How do you transport your bike?

[silverelan]

Hitch with 1UP rack

I love the classic 10sp SRAM Red

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[Mach-Lee]

No engineer here, but I have a hitch rack on my Tesla Y and MME and would recommend exploring the manufacturers vertical load vs tongue weight ratings. The Tesla is only rated at 160lbs of vertical load, which according to a bunch of engineers on a variety of forums I visited while researching this is different than the tongue load rating of the hitch.

I had a RockyMounts WestSlope 3 bike platform hitch rack and tried it out after installing my hitch and nearly had a heart attack at highway speeds watching the rack bounce. Never had a problem when I used it on my Nissan Rogue, but Ford's amazingly squishy shocks coupled with the design of that rack put the fear in me that the frame would bend. Replaced it with a Hollywood 4 bike hitch rack and never loaded it with more than 3 bikes, but weight location was much better.

TLDR; stick to 2 bikes and no more than 3, check the vertical load rating, and not all rack designs are created equal. Stay away from extenders unless you have some light bikes and a light rack.

This is correct, the vertical weight limit is 75 kg or 165 pounds (which includes the bike rack). It does not matter if you have a hitch rated for 300 pounds, the frame can only handle 165 lb before it might bend. You must use the lesser of any weight ratings. That means that you can only have two bikes max, or one heavy bike. Do not use any receiver adapters or extensions. Bikes need to be as close to the tailgate as possible to minimize torque lever arm.

 

[davegram]

I think you see the 2 bike platforms because they are more common. Most any hitch should support a 4 bike one. The ecohitch/torklift one supports 300 pounds.

I wouldn't do a 4-bike rack personally. I've got a 5-bike velocirax that I'll only use on my other car. When I install a hitch for the MME it'll be for a two-bike platform style rack.

 

[dtbaker61]

For those that cycle, how do you move your bike?

Prior to getting the MME i had a F150 and it was simple with a hitch rack.

I have been putting in the back which is fine. Just not used to it. I assuming it is what you all do as well

Not sure I want to install a hitch on my MME

Thanks

adding hitch receiver was one of my first mods. I HAVE to have a bike rack, and occasional utility trailer use. no regrets. Torklift hitch is about an hour DIY

A 2 bike 1-up rack is super solid

 

[dan_meh]

Thought I would contribute my setup. I have a four bike hanger on the hitch.

 

[Gixxer750]

I installed a 2" Torklift Ecohitch my self in the spring. I chose it due to the SS build plus it comes with the angle brackets to bolt to the bumper bar bolts as well. Mated it with a Kuat NV 2.0 rack. Couldn't be happier.

 

[Sheldon]

I am able to fit both mine and my wife’s bikes in the back with the seat down (obviously) and the rear load floor in the lower position. The trick was to put the second bike in the reverse direction. I also throw a moving blanket over the lower bike to avoid scratches.

I decided it’s not worth dealing with a hitch. Although if we had E-bikes maybe it would be worth it due to the weight of the bikes.

I have a Stealth Hitch and a One Up Rack for two MT Bikes. Works great.

 

[ThatGuyLando]

Hitch with 1UP rack

Love the 1Ups things are built like trucks and super easy to expand up to 4 bikes.

 

[ensign_lee]

With 1 bike, I lower the rear seats and put it in that way. I am curious if any of y'all recommend any bike racks though.

 

[ThomF]

I put my bike in the back--upside down, with the front wheel removed. I place the handlebars down in front of the rear seat (the seatbacks are also down, of course) and use a short bungee cord wrapped around both the forks and the passenger seat headrest posts, to hold things upright and in place, and then another bungee cord that connects the bike frame to the tie-down in the right seat back. It works well, and leaves a lot of room for other things during trips.

 

[dtkindler]

Would a 4 bike platform be to heavy for the frame of the Mach-E ? I assume yes because all I see is 2 bikes platform like.

I got a 4-bike rack, but after reading in another thread about someone's bike rack cracking their frame, am only every going to load it up with two.

 

[dmitry]

Tested this weekend recently installed Thule roof wingbar and bike racks. So far so good. Happy that I finally got a chance to ride a bike this season.

Here is the link to the parts I installed:

Mach-E Kit 145284: https://amzn.to/47Jo57U
Evo Clamp 710501: https://amzn.to/3K2NlMn
WingBar Evo 150 Black 711520: https://amzn.to/3K6HeGR
ProRide XT Roof Bike Rack: https://amzn.to/4gm6ftI

 

[GreaseMonkey]

I ride it. That’s how I transport it. Or does it transport me?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I ride it. That’s how I transport it.

How old school.

 

[music_cities]

I bought a custom made 20" high end American made folding bicycle from Bike Friday 20 years ago and it's still going strong. To protect my beloved MachE from grease and dirt I put it in its bag after folding it. Now I'm thinking of buying another for my wife. I see Bike Friday has an electric assist option now for their flagship New World Tourist. One thing that's interesting is they offer 99Wh battery capsules that you can fly with, since carry on luggage is restricted to batteries under 100Wh.

I also bought the hard-shell suitcase for my Bike Friday. To pack it up in the suitcase one has to take the pedals off and the front wheel too. Two such suitcases would allow us to travel easily with two bikes and lots of room for other luggage in the MachE. I had it down to 15 minutes to unpack/assemble in a hotel room when I was flying around a lot on business. Obviously if I was driving somewhere locally to bike I'd use the bag rather than the suitcase, to save the 15 minutes per bike before and after the ride.

Oh, the suitcase also can become a travel trailer. So, I could unpack my bike from its suitcase, assemble its suitcase into a bike trailer, throw my carry-on luggage in the trailer, and ride away from the airport or train station. I've also used this for bike-backpacking: drive the car to the trailhead, put my backpacking backpack into the trailer, cycle the first 20km, lock the bike to a tree, start the overnight backpack.

You don't really know for sure whether you need a high end folding touring bike until after you purchase a high end folding touring bike. When I bought it I didn't really anticipate the ease of transporting in my own personal vehicles. I bought it primarily for flying places, or taking it on buses or trains. But, now it's great for the MachE. I just need another for my wife.

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