ProUser Diamant eBike Rack
The ProUser Diamant is a high quality European rack that can handle ebikes (or any bikes for that matter). What separates high quality from the rest is its compactness, ease of mounting to the vehicle tow ball, built in lights and number plate holder, and all-round quality of the materials used. It can handle 60kg all-up. Two 25kg ebikes are no problem.
The out-of-box experience was amazing. It arrived in a box that had me thinking: “Surely there must be some assembly required?” It didn’t. Just unfold, mount to tow ball (might need you to adjust a bolt the first time to exactly fit the ball), and slide the wheel trays out to suit. This contrasts with the EziGrip rack that took almost an hour to assemble.
Opening the box
The box it arrives in is quite compact
This is how it looks out of the box. No assembly required. Not even a little bit.
The video gives a true idea of how easy it is to use.
One of the benefits of its compactness is how little space it will take up in the garage. The footprint is remarkably small. It even comes with a zip-up cover to keep things tidy and dust-free, if you worry about that.
Fitting the rack to the car is as easy as it gets. It weighs 18kg (ie heavy but not too heavy) and can be carried by integrated handles. There is a single lever that you press down on, and slide a collar along to lock it. You can also lock with a key for further security. Plug in the wiring connection and you’re all done (it comes with both the round and rectangular plug fittings).
Then fold down the arms, flip the lights into place and rotate the number plate in to the ‘lock’ position and Thunderbirds are Go!
The fittings are robust and easy to use.
The first time you mount your bikes might take a bit of fiddling about. You will need to extend the tray rails to suit the length of your bikes. Spacing between the bikes is only 210mm (EziGrip is 245mm) so you need to be careful about how you place them to avoid mashing pedals to metal. I thought that you needed to ‘thread’ the longer bar through the inside bike until I found that it has a clever quick release such that you can remove the bar completely! It’s still not quite as simple as the mount of the EziGrip (which makes mounting and removing bikes independently quite viable) but it certainly helps a lot, and adds to the versatility of the rack.
Just push in the knob and the jaws open to release the retention bar (not possible once the bike is secured – very clever)
The bikes go on relatively easily. I tried the optional ramp (as seen in the video) but I really think it is more trouble than it is worth, unless you have an injury. It is easy enough to lift the front wheel onto the rack – the rear will follow. In reverse it is probably easier without the ramp. For what it’s worth, the ramp is nicely designed and folds in half on a robust hinge. We used the ramp one time when ElectricMeg needed to move a bike and had a sprained elbow.
The bikes lock on securely with little bounce or movement. You can lock them on for security (there is a single key for all three locking mechanisms) and you have added security knowing that following cars can see all your lights, and that you won’t get a fine because your $20 Supplementary Plate will always be visible. My advice is to not buy a rack that doesn’t have built-in lights. You are just asking for someone to rear-end you and your precious bicycles.
The ProUser Diamant rack is available from Precision Imports for $999. Use the special code EBNZ at checkout to get yourself a 5% discount (so $949).
Who should buy this rack?
- Anyone with two bikes of any kind. This is a lot, lot better than prong racks
- You want something that lasts for a long time. It is worth the coin.
- You have a towball, $949 (don’t forget to use the code)
Who should not?
- You love clean-and-jerking your bike onto roof racks and can guarantee that you’ll never drive into a garage or underground carpark with your bikes on the roof.
- You don’t have a towball. So where do you hitch your trailer? You really do need a towball to transport an ebike on the back of your vehicle.
What else could I consider?
- Thule make a similar rack also rated for ebikes with a $1349 RRP. I imagine they are of similar quality and function.
- The EziGrip e-Rack is $799. I like the EziGrip (I own one) but this is made from better quality components and materials.
- Yakima make a nice rack that is only $700, but it doesn’t have lights and it mounts into a square tube, not onto the towball
- I wouldn’t trust my ebikes on any cheaper racks – they aren’t rated for that load.
Purchased this rack after finding the EziGrip was not long enough for my ebike (I got a refund on the EziGrip – thank you Avanti+) and used the discount coupon mentioned in the review above to save $50.
The rack is more expensive but the quality is there which justifies the extra cost. It is really adjustable and very easy to set up and use. One of the big things for me was that it will accept towballs other that the 50mm ISO variety – it also takes up very little room in an already rather crowded shed.
Great engineering which does a great job also looks good! Very pleased with my purchase.