Bike racks from XLC – maximum durability and safety
Is your next car trip around the corner? With an XLC bike rack, you need never be without your bike, even on holiday. These easy-to-use rear bike carriers safely transport your bicycles and e-bikes anywhere.
When traveling by car, it can be a real challenge to fit everything in your vehicle, especially a bulky bike. An XLC bike rack is the ideal solution to save space when you travel. Do you want to know more about the advantages of a bike rack? Just scroll to the bottom of the page!
The pros of a rear bike rack vastly outweigh the cons
A car rear bike carrier offers numerous advantages:
More space inside the vehicle for luggage and passengers
Easy and quick loading
Lockable and secure
Increased payload
A bicycle rack frees up space inside the vehicle, and loading bikes onto a rear rack is easier and faster than heaving them onto your car roof. With rear bike transport, for example on the towbar, there’s also no need to disassemble your bikes.
There’s no need to worry about your valuable bikes if you take a short break on your car journey. All XLC models, such as the Almada Work-E, can be locked. With a lockable rear carrier, your bikes are better protected from theft.
Please note: Although the car with the bicycles mounted is not much higher than usual, remember when parking that the overall width of your vehicle is greater with bikes in tow.
Another key advantage of a rear bike mount compared to other carrier models is the load capacity. In most cases, rear towbar bike racks can handle more weight than roof bike racks.
Special e-bike carrier
E-bikes are usually heavier than normal bikes. When transporting e-bikes, choose a bike rack designed to carry heavier, larger bikes. Towbar carriers are the best option. As the name suggests, they attach to the vehicle's towbar and, depending on the model, can transport one or more e-bikes. The maximum load of the e-bike rack isn’t the only thing to bear in mind.
The maximum vertical load of the towbar is also important when choosing a rear e-bike carrier. This can vary greatly depending on the vehicle type and clutch fitted. A rear bike rack makes loading and securing heavy e-bikes a breeze, thanks to the low mounting height and accessibility. A ramp is particularly convenient for loading heavy e-bikes.
What to consider when buying a rear bike carrier
You probably have a few questions before you decide on the best XLC rear carrier for you. We’ve summarized the most frequently asked questions.
FAQs
1. Are there any special requirements for my towbar?
The towbar must be made of steel. The bicycle carrier is not suitable for towbars made of aluminum or cast iron (GGG40). If in doubt, contact your dealer.
2. Can I transport tandems or bicycles with an extremely long wheelbase?
The bikes may protrude a maximum of 40 centimetres to either side of the rear light, and the maximum width of the loaded vehicle with bikes is 2.55 metres.
3. How fast can I drive with a mounted rear bike carrier?
We recommend a maximum speed of 80 mph If driving abroad, make sure you’re aware of the maximum legal speed for the roads you’ll be traveling on.
4. What is the difference between Azura LED Easy and Azura LED Xtra rear bike mounts?
The Azura LED Xtra rear bike carrier is tiltable. The boot can be opened despite the rear bike rack being mounted.
5. Can I use XLC rear bike carriers on an electric vehicle?
Please contact your car manufacturer about this before purchasing your rear bike rack. Some towbars on electric vehicles are only approved for a towing load, not a vertical load.
6. Can bicycles with carbon frames also be carried with XLC bike racks?
The Almada Work-E model is equipped with special frame clamps for carbon. With our Beluga and Azura models, we do not recommend transporting bicycles with carbon frames due to the clamping.
7. Is there a compatibility chart that shows which bikes fit which bike rack?
Due to the variety of frame shapes, a general compatibility overview is not possible. Final compatibility can only be ensured by test mounting. Special adapters are required for mounting some low-entry models. The CC-X33 adapter is suitable for the Azura and Beluga bike rack. The adapter CC-X61 can be used for the bike rack Almada Work-E.
8. Do accessories have to be removed while transporting the bikes on the bike rack?
We strongly recommend that accessories such as baskets, bags etc. are stowed safely in the vehicle during the journey.
9. Can I protect my bike from dirt while driving with a cover?
We strongly advise against the use of a tarpaulin or cover, as the driving behaviour can be affected by the additional wind contact surface.
10. For how many kilograms total weight are the XLC bike racks suitable?
The individual load capacity of the respective bike rack can be found in the manual. It is important, however, that the permissible total weight of the vehicle's trailer coupling is not exceeded under any circumstances. This means that the total weight of the bicycles plus the tare weight of the rack must not exceed the maximum load of the hitch. If in doubt, an XLC dealer can help with any uncertainties. With e-bikes, weight can be saved by removing the battery.
11. For which countries are XLC bike racks approved?
XLC bike racks are only approved within the EU. Special models have been developed for Great Britain and are only available there.
12. Can XLC bike racks be extended to transport a third bike?
The models of the Azura series can be extended to a third bike with the extension set. The Beluga model is available in a version for two bikes and one for three. The Almada Work-E is designed exclusively for transporting two bikes, especially E-MTBs.