Guide to Car Racks for Electric Bikes
A lot of things today rely on electricity. From our household appliances and even everyday gadgets such as smartphones and laptops. With the world being more reliant on electric power and technology, it is the future of almost every aspect of our lives, including transportation. Electrical vehicles are becoming more and more present in our lives, with bicycles being just a tad bit ahead. Just like electric scooters though, electric bicycles are the future of inner-city commuting. Electric bicycles are meant to make it easy to commute even in dense traffic.
Some of them even eliminate the option for pedalling as you just need to press a button to start going. Others make use of pedalling to put the charge back into the battery. By riding on an electric bicycle every day, not only do you help contribute to a greener environment, but you also cut on expenses, as electric bicycles do not require that much maintenance. But what if you want to bring that fun to another place. This is where an e bike rack can help.
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How to Attach Bike Rack to Car
1. First, open up the rack into an arc. While the shape of the rack when open will vary on the model you’ve got, it will still need to be opened up regardless. On SUVs, your new electronic bike rack will probably need to have one end onto the rear window, while on sedans and coupes, you’ll probably need to hook both ends of it on the back of your vehicle.
2. Next, you need to install the clips. These clips are there to help split the trunk apart and away from the rack. Installing these clips requires finding a spot where you can put them easily and then just securing them by applying a little bit of force.
3. Once you’re done installing the clips, proceed by strengthening the straps of the rack. These straps keep the electronic bike rack in place. Pull each strap until it’s tight and double-check all the straps once you’re done tightening them all. With the straps tight enough to keep the rack on your vehicle, it’s time to test things out.
4. You can test the clips and straps by moving the rack from one side to another. The rack should move from one side to another without feeling loose. Otherwise, you need to tighten the straps once again. After the electric bike carrier is secure, it’s time to put the bicycles on it.
5. To put the bicycles on the rack, pull the bike arms up so they lock in place. The top part of the bicycle should be on top of the rack and the weight should be evenly distributed. Be careful when putting the bicycles on the rack as to not damage the vehicle or rack. Put a rag between the bike and rack to avoid this.
6. While this last step will vary from one rack model to another, it is essential. With your bike on the rack, you’ll need to tighten down the strap on its frame and then fasten both arms so that the bike won’t move. Shake the bicycle a little to ensure that it is well secured.
How to Lock Your Bike to a Car Rack
Passive Strap
There are two methods to lock your bicycle to your e bike rack, with the easier way being the passive strap method. This method requires you to have a trunk lock strap, also known as a passive lock strap. These are long cables made of thin material which allows you to ensure the safety of your bike by looping the cable around it. The snubbed ends of these straps go inside your vehicle through the boot to lock your bicycle in place.
Tow Loop/ Hitch
The second method although more complicated, but it does provide better safety for your bicycle. Here you need to use a cord or a durable strap together with a tow hitch. If you don’t have a tow hitch mechanism you can always hook up the cord or strap underneath the bumper. Loop the strap or cord around the bicycle and then through the tow to lock it. Using the strap or cord with the tow hitch requires you to use a padlock in order to secure the strap/cord once you tie it to the tow hitch.
When locking your electric bicycle onto a hitch tow mechanism, make sure not to have anything attached to it. Towing anything while having an electric bike carrier at the back can be extremely dangerous. This can result in the tow hitch mechanism braking or the rack and it can end up damaging your car or you can even get your bicycle stolen this way.
