Best Bike Rack Solution for Carrying 45 lb E-Bikes

Question:

I am considering purchasing a 45 pound ebike. I need a lightweight 2 bike platform rack as I am a 69 year old women who doesn’t have the strength I once had. Will this Kuat Sherpa handle a single 45 pound ebike? Thank you.

asked by: Margaret L

Expert Reply:

The Kuat Sherpa part # SH22G that you referenced does not have the weight capacity you need but we have the very similar Saris SuperClamp EX part # SA4025F which weighs 35 lbs and has a 60 lb per bike capacity which is a really great option.

The ultimate bike rack solution though would be the Thule EasyFold XT part # TH903202 which was designed specifically for E-bikes like yours. It folds into an easy to carry rack and also has an included ramp which makes loading bikes onto the rack very easy as well.

I attached review videos for both racks for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C

Bill K.

6/29/2020

My wife and I have 2 houses (snow birds) and bikes at both places. Our bikes up north are lightweight carbon fiber work out Treks (25 +/- pounds), while our bikes in Florida are electric Specialized Vado (between 45 and 50 pounds). We are north of 65 years and drive A 4-door car back and forth. We have SUVs at both places. Would any of these racks be portable enough to put in the trunk of the car we drive back and forth in (Without chewing up the whole trunk) and serve us at both places? We would remove the rack except when it is in use, so lightweight is important. What would you recommend? Thanks for the help.

Chris R.

7/3/2020

That is a good question! I'm not sure either of the Kuat racks mentioned above would be able to fit inside the trunk of your sedan without doing some disassembly. Going through the rest of your carriers I think there's going to be an issue with any of them - specifically with the shank. Just about anything will require you to actually take a part the rack in some way, which may be more trouble than it's worth. Can I ask what model sedan you have? Would you consider installing a hitch on it just to use for transporting the empty rack back and forth?