Thule ProRide 598

The Thule ProRide 598 sits in a niche corner of the market: roof-mount racks sell much less in the Netherlands than tow-bar or trunk-mount options because Dutch cars tend not to come with standard roof rails and the average Dutch garage door is too low for a bike-plus-rack to clear. Still, this rack has been the benchmark for roof mounting for years — especially for road cyclists and mountain bikers running a Volvo V60, Audi A4 Avant or VW Passat Variant that already has roof bars for skis or boxes. Build quality is classic Thule: aluminium profile with a soft lining that does not mark the frame, and a torque-knob clamp that holds firm without denting. For carbon road frames this matters — older roof racks clamp directly onto the frame with bare brackets and leave scratches that strip hundreds of euros off the resale price. The ProRide 598 presses through a T-profile over a wide surface, spreading load. At 130 km/h on the A12 heading for Germany there is no movement or whistling.

Compared to the Atera Giro Speed or the Yakima HighRoad (a wheel-on alternative where the front wheel stays on in a tray), the Thule is a touch simpler to set up but demands lifting. The Atera is similar in price but has a less gentle clamp. Against a Menabo Alfa the Thule is better finished and has a more reliable lock. The real competition for this rack is not another roof rack but the question of roof versus tow-bar mounting altogether — tow bars win on usability, roof mounts win on price if you already own roof bars.

Honest take: lifting a bike to hip height is already taxing; to the roof of a Volvo XC60 it becomes impractical for many people, especially with an e-bike or a road bike whose pedals catch clothing. E-bikes at 25 kg are above the ProRide 598's 20 kg limit anyway — not suitable. Fuel consumption rises 10-15% with a bike on the roof at speeds over 100 km/h, adding tens of euros on a run to Austria. Critical warning: check your garage door and parking garages. One low tunnel and you grind the bike into the ceiling — the best-known roof-rack horror story in the Netherlands. Finally, after a hard rain give the clamp a quick inspection; the mechanism works fine but road salt will eat into it over years.