Locking And Securing Your Bike
Luckily, almost all electric bike racks reside in the mid-to-high-end quality section which means that both the rack and bike can be locked.
In essence, a lock is for animals anyway which wont keep away all the folks with bad intentions. In this situation, prevention is the key, and a lock is a must-have feature, especially if you have e-bike insurance as this will often be a condition of your policy.
The Rundown: The Best E
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1. Thule Easyfold XT2 the best full-featured e bike rack available
2. Swagman Current best low budget electric bike rack
3. Vibrellis V70 our top pick value for money e-bike carrier
4. Weize platform rack cheapest rack that still offers a lot of quality
5. Overdrive Sport 2 great choice if stability and lots of features are a must
6. Hollywood HR1450Z-E best option for heavy e-bikes
7. Buzz Rack Approach popular affordable yet versatile rack
8. Rocky Mounts Backstage only rack on the market that both tilts and swings away
9. Saris Freedom 2 Bike Hitch best light-weight option
10. Kuat NV 2.0 best rack for a wide range of different e-bikes
11. Saris Superclamp max.bike capacity, 2 e-bikes + 2 normal bikes
12. Hyperax Volt best e-bike carrier for RVsand travel trailers
12. FAQ frequently asked questions
Weve spent hundreds of hours reviewing various types of carriers for transporting lithium-battery powered e-bikes. Typically, recommendations done by leading retail e-bike companies who have been testing top brands as well as lesser known brands for the past years correspond with our top picks.
Weve compiled this top 12 of the best e-bike racks on the following criteria a. stability, b. security, c. ease of use , d. price.
Here we go
Truck Bed Bike Rack Design
The elegantly designed Insta-Gater Pro comfortably fits any bike weighing up to 50 pounds and can accommodate wheel sizes from 20 to 29 inches and up to five-inch tires. It is a wheel-mount bike rack, so thankfully, its unnecessary to remove any of the wheels when loading the bike.
Handling this bike rack, you can immediately feel that this is a high-quality product. Its steel construction and black powder-coated finish add to its durability and elegance. Its also surprisingly lightweight.
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Sturdy Molded Wheel Trays
The EasyFold XT’s molded wheel trays can carry e-bikes, downhill MTBs, and most other heavy bikes. The top half of the wheel trays are made of durable, weather-resistant ABS plastic. The anodized aluminum bottom half provides a rigid outer shell without adding much weight to the rack.
Ratcheting wheel straps with quick-release levers let you secure your bike’s wheels to the tray. An adapter kit converts the wheel cradle sets for use with your fat bike tires.
Mounting A Fixed Rack
The mounts for fixed truck bed bike racks generally clamp to your truck beds rails. They may not be compatible with some liners and installation of certain models may require bolting the crossbar into the rails.
The important thing to remember during the installation of a fixed rack is to place it far enough forward for your bikes to fit in your truck with the tailgate closed. Because the forks will clamp directly to the bar, where you mount the bar will dictate whether or not your bikes will fit.
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Top Tips For Transporting E
- If you have a van, sport utility vehicle or hatchback, you can put your E-bike in the back of your vehicle. Transporting your bike inside ensures your bike and components stay clean, dry, and free of contamination.
- Removing the front wheel and battery before placing the bike inside your vehicle will make for a better fit and make the bike lighter weight and easier to lift.
- When transporting an E-bike inside a vehicle, make sure cables and handlebar mounted control systems are not getting rubbed or damaged. Place a blanket over the E-bike to protect it from damage.
- If using a bike rack, make sure the rack you have is rated for the weight of your E-bike, and can accommodate the size of the wheel/tire or frame.
- Generally speaking, the best bike racks for use with an E-bike is are hitch/receiver-mounted, tray/platform-style racks. Not only do they require less of a lift to get your bike onto the rack, they are also more likely to be rated to hold the weight of one or more E-bikes.
- Remove your battery before loading the E-bike onto the rack. Why? It will be lighter and easier to load and prevent possible theft or loss.
- After your bike is on the rack, secure the E-bike properly with the straps on your rack. In addition, we recommend securing your bike with a lock.
- When transporting your E-bike on the back of your car, consider covering your bike to reduce the chance of damage and contamination.
Thule Bike Rack For Electric Bikes
For outdoor use, there are a few factors that make aluminum products the best picks. Therefore, we have chosen the following option from Thule up next on our picks.
The 2nd pick on our list of the best bike rack for electric bikes is the Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack. As the name suggests, this is a foldable bike rack that can save a lot of space with its folding design when it is not in use. It also saves you the trouble of removing the rack from your car every time you come home from a trip. It is a rather premium choice since it is made up of aluminum. But, it also means that the overall weight of the rack is comparatively lesser than other options.
Still, the Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack offers a total weight capacity of about 130 lbs. It makes the rack suitable for mourning up to 2 electric bikes at a time. The Thule EasyFold XT 2 Hitch Bike Rack also has a built-in ramp to make the loading and unloading process fast and simple for everyone. As for its compatibility, this bike rack supports 1.25 inch and 2 inches receivers. You can also tilt the entire rack along with bikes mounted on it to access the trunk with ease.
Best Features
- Mounting rack is made up of aluminum and plastic
- It offers Power Grip mounting option
- Its total weight capacity is up to 130 lbs
- Foldable design with a built-in ramp
Pros
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How Do You Transport Ebikes
It’s easiest to transport your electric bike using a hitch mount platform carrier . This type of bike rack secures heavier bikes, including beach cruiser electric bikes, by their wheels, which reduces the chance of accidental damage in transit.
Most e-bikes fall somewhere between 30 to 70 pounds, which makes loading and unloading from the roof of your car nearly impossible.
Removing the battery from your electric bike instantly reduces its weight by several pounds. This is good practice before transporting the bikes anyways, as batteries may run out of charge faster when exposed to very hot or cold temperatures.
Consider The Size Of Your Truck Bed
The size of your truck bed is important as it will determine the type of truck bed bike rack you will be able to fit. Shorter truck beds usually do not have enough space to carry a bike unless the front wheel has been removed.
Larger truck beds will have to be sized up with the width at which a certain bike rack can extend.
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All The Bells And Whistles With A 70
We love the tiered design of Yakimas StageTwo bike rack. It increases ground clearance below the rack and makes it easier to mount bikes without that pesky interference between handlebar and saddle. Its a stout design that can carry e-bikes up to 70 lbs. in weight , enough to cover most e-bikes on the market. We also appreciate the convenience of being able to carry bikes with 20-in. wheels without needing a special adapter.
This is one of a relatively small number of hitch racks capable of carrying e-bikes that can be expanded to carry four bikes. However, that comes at a cost: The StageTwos weight capacity drops to 40 lbs. per bike, which eliminates most e-bikes most e-bike owners will only be able to carry two e-bikesnot four. Thanks to a remote release lever, the StageTwo is easy to both tilt away from the vehicle for trunk, gate or hatch access as well as up and out of the way when not in use.
- Does not clamp the frame
- Fits 20-in. to 29-in. wheels with tires up to 3.25-in. wide
The Included Ramp Makes Lifting The Bike Much Easier
Thule is one of the most trusted names in the bike rack biz, and as the name of this product suggests, they make carrying an e-bike easy from the hitching process to the securing of your bike. Its compact design, good weight capacity, tilt function, foldable bike ramp and optional fat bike wheel straps make it a great option for almost any e-bike. When we began putting together our roundup of the best car racks for e-bikes, this made the list immediately thanks to its loading ramp.
The Electric Bike Report team has used this rack to tote review bikes to video shoots for several months now, and we appreciate its exceptionally well-designed mechanism for attaching and removing from your vehicle. We also like the small wheels that let you roll it like a suitcase when not installed on a car and the racks overall light weight, which makes lifting it on and off a car very easy. Despite that light weight, it still has a great 65-lb.-per-bike carrying capacity.
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Buzzrack Bike Rack For Electric Bikes
BUZZRACK has also been offering helpful racks and other related tools and accessories to the bike community for many years now. Therefore, we are including a reliable choice from BUZZRACK up next on our picks.
Moving on the budget-focused options, we have a great unit coming from BUZZRACK. The BUZZRACK Approach Hitch Rack. This is a low-platform bike rack designed for heavyweight bikes that are sort of difficult to load on tall racks. With its sturdy construction and secured mounting option, the BUZZRACK Approach Hitch Rack is capable of sustaining up to 110 lbs. Thus, you can use this bike rack for electric bikes as well as heavier downhill bikes.
When you are not using the BUZZRACK Approach Hitch Rack, you can simply fold it, making it nearly 80% smaller than its original length. So, you wouldnt have to completely remove the bike rack from your car when it is not in use. You will also find dual locking options on the BUZZRACK Approach Hitch Rack that keeps your bikes safe when you are not around to watch over them.
Best Features
Best Choice For Pickup
*At the time of publishing, the price was $80.
If you want to secure a bike in the bed of a pickup truck, we recommend the Inno Velo Gripper. Of the pickup-bed carriers weve tested , this model provides the best balance of compactness, ease of use, effectiveness, and affordable price. Unlike some other carriers we tried, it doesnt require you to remove the front wheel of a bike. It held our bike securely in the bedand off to the side, where it didnt interfere with our rear vision while we were driving.
The Velo Gripper includes two clamps that attach securely to the side rail of a trucks bed. The initial installation took a little longer than with other pickup racks we tried, because it took some measuring to get the grippers in the right place on the truck bed. But this is something you have to do only once, and this system is more secure than those of some other models. It takes less than a minute, on the other hand, to remove the bike and grippers. But theres no way to lock the clamps to the truck.
There are two versions of the Velo Gripper. The original model, RT201, fits standard truck beds. And the newer model, RT202, is designed for use with the C-channel bed-rail systems that are available for some Chevrolet, GMC, Toyota, and other pickups.
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Q: Should I Take My Bike Rack Out When Im Not Using It
A: If it is not explicitly designed to withstand the elements, then yes. Sun, salt, and water will wear down even a great rack overtime. Stowing it in the cab of your truck or storage space ensures you can use it rust and damage free for years to come.
Also, most of the racks on our list lock to your truck. If someone decides they want to nick you rack those locks will help deter them. However, if theft is a major concern you should lock it in your truck or at home when not in use.
Truck Bed Tailgate Pads
Tailgate pads could arguably be the easiest carrier to mount in your truck. The front wheels of your bikes will hang over the tailgate while the rest of your bicycle stays secure in the bed of your pickup.
Tailgate pads are great for easy loading and unloading of your bikes, but they generally dont come with any type of locking mechanism. These pads do, however, allow you to secure four bikes as long as they fit across the width of your truck bed.
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Leader Accessories Bike Rack For Electric Bikes
Leader accessories is also one of the leading providers of vehicle accessories, especially RV accessories that a lot of users find useful. So if you are looking for an electric bike mount for your RV, this can be the ideal pick.
The Leader Accessories 2-Bike Hitch Mount is a platform-type bike mount that is significantly better than its competitors. And to make it even better, this is one of the most affordable choices that we came across while looking for the best bike racks for electric bikes. The Leader Accessories 2-Bike Hitch Mount comes with extra-wide wheel holders, making it compatible with up to 5½ inches thick tires, which is a great deal for heavy bike owners.
The total weight capacity offered by the Leader Accessories 2-Bike Hitch Mount is about 120 lbs along with support for up to 2 bike installations simultaneously. On top of that, the anti-wobble system of this bike rack will keep the crucial components of your electric bike from getting damaged due to excessive vibrations. You will also notice a quick-release handle on the Leader Accessories 2-Bike Hitch Mount, making it an easy-to-use option.
Best Features
- Supports up to 5½ thick bike tires
- It offers Tire Mount, Foldable, Hitch Mount mounting options
- Its total weight capacity is up to 140 lbs
- Anti-wobble system to maintain the bike in prime condition
Pros
Key Features To Look For In A Bike Rack For A Truck Bed
Regardless of the type of rack you choose, all quality bike racks for the bed of your truck should share these common features:
- It fits in your truck
- It can accommodate the number of bikes you want to transport
- It has some sort of security feature for locking your bikes up
- It is made of durable and sturdy materials
- It can mount securely in the bed of your pickup
- It has a quick release to easily get your bikes on and off
- It can accommodate your need to store other recreation gear in your truck
- It is within your budget
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Best Electric Bike Car Hitch Racks 2022
Wondering Which car rack is best for e-bikes? Youre not the only one with the question How do I know which is the right e-bike rack for me?.
The rapidly growing popularity of electric bicycles, as well as taking them along with the car to go on cycling trips, has spiked interest in dedicated racks. Here we will explain everything there is to know about picking the right rack for your needs.
There are various considerations to be made when determining which is the best hitch rack for electric bikes. See our extensive buying guide below to learn more. First, lets delve in to the most popular, well-reviewed platform-style racks on the market today.
Q: What Style Of Rack Is Best
A: The best truck bed rack for you is one that safely secures your bike damage free in the back of your truck. Any of the racks on our list that are suited to your truck and your bike will do exactly that. Truck bed racks have the advantage over tailgate racks of extra protection from gravel and bumps in the road as frees your hitch for trailers. Also, the best style of rack will fit your lifestyle so always consider how often you plan on using it and its ease of use.
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Which Rack Do You Prefer To Transport E
Keep in mind, theres roughly two types of hitch-mounted bike racks.
1.Hanging bike racks which are racks that utilize arms and a mast to hold bicycles by the frame. More affordable and compact however generally not suitable to support heavy e-bikes.
2.Platform bike racks, known to carry various types and sizes of bike including e-bikes. Their versatility stems from the fact that bicycles are supported by the platform, reducing sway and wobble.
Weve tried to do our best to help you pick the e-bike rack thats optimal for your situation or specific scenarios. Among these several choices, which rack do you prefer?
Doesnt the 160 lbs weight capacity suffice? Need a really heavy duty rack? Look up the Guide Gear Fat Tire Bike Carrier Rack that can carry up to 200 lbs.