EziGrip Electric Bike Rack (E-Rack)
If you have ever tried to hoist 25kg of ebike onto a regular ‘prong’ or clamp style rack, you will know why this product is the answer. If you plan to do any sort of road trip with your ebikes then this really is what you need. The bikes are easy to get on and off — there is even an optional ramp. For me, the deal clincher was that you can swing the bikes out the way to open the boot, too easy, and a trick my prong racks are incapable of.
Since initially publishing this review, I have done some longer trips including one to Rotorua with 2 MTBs on board, and can highly recommend it for stability, safety (lighting), ease-of-use, convenience and keeping bikes apart (no scratches or dents thank you!). In fact, I liked it so much I bought the review unit.
EziGrip is a local brand based in Auckland. They were spun out of the Best Bars brand which makes most of the tow-hitches on NZ vehicles, including our VW and Toyota but now operate independently. So they no doubt know a thing or two about securely fastening heavy things on the back of cars. They make a range of high-quality racks including prongs, other platform racks and boot-mount racks. Of interest too is that they make something called a “Bike Buddy” for those of you who want to put a step-through on a prong rack.
EziGrip sent the review sample in a box, though I imagine you could impose upon your friendly retailer to assemble it for you. It wasn’t hard, which was a good thing as the instructions were confusing so I had to rely a bit on my intuition. In hindsight it all made sense. Assembly took around 1/2 an hour.
Once assembled it was easy enough to fit on the car, and not so bulky as to be a curse in your garage because it folds up to a footprint lightly bigger than a slab of beer. It’s fairly heavy at around 18kg (Thule ones are similar in weight), but is well balanced and has two handles to make it easy to carry. A simple screw knob tightens a chuck around the towball. There is also a plate that seems to have some function for certain vehicles but I couldn’t figure it out from the instructions. Once tightened, you fold out the base and securely clip them in place.
Getting the bike on was also easy. The $60 optional ramp is a help but not entirely necessary unless you have a tall vehicle. If you can lift the front wheel 40cm you can get the bike on the rack without the ramp. The ramp is something that works as an aid rather than a permanent fixture.
There is a clamp that locks onto the seat tube and ratchet straps that secure the wheels in position. Getting the second bike on was just as easy and the rack held them apart. A benefit over some racks is that the bar is between the bikes, so the arm that grips the rearmost bike doesn’t have to go through the first bikes as in some Thule racks. It makes it easier to mount the bikes and to take off bikes independently.
In my observation through the rear view mirror there was no bouncing around. I was happy that the rack had full lighting and place for supplementary licence plate. I was also happy that there is a single key to lock the rack onto the vehicle and the bikes to the rack. The thing with a prong rack is that locking the bikes on is really quite hard to do.
Folding the rack down to access the boot was easy. Folding it back up was easy too. Just make sure it is properly secured and the locking clip is in place — you wouldn’t want it flopping down while driving (we are recently traumatised with my son having watched his pride-and-joy fly off the roof of a mates car, and in Melbourne earlier in the year our tour operator lost a bike off a Thule rack through not being properly secured).
Who should buy this?
- Anyone who plans to move ebikes around on the back of their vehicle. This is a much better solution than other styles of bike rack.
Who shouldn’t buy this?
- If you can’t pick up the 18kg of the rack then it’s not for you. If this is the case however, you won’t be able to lift a folding bike into a car nor will you be able to get an ebike onto a prong rack
How Much?
- $800 for the rack – a few hundy less than an equivalent Thule
- $60 for the optional ramp
What else could I consider?
- Thule make a similar rack also rated for ebikes with a $1349 RRP
More info please!
I got excited until I saw what you call e bikes……..this rack would be a joke for real bikes with full suspension, 38 Fox sus and the rest of it . That green thing is not an ebike it a mutant. Go to Woodhill forest and tell me of the 100’s of bikes out there if this toy would transport bikes. Pay 100’s less than thule for bikes that cost 1000’s less than the average bike out there.
Thanks for the review! I managed to buy the new 2020 model on your recomendation before they sold out which looks to have some great improvements on the model which has been reviewed here, wider wheel base and intergrated towball lever which is great over the buzzy wasp rack.
Hi,
I tried couple of ebike racks
1. Bike barns ebike rack (BnB rack) which serves the purpose but is quite heavy to load and unload from towbar, doesn’t fold like ezigrip rack, but the spacing between bikes and support for large wheelbase, tires is excellent with adjustable’s but doesn’t come with integrated tail light or number board. I sold this as it was quite heavy carrying and also on towball.
2. Thule 925, this is one of the most over rated e bike rack I have come across, if you have two eMTB’s which are almost same size with different suspensions, don’t ever go for this rack. The spacing between bikes so narrow, the holder positions are so difficult to get through if you have two identical bikes as the bike holding arm is placed on one side rather than in the middle. So I found it very difficult to get it right and took me lot of time, so returned it back.
Now I am left with no bike rack and I need one to get around.
Question
1. From the pictures above I can see that the holding arm is quite small to hold the to tube? I have a full suspension bike and I cannot use the seat tube to hold the bike and it’s an EMTB, so how can I make sure to hold the bike with the holding arm?
2. I am not sure what’s the download weight on your towbar, my car can only support 50kgs. my 2 ebikes are around 40kgs ( without batteries while travelling on bike rack), I can see that ezigrip bike rack weighs 18kgs+, which would be 58kgs in total on the towbar way above my rating weight. Can somone provide me with any options on carrying them around.
Thank you.
Hi everyone. If you want the best one for every situation then the new Buzzrack E-Scorpion 2 beats the others hands down!!!
See the following link for more info: https://www.sunandsnow.co.nz/collections/buzzrack/products/e-scorpion-2
P.S. The Ezigrip E-Bike rack is just a down market version of the standard Buzzrack Scorpion 2 (confusing name similarity…but they already had it named before we could comment). The std Scorpion 2 has a few upgrades as compared to the Ezigrip one and is the same price. All are made in the same (Buzzrack) factory.
E-Scorpion 2 features: Takes longer wheel bases, more gap between bikes, more frame attachment positions, wider/fatter wheel supports (takes fat bikes without any accessory), lighter, more stable, easier to load….and the list goes on. The only problem is that the first shipment has sold so well that there is very limited stock until early December 2019. But you can pre-order for that shipment.
We still have plenty of the standard version available. See: https://www.sunandsnow.co.nz/collections/buzzrack/products/scorpion-e-bike-carrier
I’ve just bought the new 2020 Ezigrip ebike rack. This is a fantastic rack that fits two 29in full suspension eMTBs. It is well built and with the clamping bar in the middle keeps the bikes well apart. Its easy to fit and includes number plate holder and lights. It also folds up into a compact size. Highly recommended and also considerably cheaper than other models like the Thule which does not have enough room between the bikes.
Hi…..the reason the Thule 925 bike rack did not fit your e-bike is because it was never intended to carry e-bikes when it was designed. The relevant Thule web sites do not mention it as suitable for e-bikes. First of all it is considered ‘old school’ with a very short wheel base capability and the gap between the bikes is only 17cm centres. This problem also exists with most of the range except with the carriers that are in excess of $1399.
Thanks Philip for info about the Pro User It looks a lot stronger then all the other ones I have seen.. Also great that it fits on different size tow balls.
I just have to ask the seller if the bikes are lockable when on the rack.
Cheers
Use the code EBNZ at checkout and get a discount (full disclosure, I also get a commission)
Ended up buying a Dutch made “Pro User” brand rack from Precision Imports for $899. They have a website and are also on Trade Me. This really is in another league compared to the Ezigrip. Very well made with wheel holders that actually are adjustable for bikes far longer than mine. No assembly required and fewer plastic bits as its mainly aluminium and steel. Grips any towball including the removable one on my CX-5. Very pleased so far.
Seems to be solid well constructed but:
Wheel rests are not spaced apart enough to support my size L Scott E Aspect mountain bike. So far as I could tell they cannot be adjusted. The design could be improved by using longer metal supports under the plastic channels.
The bracket which is intended to go between the tow ball and the tow bar is only useful on a flat bar type. It is not suited to a detachable or European type tow bar.
A few more specs on the box and website with this info would be a good idea.
I haven’t found any need to use the extra bracket. Mine has been mounted to fixed and removable balls.
I’m surprised that your E Aspect doesn’t fit – my size L ebike and fairly long MTBs all fit no problem.
The bike’s wheels rest right on the very tips of the holders! Maybe the wheel bases on your bikes are a bit shorter. Anyway Torpedo 7 happily refunded the $715 purchase price.
I note the Thule EasyFold 932 has ‘Large distance between wheel holders enabling transport of sturdy bikes with large wheel bases’.
It is just the $1349 price of the Thule that has me swallowing hard!
I will probably just modify my traditional tow bar mounted bike rack so the front wheel of the bike dose not hang so low.
EziGrip has confirmed that the position that the wheel trays are in can be adjusted. There are alternate holes to bolt them in to.
I bought an EziGrip but found that my bike wheelbase was a tad too long for the rack. I could see no obvious way to adjust the wheel trays so I checked with EziGrip directly about how to adjust them. I was informed that the wheel trays were NOT adjustable – only the straps.
The good news is that a new model cycle rack (c$840) is coming out in October 2019 which will cater for long wheelbase bikes.
I think the ‘plate that seems to have some function for certain vehicles’ is the piece that fits under the tow ball (which has to be removed to fit it) and acts as a locator to stop the rack slipping sideways, and the bikes knocking into your car, under braking/cornering. One screw allows it to be flipped over, so you can still use your tow ball for towing something else – handy. That said, I’ve seem the rack fitted without this and it seems to stay in place – but it is a good safety feature nonetheless.
Aah, I’ll take a look at that. I haven’t had any issues work it moving around. I really like this rack! 👍