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Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:26 am
by OldFartAtPlay
Hello there...

I'm considering getting an electric car. Two of my main requirements are decent range and the ability to use my towball-mounted bike carrier (a Thule). It looks like the ID3 satisfies both of these. Is anyone using a towball mounted carrier with the ID3? Any thoughts or experiences would be very welcome.
Many thanks
Cheers, John

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:30 am
by Deleted User 192
This thread should help: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=314

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:05 pm
by kaiz
I've retrofitted it (saloon car was without), but never used since.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:29 pm
by OldFartAtPlay
Thanks Scott. I had seen that thread, but it doesn't exaxctly have much in the way of people's actual experience of the thing. It does prove it exists though!
Cheers, John

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 2:30 pm
by OldFartAtPlay
Thanks Kaiz. Do you mean you've fitted the bike prep to an id3 yourself, but never attached a towbar mounted bike carrier to it? Thanks.
Cheers, John

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 6:41 am
by kaiz
No, I bought a car without bike prep, as I wanted it fast.
Dealer retrofitted it in Germany for 540€.
I've tried the hook, but haven't got a chance to go biking. ;)
Have got Thule 3-bike carrier.

ID3_AHK.jpg

ID3_AHK_1.jpg

ID3_AHK_2.jpg


Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 4:50 pm
by kaiz
Hooked on first time today.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 6:37 pm
by OldFartAtPlay
Hiya Kaiz..

That's brilliant, thanks for posting those pics. I'm happy then; looks like an id3 is the way to go.

Cheers, John

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:16 am
by kaiz

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:08 pm
by Sparky
I'm wondering if that is the official VW carrier in the pics? Hoping my existing Thule carrier will fit as the VW one is two fortunes! Will find out tomorrow as I'm picking my car up then.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 5:15 am
by kaiz

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:23 pm
by Sparky
So I've had a chance to connect my hitch up to the car and and the Thule bike rack to the hitch. Anyone interested it's a Thule 916020 rack specifically for ebikes as it will carry two bikes with a maximum weight of 30kg per bike. The rack itself weighs 19kg. It cost £260 in 2017 when I got it from Decathlon. I'm adding photos here to show what I'm on about. The rack requires a minimum clearance of 65mm from the centre of the ball to the bumper of the ID3. I measured this on the car and its a tad over 70mm so it fits but it's a close fit and you would be wise to protect the bumper to avoid scratching it. I used a bit of card as shown in the pics, but this is a heavy rack so you need to be very careful when lowering the rack onto the ball. The electrical socket on the car is a 13 pin so you need an adapter to take the standard 7 pin plug of the bike rack. These are readily available for a few pounds on eBay.
I don't know what my Haibike weighs, but I'm sure along with the rack itself it is

IMG_3996.jpg

IMG_3996.jpg

within the 55kg limit for the hitch. If I wanted to carry another bike I'd have to get the scales out but I don't carry the battery or saddlebag on the bike when transporting although they are on the bike in the pics. Hope this helps anyone wanting to transport stuff, it's much cheaper to order the bike prep along with the car, it can be retrofitted but it's expensive!

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:13 pm
by mph
Thanks for the information about using the bike rack on the tow bar. Was this a factory fitted tow bar, or dealer fitted?

The reason I ask is that I know the dealer fitted tow bars have a weight limit of 55 kg, but that the factory fitted ones are supposed to have a limit of 75 kg. However, VW have produced different versions of the ID3 manual that state 55 kg and 75 kg, and I have not yet seen hard evidence that the data plates on the factory fitted ones do show 75 kg.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:09 pm
by Sparky
As far as I know mine is the 55kg limit. Factory fitted. I think the data plate in the hitch area says 55kg. I wasn't aware of any 75kg limit - seems a bit high to me.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:03 pm
by Deleted User 192
mph wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:13 pm Thanks for the information about using the bike rack on the tow bar. Was this a factory fitted tow bar, or dealer fitted?

The reason I ask is that I know the dealer fitted tow bars have a weight limit of 55 kg, but that the factory fitted ones are supposed to have a limit of 75 kg. However, VW have produced different versions of the ID3 manual that state 55 kg and 75 kg, and I have not yet seen hard evidence that the data plates on the factory fitted ones do show 75 kg.

I didn’t think these were factory fitted, even if ordered at the same time as the car...?

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 6:37 am
by kaiz
Mine is also 55kg, dealer fitted.
But I don't think, they are different. Or...

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:28 am
by kaiz
shop.volkswagen.nl/auto-accessoires/vervoer-en-vrije-tijd/trekhaken/10A092150-steunhaak-id3-tbv-fietsendrager
Stated also 55kg.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:03 am
by Sparky
As far as I know if ordered along with car they are factory fitted and have a max load of 55kg. They can be retrofitted by dealer at significant cost increase over the factory fitted one.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:45 pm
by kaiz
Sure, it is in the pricelist. Question was, if the load limit is different.

Re: Is anyone using the bike prep to attach a towball bike carrier?

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:01 pm
by mph
Thanks Sparky. That's worrying as I need at least 67 kg to carry two electric bikes.