As the electric bike industry grows, so does the need for riders to have a convenient way to store them. After buying an electric bike, a natural second step for new riders to is to buy an electric bike garage storage rack. When searching for an electric bike rack, e-bike riders may find themselves facing many of the same questions that they asked when searching for their first electric bike: How does it differ from a regular bike rack? What features should I be evaluating during my search? and often most importantly, how much should I be spending?
When searching for standard electric bike garage storage racks, there are a few things that stand out to make a rack “good” relative to others. For starters, you should begin by evaluating the weight of your bike. As most garage storage racks are meant to keep the bikes out of the way, it’s important that you can hang your bike safely on a rack with a suitable load-bearing capability. The last thing you want is a cheap rack failing and causing your expensive electric bike to come crashing down! Rack weight rating is one of the core differences between regular and electric bike racks, as electric bike racks need to be stronger due to the 40-70 pounds average weight difference between regular bikes and electric bikes. The addition of a motor to electric bikes accounts for most of this added weight.
Another key feature to keep an eye out for when looking for ebike garage storage racks is if and how the bike is being hung. It’s a given that you don’t want your bike taking up much room in your garage, so it’s likely that you’ll want a mounted bike rack to save space and hang your bikes from. It’s also important that the rack is designed to hold bikes up from the wheels, as potential damage is minimized on the wall this way. Hanging your electric bike from its wheels reduces load-bearing stress because the wheels are designed to be flexible. Most importantly, an electric bike’s wheels are far from its motor, so hanging an e-bike from its wheels will decrease the chance of damaging the motor if the rack fails. One last important thing to consider is how many bikes the rack can hold; it makes sense that riders with many bikes will benefit from a rack that can hold their entire families’ bikes. With these factors and cost in mind, here is our list of four great e-bike racks.
Ultrawall Bike Storage Rack
The Ultrawall bike storage rack is perfect for a family of e-bike riders. The rack can hold up to 6 bikes or 300 pounds, which should allow riders to store 5 electric bikes of any size comfortably on the wall (or 6 if the e-bikes are light enough). One nice feature on this bike rack is the adjustable spacing – this allows riders more flexibility to give certain bikes more room on the wall to prevent chipping and damage from other bikes being taken off their mount. The rack also comes at a very reasonable price of $59.99, especially considering the quality of this rack. The rack also follows our recommendation of wheel-hung bikes. Lastly, the Ultrawall Bike Storage Rack has an easy installation process and can be installed with just a 5 mm drill.
Dirza Bike Rack
The Dirza bike rack is perfect for the solo rider as it can hang one bike for the low cost of $11.99. The rack hangs bikes from the wheel with an anti-scratching rubber hook, making it very easy for the bike to be dismounted and reattached to the rack. Like the Ultrawall bike rack, this rack is hung on the wall, which is great for saving space in crowded garages. One massive pro of the Dirza Bike Rack is its strength. The rack can hold bikes up to 65 lbs, which is more than enough for most e-bikes. It also comes ready to be attached to your wall with no assembly required.
One drawback of the Dirza bike rack is it only can only hold tires under a width of 2.5’’. Even if your tires don’t end up fitting, you’re in luck! The Dirza bike rack has a great return policy with free fully refunded returns, allowing riders to test out the product before making a full commitment.
Zuka Heavy Duty
The Zuka heavy duty bike storage rack comes in at $59.90 with the ability to hold 3 e-bikes. Despite the lack of space to hold bikes, the Zuka Heavy Duty makes our list for living up to its claims of toughness. The rack can hold up to 280 lbs, ensuring that the wall will be able to hold three heavy e-bikes with ease. The rack is also adjustable to hold almost all types of e-bikes, which is perfect for the rider with different types of bikes. The bike rack also hangs the bikes from the wheels, has an easy installation process, and many features for scratch prevention. This rack is a little on the pricier end, but it’s well worth it for e-bike riders looking to protect their expensive bikes!
Bike Lane Products Bicycle Hoist
For those looking at alternatives to wall-hung products, the Bike Lane Products Bicycle Hoist may be for you. Although we recommend hanging your e-bike from its wheels, some e-bikes may lack wheel flexibility, causing damage if hung from the wheel over a period of time. If that is the case for your e-bike, then this hoist is the direction you should go! The hoist holds your bike up from its handle bars and seat, limiting potential damage to the bike. The Bike Lane Products Bicycle Hoist also features rubber hooks to prevent scratching. It can also hold any e-bike with a weight capacity of up to 100 lbs. With a generous load capacity and many safety features, the Bike Lane Products Bicycle Hoist is our pick for an alternative to wall-hung racks.
Conclusion
These four bike racks offer a good launch pad for e-bike riders beginning their bike rack search. These three wall-hung racks and one bicycle hoist alternative show the different ways that bike racks tend to differ from each other. Whether you’re looking for a large storage capacity, sturdy construction, or space-saving design, there’s an option out there waiting for you!
One last note: when searching for e-bike racks, it is important to evaluate the dimensions of your bike and garage to ensure a proper fit before you make a purchase! Most bike racks are designed to hold regular bikes, and although the ones we’ve picked will also fit electric bikes, that may not always be the case. Happy riding!