Thule Gateway 3 Bike Carrier Review

Review of the Thule Gateway 3 Bike Carrier

Today we are going to show you the Thule Gateway 3-bike carrier, part number TH9007. The Gateway 3 is a 3-bike trunk mounted bike carrier. The extra long, arching tubes on the rack base provide a steady, stable foundation for your bikes and additional clearance over factory spoilers. Thules patented fit dial makes mounting and setting the rack up for your vehicle quick and easy. Included on the Gateway 3 are cushioned anti-sway cradles. The narrowly spaced arms on the rack are independently adjustable to help accommodate various bike shapes and sizes. :34

The Gateway uses 6 maximum strength nylon straps to secure the rack to the vehicle. The molded rubber pads on the Gateway help protect your vehicles paint and finish. The rack can hold 3 bikes, and up to 105 pounds in total weight. Thanks to the arch shape in the rack, it will accommodate many vehicles that have factory spoilers or wings. The rack is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. The Gateway is designed to fit a wide range of vehicles. 1:01

Thules patented fit dial makes it quick and easy to adjust the rack and set it in the right position. Simply check the fit guide and instructions for the correct number setting. Life this lever to unlock the two support arms on the rack. Once they are unlocked, open the rack up to the right number setting and lock it back into place. The rack uses 6 hooks and straps to attach securely to your car. On our Cobalt we have one up on the truck lid closest to the windshield. One on the side of the trunk lid. And one strapped underneath to the bumper. It is on the same locations as the driver side. These 6 hooks help secure the rack to your car and make it a solid, steady base for transporting your bikes. 1:47

The spacing of the arms on this rack is rather narrow when compared to other bike racks. This is so it can accommodate a wide verity of bike sizes from children, to mountain bike, to womans bike frames. The cradles have a soft rubber lining that not only provides cushion and protection for your bike, but the grippy rubber texture helps keep the bike from swaying. Like other Thule bike racks, the included rubber straps pull over tight, and lock down on your bikes frame. There are also vertical anti-sway cradles that come down on the seat upright. This will prevent the bike from swinging back and fourth and hitting the vehicle and other bikes. To load a bike, simply slide it over the arms and into a set of cradles. Once in the cradles, use the rubber straps to secure the bike. Make sure to pull the straps tight so they get a good grip on the bike frame. Once you have the bike loaded, you can use the strap Thule provides to secure the bike frame to the rack. Simply feed the strap behind the rack and around the frame of your bike. This extra strap will also prevent the bikes from swaying and hitting each other or the vehicle. 2:54

If you like the Gateway, but want a smaller version, it is also available in a 2-bike version. That is part number TH9006. Alright, lets take the Thule Gateway for a road test. With the anti-sway cradles and securing strap, our bike is sitting nice and stable inside of our rack. That is it for the Thule Gateway 3-bike carrier, part number TH9007.