Newby - Haibike Trekking

[Supagran2022]

Hi, I bought my Haibike Trekking bike a month ago, mainly for short distance riding around my local area to save use of my car. However, I’m off to Scotland over Easter and hope to do some trails on tracks, just hoping my “nether” regions stand up to it – I’m sure the bike will cope. Not planning on doing many miles, just enjoy the scenery and the peace and quiet. My biggest worry is getting the bike into the back of my estate car, as I don’t have a tow bar and don’t trust the clip on brackets, any tips?

 

[Spiderweb]

Hi, I bought my Haibike Trekking bike a month ago, mainly for short distance riding around my local area to save use of my car. However, I’m off to Scotland over Easter and hope to do some trails on tracks, just hoping my “nether” regions stand up to it – I’m sure the bike will cope. Not planning on doing many miles, just enjoy the scenery and the peace and quiet. My biggest worry is getting the bike into the back of my estate car, as I don’t have a tow bar and don’t trust the clip on brackets, any tips?

Welcome.
Have you tried padded Cycling shorts?
E-Bikes are pretty heavy so you may need an extra pair of hands. Always good to put bikes in the back of cars with the rear derailleur (chain side) facing up so nothing gets damaged/bent.

Enjoy👍

 

[KnittyNorah]

I suppose it depends on by how much, and what, things can be adjusted - and how easy it is to do so, but you should, at least, be able to lower the saddle. The weight of the things concerns me and is one of the reasons I didn't go for an e-bike when I returned to cycling last year (at the age of almost 75!). Also how easy it is to load will depend on the size and especially height of the car and how much space you need for everything else.
I'd be inclined to have a few dry-runs beforehand, cleaning everything out of the back, putting the back seat right down and covering it all with a large old sheet. See how easy it is to get in and out with and without help, different positions etc. You might find you can get it in easily enough but then need to reposition it; moving it by means of the sheet underneath is less likely to cause 'issues' (to bike or interior of the car) than dragging the bike itself around. If you can lower saddle and handlebars, you may be able to use a lightweight ramp to get it high enough up to be able to slant it and then ease it into the rear space.
Consider removing any 'extra weight' from the bike before trying to put it into the car, too - just don't forget to put eg the battery into the car, don't leave it behind! Take off any baskets etc too. I think getting it out might be even more awkward than getting it in , and having a sheet underneath it will really help to reposition it for easier and safer removal. So will an extra pair of hands!
Consider carrying a box of lightweight disposable gloves and/or some babywipes if you're going to need to ask people to help you get the bike in and out then they won't be getting their hands mucky. I have a packet of babywipes with me when I take my bike on trains as there's almost always someone who offers to help and I'd feel bad if they got greasy or marked by anything. It's useful for yourself, too, if you need to clean yourself up after tweaking something when out on a ride.

Have fun on your bike!

 

[youngoldbloke]

I use a Delta Bike Hitch fork clamp screwed to a boot-wide piece of board. I take the bike's front wheel off and lift the bike in saddle-end first then clamp the front dropouts to the Hitch. The bike is then carried upright, which I much prefer as it has hydraulic brakes, and takes up much less space as only one of the rear seats needs to be folded. The ebike is an Orbea Gain, so 'only' 16 kg (minus front wheel) to lift. With advancing age I find even that is almost too heavy for me, and have experimented with using a single telescopic wheelchair ramp, which is fine but a bit of a faff. Of course whether this would work for you would depend on your estate's boot hatch and interior heights. Our vehicle is an old style Peugeot 5008.

 

[KnittyNorah]

a single telescopic wheelchair ramp

BRILLIANT idea! Not just for the back of a car/van but for all sorts of places, I suspect.

 

[Spiderweb]

A wheelchair ramp wouldn’t work with the majority of estate cars, bikes are too tall and car roof are not tall enough.
Bike will have to be slid in on its side.

 

[youngoldbloke]

A wheelchair ramp wouldn’t work with the majority of estate cars, bikes are too tall and car roof are not tall enough.
Bike will have to be slid in on its side.

Probably true - although you can wheel a bike up the ramp and then tilt it to get it through the boot opening, and with the front wheel off the bike is shorter. When I pick the bike off I tilt it to get it in anyway. Estate cars have got lower and lower and less useful in this respect over recent years. We have always bought a vehicle that would enable loading an unfolded wheelchair (with back folded) easily. There are fewer and fewer affordable suitable vehicles available. For example, the original shape Ford Focus estate was fine, but recent versions do not have the height or depth we need. Often sloping 'fastback' re-styling has resulted in the boot not having sufficient height, or depth at roof level. Currently if we needed a new vehicle a Berlingo or one of it's clones would be our choice and that would accommodate upright bikes easily.