You get what you pay for...
I bought this thinking that this will help me solve the problem of taking my daughter's bike everywhere (a woman's bike)... Oh boy, was I SO WRONG...

Before I tell you what happened, I do admit that this is a pretty easy set up and it seems sturdy enough - but it all end there.

As it happened, we are going for a cycle ride and I strapped both of our bicycles safely and correctly on the rack and went. Not far from the house, the retainer pin didn't managed to keep hold of the bike thus the quick release pins gave way... the result of the bike's big thump on the road and when you are driving it will not be an option to just stop right away resulting the need to dragged the bike to a safe place to park and sort the problem.

When I stopped and looked at the bar itself, I've found out that the retainer pin just broke in half. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FLAW in the design. Both the retainer and the quick release pins are not sturdy enough to carry the weight of the bike (even though it is a light bike) and I am driving in a pretty safe speed, this does not help with the flaw.

This cause the problem for my daughter's bike and I am so glad that it didn't cause a major accident. This might happen...

LIKE I SAID,THIS IS A FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT.

I would not be buying this product again. Next time, I would think before I buy cheap stuff as you get what you pay for...

great help!
Great for girls bikes and other bikes with out horizontal cross bar. Keeps bike low on rack so you can see with your rear view mirror. Super easy to use and worth the $$

strong and simple
purchased 1 and then a 2nd one for both out bikes, makes it much easier to mount our curved frame bikes on bike rack, very simple to use on and off in seconds, no trouble stratching frame

Cool item
Have a woman's bike that did not fit or work on my bike rack. The Allen Tension bar did the trick. It works great! Not to hard to attach to the bike. Would recommend this device.

Good item
This bar fits perfectly my wife's bike, and is indispensable in order to fit the bike on a bike rack.

You get what you pay for...
I bought this thinking that this will help me solve the problem of taking my daughter's bike everywhere (a woman's bike)... Oh boy, was I SO WRONG...

Before I tell you what happened, I do admit that this is a pretty easy set up and it seems sturdy enough - but it all end there.

As it happened, we are going for a cycle ride and I strapped both of our bicycles safely and correctly on the rack and went. Not far from the house, the retainer pin didn't managed to keep hold of the bike thus the quick release pins gave way... the result of the bike's big thump on the road and when you are driving it will not be an option to just stop right away resulting the need to dragged the bike to a safe place to park and sort the problem.

When I stopped and looked at the bar itself, I've found out that the retainer pin just broke in half. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FLAW in the design. Both the retainer and the quick release pins are not sturdy enough to carry the weight of the bike (even though it is a light bike) and I am driving in a pretty safe speed, this does not help with the flaw.

This cause the problem for my daughter's bike and I am so glad that it didn't cause a major accident. This might happen...

LIKE I SAID,THIS IS A FLAW IN THEIR PRODUCT.

I would not be buying this product again. Next time, I would think before I buy cheap stuff as you get what you pay for...

great help!
Great for girls bikes and other bikes with out horizontal cross bar. Keeps bike low on rack so you can see with your rear view mirror. Super easy to use and worth the $$

strong and simple
purchased 1 and then a 2nd one for both out bikes, makes it much easier to mount our curved frame bikes on bike rack, very simple to use on and off in seconds, no trouble stratching frame

Cool item
Have a woman's bike that did not fit or work on my bike rack. The Allen Tension bar did the trick. It works great! Not to hard to attach to the bike. Would recommend this device.

Good item
This bar fits perfectly my wife's bike, and is indispensable in order to fit the bike on a bike rack.

Appalling packaging
The box it arrived in was a a very weak manufacturers box. It had clearly not been opened in transit to me but had various rips in it. The product was absolutely used as it had wear marks all over it. The package that contained all the nuts and bolts was cut open and nuts and bolts that were loose in the box must have fallen out of the holes.
Due to being an overseas customer and the hassel of getting another box that would hold this well used [supposed to be new ] product,then going through the refund proccess, it was easier just to take it and try to buy the spare parts. Ive sent mail about this to the seller and Amazon to no reply. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT HERE AS DISAPPOINTMENT IS MOST LIKELY.

Didnt make it out of the box.
The product looked fine however it shipped here in a box that looked like it was delivered by Ace Ventura. The box was completely mangled and re-tapped together. The product did have some scratches and noticeable marks. I returned it immediately.

part missing
Great racks, easy to put on and take off. Great way to put up bikes without having to remove the front wheel. 4 stars only because 1) rough directions re: flipping the rack to a driver side mounting configuration, 2) was missing one little barrel nut with one of the racks when it arrived - Amazon couldn't help except telling me I could return the whole rack for a new one. Thule was great and helped me once I could contact them, but the process meant my wife and I were cramming one bike in the car while we waited for the spare part in the mail.

Very nice rack.
I wanted a rack that could directly mount to my Toyota Sienna (2003) and my RAV4 (2006) factory racks- the large clamps on this unit allows for this and provide a solid, stable mount without additional hardware. I also wanted something that didn't require the removal of the front wheel, and this also fit the bill. I was a little skeptical at first because the main mount seems a bit flimsy, but when you lock it down, it works and my bikes remain motionless, even with my bikes which are all 61cm road bikes. The Thule locks are easy to install and provide a small level of protection for when you really need to leave your bike- as with any of the bike rack locks, I wouldn't leave an expensive bike unattended for too long because the locks probably wouldn't slow down a bike thief too much.

I'd definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a rack, especially for those with factory racks with crossbars that this unit will fit. It will save you about 0 in additional hardware.

3 months later and still going.
These bike racks are great. They're easy to install and use. We've used them on a rather regular basis.

My only caveat - don't buy them here! I had to return the 3 I bought from Amazon b/c they arrived in ripped up boxes (they're big boxes!). I called Thule for replacement parts, but Thule said no b/c Amazon was not an authorized dealer.

I found them elsewhere for about the same price and they shipped w/o any problems.

You'll like these racks. Simple but effective.

Great Bike Mount
I was hesitant to purchase the Echelon bike mount - mostly because of the "locking mechanism" problems mentioned on some of the reviews and on various websites. Well, I've had the rack now for six months and I've used it about a dozen times, and it works like a charm. I'm assuming Thule fixed the locking problems mentioned earlier. I've had no problems with any of the locking features (installation, locking, unlocking, securing, etc). As well, the head portion of the rack is well designed and works smoothly. Granted this is the most expensive bike mount out there, but it's for a reason. The entire mount is sleek, well made, and reeks quality.

Worth the extra dough...
I have an older Peloton (517) but bought two of the Echelon (518) and really enjoy the difference in quality and ease of use. The head is heavy and sturdy and the locks are easier to reach. Actually, everything else (the tire tray) is about the same as the Peloton - it is the head and the mounting bracket that make them different. The bracket is also extremly solid, securing the carrier completely across the base of the head. The Peloton has more of a U-bolt type of bracket and it always makes me feel as if the bike could wobble a bit at high speed.
I am a faithful Prime member and truly buy most everything from Amazon, including expensive cameras and tools. But for some reason I actually had a couple of returns with this product. I had ordered another Peloton first, but it came with a bolt that was not threaded properly, so I returned it and got an Echelon but it had scratches on the tray, so I returned that also and got the two Echelons at East Providence Cycle, my local bike shop.
Let me also add that no store is more accomodating with returns than Amazon. I am always confident in my purchases that they will be stressfree that way.

Find something else.
I owned this product for about a year. From the beginning the locking mechanism on it felt a little odd. It never quite fit right. Everything else about it seemed pretty nice. As I was driving down the hightway a heard a rattle on my roof and stopped to realize the lock had fallen out of the rack and onto the highway. A friend who worked in a Ski shop said he had never heard of this before and later discovered that Thule issued a notice that they were having problems with the rack specific to the locks. However, because it was only a security issue and not a safety issue it would not be an official "recall". It took forever for me to find someone to return the rack locally and get a refund. So I guess as long as your okay with someone stealing your bike and losing your expensive Thule locks on the highway then Thule is happy to have you buy their products.

Nice carrier when it's not broken
I had Steelheads many years ago and when I needed a rack for my new car I decided to get another set. I leave the rack on my car for extended periods and need the extra security that this mount offers. Unfortunately, I discovered that Yakima does not sell replacement parts for the clamping head. Over time, exposure to the sun has caused the red plastic levers to crumble to pieces, and Yakima Customer Service told me that I would have to buy an entire replacement head which is about half the cost of a new mount. How eco-friendly is that? Luckily, it can be fixed with a stainless worm screw hose clamp threaded through the slot and around the head to keep the halves together. It doesn't look as nice but it's probably stronger than the original design. It would get 5 stars if Yakima provided service parts for the heads.

Beware Trek owners-get the Viper
Got this rack for my girlfriends Trek 7300. The right fork bottoms out on the Steelhead before it reaches the top of the fork cut out. The fork cut out (or whatever it's called where the front wheel mounts to the fork)is 1 inch deep on the Trek 7300. Now here's the kicker. I still used it and it worked OK. We tried the Copperhead and that wouldn't work at all on her bike. If I had a 2008 or newer Trek, I wouldn't bother with any Yakima rack lower end than the Viper. Since I've had the Viper, Steelhead, and Copperhead, I know that the Viper is the only one of the three that works for her 2008 Trek 7300.

Doesn't fit 185mm rotor disc brakes
This is a solid rack, as long as you don't have 185mm rotors on your bike. The larger rotor sets the brake casing back far enough that it touches the rack. I can still push the bike onto the rack, but it causes rubbing on the housing and the rack. I end up readjusting the brake position all the time because after I put the front tire back on, it's usually rubbing. (Hayes Elixer 5's, btw. It's close enough that other brakes may not have this problem, or could be more dramatic.)

I tried my bike on a friend's forklift, and it fits great. I'll be buying on of those, but will keep the viper around as my friends have the smaller 160mm rotors, or rim brakes.

Also, adjusting the fork clamp to not flop around when there isn't a bike on it is somewhat cumbersome. However, it's common to all fork mount racks that I've seen...

Yakima Viper solid
Amazon soliciting a review a few months after a purchase is, in some cases, inappropriate. I would not expect this bike rack to need maintenance for several years, and the front wheel skewer is stout. Since I don't yet have much experience with the product, here are the reasons that I decided to buy this particular bike mount.
1. Can be placed in fixed or adjustable setting. Fixed allows placing mount outside of towers.
2. Compatible with disc brakes.
3. Tray type bike racks (as opposed to stand up) have a lower center of gravity and therefore less lateral wobble or more stability.
4. Adjustable skewer. I am not sure, but it may also be larger at 9 mm than other skewers.

All of this info can be gathered by comparing models on Yakimas website. You may also consider models that fit directly on to your car's factory crossbars (if equiped).

Harder to install than other Yakima bike racks
I used to have two Steelhead bike carriers but one was damaged during an unfortunate incident involving roof-mounted bikes and a low parking structure (ouch). I bought the Viper as it seemed like an upgrade, and I must say it's a bit more solidly build than the Steelhead, but there's a few things I don't like.

I don't keep the racks on my truck all the time, only when I'm going biking. Taking off and mounting the Steelhead was basically a clip-on task, and didn't change the skewer length so it was always ready to fit your forks. Putting the Viper on involved completely removing the skewer bolt and re-threading on the lock mechanism from the end, having to thread it on an overly long length of threads. And this is done by having to hold up the lock lever and turn this rough knurled knob that always chafes my fingertips, and it's tough to do because only a small edge of the knob is exposed when you lift up the lever. Then when it's mounted, you have to put your bike up and adjust the threading again to get it to the right width and tension for your bike forks. Taking off involves the reverse unthreading.
I know the different design adds security, but for me it's an annoying extra several minutes and raw fingertips each time.

Great Roof Top Rack
I just got back from a week camping trip in the Adirondacks with this unit. It hauled my Gary Fisher Kaitai perfectly. I used it backwards so I could have my girlfriends bike and the canoe on top as well. It's easy to use but you must read the instructions so you know how to set it depending on whether or not it's outside the towers. I drove about 450 miles doing around 60-68 mph on winding roads and never had an issue. This rack is good for bikes with disc brakes.

doublecheck roof mount...
I mis-measured my roof racks and these were too small for the fatter bars. I ended up purchasing the Yakima Forklift, which are 2x the cost, but work just fine.

Gets the job done
This product works great for me. It fits my car and bike just fine with my Yakima rack at 32" bar spacing. I've used it with two different road bikes (one is a 'normal' size, one a smaller size) and it worked great for both.

I'm not sure what the other reviewer was expecting out of this product. I wouldn't call any of the Yakima rack products extremely secure. If someone wanted to take my rack, they could pry the clips out and walk off with it. Also, all the rack bike mounts I've seen use the tension between the fork and the skewer to secure the bike. Apply enough force and you can probably pull it out of the mount. I'm never going to leave the bike on my car anyways, so it's moot.

It works great and the price is right. As long as your bar spacing is in the acceptable range, you're fine.

Poor security, measure bike and vehicle before buying
Before buying this mount, measure the distance between your bike's fork dropouts to the rear wheel. Then look at the recommended crossbar spacing for your vehicle in the Yakima Q Clip instruction booklet. If the measurements are not similar (ie. rear wheel not centered over the rear crossbar, short roofline and long wheelbase bike), then the rear wheel will hang far behind the rear crossbar and there's a good chance that the rear towers will shift forward when transporting your bike. This can result in roof damage from the shifting clips and the bike's rear wheel contacting and scratching the roof.

The Boa is Yakima's most economical rooftop bike mount and it shows. If you live in a low crime neighborhood and remove your bike and rack when you are away from your car, this mount will probably work just fine for you. Or if you absolutely need to minimize the footprint of the rack when it's off your vehicle.

The Boa pod is mostly made of glass-filled polymer. There is a flimsy plastic cover that is secured by the skewer and covers the heads of the 3 hex mounting bolts. Unfortunately, even when locked, this cover can easily be pried and cracked open by hand revealing the 3 bolt heads. I complained and Yakima responded that they only provide theft deterrence and cannot guarantee against theft. This does not even approach deterrence.

The Boa mount comes with Yakima's universal locking skewer with a polymer lever, stainless rod, and round steel nut. If the skewer is closed and locked but the handle is in the wrong orientation and there's insufficient tension, then it's a simple matter to rotate the handle counterclockwise to loosen the nut and steal your bike. The lever and cam are plastic and will deform and wear with use. When no bike is loaded, the only way to secure the mount is to tighten the nut further and then close and lock the skewer. However, adjusting the nut defeats the purpose of providing a long-throw skewer.

Adding a long tray converts the mount into a Copperhead mount. However, given the security concerns, I returned this mount and purchased a Yakima Steelhead mount instead. The Steelhead has a clamshell clamping design and is mostly metal. It comes with a stainless metal skewer that has a special locking pin and e-clip on the nut. When the skewer is locked, the clamshell cannot open and the skewer nut cannot be removed even if it is not tightened and tensioned against the mount body. As with the Boa, make sure that the skewer lever rests against the crossbar when locked so that it can only be turned clockwise tightening (and not loosening) the nut.

If you don't want to spend much more than the cost of the Boa but want to use your SKS lock cores, consider purchasing a Steelhead body (new or used) and a Rocky Mounts Lariat tray. You will need to drill a hole in the tray to mount the Yakima head. The Rocky Mounts crossbar mount is compatible with Yakima's round bars and comes with all hardware, and their wheel strap is also less expensive than Yakima's.

If you are using or considering Yakima Q Towers, I have a separate review of that product on Amazon.

Works Perfectly With MINI/BMW Factory Rack
Like the first reviewer, I got this to get the wheel out of my small car. While the mount is designed to fit perfectly to the Thule cross bars, it was notched and fit my factory rack perfectly too. Very simple, very elegant, very happy!

works well
This wheel carrier worked well to get the bike wheel out of our smallish car. It definitely worked better than an earlier model we previously tried. The wheel feels secure in the mount and does not spin around while you are driving. I would buy this product again- and I am picky.