April 06, 2003
Thule Rack
Despite what we were told, Thule racks are sold in Singapore. In fact, Pro-RV 4x4 has a very good stock of Thule components, installs the racks for you (for free) and their prices are comparable to what you'd pay in the USA. Don't be confused by their model number system being different from the USA part numbers.
The racks are very solid. We got a roof rack setup which clamps the bike, not the fork. Thus no need to remove the wheels. If I yank on the bike, it makes the car wiggle.
A few observations:
1) Lowering the front suspension of our Trek Liquid 20's alters the frame geometry enough that the rack gets a good, firm grip on it. At max-suspension, the geometry is a bit weird and it doesn't sit as nicely on the rack.
2) The leashes that anchor the wheels to the rack are not quite long enough. I have an especially high combination of tire thickness and rim thickness. Consequently, I can only get the leash to snap into the last detente. I'd feel more comfortable if there was some more slack.
I've submitted this #2 question to Thule... We'll see what feedback they give.