Options for transporting ebike by car

I currently transport my Haibike by removing the front wheel putting it in the back of the car (Honda Civic) with the back seats folded down. It's tight but it just about fits with the handlebars angled down into the rear passenger side footwell. My dad who is about as paranoid about health and safety as a person can get is insistent that this is unsafe as the front forks are directly behind the driving seat and in an accident the full weight of the bike would thrown forward against me. I'm not at all convinced that it is unsafe but his health and safety paranoia is rubbing off on me so I'm looking at alternative options for transporting the bike by car, there's a good article on the availabile options here http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/173586-beginners-guide-transporting-your-bike-—-all-your-options-carrying-your

A tow bar mount would be ridiculously expensive so I'm not even considering one of those. And even if it could take the weight lifting an ebike up onto a roof rack mount would I'm guessing be near impossible to do singlehanded.

Which leaves a hatch / boot mount. The one that's recommended in the article is the Saris Bones 2 https://www.saris.com/product/bones2 which is rated to carry 2 x 15kg bikes. My Haibike is around 22kg. What are your opinions on this and more generally on transporting e-bikes?

Edited April 16, 20179 yr by 2Lazy

Sorry ignore info on Saris Bones 2. Even if you only carry one bike the max is still 15kg so the Saris Bones 2 is a no go.

Is the only option a tow bar mount?

Does your civic have any luggage restraint points, you could always strap it to prevent it moving forward in the event of an accident?

I know that doesn't answer your question, so sorry for that

After seeing the carnage that was left on a motorway when a boot mounted system failed and scattered bikes into the path of following vehicles, I personally wouldn't entertain the idea of one.

Towbar mounted, or nothing for me.

Does your civic have any luggage restraint points, you could always strap it to prevent it moving forward in the event of an accident?

 

I know that doesn't answer your question, so sorry for that

It doesn't but I've just seen this video where the guy fits the bike parallel to the back seat and restrains it using the rear seatbelt

Edited April 16, 20179 yr by 2Lazy

It doesn't but I've just seen this video where the guy fits the bike parallel to the back seat and restrains it using the rear seatbelt

I'm really not sure if I could get my Haibike into my car line that though.

Doubt it, never managed that in any of the cars I've owned.

Perhaps you could still use the seatbelt though, even if laying flat

Doubt it, never managed that in any of the cars I've owned.

 

Perhaps you could still use the seatbelt though, even if laying flat

It'd be particularly difficult in my car seeing as I've just remembered I have a 3 door hatchback. Doh!

http://parkers.bauercdn.com/PageFiles/157546/VW_Transporter_Sportline_0312_(4).jpg

Or

http://www.myateamvan.com/images/complete_van1.jpg

Any recommendations for tow bar bike racks suitable for ebikes?

I've found four listed here -

https://electricbikereport.com/guide-to-electric-bike-racks-for-cars/

Any recommendations for tow bar bike racks suitable for ebikes?

 

I've found four listed here -

 

https://electricbikereport.com/guide-to-electric-bike-racks-for-cars/

.. if you have a towbar, greeting a towbar mounted bike rack is a no brainer. Yep they are maybe three times more expensive than a high back window mounted unit or maybe four times more expensive than a roof mount, but what price a burst back disc?

I use a Thule 3 bike unit , available from Halfords about 200 to 250 euro , fits on securely to the towball and I use a standard ring spanner, not the supplied part for ease of use. Using the supplied tie straps and a bungee cord, it works very well. The clamp mechanism is first rate

.. if you have a towbar, greeting a towbar mounted bike rack is a no brainer. Yep they are maybe three times more expensive than a high back window mounted unit or maybe four times more expensive than a roof mount, but what price a burst back disc?

I use a Thule 3 bike unit , available from Halfords about 200 to 250 euro , fits on securely to the towball and I use a standard ring spanner, not the supplied part for ease of use. Using the supplied tie straps and a bungee cord, it works very well. The clamp mechanism is first rate

Unfortunately I don't have a towbar so I'll have to get one fitted which is going to make the whole set up eye wateringly expensive. But as far as I can tell a tow bar rack is the only option for ebikes and even then it has to be an ebike specific tow bar rack as most them aren't rated to carry the weight of an average ebike.

Unfortunately I don't have a towbar so I'll have to get one fitted which is going to make the whole set up eye wateringly expensive. But as far as I can tell a tow bar rack is the only option for ebikes and even then it has to be an ebike specific tow bar rack as most them aren't rated to carry the weight of an average ebike.

... Pity about the towbar thing. But no you will not need an ebike rated one. e.g my Thule is rated for 3 bikes , so an ordinary bike and an electric bike come under its rating. You carry the battery inside the vehicle, saving 2 to 3 kg. An ebike is an ordinary heavy bike but with say 3 kg of motor and 3 kg of battery

Mind you the Thule one listed in your earlier post with a ramp looked very nice.

Be carefully about using any old bike carrier, they are rated for individual bike weight limits, and although they are probably capable of carrying an ebike any accident or damage incurred or caused may leave you without a leg to stand on legally.

I use a Thule Velocompact 925 for my Haibike.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

Be carefully about using any old bike carrier, they are rated for individual bike weight limits, and although they are probably capable of carrying an ebike any accident or damage incurred or caused may leave you without a leg to stand on legally.

I use a Thule Velocompact 925 for my Haibike.

 

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

Yep, I've noticed that many of the tow bar mounted bike racks are only rated at 15kg per bike which is the same as most boot/hatchback mounted carriers and well below the weight of most ebikes.

Two I've shortlisted so far are the Witter ZX210 which is rated at 60kg max load and the Thule Europower 916 also rated at 60kg.

I'm not at all familiar with towbars. I've seen some that are removable or retractable, which would be my preference, but I have no idea what the pros and cons are.

I use this one

https://www.pfjones.co.uk/bosal-compact-premium-folding-cycle-carrier-070-442.html

Has gone up a lot in price but very good rack. Can carry 60kilo and stores in a bag. As you say it does become expensive but gives peace of mind

It is weight rating of your towbar you need to worry about. If buying fork shape type rack, get one with strap that clips under top of boot/hatch door. This stops bouncing of rack back and fore which will stress towbar. Buy one size larger than you need eg 3 bike if carrying 2, gives more spacing between bikes, stops bikes rubbing against each other.

Mount heaviest bike first.

No experience of platform type but look easy to use with integrated lights.

Always padlock rack and bikes to towbar if being left unattended for even a minute or two.

Thule raceway 2, if it fits. I've always had a tow bar until now, so opted for the best rear carrier i could that doesn't need tow bar and is easy to fit quickly. I also didn't want to try and lift bike onto roof and was worried i'd forget the height.

Towbar is best, but this imho is the best option without, problems it's expensive.

Most information given relating to loads on tow bar hitches is given in relation to the towing of Trailers and Caravans and the adverse effect that applying weight to the flexible hitch joining point allied to weight loaded at the rear of the car can have on the alignment and safety of the two vehicles. For information on this subject see any Caravanning web page but I am posting this not as a tower but as a cycle carrier.

As you all now know there is a difference between the nose weight that a towed Trailer/Caravan can safely apply to a tow bar hitch and how detrimental overloading this point can be

and the cars maximum load carrying weight

see (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/09/the-heavy-reality-of-car-weight-limits-and-weight-capacity/index.htm).

My cars limit is 850Lbs. If I alone am going off somewhere for the day with all my cycle gear then I still have 500Lbs or 17 x 35Lbs ebikes weight capacity left that I can put on/in the car before reaching its safe limit. That number is pathetic compared to the tensile strength of the steel tow hitch which could quite happily support the weight of 1800 ebikes and still have strength to spare. So if you are not towing what is the problem. There is one and that is loading a car at the rear with weight is it compresses the suspension to some degree. This can be a problem when coming across a Councils zealous traffic calming measures in the form of Sleeping Policemen some of which can be very rotund and the extension of a cars length by the use of a Tow Ball Cycle Carrier can cause the two to meet. If you are aware of this and slow down then there is no problem. If slowing down is a problem then invest in some stronger rear springs that should cure it.

Hope this is of some assistance

Yours sincerely

Linfitter.

Always padlock rack and bikes to towbar if being left unattended for even a minute or two.

I always lock/secure the bike and the rack to the towbar. Theft being one reason, and the second is that if the worst happened and the bike/rack fell off, at least I would be dragging it behind the car, and not having it potentially hit any vehicle that might be following.

Yep, I've noticed that many of the tow bar mounted bike racks are only rated at 15kg per bike which is the same as most boot/hatchback mounted carriers and well below the weight of most ebikes.

 

Two I've shortlisted so far are the Witter ZX210 which is rated at 60kg max load and the Thule Europower 916 also rated at 60kg.

 

I'm not at all familiar with towbars. I've seen some that are removable or retractable, which would be my preference, but I have no idea what the pros and cons are.

I would not be worried about the Overall weight on the towball. I think that caravans are expected to exert up to 60 to 100kg downwards if memory serves. A fully loaded ebike including battery would typically be 25 kg , and without battery 22 kg or less. Since ordinary bikes not racing bikes could be 15 to 18kg , there is not much difference. The racks are capable of handling 3 to 4 bikes, depending on brand, so 1 to 2 ebikes should be ok. The greatest load is the pressure on the clamp, and the Thule models look very robust. The internal railings and mounting structure is likewise sturdy.

Thule raceway 2, if it fits. I've always had a tow bar until now, so opted for the best rear carrier i could that doesn't need tow bar and is easy to fit quickly. I also didn't want to try and lift bike onto roof and was worried i'd forget the height.

Towbar is best, but this imho is the best option without, problems it's expensive.

Thule raceway 2 would be ideal. But I notice that it's only rated at 15kg per bike. My Haibike is 23kg, so around 20kg with battery removed. I guess I could trim more weight by removing the wheels.

Presumably you've had no issues?

I'm getting some quotes for tow bar installation + a good tow bar mounted bike carrier but I suspect it's going to be well north of £500 which I really don't want to have to pay unless I absolutely have to. The Thule raceway 2 would be a good and much cheaper alternative solution if it can take the weight.

Thule raceway 2 would be ideal. But I notice that it's only rated at 15kg per bike. My Haibike is 23kg, so around 20kg with battery removed. I guess I could trim more weight by removing the wheels.

 

Presumably you've had no issues?

 

I'm getting some quotes for tow bar installation + a good tow bar mounted bike carrier but I suspect it's going to be well north of £500 which I really don't want to have to pay unless I absolutely have to. The Thule raceway 2 would be a good and much cheaper alternative solution if it can take the weight.

No problem with weight. The Thule raceway comes in 2 / 3 bike mode. Hence it's designed to carry 2/3 normal weight bikes which equates to more than the weight of your bike battery removed.

I've had no issues. It's not like other boot carriers, no straps etc. It has bike lock type cable which tightens via an inbuilt racket system and then locks with key so thief can't easily remove carrier or bike.

I change my car every 2/3 years now hence don't have the tow bars anymore, as on my car it's close to £900 fitted. However i have kept all my tower bike carriers for future.

The thule is easily to fit, store and is very solid. Best of all i can transfer to other cars.