What car rack do I need for my Ebike?

Big batteries and motors inevitably mean electric bikes are heavy. A fact not lost on riders that want to transport their bikes to nicer places to ride. In this article we’ll explore the key things you need to know and what Ebike car rack you need.

Forget the Roof

Electric Bikes vary in weight. Your lightest road versions are going to be around 17kg, like a Raleigh Trace, with more robust models in the region of 25-30kgs+. If you are thinking about using a cycle rack on your roof, I’d politely say think again.

1. Traditional cycle racks fitted to car roofs are often not warranted for that kind of weight
2. Lifting a bike that heavy above your head is very difficult, hard and borderline dangerous
3. Many racks cannot secure the much wider frame tubes that incorporate in-frame batteries

Tow the Line

A much safer option is to use a tow bar mounted cycle rack. This has a number of benefits over roof racks.

1. Ebike specific racks are warranted for the additional weight they have
2. Non-Electric bikes can be carried and secured too
3. Lifting bikes onto the rack is much simpler and less dangerous because the rack is much closer to the ground
4. Even Ebikes without a crossbar can be secured
5. Quite often more bikes can be carried at once (usually 3 or 4)

Brands

I’d recommend a couple of brands. Thule, Atera and Yakima make good quality Ebike car racks for tow bars and are generally available from good retailers.

eCycleDirect don’t currently sell racks however it is something we are always looking at.

Take it out

And finally, something you must do. If you transport your ebike, particularly if it’s on a rack, always remove the battery. If you are hit from behind and the bike and battery take an impact, consequently it becomes a serious fire risk if the internal cells are damaged. So take your battery out, everytime. Conversely, keeping it warm and dry in the car is better for it anyway.