How to Carry Carbon Fiber Road Bikes on a 2014 BMW 535i

Question:

Hello, I have read through some of the reviews of this product and the predecessor, and I was curious if you would recommend the Thule TH9003PRO for my 2014 BMW 535i xDrive? I do not want to damage the vehicle or bikes in any way, and am looking for a high quality rack to transport two carbon fiber road bikes.

asked by: Ron

Expert Reply:

I absolutely DO NOT recommend using the platform version of the Thule OutWay # TH65JV on your 2014 BMW 5-Series. This rack is best used on vehicles with metal bumpers and certain SUVs with padded bumpers. Given the weight of this rack, especially when loaded, it is likely to damage your vehicle.

The safest way to carry carbon fiber road bikes on your 2014 BMW 535 is to install a trailer hitch, # C11381, and use a hitch mount bike rack. You can then use a light bike rack, compatible with a Class I trailer hitch, that doesn't even touch the bike frames such as the Kuat Transfer, # KU74FR. I have included a link to a video review of this rack from you.

The only other issue is that with the Curt hitch, Curt requires the sue of stabilization strap # 18050 for non-trailer loads such as a bike rack. The strap reduces some of the stress on the hitch.

expert reply by: Michael H