So you safely transport the bike by car

If you go on holiday by car and want to take your bike or e-bike with you, you have to think carefully about how to transport your two-wheeler. Because the trunk is no longer a transport option - if you are not alone in the station wagon and only have your folding bike with you or if you want to disassemble the bike completely. But there are several ways to transport bicycles by car. On the roof or rear rack or with the trailer.

Transporting a bicycle with a rear carrier

The prerequisite for the rear carrier is a trailer hitch on the car. Instead of this, a stable tailgate approved by the manufacturer, on which the carrier can be mounted, can also be sufficient - the carrier is then attached to the ball head attached. There are two things to note: The carrier must have a so-called follow-up license plate (this is a license plate that is used if the original license plate is covered by a bicycle rack, for example). And a (separate) lighting system is mandatory if the rear lights are covered.

The advantage of the rear rack: it can bear significantly more weight than a roof rack. This plays a role when an e-bike is to be transported, which is significantly heavier than a classic bicycle, usually weighing well over 20 kilograms.

Two bicycles can be attached to the tailgate as standard. However, up to four wheels are also possible with the appropriate carrier variants. The permissible total weight is between 40 and 60 kilograms. So if you want to transport one or two e-bikes, you can quickly reach the limit of the load capacity, especially since the weight of the carrier has to be taken into account.

It is important to know that not only does the air resistance increase when driving - the cornering and braking behavior of the car also deteriorates. The ADAC advises not to drive faster than 120 km/h and not to use tarpaulins. After the first few kilometers you should check whether the wheel is still secure.

Transporting a bike with a roof rack

The roof rack can be used variably and is suitable for station wagons as well as limousines. If the car has roof rails, attaching the bike rack to the roof is the easiest. It makes a difference whether the railing is closed or open. The closed railing runs over the car roof like a rail, while the open variant is only attached at the front and rear. However, roof rails are not a prerequisite for installing a roof rack. There are often also fixed point attachments that are already integrated into the car roof.

On the roof, the wheel and carrier must not exceed the permissible roof load. Driving with a roof rack and bike also has an influence on driving behavior - keyword: cross wind. In addition, the fuel consumption is significantly higher. ADAC and TÜV recommend not to exceed a maximum speed of 120 km/h even with a roof rack. Caution: The vehicle is higher than usual. Accordingly, with the bicycle on the roof, you have to be particularly careful when entering low entrances, tunnels or bridges and you have to know the total height of your vehicle including the bicycle.

The ADAC warns when taking a bicycle on the roof that there are a few special things to consider abroad. Protruding loads that protrude backwards and thus exceed the total length entered in the vehicle registration document must be marked accordingly. The regulations are country-specific in Europe and often differ greatly. In general, travelers should therefore inform themselves in advance about the country-specific features of their holiday destination.

The ADAC warns that even in the case of rental vehicles such as mobile homes with bicycle racks, the renter is responsible for labeling the rear rack correctly. Therefore, the following also applies here: always check before you start your journey which labeling is required in the respective holiday country and whether, for example, there is a corresponding warning sign in the rental vehicle.

Transporting a bike with a trailer

If your car already has a trailer hitch, you can use a trailer without much effort. This has the advantage that you can transport significantly heavier loads than on the roof. This is a particular advantage when taking e-bikes with you. Nevertheless, when transporting several e-bikes, you should pay attention to the permissible weight, because here too there are restrictions on the total load.

Mounting the bike carrier on the trailer hitch is relatively easy. It is important to connect the power supply to the trailer hitch so that the rear and brake lights on the bike carrier work. The trailer itself must have its own official number plate. The bikes must not protrude more than 20 centimeters on each side of the car.

Trailers are typically more expensive than tailgate or roof racks. Here, too, the view to the rear is limited. Driving behavior with a trailer is different, reversing, for example, can be a challenge for the inexperienced.

There are also speed limits for trailers: in Germany, trailers can only be driven at 80 km/h outside of built-up areas, with a so-called "Tempo-100 sticker" on the autobahn at 100 km/h. In other countries there are sometimes varying speed requirements.

Protect e-bikes

Spray that is thrown up while riding can not only soil the electrics and mechanics of e-bikes or pedelecs, but also damage them. It is therefore advisable to mask off exposed electrical contacts, or alternatively to cover them with protective covers. So that the expensive e-bike is not stolen during a refueling stop, it should also be secured on the carrier (or trailer).

"Here is Bavaria": The BR24 newsletter informs you about the most important things of the day at a glance, Monday to Friday, after work - compact and directly in your private mailbox. Register here!