2022 Thule Roof Bike Racks Compared: Best Value Options

Thule has arguably the largest catalog of car racks, including roof bike racks and roof rack accessories. The name Thule has established itself to stand for quality, longevity, and features in bike racks and is often synonymous with car bike racks themselves.

With the vast catalog of Thule bike racks available, bike capacity, rack types, changing model names, and new innovative features, it’s not always straightforward to find the best fit easily. Even when browsing through the Thule roof bike rack line-up, an even comparison is difficult and time-consuming.

That’s why I compiled all the current 2022 Thule roof bike rack models in one table below, combined with the roof rack systems.

I should mention that, while Thule USA and Thule Canada offer the same products overall, they have separate stores.
However, there are different Thule models for the European and North American markets.
This article compares the USA and Canada models only.

Remember though, that quality costs money so products made by Thule will generally be more expensive than from other top bike rack brands. I have no affiliation with Thule but have owned one of their roof racks for bikes and skis before. They are the biggest brand in car racks with the largest market share and a stellar reputation for high quality and durability. In fact, there are more roof bike rack manufacturers that are considered reputable brands, if you’re on the look out for more options.

But variety in roof racks is rather overwhelming as it is. I try to condense the information for you. So, here are all the 2022 roof bike rack configurations by Thule, sorted by the number of transportable bikes:

2022 Thule roof bike racks explained (North America models)

The basic Thule bike rack tray designs that mount to the roof bars are found throughout their entire product line-up. They basically differ in the way the bikes are attached to the rack: Front-wheel, axle and frame mounts. The model names tend to change, but the mounting mechanisms stay comparable. Here are the 4 variants for their roof bike racks:

UpRide – Front-wheel mount

This one is arguably the most versatile and the easiest and fastest to use while being the most protective on the bike, with no contact to the frame made.

It can mount mountain bikes, road bikes, gravel bikes, trekking bikes, kids bikes and fat bikes (with an adapter). However, bikes with long fenders may not fit on the UpRide.

TopRide – Axle mount

This one attaches to the front axle of a bike, which is a component that has varying dimensions depending largely on the type of bike. The TopRide is specifically designed for light road and gravel bikes, that have a smaller axle in terms of length and diameter compared to mountain bikes.

The biggest disadvantage is the front wheel removal, which can get time-consuming especially for bikes with rim brakes. Also, the height and fuel efficiency isn’t really improved either since the back wheel and saddle still sit high.

FastRide – Thru-axle mount

Similar to the TopRide, the FastRide is an axle-mounted tray designed for mountain bikes, but Road, Gravel and Fat bikes also fit with an axle adapter.

I never liked this method even for disc brakes, because they always tend to feel slightly different afterward – and the benefit of having a bike rack for me is that I don’t have to disassemble my bike and get to riding quick and hassle-free.

ProRide XT – Frame mount

Last but not least the down tube frame clamp. This one’s also easy to use and can be clamped to literally any bike, even e-bikes with batteries built into the frame. It’s the most universal mounting option, with one one disadvantage:

The frame mount will move and rub on the frame, that’s why Thule also offers additional frame mount protection for the frame-mounted rack.

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Those three options are not equally great as some are preferable to others. There are basically five common bike rack mounting options, where the first three are used by the Thule roof racks listed above:

1. Wheel mount
2. Frame Mount
3. Front Axle Mount
4. Seatpost Clamp
5. Fork Mount

Incidentally, it coincides with Thule’s pricing model. The model using the front wheel mount is the most expensive together with the front axle-mounted TopRide, interestingly enough. Frame mounts and axle mounts are usually the cheaper models.

The mounting types differ in the ease of use and stability and also dramatically affect the overall bike rack protection. The rule is simple: There is no way to completely eliminate vibrations and slight movement in a car bike rack while on the move. So, the less the bikes can move on the bike rack, the better and safer it is. And the less valuable the part of the bike the rack grabs on to, the better for the value of the bike.

Thule roof bar variants

They mainly differ in the shape of the actual roof bars, not so much the type of mounting mechanism to the car. The car mounts depend on the make, model, and roof configuration of the individual car. Thule actually provides their own car fitting guide for this reason.

In 2022 these four models are the basis for every kind of roof rack accessory, even third-party ones – depending on the bar shape.

Roof Rack Model Name	Roof Bar System	MSRP USD
Thule SquareBar Evo	Square bars	$ 389.90
Thule ProBar Evo	Tri-slot	$ 419.90
Thule WingBar Evo	Thule T-track	$ 499.90
Thule WingBar Edge	Thule T-track	$ 574.85

The WingBar Evo and Edge are only dissimilar in the length of the two roof bars but are otherwise comparable systems. The WingBar Evo extends over the edge of the roof to the sides, offering more room for attachments, like 4 bike trays, a roof tent or a combination of roof box and bike racks. The Edge stops at the edge, I guess. That’s their naming scheme.

Benefits & considerations with roof racks

Since a roof rack is one of the few car racks that don’t necessarily need to be removed and can be left on a car during all seasons. It has quite the weight capacity to mount a number of bikes or other roof accessories like tents and cargo boxes in addition to trunk space (which is easily accesibly still).

If it should actually be dismounted or not depends on the frequency of use, among other factors. Of course, a rack on the roof of a vehicle has its effects like changes in aerodynamics. Of all the bike rack types, a loaded roof rack is arguably the most obtrusive in this regard and it creates more air resistance with each additional bike. This means roof racks have a bigger hit on fuel economy than other types like hitch or trunk racks.

Roof racks also tend to get quite pricey, as individual parts need to be bought specifically for the car.

Thule roof rack uses and accessories

One of the main benefits of roof bike racks – or car roof bars in general – is the versatility of main frame of the rack system. It’s the basis for all kinds of adventures with the huge array of mounting options available – first-party and third-party alike.

Thule has arguably the most accessories available for their roof racks, ranging from bike trays, roof boxes, ski and snowboard carriers, roof tents, bike locks, kayak racks, utility trays to even fishing rod racks.

If you can get more uses out of the system, the steeper price compared to other rack options (like Thule’s hitch racks and trunk racks) might be very much worth the initial investment.

Thule tandem roof bike rack

The Thule Tandem Carrier is their only bike rack specifically designed to transport tandem bikes on a regular car. Its design accommodates for longer, heavier tandem bikes. It’s basically an extra sturdy and extra long TopRide with an axle mount. The extra weight of the rack and especially the bike requires roof bars that can handle the load, like the SquareBar Evo.