Recommended Thule Bike Rack for 2012 Mazda CX-7  

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Expert Reply:

Hitch mount bike racks are definitely the better option. They tend to have more to offer and usually have a tilting feature so you will not have to remove the bike rack just to access your rear cargo area. I recommend going with a hitch mount bike rack.

There are 2 different styles of bike racks for the hitch mount options; hanging and platform. One important thing to note is that the hitch on your CX-7 sits pretty far under the bumper so I will be making some recommendations with that in mind.

For a hanging style bike rack I recommend going with the Thule Apex Swing 4 Bike Rack # TH9025XT. This will fit in 2 inch hitch receivers and will allow you to swing the bike rack away from your CX-7 with the bikes still loaded for rear cargo access.

A more economic option for a hanging style bike rack is the Thule Camber # TH9058 which will fit both 1-1/4 and 2 inch hitch receivers. This is one of Thule's base models but still has the tilting feature so you can access the rear cargo area without the bikes loaded.

On a hanging style you will need an Adapter Bar # TH982XT if either of your bikes do not have a horizontal crossbar on the frame like a standard men's bike has.

One of the best options for a platform mount bike rack is the Thule T2 Pro XT which will fit 1-1/4 inch hitch receivers # TH23JV. It is packed with features and can accommodate almost any bike frame style since it secures the bikes by the wheels.

For a more economical option the Thule DoubleTrack Pro XT # TH92BJ which will fit 1-1/4 and 2 inch receivers is what I recommend.

The only issue with the platform option is that you might not be able to fold the rack up when your bikes are not loaded.

expert reply by: Jon G

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