Best Bike Rack that Allows For Easy Loading Of the Bikes and Into The Hitch

Question:

No, Heather, my bike is not electric nor is it a trike. It’s just a regular 3 speed bike. Oh, just so you know I am a lady. I think I forgot to say if I was male or female. Most people do not consider me your average 81 year old but I do feel the aging process working on me. Last year most of my trips were about 10 miles long in a town without hills. So far this year I’ve been on my bike about 7 times and average 5 miles. I’m so wishing for warmer weather and less wind. And yes, that rack was too expensive for me. How far off the ground would I need to get the bike to put it in a rack? Could I load the front first and then the back end? Looking forward to what you suggest next.

asked by: Jo F

Helpful Expert Reply:

It sounds like you may have an electric Sun bike Jo. If you have an electric bike I recommend to use the Thule EasyFold XT 2 E-Bike Platform Rack part # TH903202 because of the included ramp and easy folding feature.

The rack does weigh 45 lbs but it can be folded in half and is designed with a handle so you can easily carry it to the vehicle. Once you have the bike rack in the hitch you can simply walk the bike up the included ramp onto the rack instead of lifting the bike. The Thule EasyFold is the lightest weight platform option with a easy loading ramp that will fit the Class I hitch for the 2014 Nissan Cube.

For the hitch I recommend the Curt Trailer Hitch Receiver Class I part # C11202 because it is assembled in the USA. The Nissan Cube only has Class I hitch options available so just be careful not exceed the 200 lbs weight limited of the hitch with the weight of the bike and the 45 lb weight of the Thule bike rack.

The hitch can be installed by any mechanic or someone with a little mechanical experience. The installation does not require drilling but may require some filing of the access holes but that is pretty simple. I have attached the installation instructions so you can show your mechanic for a quote. It comes with all of the required hardware.

Please let me know if your Sun bike is not an electric because Sun also make trikes which would not be compatible with the recommendations I have listed. Happy Biking!

expert reply by: Heather A

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Heather A.

5/2/2020

Thank you for all of the helpful information Jo! Since your bike is just a standard mountain bike, I recommend the Swagman XC 2-Bike Rack Platform Style part # S64650 which is the lightest and most affordable platform rack option available weighing in at only 25 lbs. The platform racks are designed so you don't have to lift the bike as far compared to the hanging racks. The Swagman rack will only require you to lift the bike a little under a foot and a half into the air with the Curt hitch on your Cube. This rack comes with the hitch lock but I recommend to add a cable lock to protect your bikes with part # TR63255.