How To Pack An E-Bike Into A Station Wagon (a tutorial)

[WattsUpDude]

now i wish i had a picture of when i picked up my bike after purchase.

i have a fiat 500 that i crammed my Yamaha Urban Rush into. to be fair, it's a size S. it was also my first bike with a thru axle. took me a while to figure it out.

 

[FlatSix911]

now i wish i had a picture of when i picked up my bike after purchase.

i have a fiat 500 that i crammed my Yamaha Urban Rush into. to be fair, it's a size S. it was also my first bike with a thru axle. took me a while to figure it out.

The Fiat 500 is a very cool ride... any photos of your eBike in the car?

 

[WattsUpDude]

The Fiat 500 is a very cool ride... any photos of your eBike in the car?

Initial purchase was really the only time I had the bike in the car. I have full fenders on the bike now so I haven’t tried putting it in since (and I haven’t had the need to). But attached are pictures of both separately.

 

[tomjasz]

My dad offered his station wagon. I declined. (true life story)

)

 

[FlatSix911]

My dad offered his station wagon. I declined. (true life story)View attachment 59362)

Say it ain't so...

 

[tomjasz]

Say it ain't so...

I walked all of HS. Nope. Not me. Pink? The dealers name was "Pinkie". Granddad had a 57 Impala. Thankfully. Not sothankful for the dirty mags that hit my date in the ankle...didn't know they were there...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

How Do You Pack Two E-Bikes Into A Station Wagon

You need to remove pedals in both bikes, remove the battery from the top one, remove front wheels in both of them, and separate the bikes with cardboard and styro-foam.

 

[RandallS]

How Do You Pack Two E-Bikes Into A Station Wagon

View attachment 59411
You need to remove pedals in both bikes, remove the battery from the top one, remove front wheels in both of them, and separate the bikes with cardboard and styro-foam.

Or be very careful... I loaded two Townies in my Volvo XC70 about 9 years ago. My upper body strength was much better then! Front wheels off, front fenders off too. Judicious padding between bikes. On the trip home two weeks later it was even more difficult as I had to also find space for 3 cases of wine. Cycling through vineyards can get expensive.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Oh, I can handle the front fender without removing it, as long as the bottom e-bike is fenderless

 

[RandallS]

Oh, I can handle the front fender without removing it, as long as the bottom e-bike is fenderless

They both had fenders... And mirrors...and racks... It was a bit of origami with bikes, but I made it work.

 

[FlatSix911]

I walked all of HS. Nope. Not me. Pink? The dealer's name was "Pinkie". Granddad had a 57 Impala. Thankfully.
Not so thankful for the dirty mags that hit my date in the ankle...didn't know they were there...

My Uncle's nickname is Pinkie... you can guess that he had a nice '57 Chevy in baby pink.

 

[FlatSix911]

Or be very careful... I loaded two Townies in my Volvo XC70 about 9 years ago. My upper body strength was much better then! Front wheels off, front fenders off too.

Judicious padding between bikes. On the trip home two weeks later it was even more difficult as I had to also find space for 3 cases of wine. Cycling through vineyards can get expensive.

My priority would be protecting the wine!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

My priority would be protecting the wine!

Heaven forbid that something like this might happen:

 

[Cowlitz]

Lots of Subaru Outbacks in these parts. I had one, but I did not have an e-bike and I hauled my mountain bike on a rack on the back. Outbacks are excellent snow cars.

 

[john peck]

Many people use bike-racks on their cars to transport their e-bikes. A single person can easily transport a single e-bike in a station wagon; that is especially comfortable to carry an e-MTB to the trail. No fastest e-bike transport method by car exists.

View attachment 58663
Step 1: Have rear seats in your car folded. Start with rolling in the e-bike rearwards. The bike should lean onto the non-drive side. In case of a dropper post, dropping the seat helps but is not mandatory.

View attachment 58664
Step 2: A Turbo Vado has been rolled into the car. It is vital the front fender does not touch the ground, so support the bike frame against the car floor with a box.

View attachment 58665
Similarly, a Giant Trance E+ rolled into the car.

View attachment 58667
Step 3: Removing the front thru-axle. Use a regular Allen key to unscrew the thru-axle (a torque wrench shown here instead). It might be a 5 or 6 mm hex wrench, depending on your axle.

View attachment 58668
The Giant e-MTB axle is equipped with a quick release. In any case, unscrew the axle and remove it with your hand. The front wheel will pop up from the fork sockets. In case of a traditional 9 mm QR, removing the wheel is even easier (no need to remove the axle, just use the QR).

View attachment 58669
Step 4 (critical): Replace the axle, so it is not lost or soiled. Few turns clockwise is enough (can be done with your hand, no wrench is needed). Insert a brake-pad spacer between brake pads (a piece of thick cardboard will do). The latter action prevents upsetting the hydraulic brake against inadvertent pressing of the front-brake-lever.

View attachment 58670
Step 5: Rotate the handlebars to restore the normal position. Roll the bike even deeper into the car. Note: It is vital the handlebars are in the normal position not to destroy the front fender, if present. Place the front wheel under the bike's frame. The brake rotor should be up and not touch any object.

Unpacking

Perform the actions as above in the reverse order. In case of the thru-axle without quick release (like in the Vado), using a torque wrench is recommended but not mandatory.

Dedicated to @RandallS.

Faced with the same struggle getting the bike in the wifeś car, it eventually went rear wheel between the rear seats, upright with front
wheel off.

Many people use bike-racks on their cars to transport their e-bikes. A single person can easily transport a single e-bike in a station wagon; that is especially comfortable to carry an e-MTB to the trail. No fastest e-bike transport method by car exists.

View attachment 58663
Step 1: Have rear seats in your car folded. Start with rolling in the e-bike rearwards. The bike should lean onto the non-drive side. In case of a dropper post, dropping the seat helps but is not mandatory.

View attachment 58664
Step 2: A Turbo Vado has been rolled into the car. It is vital the front fender does not touch the ground, so support the bike frame against the car floor with a box.

View attachment 58665
Similarly, a Giant Trance E+ rolled into the car.

View attachment 58667
Step 3: Removing the front thru-axle. Use a regular Allen key to unscrew the thru-axle (a torque wrench shown here instead). It might be a 5 or 6 mm hex wrench, depending on your axle.

View attachment 58668
The Giant e-MTB axle is equipped with a quick release. In any case, unscrew the axle and remove it with your hand. The front wheel will pop up from the fork sockets. In case of a traditional 9 mm QR, removing the wheel is even easier (no need to remove the axle, just use the QR).

View attachment 58669
Step 4 (critical): Replace the axle, so it is not lost or soiled. Few turns clockwise is enough (can be done with your hand, no wrench is needed). Insert a brake-pad spacer between brake pads (a piece of thick cardboard will do). The latter action prevents upsetting the hydraulic brake against inadvertent pressing of the front-brake-lever.

View attachment 58670
Step 5: Rotate the handlebars to restore the normal position. Roll the bike even deeper into the car. Note: It is vital the handlebars are in the normal position not to destroy the front fender, if present. Place the front wheel under the bike's frame. The brake rotor should be up and not touch any object.

Unpacking

Perform the actions as above in the reverse order. In case of the thru-axle without quick release (like in the Vado), using a torque wrench is recommended but not mandatory.

Dedicated to @RandallS.

Rear wheel between rear seats, bike upright, front wheel off.

 

[Prairie Dog]

We don't have a hitch mount attached to our Volvo SUV so I improvised by building my own in-car rack that accommodates both of our e-bikes plus room to spare for gear. The saddles/posts require removal along with the front wheels which are placed in padded wheel bags and stowed neatly behind the front seats. The composite platforms that the bikes rest on are actually Gladiator garage panels that I purchased from Lowes. Rockymount Hotrod fork mounts sport adapter sleeves for boost axles and conveniently slot into the panel grooves and are secured in place with elevator bolts and wingnuts. For added convenience, the mounts can be moved along the grooves by simply loosening the wingnuts. I used extra pieces that I cut off from the panels for trays to hold down the rear wheels.

I actually prefer transporting bikes using this method as the bikes are securely stowed and don’t get muddled up as a result of grime and road spray plus virtually all parts were obtained at the local hardware outlet with the exception of the Rockymounts. The rack packs up neatly and takes up very little storage space in the garage. Only caveat being is that we lose the rear passenger seating but since It's usually only my wife and I who are cycling, it fits our needs rather well.

 

[FlatSix911]

We don't have a hitch mount attached to our Volvo SUV so I improvised by building my own in-car rack that accommodates both of our e-bikes plus room to spare for gear. The saddles/posts require removal along with the front wheels which are placed in padded wheel bags and stowed neatly behind the front seats. The composite platforms that the bikes rest on are actually Gladiator garage panels that I purchased from Lowes. Rockymount Hotrod fork mounts sport adapter sleeves for boost axles and conveniently slot into the panel grooves and are secured in place with elevator bolts and wingnuts. For added convenience, the mounts can be moved along the grooves by simply loosening the wingnuts. I used extra pieces that I cut off from the panels for trays to hold down the rear wheels.

I actually prefer transporting bikes using this method as the bikes are securely stowed and don’t get muddled up as a result of grime and road spray plus virtually all parts were obtained at the local hardware outlet with the exception of the Rockymounts. The rack packs up neatly and takes up very little storage space in the garage. Only caveat being is that we lose the rear passenger seating but since It's usually only my wife and I who are cycling, it fits our needs rather well.

Well done!

 

[RandallS]

@Prairie Dog
XC90?
Where in AB?

No can do do in my XC70 wagon (nor Golf Sportswagen).
Hatch opening is only 28.5" for both, not enough height for front fork and handlebars.

I have to do the angled approach, but that's not a big deal other than the upright approach is more aesthetically pleasing to me.

 

[TForan]

Yup!

Yup!

Nope. Vista Cruisers have the partial glass roof .

 

[GypsyTreker]

Nope. Vista Cruisers have the partial glass roof .

If you expand the photo you will see the glass roof line. This was not actually intended as anything but a spoof, accuracy was not the intent. Obviously whoever shot this photo was trying to do a 442 theme. Nice job actually, looks like hood and stripes were the max done. Very economical.