I picked up the Young Electric tire-clamp rack for a long round trip. I was honestly a little nervous because I was hauling two e-bikes (an Aventon and a Lectric) with a combined weight of about 185 lbs. That’s not light, and I didn’t want to gamble with something flimsy on a long highway run.
Shipping was impressively fast — it showed up in two days. Before buying, I went deep into research mode comparing tire-clamp style racks, mainly this one and 1Up USA. The 1Up racks are well-known and solid, no doubt, but for the same weight rating they were almost double the price. That made it pretty easy to justify trying the Young Electric first.
Assembly took me about 35 minutes. If you’ve got the right tools laid out beforehand, you could probably knock it out in 20. The 24mm bolt section was the most annoying part — not terrible, just a bit awkward. Once everything was tightened down though, the rack felt seriously overbuilt. I do a fair bit of off-roading and I’ve handled plenty of cargo setups — this one gave me that heavy-duty, confidence-inspiring feel right away. The clamp arms are thick and sturdy, and the shank that slides into the receiver hitch feels much beefier than I expected at this price point.
Loading the bikes was straightforward. The only thing to note: you’ll need to measure your front wheel and adjust the red front-wheel holder to the correct mounting hole. It took me a couple of tries to dial it in properly, but once set, it’s simple. Before heading out, I double-checked the clamp arms and threw on some Rhino straps around the wheels just for peace of mind.
About 100 miles in, I stopped in Bakersfield to inspect everything. Nothing had shifted. Not even slightly. I checked it a few more times throughout the drive, and each time it was still tight and secure. On the way back to LA, I actually removed the Rhino straps to see if the rack alone could handle both bikes. It did — no movement, no wobble, no drama. When I got home, everything was exactly how I loaded it.
For roughly half the price of the big-name brands, I’m genuinely impressed. Carrying 185 lbs of e-bikes over 900 miles without a single issue says a lot.
Cons
- It’s heavy. Around 90 lbs. If you ride solo and need to frequently remove and reinstall it, that’s going to be a workout.
- The ramp can rattle. It’s held in place by a single quick-release pin, so on rough roads it makes some noise. I added a simple strap to secure the ramp to the base, and that completely solved it.
Overall, this rack surprised me. It feels durable, secure, and way more premium than the price suggests. For hauling heavy e-bikes long distances, it absolutely proved itself.
