Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Rating: 
34 reviews
Code: TH9028
Retail:$239.95
Price:$215.95
Shipping Weight: 38 pounds
Shipping Special
This sleek, stylish hitch rack lets you carry bikes on dual arced arms that provide optimum bike spacing and let you mount bikes at different heights. The bike rack also has cushioned anti-sway cradles and a tilting mast for rear cargo area access.
Features:
Specs:
The sleek and stylish Thule Vertex has Hold Fast anti-sway cradles that grip your bike frame at three different points - twice along the top bar and once along a downward bar, such as a seat post. This third point of contact that is created with Thule's No-Sway Cage prevents not only sway, but also front-to-back movement and bike-to-bike contact. The cushioned cradles include reinforced rubber straps to secure the bikes in place. The cradles also include advanced grooves that accommodate bike cables.
The arching dual arms of the rack stagger the Hold Fast cradles so that the bikes hang at varying heights. This is just one of the ways that the Vertex prevents pedals and handlebars from hitting each other when you are loading your bikes and during transport. In addition to allowing different bike heights, the rack arms on the Vertex are longer, adding more space between the cradles than standard dual-arm racks to protect your bikes even better. The arching arms, just like standard dual-arm racks, give great bike support, and it's less likely that you will need a bike adapter bar. However, adapter bars might be needed for smaller, alternative and women's frame bikes.
The upright bar - or mast - of the rack is taller than standard hitch-mounted racks and is arced slightly to offer your bikes greater clearance from both the ground and the back of your vehicle. A built-in handle in the mast also makes it easy to transport the rack to and from your vehicle and to install it in your hitch receiver.
The Vertex includes ergonomic levers (HitchSwitches) that enable you to fold the rack in two places. The rack body tilts forward to allow easy access to your vehicle's rear cargo area, and arms can be folded down for storage. Also, the handles audibly click to reassure you that the arms and mast are locked in place.
An easy-to-use adapter sleeve is included to convert the 1-1/4-inch shank for use with 2-inch hitches.
The Vertex comes with an anti-rattle device incorporated into the shank to reduce vibration and noise in the hitch for a smooth, quiet ride - simply tighten the hitch bolt with a wrench.
A Snug-Tite hitch lock (THSTL2; sold separately) is available for locking the rack to your hitch. And you can lock your bikes to the rack using Thule's locking cable with a One Key System core so it can be keyed to match your hitch lock.
Replaces TH912XT
Video of Thule Vertex 2 Bike Carrier for 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer
installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today were going to review part number TH9028 from Thule, the Vertex 2 hanging hitch bike rack. A few quick notes about this bicycle rack, that this will work on 1-1/4 inch receiver hitches and 2 inch receiver hitches. This bike rack will carry up to 2 racks and also comes with the anti sway cradles. The design of the bike rack itself has an arch shape to it. This helps keep the bikes away from the vehicle and also helps with lowering the bikes onto the arms. The bike rack also includes 2 Hitch Switches, one for your tilted bicycle rack and one to help fold up the arms of the rack. Well go into a little more detail. This bicycle rack will work with an inch and a quarter receiver hitch class 1 and class 2.
It will also work with class 3 receiver hitches as it includes this spacer. And for our demonstration well go ahead and install that. The bike does come with tools needed for assembly. And here we have a Hitch Switch. This allows you to fold the bicycle rack out of the way for access to the back of the car. It also includes a hand hold at the top of the post to make it easy to pick it up and move it around.
You could also grab the bike rack by the bottom too .And lets install it to the hitch and line up the hitch pin holes. Next we go ahead and install our anti rattle bolt and tighten it down. Okay well go ahead and pull back on the Hitch Switch and well tilt the bike rack out of our way and well see how it makes it easier to get into the back of the vehicle. All right, lets go ahead and use the Hitch Switch on top to unfold the arms so we can load up the bike. I wish to cover a few notes about the cradles.
The strap can be used on both sides of the cradle, and you can see there are ribs inside the cradles to allow room for cables on the bicycle. Each pair comes with an anti sway cradle to help keep the bike from moving the bike around. Well make sure the straps are all out of our way and then for demonstration purposes, were going to put the bike on the last pair. And typically when youre going down the road, you always want to load your bikes up closer to the post and then work your way back. Put our block in the cradle, balance it off it you have to and then well slide our bike over. We can rotate our anti sway cradle over to the seat post.
Were going to run our strap around it and then well go ahead and run our straps over the top tube. And a few steps our bike is already loaded up and ready to hit the road. At this point our bike is loaded up and ready to go. Lets go ahead and take it down the road and see how it performs. Part number TH9028 from Thule.
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Replacement parts available for this product
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (34 Customer Reviews)
by: Terri03/26/2013
Is this review helpful?
This is a replacement Thule TH9028 for a Thule TH9028 I purchased for my son for Christmas. He was rearended in a 35 mph speed limit by a car going approximately 70 mph. This Bike rack took the brunt of the impact, as you can see from the attached picture. It was the best Christmas purchase ever, as I believe that had it not been the awesome quality that it was, on the back of my son's Hyundai Accent. The 5 year old in the back seat would have been severly injured and most likely my son who was driving the vehicle. The car was totalled, however my son and 5 year old in the backseat both walked away. Thank you Thule for making such a sturdy, well built product.72700
by: Maureen S06/08/2012
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Excellent service and price, good product. I Definitely recommend etrailer!43347
by: Karan H05/15/2013
Is this review helpful?
Great experience, great product with excellent prices. My bike rack came quickly, and the company kept me informed as to date shipped and expected delivery date. I will use etrailer.com again without a doubt. I saved $60.00 on the bike rack. I compared prices in two stores, and buying it on line through etrailer.com was by far my cheapest option. 80360
by: Pete H.05/13/2013
Is this review helpful?
An excellent product that comes complete with Allen wrench needed to secure two screws in the lower assembly and a tool to tighten the bolt that secures the unit to the hitch. The "click-lock" features of the lower tilting mechanism and upper rack are simple, convenient and easy to operate and gives the overall unit a professional feel. These features do make the unit quite heavy but gives a more secure feeling of safety than a pin and lanyard arrangement.79969
by: Robert L05/10/2013
Is this review helpful?
The Thule Vertex 2 (9028) Bike Carrier is super and works great, easy to install and use. Very sturdy. The Snug Tite Hitch lock does not fit a 2010 Ford Explorer with factory instally hitch as the electrical connector for tail lights, etc on the hitch prevents use of the locking mechanism. etrailer customer support was great in discussing this with me and immediately provided a return authotrization and credit for return. etrailer shipped quickly and is a great company to do business with.79708
by: Mike V.05/08/2013
Is this review helpful?
Product definitely was exactly what I needed on my 2012 Jeep Liberty. It was relatively easy to install on trailer hitch, and seems to be excellent quality. My only complaint is with Thule Tech Support. I called them with a minor installation issue that my brain just couldn't comprehend regarding the anti sway mechanism, and they basically told me to look at the picture and read the instructions. So very helpful of them!79379
Mike V., thanks for your feedback. We are glad to hear you like the rack, but we are sorry to hear that Thule Tech Support was not helpful in answering your questions regarding the anti-sway mechanism on the Vertex.We want to make sure you are taken care of, so please dont hesitate to contact our customer service team with any question regarding any product. You can also submit questions to our Ask-the-Expert team anytime in the section of this page immediately below the customer review section of this page http:/www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Bike-Racks/Thule/TH9028.html. There you will also find previous Expert Questions.
Kristin B. - 5/9/2013 by: Kevin P.05/04/2013
Is this review helpful?
Well built - easy to attach and use. The pictures do not reflect how nice it is. Directions from Thule could be a bit more specific. Your company was a joy to work with. Folks kept me informed from the moment I ordered it till it arrived at my door. Have you folks ever thought of going into the healthcare business???78980
by: Randy04/10/2013
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Firstly, and unrelated to the product itself, trailer.com delivered my bike carrier extremely fast. As for the bike carrier, it is extremely well built and sturdy. A small amount of assembly was required, used the instructions included in the package, very simple and straightforward. I recently bought a new car, my old carrier was not compatible, the Thule Vertex 2 was. Research led me to etrailer.com, and I could not be happier with my purchase. Thanks.75321
by: Bryan03/24/2013
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Really well built bike rack! I like how it folds up and the over-all design. Fast shipping too....72153
by: Tom03/04/2013
Is this review helpful?
I ordered the Thule 9028 bike rack on Monday and as promised it arrived Thursday afternoon. I popped into my hitch receiver on Friday with little effort so I now know I'm good to go come biking season this year. Great customer service and fast shipping from etrailer.com made the process seamless. I'd use etrailer again without question. Thanks. 68777
by: WALTER02/11/2013
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The carrier arrived on time. By following the instruction booklet, it is easily installed. I am very pleased. Thanks65818
by: no name01/14/2013
Is this review helpful?
Simple to install and works great. 62954
by: Richard H.10/02/2012
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Thule 2 bike rack. Excellent product, good price, fast delivery, excellent communication!56250
by: Tom L.09/28/2012
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I received my Thule Vertex 2 bike carrier promptly and had no problems with it. I had ordered a 2 inch hitch for it at the same time. This mounted quick and easy to my 2011 VW Tiguan. The video's etrailer offered was very helpful in all aspects of mounting the trailer hitch, the bike carrier and placing the bike on the carrier. Thanks etrailer, I would do business with you guys again.56080
by: Sharon H09/04/2012
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I am a very petite woman and able to install this hitch on my car without help.53854
by: Dan C.08/23/2012
Is this review helpful?
Product arrived within a week. Initially, I chose the free shipping over $150 option, but I got an email back from etrailer saying that they would upgrade the shipping at no extra cost. The bike rack came in really good condition. Since I'm not very mechanically inclined, I had my buddy whose a general contractor install it for me. Even he said it was a pain in the butt, so I'm glad I had him do it. I installed it on a black 12' Forester at it looks really good black on black. As for the product itself, it's functional, good-looking, and very solid. The only gripe would be the THULE sticker scrapes very easily...but not a big deal. Overall, I am very pleased with the shipping, service, and quality. 52774
by: Jack L08/11/2012
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We are very pleased with this Bike Carrier. It was extremely easy to install. We also purchased the carrier lock to ensure that the carrier doesn't appear when we are away from the car.51391
by: Brent08/06/2012
Is this review helpful?
This bike rack was perfect for my needs. It is very secure and does not sway at all. I bought my hitch from etrailer.com and it was just as advertised. Etrailer delivered as promised and I was very impressed with their customer service from start to finish. I received emails during all phases of packing and delivering. Great company! 50677
by: Michael B08/01/2012
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heavy yet very very stable! i will trade the light weight of other racks for stability of this rack any day. thule lock is a must. very well thought out/made bike rack. instructions could have been better in regards to the anti sway strap set up or they should have come pre built as in the case with other manufacturers. overall an excellent buy. Mb50151
by: Graham W.07/30/2012
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I ordered this bike rack on short notice to be used on a 12 hour ride. Being a Thule it is slightly more expensive than some other brands but I think the quality and assurance you have with using Thule racks make them worth it. The unit come mostly assembled already and it is just a matter of putting in some securtity screws and the rubber bands and it is ready to go. I found the two cap screws that went in the bottom hinge were easier to put in once the rack is mounting on the hitch. The bikes were secure and barely budged during the entire trip (12 hours each way). Very easy to mount onto the hitch and to mount the bikes onto the rack with a bit of practice. It is also very simple to fold the rack down when there are no bikes mounted to gain access to your back trunk. Although they recommend you not to do it, I did try folding it down with the bikes mounted and while it worked it was quite difficult due to the weight of 2 bikes + rack, so I can definitely see why they wouldn't recommend you to do this by yourself as your foot or hand slips and you could damage your bike, the rack or even your hitch/car possibly. It is much more manageable with two people. Overall a great rack and we are very pleased.49831
by: Tod M07/18/2012
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Excellent transaction all around. Efficient ordering, fast delivery, great communication. Would give etrailer.com my business again without any hesitation. Thanks. Well done. 48405
by: Rachael A.06/30/2012
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Easy to install. Very well made. Makes for easy travel as well.46342
by: Maureen W06/12/2012
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Extremely easy to install - 5 minutes. Very stable - no sway at all. Arms fold down and whole rack folds down with ease. We installed on Volkswagen Passat station wagon which is a small wagon and had absolutely no problems - love it43849
by: B. J. R06/10/2012
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I'm very pleased. Ordered by phone and got great help to fit my 2010 GMC Yukon. The order arrived quickly and in good shape and after a quick read of the instructions installed the rack and tried it out. Everything works great and I look forward to many years of enjoyment as I travel the country with my new bike rack.43548
by: Melissa L05/29/2012
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Great service and Great Product! 41892
by: Rose H.05/23/2012
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I love my Thule bike rack that I purchased from Etrailer. Here's some photos of it on my 2011 Subaru Outback.41436
by: Rose H.05/22/2012
Is this review helpful?
Well built bike rack. I purchased it for my 2011 Subaru Outback. I especially like the tilt feature. The first time I used the rack, I drove from St. Louis to Wyoming. The bike was very secure and stable. The Etrailer sales representative was very helpful when I called in my order. 41375
by: Robert04/11/2012
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I bought the trailer hitch and this bike rack together from etrailer. The installation was very easy -- less than an hour, which is nothing for a retired guy. We took our bikes on a 2000 mile road trip through the southwest and the rack performed very well going 70-80mph and hitting various potholes and bumps along the way. It is very easy to mount & dismount the bikes. We are very pleased with this bike rack and look forward to many more trips with it.36868
by: David D.03/27/2012
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Great bike rack! 35269
by: jd m.03/12/2012
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just what we were looking for. easy to use. only complaint is we wish there was a way to intergrate the bike lock cable into the rack..33696
by: Mike02/11/2012
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Got the hitch and rack within three days. I was able to attach everything with no major issue in a rather short amount of time. I'd make sure that you have the basic tools necessary to do the job (socket sets, jack and stands etc.). The video was easy to follow and didn't leave me with any question. Overall, I'm a super satisfied customer and saved over $150 by doing everything myself.31590
by: Kylie01/14/2013
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I was so happy to receive this product for $60 less than any other website. 62945
by: Peter Jahn12/17/2012
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Liked the prompt shipment and email communications regading same. Won't actually use the rack for months as it is a Christmas gift - liked the design / styling of the rack.61615
by: Carlie06/12/2012
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Very easy to assemble! Very durable and great quality. However, there is a slight wiggle room (in the upright position) from front to back. The hitch is pretty tight, it's coming from the 90 degree turn in elbow. Any suggestions to eliminate this would be greatly appreciated.43788
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Installation Details
