Thule Vertex Swing (9031XT) Bike Rack Review
Just a few days ago we reviewed the Thule Vertex fold-down style bike racks, and while the Thule Vertex Swing is similar, it has one important difference: it swings away to give you access to the rear of your vehicle with the bikes on.
Thule’s brand new upgraded Vertex Swing is a great economical option for the consumer looking for an easy way to carry their bikes, with the added benefit of being able to access their rear hatch. I personally love the fact that the installation process is very simple. Out of the box, It has only three major components that attach together with two bolts.
By using the tools provided, in the box, by Thule you will have the rack on your car and ready to use in under 20 minutes.
The Thule Vertex Swing comes with locks to lock your bikes to the rack, and the optional STL2 from Thule will allow you to lock the rack to your hitch as well. Combined they make this rack on of the most convenient and secure ways to transport your bikes.
Thule 9031XT Vertex Swing Bike Rack
The Thule 9031XT Vertex Swing Bike Rack, with its unique arc design, makes loading and unloading easier, provides better ground clearance and gives you greater space between your bikes for easy transport. New XT model adds an integrated cable lock.
Mounting it to the hitch is simple, and this is partly thanks to this rack being significantly lighter than some or the swing away racks we have used in the past. To mount it all you do is slide it into the receiver, line the hole up and bolt it in with the wrench that is supplied. I personally opted to purchase Thule’s Snug Tite STL2 for the added security, and matched the lock cores to the rack also for added convenience.
The rack uses Thule’s popular anti-sway cradles we’ve seen on their previous racks, and to be honest we’re happy to see that. After having used these cradles and straps for many years we can confidently say they perform great, and are as durable as you could hope for.
If you need access to your vehicle with your bikes on, this bike rack is one of the best choices you could make.
If you don’t think you need to get into your car, you may want to save yourself a little money, and look at the fold down version of the same rack, the Thule Vertex 4-bike (9029XT).