Transporting a bike in the rain

[Dono Be]

My biggest concern is the leather Brooks saddle

Just thought of a shower cap...lol or a swim cap for that matter. Good idea?

 

[Mulezen]

That would be snugger than the ziplock I was thinking of

 

[Dono Be]

65 mph/110 kmh on the back of your car for 3+ hours...

EXACTLY....I'm going to cover my bikes with a motorcycle cover and now I'm looking for a tail light system to set up on the back end.

 

[AHicks]

Ziplock freezer bags work great when fastened at the bottom with a piece of string (or shoe lace?). I have no trouble keeping them in place on our 2 day 1100 mile runs.

Motorcycle cover would protect the bike I guess (water spray entry from the open bottom?), but might turn into a parachute when pulled?

 

[Dallant]

If you follow Trek‘s directions, any time you transport the bike on an external rack, you remove the battery. Beyond that, you’re on your own. If I’m going any major distance, or if it’s gonna rain much, I toss my Allant into the back of my SUV or truck.

 

[TNEP]

Here's my setup. We travel a bit, AZ to Mn twice a year. I worry about salt and slush coming to or leaving Mn. I have two ebikes in there . The cover was $65 and it is very sturdy material. The separate cargo net works great to take care of any loose areas.There is no movement at all. The lights are needed because the car lights are covered. They are cheap on Etrailer.com. My rack is a Thule Easy fold. It takes me about 10 minutes to get the cover and net on .

 

[vincent]

like those lights, better than the ones i have for my rack, will check etrailer now

 

[Dallant]

Here's my setup. We travel a bit, AZ to Mn twice a year. I worry about salt and slush coming to or leaving Mn. I have two ebikes in there . The cover was $65 and it is very sturdy material. The separate cargo net works great to take care of any loose areas.There is no movement at all. The lights are needed because the car lights are covered. They are cheap on Etrailer.com. My rack is a Thule Easy fold. It takes me about 10 minutes to get the cover and net on . View attachment 58873

Looks great! Any details/links/more views about the cover material and it’s attachment over the bikes?

 

[Bigal1463]

I like the cover protection and especially the lights. The only problem I have is the vehicle registration plate is not visible.

 

[AHicks]

That's ANOTHER problem I hadn't considered. Thanks!

 

[TNEP]

Looks great! Any details/links/more views about the cover material and it’s attachment over the bikes?

The cargo net is 5x5'. the tag on the cover is attached . Dual Bike size fits perfect over my rack and bikes. The cover has strategically placed straps for tightening. Also a quality zipper and a sleeve that fits nicely over the hitch stem to seal out all road dirt and water. I used zip ties to place the lights in the cargo net grid.

 

[MikeDD]

You can protect electrical connections with dielectric silicon compound. This is used on all the connections on automobiles.

 

[Bigal1463]

Is it a spray and where would you get it?

 

[AHicks]

Is it a spray and where would you get it?

Have never seen a spray version, though that would seem like a good idea/easier to use. It's more like Vaseline, or light grease, and you can get it at any auto supply.

 

[GypsyTreker]

My biggest concern is the leather Brooks saddle

I just use a rain cover on my Brooks Flyer. It stays on no problem. You could use a bungee if you were unsure about it

 

[spitzing freak]

Most e-bikes are waterproof. Unless you are driving on very muddy roads or in wicked dusty conditions I'd not worry too much. It is probably a good idea to wrap the display/control panel with plastic just because that is a wear point, much more than the battery connections.

i have owned izips and also spitzings and i would NOT ride them even in the lightest rain...although the spitzing ads show bobby root sometimes hitting puddles and such..the manual specifically says do NOT get the batteries wet

had both an izip battery and a spitzing battery apart and they do not have gaskets around where the seam that would make it "waterproof"..the spitzing battery had some traces of rust inside because the original owners (us military) were specifically testing whether they were weatherproof

and the console IS waterproof as it has rubber between the bezel and the inside

 

[MikeDD]

When I tested Rad bikes in Seattle, it was raining. I don't know if they did anything special to the bikes. The bikes were just passed to the next testor.

 

[saint]

SO TRUE.... I had not thought of this and now I must figure out how to mount lights as well for safety. Thank you.

Formosa Bike Cover -Amazon has water proof covers that have large clear plastic mesh for auto or truck tail light visibility.
I have one for two bikes my trip is few weeks away 900 miles. Catching air can be a problem also. Must be tight, so I purchased a net on Amazon for 30 bucks to fit over the cover to help secure it.
-Another asset to a cover-if you are transporting $3,000 two e bikes like me, you can lock the bikes to the rack, cover and leave on when get to motel. Know one can tell that you have two Wal mart bikes ---
-I also use a motion detector alarm-for bike cheap on Amazon attached to bike frame-flex ties. I arm it before going in hotel.
-I also have insurance on both bikes-Allstate. Each bike cost $1500 dollars-Rad Power Bikes. Insurance cost $152.00 per year -no deductible. Pays $2,000.00 for each bike stolen.-flat rate no questions.-Sleep Better.
-Being from Alabama-also Insured by Smith & Wesson.

 

[RandallS]

Updated method to how I prep my bike for travelling on the platform bike rack.

Since I last posted I changed bikes and methods. My new bike, had a damaged battery cover (broken mounting tabs) which was replaced on warranty. I use that with some industrial cling film (5" wide rolls) that I use to wrap key components/areas. I have some wrap left over from 30 years ago... it's previous use in the last 10 years was as shower protection for post leg surgery .

Battery comes out and extra battery cover goes on. It's then wrapped, including the key lock for the battery area. I just use electrical tape to secure the final wrap.

My suspension seatpost is removed, and the original one goes back in and is wrapped to stop water and dust ingress.

Lastly, I cover the handlebar areas with plastic bags to protect grips, brake levers, bell, and all other cockpit items. I secure with electrical tape being careful to not compromise any cabling. I plan to build something more elegant someday, but that will be a winter project. I have a cheap rainsuit I plan to use for the materials - the sleeves (or a leg) should work really well.

I don't worry too much about the rest - it's a mountain bike after all, and sometimes sees worse conditions on the trails.
However, on the trails I am NOT doing 120kmh!

Finally, I don't do all this for all trips, but definitely when driving through the high mountain passes (Kicking Horse 1627m and Roger's 1330m) to the west of here.
A few weeks ago we came through snow on our way home from British Columbia. When there's snow, there's ice and when there's ice, there's often road salt...

 

[saint]

Here's my setup. We travel a bit, AZ to Mn twice a year. I worry about salt and slush coming to or leaving Mn. I have two ebikes in there . The cover was $65 and it is very sturdy material. The separate cargo net works great to take care of any loose areas.There is no movement at all. The lights are needed because the car lights are covered. They are cheap on Etrailer.com. My rack is a Thule Easy fold. It takes me about 10 minutes to get the cover and net on . View attachment 58873

great, I have two new Rad E bikes- will be transporting 900 miles to southern Florida in few weeks, using a Kuat NV 2.0 Base carrier-new transported before. I purchased the Formosa cover for two bikes -looks like the one you have-never unfolded yet. I did purchase a net to go over the cover (You Tube guy -said necessary to keep cover from catching wind.)
Question: Do I have to take a lot of time to secure the cover with straps and bungees or does the net hold the cover on safely?-at Interstate Speeds.