When the lock is set, the SpeedKnob will just spin in its place without loosening, so the bikes can’t be unloaded. However, the company wants to be safe by setting the weight limit per bike to 37.5lbs. Interestingly, Thule Apex and Yakima RidgeBack immediately show a difference here. This is because the bike rack has a pivoting arm which will allow it to rotate away. Having two people to take care of the job will make the process much quicker and easier. See also: Giro Foray vs Synthe. Thule Group’s history of making the active outdoor life simplified, dates way back to 1942. Thule Apex is available in two variants, the first is able to load four bikes at once with 2” and 1.25” hitch mounts, the second can hold five bikes with 2” hitch mounts. However, this is the only anti-theft feature. jQuery(document).ready(function($) { You can even get the bike rack repaired within a day. Thule Apex has a lock mechanism to prevent theft. We will cover some product comparison here to assist you in choosing between Thule Apex and Yakima RidgeBack. The bikes’ top tubes will rest on anti-sway cradles with rubber straps to secure them. After a careful test and analysis, we can conclude that Thule Apex is better than Yakima RidgeBack. 903300. Both Thule Apex and Yakima RidgeBack are backed by limited lifetime warranty terms. However, choosing the right bike rack is not that easy – you want it to be secure and durable. The Thule Apex XT 4-bike hitch rack has capacity for an entire family and offers 7 in. These two products have been offering products in different styles. The main mast of Yakima RidgeBack is slightly curved, and this particular design is beneficial for keeping the sprockets and pedals away from the frames. First, the decal on the bike rack will peel over time. The biggest differences between the Yakima RidgeBack, part # Y02458, and the Yakima FullTilt, part # Y02462, are the locking system, the hitch pin, and the cradle arms. On the good side, all the necessary tools for the assembly are included in the box, so you won’t need to prepare anything separately. Road bikes, mountain bikes, and children’s bikes can fit on the rack. – The comparison of their security features and durability Realizing the need for other outdoor gears, they ventured into other products such as car-related items and sporting gears. The company does recommend using additional nylon straps to prevent the bikes from bumping each other when passing on rough roads. You don’t need to register your product, although it is recommended. We may expect that the Apex and the RidgeBack over various greatness. Furthermore, Thule Apex is best for regular road bikes. You want to be able to load and unload your bikes easily, yet without compromising the safety. Continue reading to learn further about: $49.95 49.95 0 USD. That is one plus for the Yakima product. Security and Durability There is also a cable that comes out from the main mast to secure the bikes to the rack. – Which bike rack that provides a better value for the money. Need to get in your vehicle? Finally, when buying a bike rack, it is very important to check the warranty terms. If you can’t decide between Thule Apex and Yakima SwingDaddy, this article will help. The rack tilts down for easy access. – UpperHand lever tilts rack down for vehicle access and folds it flat for storage. Premium hanging hitch bike rack providing superior bike protection and multiple size options to fit the needs of two people or an entire family. Conclusion Transforms your summer bike rack into a winter ski and snowboard rack for your vehicle. Both Thule Apex vs Yakima RidgeBack are compatible with 1.25″ and 2″ hitch receivers. The lock is very durable and secure. On top of that, it's fairly safe to say that Yakima RidgeBack is a more popular car bike rack, based on its reviews. The cradles can be moved to allow the bikes to be positioned in a way that can prevent or minimize bike-to-bike contact. This rack transports up to 5 bikes wherever you need to go.  Thule Apex - Bundle Includes: Thule Apex 9026 rack, Thule Snug-Tite Lock and Microfiber Cloth- Hold Fast RDT (Road Dampening Technology) Cradles absorb the shock of the road protecting your bike during transport- Arc design of the arms gives bikes greater clearance off the ground and provides greater distance between bikes preventing contactBest Price Click Here Style. The model also offers some security for your bikes. Small bikes are also tricky to fit. We want a bike rack that can be installed easily, quickly, yet securely. These distinctions are not exactly visible in a glance. However, the levers are not as easy to operate. In general, Thule Apex is more recommended. Because the stem is short, even using a TubeTop there is the same problem. So, how is the durability of Thule Apex vs Yakima RidgeBack? Thule Apex is available in two variants, the first is able to load four bikes at once with 2” and 1.25” hitch mounts, the second can hold five bikes with 2” hitch mounts. You want to be able to make a warranty claim if you get a defective product. The Winner is Yakima Ridgeback. It has a two key lock hole that helps curb someone from stealing or … As usual, the warranty terms only cover manufacturing defects and exclude normal wear. Thule Apex XT 4 Premium hanging hitch bike rack providing superior bike protection and multiple size options to fit the needs of two people or an entire family. The durability of Thule Apex is excellent. … Thule. Then, the retailer will try to fix the problem. Thule Tram. Getting a full suspension bike that has a unique front triangle to fit properly on the rack can be quite difficult. Thule’s model is typically a hitch mount, a truck bed, roof rack mount, and bike wheel carrier to keep your spare tire. However, in the day-to-day use, which one is more practical and user-friendly? The construction is also very robust. You won’t need to remove the front wheel of the bike. - Bundle Includes: Thule Apex 9026 rack, Thule Snug-Tite Lock and Microfiber Cloth, - Hold Fast RDT (Road Dampening Technology) Cradles absorb the shock of the road protecting your bike during transport, - Arc design of the arms gives bikes greater clearance off the ground and provides greater distance between bikes preventing contact, - SMART DESIGN: UpperHand lever tilts the rack down to access the back of your vehicle and folds flat for easy storage; Carries up to 2 bikes, - DURABLE, STABLE, SECURE: Zero-hassle ZipStrips secure the bikes to the rack and are fully removable; Anti-sway cradle design minimizes bike-to-bike contact, - EASY INSTALL: Tool-free SpeedKnob quickly tightens and locks the rack to your car; Fully assembled; Easy 5 minute install. Best 4-Bike Hitch Rack: Yakima RidgeBack 4 We’ve often felt that the best features are the ones you don’t notice, and Yakima’s RidgeBack 4 ($349) is an excellent example of this. Despite having many moving parts, the pivots are all well-built and durable. The Thule Apex 4 Bike Rack for 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches has been discontinued by the manufacturer. When the lock is set, you need to have the key in order to unload the bikes. X. At this point in the article, we’ll provide you a comparison of Thule and Yakima when it comes to various features. In the case of Thule Apex, if you get a defective bike rack, you need to contact the retailer from which you buy the product. The problem is, some of the pieces are difficult to handle. The Full Tilt is $130 more but it included a built in cable bike lock. }); Yakima RidgeBack, on the other hand, features a ratcheting strap system to secure all your bikes in place. $('.ptp-plan').matchHeight(false); The bike rack is also resistant to rust and corrosion. Add to Cart. It was in 1992 when Thule Group launched its first bike carrier which was towbar-mounted. However, Thule Apex offers one extra convenient feature that the RidgeBack doesn’t have, which is the bike and hitch lock. From the design point of view, they are pretty look alike. The most similar option that I recommend as an alternative is the Yakima RidgeBack 4 Bike Rack - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting # Y02458. Starring the UpperHand\control lever that tilts the rack to make access to your vehicle a cinch. Some pieces will need to be held at awkward angles while the bolts are inserted. However, there are two potential issues. Security is key when one wants to buy a bike rack and the Yakima Ridgeback happens to be the best in securing both the bikes and the rack to the vehicle. In addition, this Ridgeback model does NOT come with any built in cable bike lock. The plastic straps are grooved to fit the bikes perfectly and are easy to tighten. As you may have noticed, there are vast style discrepancies between Yakima and Thule bike racks. This model has more anti-theft features and a better build quality. So Yakima RidgeBack tends to get more favorable ⭐ reviews than Thule Apex Swing 4, as seen on the chart below. Modifies women's bike frames as well as BMX and non-standard frames in order to be carried on hanging-style hitch and strap mount bike racks. It also allows easy loading and easy access to the vehicle’s rear compartment. You may want to use additional chains to secure the bikes’ wheels. bikesboom.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to bikesboom.com (amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com). – Which model that is easier to set up and use Style. The pivoting arm is also equipped with a solid lock that will prevent the bike rack from swinging while on the road. So technically, Full Tilt is only $80 more than the Ridgeback. YAKIMA Ridgeback Tilt-Away Hitch Bike Rack Check On Amazon Learn More If you click this link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. The levers for these movements are located on the front for easy access. – ZipStrips secure bikes to the rack and are fully removable combined with Anti-sway cradles eliminate bike-to-bike contact – Fits 1.25″ and 2″ hitch receiver. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS IN THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. After a careful test and analysis, we can conclude that Thule Apex is better than Yakima RidgeBack. It can also fold away to allow access to the vehicle’s rear compartment. It’s also pretty narrow even for hanging rack standards. Thule Apex has a simple attachment mechanism. Yakima RidgeBack has a unique lock mechanism. – The warranty of Thule Apex vs Yakima RidgeBack  Yakima RidgeBack - SMART DESIGN: UpperHand lever tilts the rack down to access the back of your vehicle and folds flat for easy storage; Carries up to 2 bikes- DURABLE, STABLE, SECURE: Zero-hassle ZipStrips secure the bikes to the rack and are fully removable; Anti-sway cradle design minimizes bike-to-bike contact- EASY INSTALL: Tool-free SpeedKnob quickly tightens and locks the rack to your car; Fully assembled; Easy 5 minute installBest Price Click Here. Thule offers hitch mount, bike wheel carrier, roof rack mount, truck bed, and spare tire. We have discussed how Thule Apex vs Yakima RidgeBack are installed. The ratcheting strap system will ensure that the bikes are kept in place. of space between bikes to provide superior protection. Take a look: Thule Apex vs Yakima SwingDaddy. This company started selling fishing traps under their own designs. Ease of Use Product Comparison: Thule Apex (9025) vs Yakima RoadTrip. It has a better design with cradles that can be re-positioned to accommodate different bike sizes. So, this model is an excellent choice if you don’t want to deal with a difficult technical work. You just need to install it on the back of your card, and you won’t need any special tool for that. Compared to the Yakima Ridgeback which we also recently tested , there’s significantly less interference with your back-up cam because both the main mast and the arms are very low profile. Now we know that Yakima SwingDaddy is less versatile compared to Thule Apex, since it’s compatible with 2-inch receiver. $('.ptp-price').matchHeight(false); Every single bike being put and locked there can not be taken off by some random stranger passing by. #ptp-235 div.ptp-item-container{border-radius:0;padding:0;margin-left:0;margin-right:0}#ptp-235 div.ptp-item-container div{margin:0}#ptp-235 div.ptp-plan{border-top-right-radius:0;border-top-left-radius:0;font-size:1em;padding:.9375em 1.25em}#ptp-235 div.ptp-price{font-size:1.25em;padding:.9375em 1.25em}#ptp-235 div.ptp-cta{border-bottom-right-radius:0;border-bottom-left-radius:0;padding-top:1.25em;padding-bottom:1.25em}#ptp-235 a.ptp-button{border-radius:0;font-size:1em;color:#fff;background-color:#3498db;border-bottom:#2980b9 4px solid;margin:0}#ptp-235 a.ptp-button:hover{background-color:#2980b9}div#ptp-235 .ptp-highlight a.ptp-button{color:#fff;background-color:#e74c3c;border-bottom:#c0392b 4px solid}div#ptp-235 .ptp-highlight a.ptp-button:hover{background-color:#c0392b}#ptp-235 div.ptp-bullet-item{font-size:.875em;padding:.9375em .5em .9375em .5em}#ptp-235 div.ptp-most-popular{border-radius:0;font-size:.9em} If you think so, well, let me tell you that actually there are lots of distinctions that make each product more viable than the others. Just put the bikes on the back of your car, and go. Warranty A hitch mount rack is a nice solution for transporting bikes easily. Available at REI, 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. The 5-bike version of Thule Apex has a total weight capacity of 150lbs. An integrated cable lock helps secure bikes to the rack. When the lock is set, you need to have the key in order to unload the bikes. Are they truly able to secure your bikes without breaking? Thule Apex requires some manual assembly. Thus, choosing the right model can be a difficult job. Thule vs Yakima – Who Makes the Best Kayak Rack? If we compare the price, Yakima RidgeBack is perhaps more budget-friendly than Thule Apex due to the fact that it is priced under three hundred bucks. You can do the installation process all by yourself. APEX XT 2 BIKE. But, do not worry! There is also a cable that comes out from the main mast to secure the bikes to the rack. The anti-sway cradles ensure that the bikes won’t rock back and forth too much. 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