Peruzzo are an Italian company (just in case you couldn't guess from the name) who manufacture carrying accessories for cars and vans. This includes rooftop boxes, ski equipment carriers and, yes, bike racks, including e-bike specific ones. With Thule being the name in high quality carrying equipment for cars, we thought it would be interesting to see how a more keenly priced brand measured up in real world testing. Enter the Peruzzo Atlantis 2 E-Bike Carrier​. 

In terms of paper spec, it certainly looked a match for the nearest Thule competitor, the Velospace XT two-bike model. Like the XT, the Peruzzo is rated for two 30kg e-bikes (60kg overall) so it should manage all but the heaviest e-bikes. 

In similar fashion to the Thule, the rack locks onto the towball and the bikes lock onto the rack. There is even a tilt function so you can access the boot. The Peruzzo's price is somewhat variable. RRP is given as £3524.99, but we have seen it offered for as little as £360. By contrast, Thule's XT model has retailers offering it from £530. 

Peruzzo Atlantis 2 E-bike Rack, by Richard Peace

Out of the box it proved a little fiddly to set up as parts such as the support arms were in several pieces and needed careful matching and assembly. It's not really complicated but it was just a bit more assembly than I had banked on and this being only the second rack I'd tried - and with many more features than the first - I needed to figure out what some of the bits were actually supposed to do.

However, once set up, all became clear. It's mainly a matter of figuring out how to assemble the clamping arms - the large knurled knobs tighten both ends simultaneously, clamping onto the rack frame and part of the bike. 

You'll need a separate number plate which clips into a holder (around £20 from Halfords). This seemed rather rattly, so I put extra gaffer tape on just as a safety measure. I also needed to get an adaptor so the 13-pin connection on the rack would plug into my car's older style 7-pin connector (about £4). 

My overall impression before using the rack was that it was reasonably well made. My only concern was that some parts were rather plasticy - even to the extent that the indicator assemblies could be easily bent one way then the other without too much pressure. I wondered if they would stand up to regular use... 
 

In use

I've been using the Peruzzo Atlantis fairly regularly for several months and I must say any fears over quality have been largely assuaged. It's proved reliable and pretty easy to use.

I've taken a variety of my own and test e-bikes on it on trips of hundreds of miles, all without issue. It's pretty much load on, strap on and go. I've only a couple of caveats to that ringing endorsement. 

Firstly my Marin El Roy kit-converted eMTB has super-wide handlebars and it was necessary to put these in line with the bike so they didn't foul the back of the car. Secondly, for those bikes with non-standard (ie non-diamond frame) designs it may be necessary to fiddle about a bit before you can find the right position on the frame for the securing bars as they are not truly universal in orientation. There is a long one and a short one, designed for the 'outside' bike and the 'inside' bike if carrying two bikes. The online 'pictogram' manual showed the possibility of an attachment that would allow a third bike to be carried too, but I haven't confirmed if this is definitely possible with the manufacturer.

Once mounted, the bikes feel pretty secure as there are three securing points - quick release ratchet style straps on both wheel rims and the aforementioned clamping arms. Once you are used to doing things in the right order, the whole operation, including packing the rack away in the back of the car, takes around 10 minutes. 

I’ve used it for everything from compact e-bikes to hefty electric fat bikes with 4" tyres and it’s coped well. The only maintenance has been to wash it down occasionally and to tighten up the clamping mechanism where the rack grips the towball - easily accomplished using a 6mm allen key (it grips using a lockable lever arm).

At 19kg, it feels a little heavy, but that's probably due to the fact it is a rather awkward size to handle. However, the top part of the frame folds down and it even has little rollers on its base making pulling it around on flat, smooth surfaces quite easy. The folding design also means it's pretty easy to store.

I also loved the tilting function that allowed me to access the boot, even with bikes mounted on the rear - it's activated very simply using a foot pedal at the rear.

Should any part fail (I can foresee those plastic ratchet straps will get a lot of use and abuse) distributors Chicken Cycle Kit say many parts are replaceable and spares are available. With that in mind, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Peruzzo Atlantis 2 E-Bike Cycle Carrier.

tifosicycles.co.uk