Cheshire-based outdoor gear company Grooveliner has launched the ‘ultimate electric loading bike rack’. It can hold up to five ‘heavy’ e-bikes or up to six bikes depending on the total weight, with the rack capable of carrying up to 150kg. It also requires no disassembly of the bikes to load them onto the rack. It’s a tow-bar or hitch mounted carrier, and uses electric or gas loading assistance to make it easier to mount the bikes.
Electric bike specific racks are slowly becoming more popular, but many are still limited to just a few electric bikes, like the XLC Almada Work-E rack launched last year. The Thule Epos hitch-mounted rack allows you to load and unload the bikes independently, but it still limited to three bikes depending on weight.
The Grooveliner Electric Bike Rack
The sheer weight of electric bikes, particularly full-fat electric mountain bikes or beefy city bikes is perhaps not talked about as much as it should be. And for many people, can be something that puts them off buying an electric bike in the first place. If you can’t easily move the bike around when the motor isn’t engaged, then is it really that practical?
While the Grooveliner Electric Bike Rack won’t solve the 'issue' of heavy e-bikes, what it aims to do is to alleviate the difficulty many face when trying to put their bikes on a rack and travel with them.
Adrian Howard, Director of Grooveliner said: "Our goal with the Grooveliner Electric Bike Rack is to provide cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts with a game-changing tool that not only simplifies transportation but also enhances their overall experience.”
The bikes are loaded through a crank-mounted system, which means the rack is compatible with any bike with a crank – that’s a pretty wide net. And means your precious frame is less likely to get scratched or damaged than with some other options.
So in total, you can fit between 2-6 bikes or other bits of sport kit like paddleboards and the like. The total amount of bikes that can be carried is dependent on the car’s nose weight limit. You also get a 2-year warranty on the actuator, and a 10-year warranty on the frame. And if you use an adapted bike, specific attachments for those are due to come soon.
All of this does come at a hefty price, however. Prices on the Grooveliner website start from £2,675 but that does include fitting.