MJM13

I just bought a Himiway Zebra. I own a Honda Civic Hatchback. The only hitch racks I can find to go on the Civic are Class I, but the only racks that can haul the bike seem to be Class II and up. What is my workaround? What do I need to do to get a hitch on my car that can haul the bike and match up with the rack? The hatchback will be hauling my dog trailer. Help, please!

CrimsonEclipse

https://www.etrailer.com/Bike-Rack

It'll give you suggestions for your vehicle an some reviews have pics of their setup so you can judge if it's right for you.

TmMc

79 pounds and 4" fat tires. Have you considered a single rail motorcycle trailer, with ramp? Easier on your car and easier on your back, bike would roll up the ramp and not have to be lifted onto a rack.

You could anchor / bolt down your dog's carrier onto one side of the trailer - two birds with one stone kinda thing.

MJM13

I'd be willing to do that if I can find one that will go on a Class 1 hitch. So far, no luck.

speedy25

So I have an 06 Civic. I have the same problem that I can only use a 1.25" receiver. I use a Hollywood TRS rack that can be used with 1.25" and 2" Its been extremely reliable, but I havent put on TWO 80# bikes. But I have no doubts it can handle it. But thats a decision each person has to make to "overload" a product. The 2" rack is rated for 2 80# behemoths.

They recently discontinued this style of rack, which is sad because it was a great seller for me. No confirmation yet, but it was hinted they are making a comparable replacement. There should still be some leftovers at various bike stores.

-SP

Alan K

I am sure you realize that it is not just the matter of being able to connect a bicycle carrier to the receiver (1.25” versus 2”) because one could get an adapter. A bigger problem is being a small car, how much weight it can safely handle on the rear suspension before the rear end starts sagging (no off color jokes!). Two 80lb bikes and a carrier (let’s say 40lb), brings the total weight to 200lb.

Normally when one is pulling a trailer, it is recommended to never exceed 10% of the total weight on the tongue of the hitch. If you get a small trailer (~200lb) and put your 160 lb bikes in it, you will have 360 lb total weight. This means you can balance your bikes in a position on the trailer such that you have about 40 lb weight on the rear suspension of your car. Even smaller cars can pull 400-500 lb when done properly. I can do it with a Prius.

Alternatively, use a larger car or a van that can easily accommodate class 2 hitch and weight. The van will have an advantage that you can get some seats out of the way and have enough room for bikes and a dog.

unterhausen

They are expensive, but Ecohitch is the main source for 2" hitches for small cars. I have one for my Prius. I wish they made one for our Camry.
Here's the one for the 2006 Civic https://torkliftcentral.com/2006-201...civic-ecohitch

I'm not sure I really understand why 2" hitches are so hard to find for small cars. The 1 1/4" hitches have the same ratings. People are going to overload their cars no matter what hitch they get. They will overload any vehicle, especially big pickup trucks.

Alan K

That is not necessarily true.
For starters, hitch rating obviously needs to significantly greater than the capacity of automobile to pull safely, when done correctly. Generally speaking, 1 1/4” hitches are used for smaller cars and they can be tucked under them in a way so remain almost invisible. But their maximum capacity is not going to match 2” hitches that reach or exceed 8,000 lb. [One of friend’s truck is rated to pull upwards of 10,000 lb - I highly doubt a 1 1/4 “ hitch exists for such loads.]
Now as to why, you may have tangentially already answered your question… people are going to overload… Perhaps the standards exist to keep fools from harming themselves. 😉

veganbikes

Remove the battery and any other removable excess weight. I mean I wouldn't want an 80lb single battery bike that is just extreme, my dual battery bike is about 70lbs but that is with two batteries and pretty significant suspension.

However the big key is you have essentially a fat tire moped so finding a rack is going to be even tougher you might look into motorcycle stuff. However always keep in mind that a rack is a safety device first and foremost. If that rack fails and your moped falls off it can be quite deadly for the person behind or could at least damage their car and your moped.

unterhausen

From reading at Endless Sphere, people really like the features that make ebikes heavy. I understand to some degree, but my wife's bike is heavy enough at 56 pounds. I gave in and bought a ramp. My back isn't getting any younger.

Alan K

My wife is beginning to get seriously interested in an e-bikes and we will probably get one for her soon after the winter. Weight of it will be a big consideration in our choice. None of us can easily lift too much more than 40 lb, possibly 50 lb at the most with some difficulty. Weight and distance range unfortunately, go together. A bike with 2 batteries makes more sense where at least one is readily removable.

2old

Bike weight can be problematic since a bike isn't the most uncomplicated of structures. I built a 40 or so pound (without the battery) bike and even that is no fun to hoist since the rear wheel weighs 18 of those pounds.

john m flores 

Bike Friday makes some pretty light ebikes - adds just 9-10# to their relatively light bikes. Greg Lemond's new ebikes are lighter too.

PeteHski

First thing you need to check is the rated max Tongue Weight for your Civic hitch. On smaller cars it can be very low. Some are rated to 350 lbs, but others can be much lower. I’ve seen them rated as low as 100 lbs.

Alan K

Thank you for this information. A comment on their website caught my eye about their batteries, apparently the only type that are allowed in checked-in luggage on commercial flights.
Caveat: batteries are currently unavailable.
We shall see about options early next year.

PS: I have an old steel frame Le Mond - like it a great deal and still ride it periodically. It is one of the 3 bikes I frequently use in good weather.

john m flores 

Oh I've always wanted a Lemond bike. But I've got too many at the moment.

Regarding Bike Friday - it takes several months to spec out and build a bike. It might be worth calling them to discuss if you want to be ready for Spring.

Alan K

I suppose that a life-time of bicycling does it to all of us. A couple of years ago my wife managed to extract this promise from me - no more additional bikes, for very new bike, two of the old ones must go!

Since this e-bike is going to be for her, I think I have a good opportunity to revisit the old promise. 😉

I do want her to test ride e-bikes before we buy one.
[Good point about contacting Bike Friday ahead of time, thanks.]

Alan K

By the way, Lemond bicycles do come up for sale every once in a while in our area. The asking price for steel frame bikes has a broad range ($450 - $1400), depending on the components and probably how the seller views his/her bicycle.

About 3 months ago, I saw one on sale for $450 about 70 miles out in a small town. It did not sell and gradually it was reduced to $250 over a the next couple of months… I was tempted but decided not to get it.

john m flores 

Oh trust me, I've been window shopping for a Lemond all year....some nice bikes for nice prices. I need to sell a couple first in order to justify it though...

Alan K

I have only ridden steel Lemond and it rides somewhat like my Tesch (another very good bike from steel era), in other words surprisingly well for bike that wasn’t very expensive like Waterford (which isn’t getting used as much as it deserves).

I never cared for wheels Lemond came with, the way rims were laced with pairs of spokes separated by a large gap, didn’t seem strong enough - so that was the first thing I changed. It came with a 9x Shimano 105. I purchased a 10x Ultegra specifically for this bike but never got around to change. Shimano 105 isn’t as bad as I had assumed before using it. But at some point, I might still change it.

Alan K

Lemond - not sure about the year

After I stopped using it to commute, rack was removed from the rear.