Sneak Peek: Go the Distance with Thule’s Helium Platform 2 Bike Rack

There are different types of social distancing.

If your type of isolation is the type that involves being out on the trail alone or with one or two others, Thule has a new way to help you make it happen: the Thule Helium Platform 2 Bike Rack.

Thule Helium bike racks are the lightweight alternative to traditional bike racks. Made from heavy-duty, feather-light aluminum, Helium bike carriers are about half the weight of steel bike carriers.

Each rack securely holds bikes in place without any frame contact, making this rack ideal for carbon frame bikes. The ratcheting wheel loops make securing bikes a breeze, plus they fold down when the rack isn’t in use.

Helium bike racks work with both 1.25-inch and 2-in. hitch receivers, provide access to your vehicle’s rear hatch via the HitchSwitch lever (even with bikes on it), and fits bike wheels up to 29 in. in diameter and up to 3 in. wide.

The Thule Helium Platform 2-bike rack with its sleek aluminum finish weighs in at 43.2-pounds and fits everything from a 26-in. wheel to a 29-in. wheel and up to 3-in. wide tires. The simple design is easy to adjust as there is little resistance in the ratchet system.

You’ll only need one hand to tilt the rack up when not in use. If you need to access the rear of the vehicle with bikes on the rack, you can tilt the rack down below parallel instead of having to remove them. Just make sure to double-check that the rack is locked back in place parallel before driving.

The rack features integrated cable locks for each one of the two bikes that are stored neatly in the rack arms, as well as a lock which locks the rack to your hitch. A convenient feature is that you can run the rack on a 1.25-in. or 2-in. receiver using the included adapter.

Assembly is easy and should only take about 20 minutes. Simply slot the main section into the receiver and then fasten the rack arms, which are clearly labeled as left and right, to the main middle section using the provided Allen key. Use the blank key to install all the of the locks and you’re set.

You can quickly and easily put your bike on the rack using the ratcheting arms.

At 43.2-pounds for the Helium 2-bike rack, it’s easy to fold up and remove from your vehicle if you won’t be needing it for short or long periods of time.

It’s also super convenient if you want to swap the rack between vehicles, even if one has a 2-in. receiver and the other has a 1.25-in. receiver, because of the provided adapter.