This liquid form is called helium II to distinguish it from normal liquid helium I. Helium II exhibits the property called superfluidity: its viscosity, or resistance to flow, is so low that it has not been measured. This liquid spreads in a thin film over the surface of any substance. Helium lets you backup your apps and data to your SD card or cloud storage. With Helium, you can sync app data from your other Android devices- even if they are not on the same network. Set up backup schedules with Helium, and never lose data again.
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Eighteen months after Thule first showed a new frame-contact-free hitch rack at Interbike (RIP), the Helium—Thule’s take on the platform popularized by 1Up—is finally available to consumers.
The concept is similar to 1Up in that the tray’s arms ratchet down against the bike’s front and rear wheels to avoid contact with the bike frame. The trays support tires up to 3 inches wide on 26- to 29-inch wheels, with a max bike weight of 37.5 pounds so if there’s a motor on your bike, this probably isn’t the rack for you. Cable locks are integrated into the tray.
At a svelte 43.2 pounds (and just 23 pounds for the one-tray version), the all-aluminum rack weighs 8 pounds less than the Pro XT version of Thule’s classic T2 two-tray hitch racks. Its clean lines also create a lower profile—its depth is just 12 inches when folded compared to the T2’s 15, though it is 5 inches wider. It also offers slightly less space between bikes, at 10 inches, compared with the T2’s 12.5, but does allow adjustment to avoid interference when two bikes are loaded. It’s comparable to 1Up’s U.S.-made Quik Rack Single, which weighs 41 pounds with a tray add-on, but can support 50 pounds of bike per tray. The 1Up also costs $100 less, at $600 compared to the Helium’s $700 for the two-tray version, though Thule’s Chris Ritchie says the Helium passes the most stringent global testing standards for this style of rack, and that may be worth the extra investment for some. Both include an adapter to support both 1.25 and 2-inch hitch receivers.
I’ve had the Helium on my car for a couple of weeks now, and it’s incredibly easy to use. It folds and unfolds with one hand thanks to the ergonomic and well-placed handle, and the arms ratchet down nice and snug against the tires, serving up both a satisfying ‘click’ and a sense of confidence that my most precious two-wheeled cargo is going to indeed stay put while I’m barreling down the freeway. The arms use the same style of handle as the one used to fold and unfold the rack—just press in and push the arm toward the bike to tighten and pull it away to free the wheel once you’ve arrived. It’s a simpler method than the ratchet arm/rear-wheel strap on other hitch racks, on which I’m forever forgetful in the proper order of operations, inevitably lowering the arm first, then fumbling to not lose the bike off the rack while unratcheting the wheel strap. Completely avoidable operator error, I’m aware, but even better when you don’t even have to think about it. The loaded rack tilts down to allow access into the rear hatch—an attribute you’ll come to appreciate when you’ve packed the whole car, loaded the bikes and realize your phone is sitting inside, behind the closed back door. It’s also compatible with Thule’s Access, which converts any 2-inch-receiver rack into the swing-away style for even easier rear-hatch entry. I haven’t used it long enough to gauge its effect on fuel efficiency but its light weight and slim profile point to positives on that front.
Helium 2 Atom
The Helium is high-quality with just enough frills. It doesn’t have every bell and whistle you can find on racks these days, but it has the ones you need to get your bike to the trailhead in one piece, and the dialed-back design had already convinced me that less is definitely more. Find more information on the Helium here.