Thule have been providing solutions to travelling with your bike for the better part of 60 years. The latest edition of the popular ProRide range, the ProRide 598001 Silver, has some new innovations making it the modern day roof rack system.
The ProRide 598001 Silver can now cater for 'Fat Bikes', has in inbuilt torque limiter, and has moved away from the traditional straight line ratcheting wheel straps, opting for auto-centering diagonal quick-release wheel straps instead. Installation is as easy as ever, and can be switched (tool free) to either left or right sides.
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New Features
The new ProRide 598001 Silver has some simple yet important upgrades from the previous ProRide 591.
Those with expensive carbon frames will rejoice with two new innovations on the clamp and frame holder. The clamp now features an internal torque limiter to prevent over tightening and potential damage to your frame. The torque limiter works the same way as a traditional torque wrench and provides peace of mind when fixing your bike to the top of the car.
To further protect your bike, the ProRide 598001 Silver also has a new, softer material contacting the bike via the frame holder's 'claw pads'. The new material on the claw pads is softer than traditional materials and conforms to the shape of the bike's frame. Obviously this is great if you have different bikes with different tube shapes, but it will also prevent any hot spots or pressure points on the bike's frame that may have existed with previous non-conforming claw pads. The frame holder can hold tubes of 100mm, more than enough to cover the majority of frame types.
The new 598 automatically positions your bike when you secure it, thanks to the uniquely designed frame holder and wheel tray. The 598 also features soft claw pads that adapt to your bike’s frame tubes, minimizing the risk of frame damage.
Another new innovation is the diagonal quick-release wheel straps. The shift away from the traditional straight wheel straps is said to provide a more stable hold and automatically centre the wheel to the wheel tray. For those with carbon wheels, the soft sleeve on the ratcheting wheel straps is a welcome addition. No more rubbing and wearing away of the carbon surface.
The wheel trays can easily cater for any road or MTB wheelset, and with the purchase of a 'Fatbike Adapter' the ProRide 598001 Silver can cater for wheel sizes up to 5 inches.
The new diagonal quick-release wheel straps
The same great features
The ratchet system used to tighten the jaws of the frame holder is much the same. A simple dial-up knob that progressively tightens and positions the bike. Using this system could not be easier, and the aforementioned torque limiter gives the user extra confidence when securing the bike. Once your bike is on the roof, you don't have to be overly precious with its placement. As soon as you start to turn the knob it will automatically start to position the bike as it locks it into place, then it is just a matter of moving the wheel holders into position and fixing the wheels with the new diagonal quick-release wheel straps.
The carrier is locked to the car, and the bike locked to the carrier, maximising security and hopefully preventing any would-be thieves from stealing your pride and joy.
The ProRide 598001 Silver's maximum load is 20kg, which will cater for anything on two wheels, aside from anything with a motor on it. And it all comes at a very respectable total weight of 4.2kg.
Specs
Max load 20kg
Product weight 4.2kg
Automatic bike positioning
Diagonal quick-release wheel straps
Torque limiter
Large, soft claw pads
RRP: $299.00
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