Thule

Helium Pro Bike Rack - 3 Bike

Much worse than the old version

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

The bike rack does everything you want except carry bikes. I bought this because I loved my discontinued model that used rubber straps. This system uses hard plastic straps which have a few fatal problems: - They are not very flexible, especially in the cold. In warm conditions, you can attach and remove the straps with one hand (with practice). In cold weather, forget about it. You will need two hands. - I am constantly worried that the straps will damage the finish on my bike. There is a thin rubber rail that seems to protect the bike from the strap, but it's not as nice and soft as the old kind. - If you forget to connect the straps when your bikes are not on the rack, the straps will fall out of the hangers. I have gone through two bags of straps and am down to my last three straps. This was the first time I questioned CC/Backcountry's curating. The individual features, like tool-less installation, the joint that angles the rack away from the back of the car so lift gates can clear, and the weight of the rack are all nice. It's just that the straps are terrible. When I saw the reviews, I thought they just hadn't figured out how to use the rubber. I didn't realize they went to a completely different system. While I fault CC for selling a bad product, I do want to recognize that they were reasonably helpful. The overall experience was not what exactly what I would want, but they made a more than token gesture to assist. I ordered this mid-winter, so didn't put it on until about 45 days after I received the product. I put a request for assistance into a "support@" e-mail address at about 80 days but did not receive a response. I didn't really want to go through the hassle of a return, but the item was just not acceptable, so i thought maybe they'd give me a discount on a future item. After the 90 day return period, I reached out to an account manager. He was apologetic, and offered a free bag of straps, which arrived the day after we communicated. I suspect had I been more forceful at requesting a replacement item or a discount, he would have offered more, but I didn't have the energy to pursue. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I raised the issue now they would go ahead and do that. So the lesson learned is: this is a terrible product, so don't buy it. CC/Backcountry do curate their stuff but this one is a miss. Figure out whether you want to keep your items within the 90 day return period. Reach out to your account manager if you need special assistance.