Comparing Thule Helium and Kuat Beta Trailer Hitch Mount Bike Racks for a 2007 Mazda Miata

Expert Reply:

According to what I found on the Hard Dog site, their hitches are Class I, so you will need to find a rack that will fit a Class I hitch.

The Kuat Beta, part # B202-114, and Thule Helium, part # TH970XT, will both fit Class I hitches.

Any high quality hitch bike rack should not have a problem with speed bumps, provided you take the bump at an appropriate speed. Quality manufacturers test their bike racks on the roads and on testing machines in their engineering departments to make sure their racks will hold up to road use. A bike rack is worthless if it falls apart after going through a rough patch of road. Most of them should not be used in off-road applications.

The Hard Dog site says that their hitch can handle a 200 pound tongue weight. Check the owners manual of the Miata and see if the tongue weight capacity of the vehicle is less. If it is, abide by the lower number. As far as weight capacity, you add the weight of the bike and bike rack together, and that total is your tongue weight load. If your bike weighs 25 pounds and you have the Thule Helium, your total tongue weight is right at 45 pounds. The Kuat Beta is lighter, so your total with the same bike would be right at 37 pounds.

You can measure the hitch to make sure they will clear your bumper, but both the Kuat and the Thule should. Lay a yard stick, straight up and down, against the furthest point of your bumper. Measure from the center of the hitch pin hole to the yard stick. That measurement is your minimum clearance. If that measurement is less than 10-1/2 inches the Kuat will fit. The Thule is a bit shorter at 8-1/4 inches.

In all honesty, you could not go wrong with either the Thule Helium or the Kuat Beta. Thule and Kuat both have excellent design on their bike racks. The Thule Helium does have the quick-release switch at the bottom for the tilting feature, whereas the Kuat you have to pull a pin. The Thule build quality is great, but I think I think the Kuat takes things one step further. Aluminum is not an easy material to weld as it dissipates heat so quickly, but the welds on the Kuat racks are phenomenal for aluminum and their finish is second to none.

Either way, you would not be getting a bad rack. If you plan on using the tilt feature a lot, the quick-release switch on the Thule might appeal to you. If you want one of the best built and best looking bike racks, the Kuat fits the bill.

expert reply by: Patrick B