All New 2005 Thule Hitch Mount Bike Rack XT Series Ships to Car Rack Retailers Nationwide

Montpelier, VT (PRLEAP) April 20, 2005 — National retailer of car and truck rack systems for sports gear and commercial applications, ORS Racks Direct, announced today the company is featuring the all-new 2005 Thule Racks complete line of redesigned and updated hitch bike racks. With the exception of the Thule Parkway Series, which is a new design for 2005, all the Thule bike hitch racks have been re-engineered with new upgrades and will retain the same name along with the XT extension included. Most significantly is Thule's innovative No Sway Cages and T3 Cradles, which eleminates virtually all bike swing and creates a very stable transport design. The No Sway cages and T3 Cradles come included with all higher end bike hitch rack models and are available as an optional upgrade on most others. The complete list of 2005 hitch bike rack models includes:

Thule 998XT Trailblazer 4 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-998xt-trailblazer-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 996XT Expressway 4 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-996xt-expressway-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 995XT Expressway 4 bike 1 1/4 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-995xt-expressway-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 951XT Hitching Post Pro 5 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-951xt-hitching-post-pro-5-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 934XT Hitching Post Pro 4 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-934xt-hitching-post-pro-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 935XT Hitching Post Pro 4 bike 1 1/4 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-935xt-hitching-post-pro-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 936XT Hitching Post Pro 2 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-936xt-hitching-post-pro-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 937XT Hitching Post Pro 2 bike 1 1/4 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-937xt-hitching-post-pro-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 956 Parkway 4 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-956-parkway-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 957 Parkway 4 bike 1 1/4 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-957-parkway-hitch-bike-rack.html )
Thule 958 Parkway 2 bike 2 inch hitch rack
( image available at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-958-parkway-hitch-bike-rack.html )

Shawn Standen, General Manager of Sales and Operations, stated "We are particularly excited about this years' line up of hitch bicycle racks from Thule. The new stablizing features of the cradles signify a new level of bicycle stability previously unavailable to our customers. The fact that this is integrated into the cradles also means there are far fewer steps necessary in loading up bikes and hitting the road. Previously the Thule Zip Stick accessory was necessary to secure the bikes to the carrier. This meant not only additional cost for another accessory but also more steps involved in the loading process." Mr Standen further added that, "The T3 Cradles are much more friendly in accomodating virtually all bike frames including kids bikes, womens bikes, bmx and downhill mountain bike frames. This also eliminates the need for the Thule Top Tube Adapter, another accessory that is offered at additional cost allowing non-traditional bicycle frames to work with hitch bicycle carriers."

Suggested retail pricing for the 2005 series ranges from $129.99 for the no-frills, economy two bicycle 958 Parkway to $399.00 for the 998XT Trailblazer, a fully featured swing away system that includes all stability and security options.

About Thule, Inc.
Thule, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thule Holding AB, which is owned by the Swedish investment company EQT. Founded in 1942, Thule develops, manufactures, and markets car rack systems for vehicle owners worldwide. Thule Racks is the only major United States manufacturer of car and truck rack products, with 90% of Thule U.S. products produced in the company’s Chicago, Illinois and Seymour, Connecticut facilities. Thule’s product line features multi-purpose roof rack systems, hitch and roof top cargo boxes, rear mount racks and accessories for transporting outdoor gear including ski, snowboard, bike, kayaks, canoe, and surfboard equipment.

About ORS Racks Direct
ORS Racks Direct is a privately held company specializing in comprehensive sales and service of car and truck rack systems. Representing the industry’s most respected manufacturers, including Thule Racks and Yakima Racks, the company offers high quality truck rack, bike rack, ski-snowboard rack, canoe-kayak rack and sailboard-surfboard rack solutions for vehicle rear hitch and trunk mount, roof rack mount and pickup truck mount applications. The company has been providing consumer sales for over three decades to the U.S. market through multi-channel outlets that include store front, internet and phone sales.

Their full line of Thule hitch bike rack systems is available for review at http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-hitch-mount-bike-rack.html. For more information on the complete line of Thule Racks offered visit http://www.orsracksdirect.com/thule-racks.html

Contact Information: General Inquiries, ORS Racks Direct, +1-802-229-0893. http://www.orsracksdirect.com