How many bikes can I carry in the car?

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How many bikes can I carry on a bike rack by car? How much can be added?
F. Schonenberger, Cham ZG

Bicycles can be transported on the roof, rear, trailer hitch or tow bar with suitable carriers. The number of bicycles that can be transported is measured not by their quantity, but by the dimensions and weight of the load.

If bicycles are transported on roof racks, the total height of the vehicle must not exceed four metres. Bicycles must not exceed the width of the vehicle and – including the roof rack – must not weigh more than 50 kilograms.

Of course, the load must be fixed so that it does not become independent in case of hard braking. It should be noted that with this mode of transport, bicycles significantly increase the air resistance and therefore the energy consumption of the vehicle. Tests by the German automobile club ADAC showed an increase in consumption of up to 42 percent (also interesting: 12 tips for saving fuel).

The trick of e-bikes

Unlike the roof rack, the rear bikes and hitch carriers can protrude the vehicle up to 20 centimeters on either side. In general, however, bicycles should not be wider than two meters. If the user is turning off the lights or license plate, he must have his own light and license plate. For a year, the user was allowed to issue an additional red plate, which no longer needs to be replaced. It can be purchased from the cantonal road traffic office.

Except for legal requirements, all carrier systems must be able to actually support the weight of the bicycles being transported. The weight problem arises especially in electric bikes; some of them are twice as heavy as comparable bikes without electric support, including battery. In addition, the carrier must fit the vehicle and be fitted correctly. Accordingly, the manufacturer’s specifications must be followed (also interesting: we make these 9 mistakes when transporting bikes).

Source: Blick