Affordable Ebike hitch rack?

[BillH]

Rola Convoy. 2" hitch can carry 75# bike. Under $200.

 

[Locobill]

Rola Convoy. 2" hitch can carry 75# bike. Under $200.

View attachment 81417

Thanks, That looks like a decent affordable carrier. Do you have one? If so, how stable is it?

 

[BillH]

Thanks, That looks like a decent affordable carrier. Do you have one? If so, how stable is it?

Very stable and solid but also a bit heavy. The folding arm can be setup on the left, right or center of the rack. Very versatile. And yes, I own one. Single carrier config.

 

[bob armani]

Haven't use the ramp on my Thule yet, but expect the day will come when I will need to.
I like the Thule Easy Fold rack, but each time I use it I cannot stop from worrying that the thing will come off and leave behind a tangled mess of metal and hopefully not cause an accident behind me. I find it interesting how cars seem to keep their distance behind me, almost as if they fear the same thing....
On a related subject, even though my stop and turn signals are visible through the bikes, I inquired about adding wiring to my hitch - opted to pass as parts and labor + $ 400 !

Very nice selling point (the ramp) for the Thule IMO. 1UP Racks all aluminum bike carriers also introduced that on their newer models as an option.

 

[bob armani]

Since I normally only move one ebike at a time, I bought a cheap folding hitch rack for 2 bikes (Sport Rack Crest 2 Locking) on sale for $150, and just use the one set of fat tire hoops. I removed the other set and the second brace to make it a little lighter and less junk in the way.

That's one budget option, but unfortunately there are few options below that $300-400 mark for two heavy ebikes. Certainly if you want gravel road durability.

Another possible option is a Princess Auto dirt bike carrier which can also be had for 100-150 on sale (and weight capacity up to 500lb), but are not quite as simple to use since they don't have a typical upright brace.

Ahh yes SportRack, which I have owned for over 20 years and it still looks and works great. I use the 1 1/4 inch receiver with the rack. Great quality.

 

[BigNerd]

Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hanging Hitch Rack from Walmart First Review

So first off, I initially wanted to get a hanging hitch rack because 1) my friend has a nice Yakima 4-bike hanging one and 2) I could also use it as a maintenance stand (which I've also been shopping for). But after reading tons of posts here and on the Internet and looking at YouTube, I...

electricbikereview.com

Lots of racks in the world. Lots of EBR reviews.

Hah... that was me.

It is affordable, in-stock, local (so don't have to worry about it shipping) and can hold 140lb... so even though a 4-bike carrier, good enough for 2 ebikes.

 

[bob armani]

Rola Convoy. 2" hitch can carry 75# bike. Under $200.

View attachment 81417

Oh yeah, thanks for posting. Looks like a winner to me on a budget to boot. I think I would even pay a bit more for this rack if I had to. Sounds like you are getting good service out of it. Very nice indeed.

 

[bob armani]

Rola Convoy. 2" hitch can carry 75# bike. Under $200.

View attachment 81417

This is also available in the 1 1/4 inch hitch mount on etrailer and Amazon.

 

[bob armani]

Rola Convoy. 2" hitch can carry 75# bike. Under $200.

View attachment 81417

Hi Bill- I was looking more into this rack. I have found some users were complaining about the height off the ground when mounted. Users were having to lift their 60lb fat bikes higher than they thought to get their bikes seated. In addition, one claimed they had difficulty with placing the front wheel into the tire harness. Have you had any issues like this? I was also curious how high is the rack off the ground when it is mounted into the receiver. Thanks for posting!

 

[BillH]

Hi Bill- I was looking more into this rack. I have found some users were complaining about the height off the ground when mounted. Users were having to lift their 60lb fat bikes higher than they thought to get their bikes seated. In addition, one claimed they had difficulty with placing the front wheel into the tire harness. Have you had any issues like this? I was also curious how high is the rack off the ground when it is mounted into the receiver. Thanks for posting!

It definitely sits high. I haven’t measured it off the ground but the bike platform sits at about the same height as the top of the bumper. I’ve encountered no issues with the tire harness.

 

[bob armani]

It definitely sits high. I haven’t measured it off the ground but the bike platform sits at about the same height as the top of the bumper. I’ve encountered no issues with the tire harness.

Great thanks for the info! Cheers!

 

[Admin]

I just want to add the Buzz Rack. My friend bought one off of eBay and got a pretty good deal a while back when all of the other racks were sold out. I haven't tested them myself, but they look pretty cool

 

[BEC111]

I just want to add the Buzz Rack. My friend bought one off of eBay and got a pretty good deal a while back when all of the other racks were sold out. I haven't tested them myself, but they look pretty cool

View attachment 82497;(,,,

They do look cool, but aren’t readily available in North America. This makes getting support, parts or repairs nearly impossible. Oh well.

 

[McCorby]

They do look cool, but aren’t readily available in North America. This makes getting support, parts or repairs nearly impossible. Oh well.

They look to be available on Amazon.

 

[crst4s]

Buzzrack Approach is back in stock at Amazon for $330. I paid $275 from Amazon last August. Construction is sturdy and the rack works well with step-through bikes. It is heavy but light enough that I can fit by myself and it folds down for tailgate access. Clamps will attach to seat-tube or seat-post. I wanted to avoid purchasing a crossbar attachment which would add undesirable weight and complexity. The Buzzrack is rated at 110 lbs capacity which is at the limit for my 2 Drops sans batteries. The other option would have been a wheel clamp rack but I have read that they can be problematic with fenders. The Thule Easyrack has a similar clamping system but is more expensive and was not available when I bought my rack.

 

[Locobill]

Buzzrack Approach is back in stock at Amazon for $330. I paid $275 from Amazon last August. Construction is sturdy and the rack works well with step-through bikes. It is heavy but light enough that I can fit by myself and it folds down for tailgate access. Clamps will attach to seat-tube or seat-post. I wanted to avoid purchasing a crossbar attachment which would add undesirable weight and complexity. The Buzzrack is rated at 110 lbs capacity which is at the limit for my 2 Drops sans batteries. The other option would have been a wheel clamp rack but I have read that they can be problematic with fenders. The Thule Easyrack has a similar clamping system but is more expensive and was not available when I bought my rack.

This looks like a sturdy carrier, but the only negative issue is that it does not fold up against the vehicle.

 

[Art Deco]

Not going to be able to park in a short space without removing it.

 

[crst4s]

Not going to be able to park in a short space without removing it.

The rack adds about 36 in. to my X3. Total length is still shorter than most full-size pickups, which seem to be the vehicle of choice where I live. Car with rack and bikes does fit in my garage. Driving with rack but no bikes is not something I envisage doing, so foldability was not a major issue for me and certainly not a deal breaker. The frame clamp system and tilt feature were primary considerations. Availability at the time, robust construction and price also factored into my decision. If necessary, the rack does fit in the back of my vehicle. Selection in step-through, fendered, EB suitable racks is surprisingly limited. I did also consider the Thule EZ rack, which, although a great rack, was almost 3x the price.

 

[Art Deco]

Yes, adds about 3 foot length with or without the bikes. My van is 25 foot bumper to bumper, so 28 foot total which will fit most national parks .Does it swing out of the way of the tailgate or barndoors ?

 

[crst4s]

Yes, adds about 3 foot length with or without the bikes. My van is 25 foot bumper to bumper, so 28 foot total which will fit most national parks .Does it swing out of the way of the tailgate or barndoors ?

It tilts down for access to tailgate. I was concerned that with two heavy bikes this might be cumbersome but tilting down and back up again is not too difficult. Not sure if it would work for barn doors given that arc of travel does not change.