Best way of carrying two bikes on a car?

[gwing3]

I like my old bike rack that fits on the roof/tailgate of my Skoda Octavia estate but there is no way it will take the weight of two ebikes at 20Kg each.

Has anyone found a good way of carrying a couple of bikes like these?

 

[Ballynoes]

I opted for a tow ball carrier, as they can carry much more weight but does require a tow ball which adds to the overall cost.

I have a small trailer for taking stuff to the skip etc, so didn't have the cost of fitting a tow ball in the first place.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You need a towball rack. Halfords have a range from cheap and basic to expensive and deluxe. The deluxe ones are a doddle to put on with one click for about £500.

 

[Auxtail]

You have lots of choices for the type of towbar and the electrics that go with it. This may be of assistance in guiding you on some of the options.
https://auxtail.com/towbars/

 

[oldtom]

As others have said, a towball-mounted carrier designed specifically for electric bikes with a minimum of 20kgs per channel is about the safest way to deal with the matter.

Most modern ebikes can be reduced to < 20kgs by removing the battery which is a smart move anyway, given the cost of replacement.

'Thule' supply a range of racks at varying price points but there are others less costly which are probably solid enough to do the job. From memory, mine is the 916 Europower model which only comes as a two-channel carrier though with greater per-channel weight capacity.

Tom

 

[scunna]

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/towbar-mounted-bike-racks/thule-9403-3-bike-tow-bar-carrier
45 kilos capacity just use 2 inner ones, take batteries off.

 

[Izzyekerslike]

I like my old bike rack that fits on the roof/tailgate of my Skoda Octavia estate but there is no way it will take the weight of two ebikes at 20Kg each.

Has anyone found a good way of carrying a couple of bikes like these?

One bike on the rack and the other one with the front wheel removed in the estate car.

 

[gwing]

One bike on the rack and the other one with the front wheel removed in the estate car.

That had occurred to me, but then there is no room for the dog, nor her 'chariot', nor any luggage. Actually, in emergency and after removing the front wheels, I did get *both* bikes inside the car but it was a bit of a struggle and they did get scratched in the process.

 

[gwing]

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/towbar-mounted-bike-racks/thule-9403-3-bike-tow-bar-carrier
45 kilos capacity just use 2 inner ones, take batteries off.

Thanks, I had been looking at the more expensive Thule carriers (and the Atera Strada which looks as if it might perhaps be better), but hadn't really considered these more budget 9403 ones. Given that this ebike lark is proving rather expensive already having just bought two bikes, and a dog trailer, and accessories, and a shed to put them in, and a concrete base for the shed, and a gate and path constructed to give access for the bikes and shed building materials, and I don't even have a towbar fitted yet - I don't mind saving a bit

Looking at some reviews of this rack there are a few folks saying that it can move/flop around at speed when the road surface is uneven, is that unlucky/incompetent assemby/paranoia or just a limitation of the budget model?

P.S. The cube bikes we have are barely over 20Kg each, even with the batteries which I would remove, so loading should be well within the limits of most of these racks I think, including the 9403.

 

[Auxtail]

The Thule 9403 has maximum single bike weight of 15Kg each. I suspect you will be above this even with the batteries removed.

 

[gwing]

The Thule 9403 has maximum single bike weight of 15Kg each. I suspect you will be above this even with the batteries removed.

Thanks. Is that from the 'real' specs though or a vendors website? All the online sites I've looked at simplistically divide the max weight by number of bikes to give a maximum bike weight no matter which brand of rack I look at- and which is probably nonsense in most cases.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Most probably have much higher load capability but the maker is covering itself against legal action in case of incident.

 

[Auxtail]

Not sure the 9403 is still in production the 9503 is, and states max 15Kg on THULE site.
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/gb/bike-rack/towbar-bike-racks/thule-rideon-_-9503

 

[davell]

If it says 15kg per bike then you can’t just use 2 heavier bikes on a 3 bike carrier. That’s an ideal excuse for the insurance not to pay out in the event of an accident. You are exceeding the manufacturers specifications.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ballynoes]

https://www.adrenalinatv.co.uk/shop/accessories/witter-ebike-emtb-x-2-towball-bcycle-carrier/

Pricey but specifically designed for eBikes

 

[Dom T]

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rbvehsel4_tab.php/all-products/buzz_rack_scorpion_2_bike_folding_wheel_support_rack_brp602/Qx@w,6M4PHS,ZGenkQvEN{,3Zp?gclid=CjwKCAiA6K_QBRA8EiwASvtjZSjQnAtwbbJjq6wTQWroLRwTkijApXpNyDTJLenlonod3Bb2XwsHfBoCaLMQAvD_BwE

Had one of these, carried our 2 haibikes without a problem on a hyundai ix35, nose weight 60 kg. The rack itself is heavy though about 19 ky, but it worked well. Took them all the way to the Isle of Skye, no issues. Tow bar fitted which is a removable one cost £250 with fitting all in all £550 not too bad a b price.

 

[Dom T]

If you've a skoda estate it seems that 75 kg is your total nose weight so it shouldn't be a problem and it'll be legal.

 

[scunna]

Thanks, I had been looking at the more expensive Thule carriers (and the Atera Strada which looks as if it might perhaps be better), but hadn't really considered these more budget 9403 ones. Given that this ebike lark is proving rather expensive already having just bought two bikes, and a dog trailer, and accessories, and a shed to put them in, and a concrete base for the shed, and a gate and path constructed to give access for the bikes and shed building materials, and I don't even have a towbar fitted yet - I don't mind saving a bit

Looking at some reviews of this rack there are a few folks saying that it can move/flop around at speed when the road surface is uneven, is that unlucky/incompetent assemby/paranoia or just a limitation of the budget model?

P.S. The cube bikes we have are barely over 20Kg each, even with the batteries which I would remove, so loading should be well within the limits of most of these racks I think, including the 9403.

I have had no problems with mine ,rock solid at 70 mph.

 

[Auxtail]

Forgot to mention if you take the batteries off, which is a good idea, then make sure to cover the terminals. Not sure if I have seen a bike with a cover yet, and I am told that fixing the electrics is not easy/cheap.

 

[Dom T]

Now you know why we bought a van this year
We used to cover ours with a pit of polly bag. Never leave the batteries on