Transporting the Trek Rail

[Clarke]

Hi all,

I was researching ways to safely transport the Trek Rail on my car whilst still protecting the carbon frame. I came across a thread about transporting the Specialized Turbo Levo so I thought I’d make one for the Rail too. I think I’ve settled on a nice solution which works with my Thule EasyFold XT2 bike carrier.

I’m using the EUFAB 11577 Strap Frame Holder which fits the XT2 bar nicely. At £40 from Amazon I thought it was fairly expensive but to be honest I was surprised by the quality. The strap itself is metal wrapped with plastic. The strap can be locked into position which is a nice security addition. The way the system tightens to the carrier bar is impressive. You spin the body of it around until the built-in ratchet clicks and then you can continue to spin the unit to get it into the correct position.

I used it along with the Thule carbon frame protector so the solution is around £60 all in. Before I actually take the bike on the road I’ll add some other straps around the bike for redundancy.

How do you transport your Trek Rail? Cheers.

 

[antti86]

Looks secure, I think I have to get one too

 

[FrostFlame]

Haha, yeah the struggle is real with those fancy e-bikes! Thule EasyFold sounds legit, might have to check that out. For now, I'm rocking a roof rack with some beefy straps, but definitely considering that frame strap for extra peace of mind. Let me know how those extra straps work out, might steal your idea

 

[Quinterly]

Big fan of the Saris Superclamp. Doesn't touch the frame anywhere. Clamps the wheels.

 

[Clarke]

Big fan of the Saris Superclamp. Doesn't touch the frame anywhere. Clamps the wheels.

That looks wicked! Where did you buy it from?

Haha, yeah the struggle is real with those fancy e-bikes! Thule EasyFold sounds legit, might have to check that out. For now, I'm rocking a roof rack with some beefy straps, but definitely considering that frame strap for extra peace of mind. Let me know how those extra straps work out, might steal your idea

I tried using a few Hiplock Z LOK reusable ties as a backup strap as I heard good things about them on here but I think they’re pants! At least the ones I got can be untied if you manipulate them into certain positions which defeats the entire purpose of them.

Now I’m using a simple tie down strap which loops around the carrier bar and the top tube as a backup. I’ve threaded a rubber protector thing onto the strap to stop any rubbing. Simple and reliable. I doubt the EUFAB attachment thing I’m using is going to fail anyways. It’s solid.

 

[Quinterly]

That looks wicked! Where did you buy it from?

I bought it from Rack Attack which is a North American chain. I do know there are UK/EU retailers but not sure who.

 

[FrostFlame]

I tried using a few Hiplock Z LOK reusable ties as a backup strap as I heard good things about them on here but I think they’re pants! At least the ones I got can be untied if you manipulate them into certain positions which defeats the entire purpose of them.

Now I’m using a simple tie down strap which loops around the carrier bar and the top tube as a backup. I’ve threaded a rubber protector thing onto the strap to stop any rubbing. Simple and reliable. I doubt the EUFAB attachment thing I’m using is going to fail anyways. It’s solid.

Nice, sounds like you've found a solid setup with that tie down strap and rubber protector. Can't go wrong with simplicity and reliability, especially when it comes to securing something as precious as your bike. And hey, if the EUFAB attachment is as solid as you say, then you've got double the peace of mind. Always good to have a backup plan, right? Thanks for the heads up about those Hiplock ties, sounds like they might not be worth the investment after all.