little bit more solid, and would keep the bike in place even if the clamp undid itself. For a couple of pounds and a couple of minutes, it's a lot more confidence in the attachment.

Like your thinking, I put a cable tie around the clamp/frame just in case, yes some straps just to make sure, the bike racks are the wifes new car she would kill me if anything happened :shock:

For extra solidity, a luggage tie-down strap looped through the frame and around the carrier (so that it ends up as a loop between the bottom bracket and the nearest bit of rack) brings it to the level of belt, braces and holding on to your trousers with one hand.