Thule HangOn 9708

• Thule Hangon 9708
• Rating: 4.5
• Price: ££
• Reviewed by: Car Bike Racks Guide
• Published on: January 30, 2014
• Buy Now

Ideally, most people want a bike rack that doesn’t restrict access to your boot.  For this you generally have to down the roof rack option.  However, Thule have designed the Hangon 9708, which sits on your tow bar and tilts to allow access to your boot, without having to remove your bikes.  Lets see how it weights up.

OVERVIEW

The Thule 9708 is a rear hang on cycle carrier designed to carry a maximum of four bikes. It is an alloy frame designed to fit easily onto most types of tow bar including swan neck, flange and removable type tow fittings. The rack arrives virtually pre-assembled and requires only for the hanging arm to be swung over and held in place by two locking knobs.

EASE OF INSTALLATION

The 9708 arrives from the manufacturer virtually assembled so you are spared the tedious effort of poring over hieroglyphic instructions whilst juggling with dozens of difficult to identify screws and fittings. All that is required is for the hanging arm to be swung over and held in place with two locking screws. Mounting to the tow bar is even simpler, needing only to be attached to the tow bar with a supplied spanner.

There is a system for tilting the rack to allow access to the boot. In principal, this too is straight forward but to attempt to lower a rack mounted with four bikes would be verging on the suicidal and Thule themselves suggest this is a job for two people.

Ease of Installation: 90%

BUILD QUALITY

As with most Thule products, the Hangon 9708 is built to last.  Indeed, searching the internet revealed very few criticisms of the build quality of this rack, so there isn’t really a right lot to put in this section.

Build Quality: 95%

DESIGN

The rack itself is made from aluminium alloy with secure rubber mounting bands for each bike. Thule have a history of developing a wide range of vehicle mounted carriers of various types and have paid a great deal of attention to safety features without compromising on appearance in any way. There are two reflectors, one situated at the end of each arm, and when the carrier is tilted there is potential for these to be scratched if they make contact with the ground, so care must be taken when doing this – especially when you have up to 4 bikes hanging on the back.

This carrier is designed to fit onto pre-existing tow bars and the manufacturer states that they will fit onto most types of tow fitting. There is no allowance for vehicles where the spare wheel hangs on the back of the vehicle and this needs to be considered if you drive that sort of a car. The carrier stows to 64 x 47cms so can be easily stored in most boots when not in use. A tie down strap for holding bikes down is included. Several reviews have mentioned that it is difficult to mount bikes that are smaller than 14 inch or with no horizontal cross bar but others have noted that this can be overcome simply by twisting the rubber hold down bands to a different angle.

A few potential users were concerned that mounting bikes using the cross bar may scratch their bikes.  The Hangon 9708 does come with rubber mounts to sit the bikes on though, so this is unfounded.  As this sits on the towbar, there is no contact with your car paintwork either, so similarly there is no risk of scratching your car.

Design: 85%

PRICE

You could spend a lot more money just to match the features that this rack offers. It is extremely easy to fit, requiring simply to be screwed onto the tow bar using the pre-supplied spanner and this can be done in a matter of minutes. The rack itself is made of alloy with secure rubber mounting bands for each bike. Thule have been developing a wide range of vehicle mounted carriers of various types and have paid a great deal of attention to safety features without compromising on appearance in any way.

The only drawback, though, is requiring a towbar to be fitted.  If you already have a towbar, then you’re laughing.  However, if not then you’ll need to factor that in.

Price: 80%