My new Saris Thelma bike rack...

I've spent the last couple days shopping around for a new bike rack to carry my ARC to and from the trail. My current rack is an Allen hitch mount, which I like for the most part, but I don't like the fact that the bike is secured to the rack via the bike frame. With those types of racks, not only do you get marks on your frame, but from my experiences, they just don't hold the bike very securely and it moves around alot.

So, I wanted something for the ARC that would NOT touch the frame of the bike. I looked at several of the Thule and Yakima tray style bike racks, which are pretty nice, but they all seem to be bigger and bulkier than I'd like. I decided to go with the Saris Thelma Bike Rack. This thing is nice because it doesn't touch the frame of the bike AND it's relatively small and lightweight.

First Impressions...
I assembled the rack yesterday...took about 30 minutes and was pretty simple. Instructions were very easy to understand and the rack went together without a problem. Quality seems top notch.

This morning I mounted the rack to the trailer hitch on my Subaru WRX. It attaches with a pretty beefy bolt that has a cotter pin on one end to make sure the bolts stays put. To raise and lower the rack on the car, you just slide out a Tilt Pin, rotate the frame upward, and secure it again with the Tilt Pin. It's super easy and the rack is stowed in the up position until you need it again.

Mounting the bike to the rack is really simple. You just fold the front wheel holder up, set the bike in making sure the front tire is resting inside the holder/tray and the rear wheel in the rear wheel tray mount. Then you secure both wheels with the included plastic straps. Done. Once you do this, the bike is NOT going anywhere. The front tire is actually wedged inside the front wheel tray, and the grippy rubber seems to "stick" to the inside of the tray... and then the straps make it even more secure. I really like the fact that I don't look in my rear view mirror and see the bike swaying back and forth like I used to get with my old frame mount style rack.

I made a little test run with my ARC attached to the rack, and even on rough roads, the bike stays put. They don't recommend it for off-road use, but on pot-hole infested roads, it seems to work well. I think I will get some foam to cover the plastic straps with, that way they won't leave marks on my rims.

Overall, I give the Saris Thelma Bike Rack TWO THUMBS UP.

Comments

[Jon]

Looks great. I'm thinking of getting one, but am hesitating between size small and medium. I'm 5 ft 9-1/4 with a 32 inch inseam. What do you think, based on your experience?
Interestingly, I also have a WRX. I think the ARC must be the bike equivalent of the WRX - no-nonsense, all-weather, fast!

[YetiARC.com]

I am about your same size. I went with the Medium. Standover height is not the best, but other than that the bike feels great. It seems to fit me about the same as my Ibis Mojo, which I had professionally fit. That being said, I am pretty sure the Medium is the best size for me...the small would probably feel too cramped.