Tips for loading heavy electric bikes onto car racks by yourself

It is not the same builder, but it is made by the original designer of the One up.
He had a falling out with his partner at one up and went and created an improved version of the product, which is why they look almost identical :)
 
It is not the same builder, but it is made by the original designer of the One up.
He had a falling out with his partner at one up and went and created an improved version of the product, which is why they look almost identical :)
The quick R stuff racks appear to be more expensive and take 6 months to ship. 1 UP looks like they are now shipping in a few days. What am I missing here?
 
You are not missing anything.
The QuikRStuff is better and they have more demands than they can fill, so they can charge more.
It is a recent startup that was hit by Covid, and so they had significant manufacturing capacity issues. They have been ramping up production in the recent month, so I believe right now the delay is less.
One up has a more established production line so they can deliver quickly. They have a great product, so if you don't want the improvements, it is a better deal and a faster delivery.
In the end It is a matter of choice based on the current pros and cons
 
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Scrambler, earlier you said you need to order another license plate. I will be interested to hear what company you get that from. I think DMV is only agreeable to provide different plates if we have lost or damaged plates. But there must be some company out there making up plates to order - I want one, just haven't searched one out that makes them yet. (The quick detach device for the licence plate would be so easily removed by someone that it spooks me.)
 
You are not missing anything.
The QuikRStuff is better and they have more demands that they can fill, so they can charge more.
It is a recent startup that was hit by Covid, and so they had significant manufacturing capacity issues. They have been ramping up production in the recent month, so I believe right now the delay is a less.
One up has a more established production line so they can deliver quickly. They have a great product, so if you don't want the improvements, it is a better deal and a faster delivery.
In the end It is a matter of choice based on the current pros and cons
ok
 
This 1.25 Quick Rack from 1 UP works fine for 1 bike. It will carry up to 60 lbs. When I strap on Sport (60 lbs with rack and fenders) I remove the battery. Seems very solid and very simple. The pic on the right was my 2 inch Heavy Duty that hauled my Frey CC and Sport with no issues. Here it has my sons analog self build carbon boy. Bike weighs around 26 lbs.
 

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Scrambler, earlier you said you need to order another license plate. I will be interested to hear what company you get that from. I think DMV is only agreeable to provide different plates if we have lost or damaged plates. But there must be some company out there making up plates to order - I want one, just haven't searched one out that makes them yet. (The quick detach device for the licence plate would be so easily removed by someone that it spooks me.)
Right now I have placed a request with the DMV, we will see what they say :)
I can always say I lost mine...

EDIT: If they give me a hard time or want to charge me an arm and a leg, I found this on amazon
 
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I’ve been very happy with the Yakima On Ramp for just this reason. After hurting my back once when I was younger, I never take chances anymore.

With the On Ramp, you can simply walk your bike up and fasten it tight.

Nice features include a 132 lb weight capacity (up to two 66 lb bikes).

Each bike is secured at 3 points…..a strap on the frame, and one strap for the bottom of each wheel. The latter is a great option for bikes with fenders.

The wheel trays are highly adjustable, as are the frame clamps, making the rack customizable for almost any bike.

Super fat wheels might be an issue, but I think you can get an adapter for those. My Aventon Pace 500 wheels fit perfectly.

DAAAC65C-A62A-41D6-8E45-6B5740A3BBE6.jpeg


The rack folds up nicely when not in use. I needed a hitch extender, though, to clear the spare tire on my Jeep.

40A2C921-6916-4D34-A314-8D5ED42853F3.jpeg


The nicest feature, IMO, is the loading ramp, which is particularly useful with heavy ebikes. The ramp screws into the rack itself, and is easily released and secured with a hand knob (no tools) and does not require storage in your vehicle.

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Hi guys! I'm frequently loading electric bikes onto my car rack... and many times I have to do it alone. I've shared this before in some of my reviews, but wanted to create a stand-alone video showing how it's done. Recently, while visiting Arizona to see my Grandfather and Dad, we went out to the desert near the White Tank Mountains and took his fat tire electric bikes along for a fun ride! These ebikes weigh 60lbs+ with their cargo racks, fenders, accessory bags, lights and other add-ons. The hitch rack my Dad uses is a 2" hitch mounted platform that is actually elevated in order to reduce ground contact when driving across uneven terrain... so lifting the bikes up and down from this extra high rack can be very challenging when done solo without the help of a friend. My Dad had some tips to share and I have some experience doing this myself, so this video is designed to be a helpful explanation of our combined best practices. I hope it helps you, but please be careful when lifting your own bikes and always include a second person if possible. This video is not meant to be advice, it is for entertainment purposes only and shows our ideas.


The products and accessories shown in this video were all purchased by my Dad, and some of them were new to me! He chose them based on his desire to ride in the desert and have reliable stuff. I've listed most of them below and some of the links have Amazon affiliate commission for me if you choose to buy there. I also have a list of local ebike shops that might sell the same accessories and you can see them here: https://electricbikereview.com/shop-directory/ You might have also seen our video interview where he talks about how he upgraded his bikes to perform better in the desert, and I created a forum post for that one here: https://electricbikereview.com/foru...essories-and-replacing-a-towed-vehicle.43285/

Electric bikes with all details listed

Electric bike hitch rack and covers for RVs

Bike locks for transporting and riding

Tire protect to prevent flats

Light and reflector upgrades

Rear rack, trunk bag, pannier bags

Swept back handlebar and ergonomic grips

Water bottle upgrades and expansion

Comfort and armor upgrades

I always appreciate feedback and corrections, so feel free to expand on the ideas shared in this video with your own tips and techniques for loading heavy bikes onto car racks. I have become a big fan of the hitch racks vs. hanging racks, and was impressed that the Thule Pro T2 XTR was able to secure two fully kitted RadRover fat tire bikes without even removing their racks or interfering with the fenders. My Dad has hauled these bikes all over the USA and had zero problems. I think this rack is setup for two bikes by default, but may be expandable to four bikes at once, if you have a 2" hitch receiver. My Prius only has an 1-1/4" receiver and I use the lightweight Küat Sherpa hitch rack :)
I'd never head down the road without these straps making load 100% secure.

E Bikes are not 25lb item as bicycle on a rack until fully secured for travel secured solid.
If grabbing any point and bike can move at all independent of rack, then these cargo straps are a must as used for securing motorcycles solid to vehicle.
A motor home has a lot of swing and rebound that far behind rear axle.
Hitting a blind chuck hole to severe dip in the road could easily launch an item from rubber strap hold downs that easily stretch.
Plus they assist securing item while loading. Let alone falling into each other. I have at least $200 worth of strapping options of this caliber to 2" wide options.
If vehicle ever crashed upside down, the 850 lb cruiser would still be secured to vehicle.
Cheers
 

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Hi guys! I'm frequently loading electric bikes onto my car rack... and many times I have to do it alone. I've shared this before in some of my reviews, but wanted to create a stand-alone video showing how it's done. Recently, while visiting Arizona to see my Grandfather and Dad, we went out to the desert near the White Tank Mountains and took his fat tire electric bikes along for a fun ride! These ebikes weigh 60lbs+ with their cargo racks, fenders, accessory bags, lights and other add-ons. The hitch rack my Dad uses is a 2" hitch mounted platform that is actually elevated in order to reduce ground contact when driving across uneven terrain... so lifting the bikes up and down from this extra high rack can be very challenging when done solo without the help of a friend. My Dad had some tips to share and I have some experience doing this myself, so this video is designed to be a helpful explanation of our combined best practices. I hope it helps you, but please be careful when lifting your own bikes and always include a second person if possible. This video is not meant to be advice, it is for entertainment purposes only and shows our ideas.


The products and accessories shown in this video were all purchased by my Dad, and some of them were new to me! He chose them based on his desire to ride in the desert and have reliable stuff. I've listed most of them below and some of the links have Amazon affiliate commission for me if you choose to buy there. I also have a list of local ebike shops that might sell the same accessories and you can see them here: https://electricbikereview.com/shop-directory/ You might have also seen our video interview where he talks about how he upgraded his bikes to perform better in the desert, and I created a forum post for that one here: https://electricbikereview.com/foru...essories-and-replacing-a-towed-vehicle.43285/

Electric bikes with all details listed

Electric bike hitch rack and covers for RVs

Bike locks for transporting and riding

Tire protect to prevent flats

Light and reflector upgrades

Rear rack, trunk bag, pannier bags

Swept back handlebar and ergonomic grips

Water bottle upgrades and expansion

Comfort and armor upgrades

I always appreciate feedback and corrections, so feel free to expand on the ideas shared in this video with your own tips and techniques for loading heavy bikes onto car racks. I have become a big fan of the hitch racks vs. hanging racks, and was impressed that the Thule Pro T2 XTR was able to secure two fully kitted RadRover fat tire bikes without even removing their racks or interfering with the fenders. My Dad has hauled these bikes all over the USA and had zero problems. I think this rack is setup for two bikes by default, but may be expandable to four bikes at once, if you have a 2" hitch receiver. My Prius only has an 1-1/4" receiver and I use the lightweight Küat Sherpa hitch rack :)
Reported E Bikes that fell off racks -
for the simply reason stated earlier of not using secure tie downs.

 
I’ve been very happy with the Yakima On Ramp for just this reason. After hurting my back once when I was younger, I never take chances anymore.

With the On Ramp, you can simply walk your bike up and fasten it tight.

Nice features include a 132 lb weight capacity (up to two 66 lb bikes).

Each bike is secured at 3 points…..a strap on the frame, and one strap for the bottom of each wheel. The latter is a great option for bikes with fenders.

The wheel trays are highly adjustable, as are the frame clamps, making the rack customizable for almost any bike.

Super fat wheels might be an issue, but I think you can get an adapter for those. My Aventon Pace 500 wheels fit perfectly.

View attachment 129617

The rack folds up nicely when not in use. I needed a hitch extender, though, to clear the spare tire on my Jeep.

View attachment 129618

The nicest feature, IMO, is the loading ramp, which is particularly useful with heavy ebikes. The ramp screws into the rack itself, and is easily released and secured with a hand knob (no tools) and does not require storage in your vehicle.

View attachment 129619
Ill bet this is the best feature of E- Bike with 'Walk' Setting built in to assist loading.
 
Would this one work with a normal sized tire?

I have a Yakima On Ramp that has served me well. My Specialized Vado 4 has 2.4" tires and that's probably about the limit for the ramp. If you're careful and have help loading, you might be able to guide a slightly wider tire up the ramp. Not really possible to use the ramp by yourself though...at least I've never done so successfully. I always have to have some help keeping the front wheel on-track while I push up from the rear. It's a very sturdy rack that's relatively easy to install with a threaded hex bolt in a 2" hitch receiver. The included lock cable attaches onto the end of the bolt to keep everything pretty secure when traveling. A bit more expensive but worth it!
 
My main ebike is a RR6+ step through, fat tire. In purchasing this I had to rethink my bike rack. While I was searching I was using the truck bed. We already had the ramp. When the bike entered the bed of the dually I was not tall enough to push the bike into the bed. Same thing bringing it out of the bed. Now i was searching for new racks but came across a bar that fits from the seat post to the handle bars. Amazon has a Hyperax adapter for racks and step through ebikes. Problem solved.
 
I have NEVER regretted buying a longer ramp for my bike rack. And its useful for so many different things besides ramping the bike onto the rack. BTW I use a $175 motorcycle rack that has a 400 pound capacity. My ramp is a 7-footer like this one but it doesn't fold. Important to note the way it connects at the top is a big flat bit of angled steel, so it can be used against a pickup truck tailgate, elevated porch or whatever. There is a Black Widow 6-foot version on sale for more money that does not fold.


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IMG_20200624_171553.jpg
 
I have NEVER regretted buying a longer ramp for my bike rack. And its useful for so many different things besides ramping the bike onto the rack. BTW I use a $175 motorcycle rack that has a 400 pound capacity. My ramp is a 7-footer like this one but it doesn't fold. Important to note the way it connects at the top is a big flat bit of angled steel, so it can be used against a pickup truck tailgate, elevated porch or whatever. There is a Black Widow 6-foot version on sale for more money that does not fold.


View attachment 139981View attachment 139982
Awesome idea. I have a folding dog ramp that has side guards like your rack. I am thinking about screwing in hooks that will fit what ever rack I get as I already have it. I just checked Amazon and they are out of the item you linked. I guess a lot of others liked your idea !!
 
At this point, I am looking at the QuikrStuff rack now. They are not posting any delays at this point, but will not know until I place an order. Waiting to get my EBC Model R bikes to be sure about weight. By the way, anyone have any suggestions on lights for these racks (brakes/turn signals)?
 
+1 for the QuikrStuff rack :)
I hope their current delays have improved, I had to wait over 6 months for mine a while back :)
 
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