Choosing a tow bar bike carrier: e-bikes, nose weight and tilting

How many bikes?

Most carriers state the number of bikes in the product name. From Eufab, the Crow takes two bikes, as does the Premium 12011LAS. The Amber III takes three and the Amber IV four. Menabo makes the Orbit 2 and the Orbit 3 for two and three e-bikes.

Don't simply go for the largest carrier. A carrier for three or four bikes is longer and heavier, and that weight counts against your tow bar. If you usually travel with two bikes, a two-bike carrier leaves more of the limit for the bikes themselves.

Nose weight: what can your tow bar carry?

Nose weight is the load that may press straight down on the tow ball. According to the ANWB, the car maker sets that maximum and you must not exceed it. You find it in your car's owner's manual. The ANWB mentions around 75 kg for many mid-size cars and often only 30 to 50 kg for small cars.

The carrier and the bikes press on the ball together. Eufab puts this in a table in the manual of the Amber IV, which itself weighs about 19.5 kg: with a nose weight of 50 kg you may load 30 kg of bikes, with 60 kg 40 kg, with 75 kg 55 kg, and only with 90 kg the maximum of 60 kg. So always count the carrier plus the bikes, not the bikes alone.

E-bikes: weight and battery

Most e-bikes weigh 25 to 30 kg, the ANWB says. Two e-bikes plus a carrier soon go past the nose weight of a small car. The ANWB says the battery doesn't have to come off, but it is wise: it lightens the load. Eufab gives the same advice. Carry the battery inside the car instead.

Also check what the carrier itself may hold. Eufab approves every Amber carrier for e-bikes and gives the Amber III and Amber IV a load capacity of 60 kg. The Crow may carry 50 kg, with e-bikes up to 25 kg each. The product names call Menabo's Orbit 2 and Orbit 3 e-bike carriers; their load capacity is in the manual. Always read the manual before you load e-bikes.

Tilting and storage

A tilting carrier folds backwards with the bikes on it, so you can reach the boot. Eufab gives the Amber III and Amber IV a tilt mechanism, so the tailgate opens without taking the bikes off; the Crow does not tilt, Eufab says. The names of the Orbit 2 and Orbit 3 say "kantelbaar" (tilting) and "afsluitbaar" (lockable), and the Orbit 3 also "inklapbaar" (folding).

A folding carrier takes less room at home. Eufab makes a wall bracket for the bike carrier, so it hangs on the wall of a shed or garage. Spare parts such as a holding arm or a strap are listed separately for when one gets lost or breaks.

Lights, plug and number plate

A carrier on the tow bar covers your rear lights and number plate. The ANWB lists the lights the carrier then needs: two red rear lights, two red brake lights, two amber indicators and two red reflectors. Fog and reversing lights are not required.

The carrier is powered through the tow bar socket. Many carriers have a 13-pin plug, such as the Crow, Amber III and Amber IV according to Eufab, and the Orbit 2 and Orbit 3 according to their names. If your car has a 7-pin socket, you need an adapter.

On the number plate, the RDW says: if a bike carrier covers your plate, the carrier must carry a white number plate showing your car's registration. The ANWB adds that this plate must come from a plate maker approved by the RDW. Outside the Netherlands, check the rules of your own country.

How fast can you drive?

The maximum speed with a bike carrier is in the carrier's manual. According to the ANWB that is 120 km/h for many carriers; Eufab gives the Crow, Amber III and Amber IV 130 km/h. Normal speed limits still apply. After the first few kilometres, check that the bikes and straps are still tight.

Compare prices

Under bike carriers you find every carrier with prices from several shops. Each version has its own EAN and Sorppa compares them one by one, so you see prices for exactly the same carrier.