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
