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(More customer reviews)I have owned a Thule system for about 6 years with the V2 590 fork mounts. I have long been looking to upgrade because of the issues with that particular mount. I looked at the Echelon when it first came out but the stories of the mounting bracket failing have kept me away.
So I was overjoyed when I discovered they had come out with the Domestique. The skewer design seems very fail proof and the design is really great. This thing has good looks too, which helps because they are on my car all the time.
I have only owned them a few days but I have started to discover some problems. First of all the skewer lever and the entire head block are made of plastic. It looks to be a very durable plastic, but it doesn't inspire the kind of confidence that my V2s did. Chances are both of them will hold up, but the plastic head block causes some problems. It is designed so you can move the entire mount forward or backwards to accomodate a hatchback. In the forward most position the skewer is about 4 inches forward of the bar, and when you mount a bike in this position there is considerable flex and wobble to the bike. I found that even the middle position, where the indent for round bars is, is not near as stable as the rear most position, with the skewer nearly right above the front bar. This is a shame because this would have been solved with a metal head. If you have round bars or will have issues with clearance from a hatchback this tray is not for you.
It has a really strangely designed mounting plate for the rear bar. The tray slides into this plate and then the plate mounts to the bar. The problem is that the tray rattles on the plate. So as secure as you can get the front end, and as secure as you can mount the bike, it does not matter because the back will rattle.
The bigger problem for me is that it cannot be locked to your car. That's right. Thule sells a lock core that will lock down the skewer in the closed position. But the nut on the other side of the skewer can be unscrewed in seconds, and the entire skewer can be removed, lock and all. This is not possible if a bike is mounted, because the pressure created by the clamp being locked down prevents the nut from being removed. So if your bike is mounted, it is fully secure like it should be. But if you ever leave the mounts on your car without a bike in them (I leave mine on my car year round) then they can be stolen very quickly and easily at any time. Once the skewer is removed the bolts to remove the entire bike tray are exposed and only require an allen key. This is a fatal flaw that will result in my returning this product.
I really wanted to like these bike mounts, mostly because I was having so much trouble with the V2 design and the skewer on this is refreshingly simple. I also really like the improvement in looks. But ultimately this is an investment for the next five years, and there has to be something better.
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Thule 513 Domestique Roof Mount Bike Rack
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