Thule Outride 561

The Thule OutRide 561 is a fork mount bike carrier which will be of particular interest to owners of more expensive bikes, especially those with carbon fibre frames as there is no clamping to the down frame required. It comes pre-assembled and attaches to the roof bars easily.

Overview

This is a very highly rated bike rack that is designed with the serious bike owner in mind. By holding the bike by the forks there is no risk of damage to the down tube. It is extremely easy to fit but it should be noted that this rack is really intended for use with Thule roof bars. It includes locks that attach both the bike to the rack and the rack to the roof bars. One or two reviewers commented that the locks looked as though they could be forced by a determined thief but when carrying expensive bikes it is a good idea never to let them out of your sight and there were no actual reports of theft from this rack system.

Ease of Installation

The Thule Outride comes assembled and as such is extremely easy to install to your roof rack.  As usual, Thule have also produced a You Tube video to make installation a non issue.

Reviewers all mention that they can put bikes up in under five minutes.

Ease of Installation: 90%

Build Quality

Manufactured mostly from aluminium, this bike carrier is light and sturdy. There were no reviewers who had any problems with the quality other than to say the locks looked like they could be forced by a determined thief.  This is the case with any situation where you strap your bike to the outside of your car, though.  Thule are generally more secure than most racks.  I would recommend using a separate bike lock to lock your bike to your roof rack, in addition to any inbuilt rack unit security.  Even then, it is advisable to not leave your bike unattended if at all possible.

Thule give a five year warranty, which shows that Thule have confidence in their build.  As with all Thule’s products, the Outride 561 has passed city crash tests.

Build Quality: 85%

Design

With a sleek, ergonomic appearance, the Thule Outride will introduce minimal drag.

The Outride has been designed with expensive carbon frames in mind.  For a carbon frame, you want to avoid attaching the bike rack to the downframe of the bike, as carbon fibre can be more susceptible to damage than metal.  For this reason, Thule decided to create attachment points at the rear wheel and to make use of the front forks (with the wheel removed) to secure the bike.  This makes for a secure attachment without damaging the frame.  This does have the side effect that you need to store the wheel somewhere.  If you have space, this could always go in the car.  Thule have also released the Thule 545, which allows your loose wheel to be attached to your roof bar, which is an alternative if you don’t want the spare wheel in your car.

The carrier is suitable for disk type brakes and comes with an adaptor for 20mm axles but it is worth noting that when this axle adaptor is in use it is not possible to use the lock that holds the bike. This is where it is worth getting a seperate lock to ensure your bike remains safe from theft.

It is possible to mount up to four carriers but this depends on the type of racks and car you have and may involve some head to tail adjustment.

Design: 80%

Price

The one consistent comment from reviewers was that at around eighty pounds, this is a pricey piece of kit. Nearly all followed that by saying they felt that it was good value for money.

This roof rack is firmly aimed at bikes with carbon frames.  Bearing in mind the price of the bike you are wishing to attach to your roof, the price of the Outride is small in comparison, for the reduction in risk of damaging your beloved bike.  Well worth the price, assuming you have a carbon frame on your bike.

Price: 80%