What bike rack?

[TomC]

Just got my first eMTB, a Trek Rail 9... which unfortunately doesn’t really fit into my existing bike rack for my car.

Can anyone make any recommendations?

Cheers,

Tom.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

I got one of these for my truck....

BUZZ RACK E-Scorpion 1 bike folding rack no. BRP611

Ideal for one eBike!Takes one bike, or two with the extra bike adapterExtremely well made and robust rackAdjustable wheelholders and upright accommodate very large bikesTilts to allow access to the bootCompact and foldable for easy storage and handling

www.roofbox.co.uk

Good value for money, easy to fit. Does the job ??

 

[StuR]

Any mounting preference?
Roof , tow bar , tailgate

 

[TomC]

Any mounting preference?
Roof , tow bar , tailgate

Any really... although I do have a tow bar which I’ve never used, and I guess they’re quite well suited for the weight of eMTB?

 

[TomC]

I got one of these for my truck....

BUZZ RACK E-Scorpion 1 bike folding rack no. BRP611

Ideal for one eBike!Takes one bike, or two with the extra bike adapterExtremely well made and robust rackAdjustable wheelholders and upright accommodate very large bikesTilts to allow access to the bootCompact and foldable for easy storage and handling

www.roofbox.co.uk

Good value for money, easy to fit. Does the job ??

Cheers I’ll have a look

 

[StuR]

Prefer a tow bar one myself

Wont use a roof rack one personally as I had a bike come off on a motorway once
Think I actually ? myself

Tailgate ones never seem to sit right for me and bikes look like they are about to damage the car paintwork

I’ve got this one
Not the cheapest but it’s a beaut
Takes 2 Ebikes with big 2.8 tyres no problem
Up too 60kg total
Rock solid , driven to Morzine and back , still solid at the end of the day
Worth checking what tow hitch you’ve got
This one requires an Alko ball end , which is basically one with a deep throat
Can switch ball ends easily on most tow bars and they cost about £15 if you’re able to do so

 

[StuR]

Standard v Alko towball

 

[Neverbeentomoab]

I’m getting the buzz e hornet £300 will hold 3 bikes with up to 4’’ tyres and upto 134cm wheelbase.

 

[Bagofsand]

Another vote for the buzz rack, got the two bike scorpion and it works great.

 

[Peredur]

Just bought myself a Thule Velospace XT2 (938) - Same as StuR above.
Very impressed with the quality and ease of use. unbelievably easy to fit to the car and then to load bikes, takes my Whyte E150S fairly well, despite being a bit awkward to clamp to the top tube or seat tube.
I got mine from Skippy's Roof Racks (following a recommendation on here) via their eBay store as "used" but when it arrived I would've sworn that it's brand new.

 

[steve_sordy]

Another vote for the Thule XT2 (938). I've had mine for two years now and it has proved flawless. I got mine from Halfords and opted for local store pickup because it was more convenient for me. I hadn't noticed at the time, but that got me 10% off (pay at the store).

 

[Django]

I have the Thule easyfold 932 ( see : Thule EasyFold 932 bike carrier review - Total Women's Cycling )...i think it's almost the same as the XT2. The only difference is that it's foldable.
Anyway, if I go biking I can put the bike rack easily in the trunk, so nobody sees it. It's quiet expensive, but worth the money

 

[Frank_Denmark]

I also use the Thule Easyfold - It is very easy in use and easy to store in trunk or garage

Frame grip with carbon protection:
"Lockable Thule AcuTight torque limiter knobs that "click" when optimal torque is reached"

It's so stable and German made that I don't think I ever need to buy a new one.

The rear red light is made of LED bands, so the design also fits most newer cars - very important, not

Thule Presentation

 

[jimbob]

Another vote for the Thule easyfold. Great but of kit.

The only potential issue is if you want to get 2 ebikes on it as I've heard that can be difficult, but I've had one E and one normal on at the same time with no issues.

 

[steve_sordy]

One thing I would add to anyone considering a tow-bar bike rack. Do not trust the clamps!
I use them of course and make sure that they are properly secured, but maybe because I always use some foam rubber pipe insulation between the jaws and the bike frame, the bike has got loose twice. (The first time was a learning event, the second time was because I forgot the strap!)
Each time, it pivoted down and the grip rubbed on the road until I could stop the car. I now use a Gorilla strap to wind round in a figure of eight and there is no way that will come loose. A strap, or even zip ties will suffice.

 

[StuR]

I have the Thule easyfold 932 ( see : Thule EasyFold 932 bike carrier review - Total Women's Cycling )...i think it's almost the same as the XT2. The only difference is that it's foldable.
Anyway, if I go biking I can put the bike rack easily in the trunk, so nobody sees it. It's quiet expensive, but worth the money

The “A” frame on the Thule 938 folds down to make it fairly easy to store but doesn’t fold in the centre like the 932

 

[jimbob]

One thing I would add to anyone considering a tow-bar bike rack. Do not trust the clamps!
I use them of course and make sure that they are properly secured, but maybe because I always use some foam rubber pipe insulation between the jaws and the bike frame, the bike has got loose twice. (The first time was a learning event, the second time was because I forgot the strap!)
Each time, it pivoted down and the grip rubbed on the road until I could stop the car. I now use a Gorilla strap to wind round in a figure of eight and there is no way that will come loose. A strap, or even zip ties will suffice.

I always add a bungie strap on too. Never had the clamps come loose, but just not worth the risk of it coming off!

 

[Tortelli]

Cool to see a topic from an Trek Rail 9 owner, also picked mine up today!

Have an Thule Easyfold XT2 (933) specially purchased for the eBikes a week ago. Picked up my Trek Rail 9 and my girlfriends Liv Intrigue X E+ 2 today in Germany and had some trouble getting them on the bike rack. Forgot to make good pictures but the frame is to thick for the stick clamps. Used the “suspension” link on the Liv and the “seat” part of the Trek to fixed the bikes to the rack.

It worked pretty good but I’m not to happy with this solution. Would be much nicer if the bike is fixated on much higher to make it more stable.

Someone got some experience with different clamps for the Thule carrier?

 

[Ashley M]

Hi
I have a Halfords Advanced 2 bike tow bar carrier
Takes 2 Cube E bikes easily and whilst us not as stylish as the Thule it’s works perfectly and is less than half price

 

[veryoldfart]

Thule XT whether easyfold or fixed on towbar ball is the only sensible solution.IMO!

I have the 3 bike version and removed one securing arm and use inner and outer tracks , which gives better spacing and no rubbing

 

[Ashley M]

Cool to see a topic from an Trek Rail 9 owner, also picked mine up today!

Have an Thule Easyfold XT2 (933) specially purchased for the eBikes a week ago. Picked up my Trek Rail 9 and my girlfriends Liv Intrigue X E+ 2 today in Germany and had some trouble getting them on the bike rack. Forgot to make good pictures but the frame is to thick for the stick clamps. Used the “suspension” link on the Liv and the “seat” part of the Trek to fixed the bikes to the rack.

It worked pretty good but I’m not to happy with this solution. Would be much nicer if the bike is fixated on much higher to make it more stable.

Someone got some experience with different clamps for the Thule carrier?

View attachment 48541

View attachment 48542

View attachment 48543

Hi
I gave these extending support bars which fit around the seat post and under the stem
It means the clamps can easily fit and they are designed so you don’t clamp to the carbon frame (which I have) and you can tighten as much as you like
They are from Halfords (UK)

 

[qwertycube]

I have a Buzz Rack eScorpion2 which takes my Trek Rail 9 perfectly, plus wife’s bike.

 

[Don_Singer]

I recommend 1UP, really well made, holds bike securely, does not touch the frame or compress the suspension, easy to load and unload the bike. Extendable from one to four bikes with add-ons. Kinda spendy but quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

SHOP - Bike Racks - 1UP USA

www.1up-usa.com

 

[High Rock Ruti]

High Rock Ruti

Kuat expensive easy to use not especially durable. I live in Boston USA, weather is, well everything. Salted roads, hot and freezing temps lives on the outside of a car that backs into things occasionally, 100 pounds of (2) ebike's is asking a lot, if I can afford the bikes I can afford a new rack

Warm Regards Ruti

 

[p3eps]

Another vote for the Buzz e-Scorpion. I have the single bike version for going out on my own... and a Atera Strada DL for taking multiple bikes.

I used to use Thule roof bars, but I’ve had an SUV for the last 5 years, and lifting the bikes up always felt a bit dangerous! The plus to a tow bar rack is you can just chuck the filthy bike on and not worry about it making a mess of your roof / windscreen.

 

[Tortelli]

Thule XT whether easyfold or fixed on towbar ball is the only sensible solution.IMO!

I have the 3 bike version and removed one securing arm and use inner and outer tracks , which gives better spacing and no rubbing

Issue with the easy fold seems to be the lower bar to attached the clamps.
The solution @Ashley M suggests is nice but will not work with the stock clamps because they are not high enough. Will do some measurements tomorrow and order some clamps which are larger.

 

[rorohello]

Yakima Fourtimer and a Thule frame adapter which is rated for 50kg. I've been watching it pop up and down on that thing in my rearview and that adapter is not going to let the bike go anywhere. Also nice to be able to spin the chain for cleaning/maintenance

 

[Ashley M]

Another vote for the Buzz e-Scorpion. I have the single bike version for going out on my own... and a Atera Strada DL for taking multiple bikes.

I used to use Thule roof bars, but I’ve had an SUV for the last 5 years, and lifting the bikes up always felt a bit dangerous! The plus to a tow bar rack is you can just chuck the filthy bike on and not worry about it making a mess of your roof / windscreen.

View attachment 48921

And what a nice SUV it is
I had and F Pace S but have drooled over an SVR!

 

[veryoldfart]

The other reason why I would advocate a Thule XT or similar is that with just 2 bikes we have over 40kg in weight and about £15k worth of kit hanging over the back of the car.

Even with that setup on the Thule on a Macan Turbo towbar, the car still handles as it should and there is no anxiety about things falling off at motorway/autoroute speeds.

 

[KnollyBro]

We use the North Shore bike racks. They lock bike in at the fork an headset and we have never had a problem with them shaking around or falling off on shuttle runs. Or you could always go with the tried and true method of the tailgate pad in the various formats available!