This may have been asked before (and I have at least attempted a search) but I have a eMTB which is clearly an inch longer/wider or more awkward than the FS bike it's replaced and it's an issue getting it into the boot of my car. I don't want a tow bar and I can't have anything hanging off the boot (I think it's aluminium or something).
I've been looking at other solutions and have seen suction mounted ones. A lot of them are rated at 20kg and my bike-front wheel is probably within tolerance of 20kg. It would need to fit my thru-axle rather than QR but the ones I've looked at seem to show a QR fitting but say they have thru-axle comptability.
So... any recommendations that you've been using with either eMTBs or otherwise chunky bikes?
(I know they are not great from a theft point of view but I'm not planning to leave my car unattended with the bike stuck on the roof)
I've got a seasucker bomber. A few years old. the end plugs of the rack are compatible directly for the front axle. Different coloured plugs for differnet axles. I've got gold (15x110) and blue (15x100). Should probably get ones for my gravel bike if I ever wnat to take that anywhere.
Some of the earlier ones - and possibly still some of the cheaper ones - the mount is made for a QR and you have to get an adaptor above that, which doesnt look as stable.
If you get a multi bike rack like my bomber or the rockbros equivilent then you can mount your 1 bike in the centre for more stability.
Advantage of the single bike (ie sea sucker talon) is you can put the rack onto the bike on the ground, then lift the whole thing onto the roof. Some poeple find this easier than attaching the fork to the rack already on the roof.
Personally I dont find this difficult but I'm 6ft and my car is quite a low coupe. Means the axle to do up is at torso height. If you are short and trying to put it on an SUV this might be harder.
I'd say weight of bike is fairly irrelevent to loading (assuming you can lift it above your head in the first place) as you just have to hold it balanced while you do the axle up, possibly with your hands crossed over.
I looked into this a while ago and decided against sucker mounting my E-MTB for the following reasons
The roof panel can flex with all that weight on it
The suckers can cause marking to the paint work
There is a risk of you slipping and dropping the bike on the roof when you are fitting or removing the bike from the roof
Having to remember the bike is on the roof when you come to a hight restriction car park!
Even if everything goes ok, as you go down the motorway and mud/debris is going to fall off and hit your roof or a car travelling behind
If the bike wont fit in the boot even with the front wheel removed then maybe look at removing the rear wheel also
Id always go with the option of having the bike inside the car, purely because when your driving home no one can see what you have in the back, it only takes you one time to pass some scallys near home with the bike on the roof or on a towbar on the back of the car for them then to follow and know where you live
I think the sucker mounts are great for road & XC bikes but not for Enduro & E-MTB's
Been using a rock bros regularly and it hasn't marked the roof. Although I'm fastidious about cleaning the roof before mounting the suckers.
Using them on a glass roof now.
I've never thought twice about putting my b bike on the roof. I just pull the battery and ergo most of the weight Nd lob it in the boot.
Id always go with the option of having the bike inside the car, purely because when your driving home no one can see what you have in the back, it only takes you one time to pass some scallys near home with the bike on the roof or on a towbar on the back of the car for them then to follow and know where you live
the benefit of the sucker mount is once you've removed the bike and rack 2 minutes after returning home, your car is now incognito. I often drive past homes with a car with roof racks left on parked on a driveway and know there will be at least semi-decent bikes in the garage behind it. Far more of a risk than being clocked when actually in transit.
I've been using the seasucker 1 bike rack with my fairly chunky ebike. It's 20kg without the battery and front wheel so right within the weight limit - i'm pretty careful when it's up there but they've not lost suction at any point yet. Love being able to remove it in 2 mins flat as i can go weeks without using the car for riding and would otherwise have been driving round with the chunky thule with all the wind noise that comes with it.
If it's within the weight limit then i'd say go for it!
I recently bought a rock bros bike rack for my ebike, but haven't used it yet, so can't really offer much more info than it seems sturdy