Thule Ridgeline Hitch Bike Carrier - 4 Bike - 2008 BCS

This rack is very easy to install and use. I love that I can leave it on and just fold it down when I need to open my back hatch. It's also fairly easy to take off when it's no longer bike season.

The Thule Ridgeline is the perfect bike carrier for me. It is very solidly made and thoughtfully designed with every feature in the bike rack world. It slid right into the hitch receiver on my 2008 Prius and locked solidly in place - no rattles. I can open the rear hatch without folding down the vertical member and the horizontal folding bars allow me to park in the garage with plenty of spare room. My wife likes not lifting bikes over her head to mount them on a rooftop carrier. The bike lock and receiver lock are easy to use and out of the way when not in use. Plus, I have not seen any decrease in gas mileage on the Prius since mounting the rack. I have yet to find anything I don't like about the Ridgeline rack. Highly recommended!

I would rate this bike rack as my best purchase of the year.
It is very quick and easy to install.
The quick releases work extremely well. I just leave the rack on my station wagon most of the time, taking it only off if I have to put very bulky items into the trunk. So now I can just throw my bike on the car on short notice, without any hassle - which led to a 200% increase in the amount of exercise I get ;-)
I had a rack before that didn't fold down, and I very quickly learned that this is a feature that you simply can't live without (unless your garage is huge), so I returned it after a week of having to take the rack off the car every evening and got the Ridgeline instead.
I have not transported 4 bikes on it yet, but have loaded it up with 3 bikes regularly. I could imagine 4 bikes being a bit of a hassle to figure out how to arrange them without handlebar conflicts. But the 3 always worked out well. I have used the rack with one bike on it on long drives, which included both interstate and bumpy dirt road use, and had no trouble whatsoever with the bike coming loose. I even had the car parked with the bike on the rack during near-Tornado-level winds, and found absolutely no evidence of the bike having banged against the rack or the car.
So, in summary: Love it, couldn't imagine life without it anymore!

Easy to install. Easy to use. Can fit three mountain/road bikes on it without any swinging. I drive a Toyota FJ and I can lower the rack down and fill the back up with groceries and gear when needed. Hit the 4wd trail with bikes on, no problems. My boyfriend is a total gear freak and he just loves this rack. Well built and tough. Great purchase and worth the extra cash.

This Thule rack is so sweet! I have a Mazda 3 hatchback and the quick release feature is so wonderful to have. The integrated security cord and hitch lock are huge bonuses. The anti-sway cages make a night and day difference and keep the bikes solid. This is definitely one perfect rack. Get it and I promise you'll be happy for many many years. I got the 4-bike rack and use the 1.25" receiver - everything fits perfect and feels secure.

This was the easiest bike rack I had to put together. Also I like the use of the 1 1/4 and 2 inch receiver bracket. I am using this rack on my truck and my car so I can easily switch without any problems at all.

I bought this rack after researching various models among Thule and Yakima brands. I needed a strong bike rack that would hold up to 4 bikes, including the curved frame of my fiancee's new Specialized Dolce Elite. Bikes are a little difficult to mount to the No-Sway cages if a water bottle cage is attached to the seat tube of the frame, but it works.

This rack was perfect for everything that I needed and I have been happy with this purchase since the day I placed it. I am very impressed in how securely the bikes are held even while traveling on the interstate or back roads. I highly recommend this rack!

This Thule rack provided all the featuires I wanted and worked flawlessly on a 2,500 mile trip to the East Coast. It mounts easily and quickly, provides complete security, and accommodated my bicycles very well. Total time to mount and load with two bikes was about eleven minutes. Price from Backcountry was very reasonable for a rack that is not just the bottom line product. I recommend it to anyone.

Pros:
* Solid construction
* Excellent strapping options
* Easily holds 4 bikes
* Minimal bike sway
* Quick-release levers allow for easy fold-up and trunk access
* Built in cable lock
* Hitch lock

Cons:
* Stinger extends out pretty far
* Only one bolt/pin hole on the stinger. A 2nd bolt/pin hole would allow for the stinger to be inserted deeper into the hitch receiver.
* Cable for lock could have been heavier gage
* Although the stinger can be locked to the hitch receiver, the upper portion of the rack is only bolted to the stinger. The upper half of the rack (including any attached bikes) can be stolen with a wrench.
* Couldn't mount woman's bike frame without frame adaptor (which I was told it could)

Solid Rack. Easy to use. Carried 3 mountain bikes on rough jeep trails in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. On the jeep trails you see the bikes bouncing around in your rear view mirror, but the bikes stay very secure. Rack is officially not recommended for off road use but it held the bikes like a champ.

Almost all good news on this rack....I LOVE the features! Hitch lock and especially the bike cable lock are easy to use. It fits equally well on my explorer and my prius. I would without a doubt recommend this rack. My only problem is that one of the plastic pieces that the strap secures to broke off on my 3rd use....hope I can get a replacement.

This rack is really easy to use! It is my first hitch rack. I LOVE the quick release that allows it to tilt down (and fold down)--worth the extra money over the pin style release systems. The straps are solid and easy to use and the no-sway cages work great. Also love the built in locking mechanism for bikes and for rack. Overall--good construction and easy to use. I'm happy with it.

Easy to install and use. But...

(1) The built-in bike lock broke after just 2 uses
(2) One of the bolts (the main one that keeps it connected to the trailer hitch) keeps working its way loose over time
(3) Should be built with aluminum rather than steel -- it's absurdly heavy.

so far so good. used it twice. I managed to get it to work on my two kids bikes.

Bike rack was easy to put together, easily folds down so we can access the hatch back on our Toyota Sienna...very satisfied with this rack so far!