Kuat NV 2.0 versus Thule T2 Pro XTR

The Kuat NV 2.0 and the Thule T2 Pro XTR are two of the most popular bike racks on the market. In this blog post we will be comparing the 2" versions of these two racks. We hope this blog will make your purchasing decision easier. If you have have further questions don't hesitate to get in touch with us or drop by either of our Edmonton store locations.

Weight Capacity

Bike racks like the Kuat NV 2.0 and Thule T2 Pro XTR are designed and built to carrying a large variety of bikes from light road bikes to big DH rigs and as a result have a high weight capacity. Both the Kuat NV 2.0 and Thule T2 Pro XTR (2" versions) can carry bikes up to 60 lb with a total weight capacity of 120 lb.

Attaching and locking to your hitch

While both bike racks are easy to install onto your vehicle, the steps taken when installing these bike racks does differ slightly.

The Thule T2 Pro XTR does not have a traditional hitch pin, instead it uses the spring loaded AutoPin which locates the hole in your hitch and snaps closed. The handle located at base of the bike rack is used to tighten a wedge mechanism that removes unwanted side-to-side as well as up-and-down play movement. Once tight, the knob is locked using the provided keys. This prevents theft of the bike rack.

The Kuat NV 2.0 uses a traditional hitch pin. Once the holes in the bike rack and hitch are aligned you can insert the pin and snap on the locking end. This will prevent theft of the bike rack. A handle located at the base of the rack is used to tighten a wedge mechanism that removes unwanted side-to-side as well as up-and-down play movement. If you are unable to tighten the knob by hand, you have the option of using an Allen Key which is provided with the rack.

Fitting your bikes

Both the Thule T2 Pro XTR and Kuat NV 2.0 are designed to fit a very wide variety of bikes from road bikes, to fat bikes, to downhill mountain bikes, to hybrid bikes, and kids bikes. Each bike is secured onto the rack by a hook which clamps onto the front tire and a wheel strap that holds down the front tire. The front wheel hook needs to be placed in direct contact with the tire and as close to the fork or brake as possible. As a result neither the NV 2.0 or T2 Pro XTR can be used on bikes with fenders that prevent this hook from securing correctly.

Both the NV 2.0 and T2 Pro XTR can carry bikes tires up to 29" in diameter and up to 5" in width. If carrying kids bikes, the NV 2.0 does require the use of a small wheel adapter for tires 20-24" in diameter, one adapter is included and additional adapters are available separately. If carrying fat bikes, the NV 2.0 requires the use of a fat tire strap, one is included and additional straps are available separately.

The maximum wheel base that a bike rack can handle is largely a concern if you are carrying larger mountain bikes or cruiser style bikes. Most bikes will not reach the maximum wheel base but we've included it here anyways. You can determine your bikes wheel base by measuring from the center of the front tire to the center of the rear tire. In this comparison the two bike racks are very similar with the Thule T2 Pro XTR handling up to 50.5" wheelbases and the Kuat NV 2.0 handling up to 50" wheelbases

Tilting and folding the rack

For access to your rear hatch and easy storage when not in use, both the Kuat NV 2.0 and Thule T2 Pro XTR can be tilted away from your vehicle and be folded up towards your vehicle.

The T2 Pro XTR uses a handle located at the very end of the bike rack. This handle is used to move the rack from stowed to carrying position as well as to tilt the bike rack away from the vehicle. Since the handle is located at the very end of the rack you do not need to reach through the bikes to grab the handle. This makes the rack much easier to tilt and fold.

The NV 2.0 uses a handle located on the side of the base of the rack which can be pushed with your foot or pulled by hand to lower the rack from the stowed to carrying position. With or without bikes on the rack that rack can be tilted away from the vehicle by pulling on the handle. Whens bikes are loaded you will need to reach past one of the bikes to grab the handle. Once bikes have been unloaded you can pull the handle by hand and return the rack to the stowed position.

Locking your bikes

It's no fun having your bike stolen. That's why both Thule and Kuat have integrated bike locks into their bike racks.

The Thule T2 Pro XTR includes cables which slide out of the arm of the rack and wrap around the frame of the bike. The cable is spring loaded so that once unlocked at recoils back into the arm.

The Kuat NV 2.0 includes cables which slides out of the trays are loops through the year tire and frame of your bike. A great feature of the locks on the NV 2.0 is that you don't need to use your keys to lock the bikes. Simply snap the cable end into the lock and it's locked! Just make sure you have your keys with you before heading out to your favourite trail head as they are needed to unlock the bikes, not speaking from experience or anything!

Comparison Chart - T2 Pro XTR vs NV 2.0