Looking For Platform Style Rack for 2 e-Bikes and 2 Regular Bikes

Question:

Was looking at 4 bike racks that can hold 2 ebikes. Wanted to know your opinion between the saris super clamp ex, kuat nv 2.0, Thule t2 pro, and yakima holdup. I have an Audi q7 2017 with the drawtite 2inch hitch.

asked by: Chris

Expert Reply:

The suitability of the racks you mentioned will depend on a few different factors.

• The weight of the bikes
• Do the bikes have fenders?
• Do the bikes have fat tires?

The Saris SuperClamp EX 4, part # SA4026F can accommodate 4 bikes. The capacity for the 2 inner most bikes is 60 lbs each, and the capacity for the 2 outermost bikes is 35 lbs each. The rack can accommodate bikes with tires up to 4-1/2 inches wide right out of the box, or if the # SA4419 fat tire adapters are added, it'll handle tires up to 5 inches wide. You'll need one kit per bike. The rack holds the bikes by the hook that sits atop the front wheel just in front of the front fork tube and by the underside of both tires at the wheel trays. Most racks of this sort can't carry bikes equipped with fenders, because the hook can't sit close enough to the fork tube, but since the rack has retaining straps on both the front and rear wheel tray, it WILL work with bikes that have fenders. If your e-bikes weigh more than 60 lbs each, it might be possible to reduce their weight to 60 lbs or below by removing their battery packs which can weigh 10-15 lbs. Without knowing any details about your e-bikes, this looks to be the best choice in my opinion.

The Kuat NV 2.0 4-bike rack, part # BA22B-BA02B is a great bike rack, but you won't be able to carry 4 bikes at the same time unless they weigh 40 lbs or less, so that will probably rule this option out.

The Thule T2 Pro XTR, part # TH69TX probably wouldn't have the necessary capacity for you. It'll handle 4 bikes weighing up to 160 lbs in total, with a single bike maximum of 60 lbs. This means that 2 bikes could only weigh 60 lbs each with the remaining two being 20 lbs each.

The Yakima HoldUp 4 bike rack, part # Y02443-2 has a maximum per-bike capacity of 50 lbs and can handle bikes with tires up to 3 inches wide. The rack isn't compatible with bikes with fenders, and Yakima doesn't offer fat bike adapter straps for this rack.

Given this, the Saris SuperClamp EX 4 looks like your best bet if you can get the weight of your e-bikes to 60 lbs each or less.

I've linked to demonstration videos for each of the 5 bike racks you mentioned.