Thule 9708 - 4 Bikes for under £100

The Thule 9708 is part of Thule’s HangOn range, which are the lower level towbar mounted carriers in Thule’s range. It boasts an impressive four-bike capacity, which, coupled with its competitive price, makes it an attractive package. Unboxed, the 9708 is actually very compact, and we had no problems unfolding it for use.

However, it is also clear that the 9708 is not quite as sturdy and robust as the Thule 929, but that makes sense, given its cost. The 9708 fitted easily onto our test car, a Ford Focus 2009, and from there we loaded it up to its full capacity. Thule themselves quote the maximum load capacity of the 9708 as being 60 kilos, which we found to be believable; the tubular frame is not overtly heavy but clearly very strong and It bore the load of our four test mountain bikes without complaint.

The bikes themselves attached quickly and firmly, albeit with not quite the rock-solid security of the higher end Thule carriers. When we tried driving with the loaded carrier, the bikes did not rattle or shake, and held their position very well, aided by the provision of a 957 frame lock to hold them in place - the 957 lock is a fairly essential accessory if you’re thinking of buying the 9708. The take down was very simple as well, thanks to the 9708’s tilt function, which is a real plus on an entry level carrier.

All in all, the Thule 9708 is a great economical alternative if your budget does not quite extend to the EuroClassic range of towbar mounted carriers; Thule themselves describe the HangOn range as ‘easy-to-use towbar carriers with stable coupling’, and from what we’ve seen, this appears to be exactly right.