Hitch Mount Bike Racks
I'm acquiring a bike to take along on trips It has a step-through frame. I'm looking for advice and experience with platform-style bike carriers which mount on the 2-inch trailer hitch of my Class ...
Forum Discussion
As usual, there's a great range of good information and advice here. Reading what y'all have to say and doing a fair amount of on-line research, here's where I am:
My e-bike weighs 54 pounds with battery, about half that without battery. Removing the battery is fairly easy. But I'd like that to be an option; it's not hard to imagine situations where it would be more convenient to transport the bike with the battery installed.
So that eliminates a lot of the less expensive options.
I've also rethought my initial desire to have a rack which would be usable on my car (Hyundai Accent) and on the RV. My departure routine for an RV trip involves driving the rig to the house so I can load up on food, gear, etc. So I really don't need to install a hitch and a rack on the car to take the bike to the RV. The RV will come to the bike! And there's a great network of trails close enough to my house that I don't need to take the bike to the trails on my car.
So: I'm drawn to the sturdiness of the 2-inch receivers. Swagman has a nice looking unit which is 2-inch will carry up to 45 pounds (G10 $330) Close, but not quite. Hollywood does indeed (thanks!) have a model especially for e-bikes($395 from Amazon). BUT Hollywood says that batteries must be removed before transport. I'm wondering if that's something unique to them, or their product, or whether that's a general practice when transporting e-bikes. If it is, then I don't need the heavier-duty racks.
And there's another issue: my bike has a step-through frame. What used to be called a "ladies" frame. Some of the platform-style carriers say they'll accommodate these, some say you need an extra cross-piece, some seem to say no.
Man, this is when I'd like to buy something from a local dealer who'd give god advice and install it!
My e-bike weighs 54 pounds with battery, about half that without battery. Removing the battery is fairly easy. But I'd like that to be an option; it's not hard to imagine situations where it would be more convenient to transport the bike with the battery installed.
So that eliminates a lot of the less expensive options.
I've also rethought my initial desire to have a rack which would be usable on my car (Hyundai Accent) and on the RV. My departure routine for an RV trip involves driving the rig to the house so I can load up on food, gear, etc. So I really don't need to install a hitch and a rack on the car to take the bike to the RV. The RV will come to the bike! And there's a great network of trails close enough to my house that I don't need to take the bike to the trails on my car.
So: I'm drawn to the sturdiness of the 2-inch receivers. Swagman has a nice looking unit which is 2-inch will carry up to 45 pounds (G10 $330) Close, but not quite. Hollywood does indeed (thanks!) have a model especially for e-bikes($395 from Amazon). BUT Hollywood says that batteries must be removed before transport. I'm wondering if that's something unique to them, or their product, or whether that's a general practice when transporting e-bikes. If it is, then I don't need the heavier-duty racks.
And there's another issue: my bike has a step-through frame. What used to be called a "ladies" frame. Some of the platform-style carriers say they'll accommodate these, some say you need an extra cross-piece, some seem to say no.
Man, this is when I'd like to buy something from a local dealer who'd give god advice and install it!
