In times of increased gasoline prices and sustainable thinking, more people are switching to an e-bike as an alternative means of transportation. The problem: Where to put all the stuff that normally goes in the trunk? Yet you don't have to go without storage space on an e-bike. A bicycle trailer can help. In this article, we explain to you whether the reacha is a suitable trailer for your e-bike. The short answer: Yes!
Especially newcomers to the e-bike scene have a few questions: What should be considered when driving a trailer with an electric bike? What types of bike trailers are there? Can you hitch any bike trailer to any e-bike? What should you watch out for when riding with an e-bike and trailer? What legal aspects must be considered when driving a bicycle trailer with an e-bike?
We try to answer your questions about electric bikes and trailers in this article. In the end, we will recommend you one of the best cargo trailers for the different types of e-bikes.
Bicycle trailer for e-bike and pedelec
1. Advantages and disadvantages of the combination of e-bike and bicycle trailer
2. Types of e-bikes and the appropriate trailers
3. Tips for riding an e-bike and cargo trailer
4. What makes a good bike trailer for e-bikes?
5. Which legal things have to be considered?
6. Is the reacha suitable as an e-bike trailer?
7. The right reacha bike trailer for your e-bike
Advantages and disadvantages of the combination of e-bike and bicycle trailer tandem
The combination of bike trailer and e-bike brings a lot of positive things with it. On tours in particular, it gives you freedom and allows you to store more luggage. A backpack that stresses your back is parked in the trailer. With an e-bike and cargo trailer you can concentrate on your tour only! With such a tandem, even mountain trips are effortless.
Taking a tour with a bicycle trailer and an e-bike has a few decisive advantages over a car: no traffic jams, no parking lots, no environmental pollution, no stress. With your trailer-ebike tandem you can take longer day trips or weekend excursions in a relaxed way. Instead of packing your luggage in the car trunk, you can start cycling climate neutral with your bike trailer! The best part. When you arrive at your favorite spot, you don't have to look for a parking space, but can park your bike and trailer on the spot.
The combination of bicycle trailers and e-bikes does not only bring advantages. There are disadvantages that should be considered before making a purchase: A bike trailer puts more load on your bike and uses more battery. You probably shouldn't ride with full support all the time. Otherwise, the trip will be shorter than expected. A trailer makes your e-bike less agile and restricts your freedom of movement. In addition, your braking distance will be longer. High caution is advised!
Depending on your bike trailer, you have to pay special attention to theft protection. If you have a good e-bike, you usually buy a decent bike lock. We recommend a long cable lock for the combination of electric bike and bike trailer. This way, both can be locked together. And no one can steal your e-bike or cargo trailer.
The advantages of a bicycle trailer at a glance
- Mobile load transportation
- More storage space and no heavy backpack
- Climate-friendly on the road
- No traffic jam or search for parking space
- Wmore agile than a cargo bike
- Bicycle can also be used without trailer if nothing needs to be transported
Bicycle trailers and ebikes offer more than just positive benefits. We also highlight the downsides of the powered combination.
The disadvantages of a bike trailer with the ebike at a glance
- Limited maneuverability
- Anti-theft protection
- Battery goes flat faster due to extra load
- Longer braking distance
The biggest disadvantage of combining an e-bike with a bike trailer is that the battery consumption of the e-bike increases! To counteract this, you can work with as little support as possible. Ride the e-bike at a constant speed and try to stay at low support. If you are going uphill and the trailer is getting heavy, you can shift up a gear with your e-bike. Remember to return to eco mode in time. Try to ride constantly and change the support level as rarely as possible!
Our most important tip: You are traveling with e-bike and trailer; you have space! Pack a spare battery in your trailer and if your trip goes over several days also the charger of the e-bike! More and more restaurants and communities offer charging stations for guests. So you can also refuel your e-bike on the road.
The lighter the trailer, the less additional load on the battery.
Types of e-bikes and the matching trailers
As with normal bicycles, there are different types of e-bikes. Especially for the choice of the right bike trailer, the position of the battery is crucial. We tell you about the most common types of e-bikes! We also recommend bike trailers, which are well suited for e-bikes.
E-citybikes are comfortable everyday bicycles that cope well with the challenges of the city. They often have an additional luggage carrier in which the battery is located. As far as it is not installed in the frame. Bicycle trailers with axle connection are suitable for e-citybikes. So trailers where the drawbar is connected to the axle of the rear wheel. For bike trailers with a hitch on the seat post, it can be more complex because of the luggage carrier. At reacha there is a long CITY-Bike Connector. For bicycles with a luggage rack, there are extra trailers where the coupling is attached directly to the luggage rack.
E-trekking bikes impress with an upright riding position and touring-friendly features. These e-bikes are all-rounders and deliver a good mix between mountain bike and city bike. Extra storage space comes through a luggage rack. This makes it difficult for bike trailers with a saddle connection. Again, either a bike trailer with axle connection or a longer hitch, which is positioned above the carrier. The long CITY-Bike Connector of the reacha can be mounted without problems over most e-bikes luggage racks!
E-racing bikes are first and foremost enormous fun. The electric drive and the aerodynamics of an e-bike are simply a joy to ride. The best thing about an electric racing bike? The battery is part of the frame and thus any type of bike trailer can be mounted to the electric road bike. A cargo trailer on the rear axle is no problem. The high-sitting saddle makes bike trailers like the reacha easily to hang on the e-bike! Since the lowest possible weight is important for racing bikes, the bike trailer should be lightweight.
E-mountain bikes make your trip to the mountains a snap! With full thrust up the mountain and down the trail again. No matter whether electric Fully or E-Hardtail. A combination with a bike trailer may seem strange. The battery of almost all models is located in the frame of the e-mountain bikes. So almost any bike trailer can be combined with an electric mountain bike. If your next trail is built in the forest, it is worth considering a bike trailer. For those who can not imagine it, should watch this video Video of Mr. Eit.
E-cargobikes are the the alternative to the car. Lots of space, lots of comfort and no negative carbon footprint. This is how sustainability works! If the space is not enough, you can combine the electric cargo bike with a bicycle trailer! Here it depends on the structure of your cargo bike, what kind of bike trailer can be attached. The reacha cicycle trailer with its Universal Bike-Connector got along with every (electric) cargo bike until now!
S-pedelecs are the big brother of the e-bike. The bike, which is considered a motorcycle, reaches just under 45 km/h and requires a license. No normal bicycle trailer is allowed to be attached to this type of electric bicycle.
Tips for riding an e-bike with a cargo trailer
The riding experience with a bike trailer on an e-bike is different than just riding an e-bike. Before you hit the road on your e-bike with a bike trailer: Take a test ride! You will notice a few things that are different with an those:
Your e-bike becomes much less maneuverable. The bike trailer increases your turning circle and makes it more
difficult to get around corners. Ride carefully and with foresight with an e-bike and bike trailer. If you
ride too fast in a curve, your bike trailer can tip over. We recommend riding slowly with a bike trailer on
the e-bike.Your e-bike becomes much less maneuverable. The bike trailer increases your turning circle and
makes it more difficult to get around corners. Ride carefully and with foresight with an e-bike and bike
trailer. If you ride too fast in a curve, your bike trailer can tip over. We recommend riding slowly with a
bike trailer on the e-bike.
In order not to drive too fast, you should not use the maximum support.
Since you consume more battery with greater load, you should also throttle your power-output!
Because
of the additional weight, which pushes from behind on your e-bike, the braking distance of your tandem will
be longer! Try to brake earlier and not to hit the brakes too hard!
One last tip for combining an
e-bike and trailer is to avoid edges. We realize that this doesn't always work in everyday life. So drive
carefully over rough edges. Otherwise, there is a risk that your trailer and e-bike will fall over! What you
should also avoid is sharp braking, jerky steering and larger obstacles such as stones!
All tips in the overview
- Do not drive too fast
- Do not drive with full electric support
- Avoid jerky braking and steering
- Drive with foresight
- Watch out for edges and try to avoid them
- Brake earlier: your braking distance is longer
Otherwise, we still advise the classic tips before starting the journey with e-bike and bicycle trailer
- Make sure you have sufficient air pressure. On the ebike and your bike trailer
- Check the brakes before you start riding your e-bike
- Check if the trailer is firmly connected
- Note that the total load of your bike trailer is not too high!
What makes a good bike trailer for e-bikes?
First of all, you need to clarify what you need the bike trailer for. In general, an e-bike trailer should be
lightweight. This puts less strain on the battery of the electric bike.
The bike trailer for your
e-bike needs a good hitch. Whether it is mounted on the seat post or the rear axle does not matter. An
e-bike trailer must be well lit and comply with the generally applicable regulations of the respective
country!
There are three major types of bike trailers for your e-bike. Dog trailers for e-bikes, child trailers for e-bikes and cargo trailers for e-bikes!
With Dog trailers for e-bikes you should make sure that the bicycle trailer is properly suspended. In addition, the bike trailer should be large enough for your dog! Especially if you drive a longer distance with e-bike and bike trailer, the dog trailer should be very well suspended. Otherwise you run the risk of harming your dog.
A cargo trailer for e-bikes should be selected according to its purpose. You need a bike trailer to take your e-bike shopping? Make sure that the drawbar is not too long. That's unnecessary for shopping and increases the risk of tipping over. A cargo trailer for shopping should be designed to carry a few pounds. The great thing about bike trailers with saddle attachment? If the trailer is not currently attached to the e-bike, it can also be used as a shopping cart! Like for example the reacha SPORT SHORT with a convenient kickstand.
You need a cargo trailer to transport heavy equipment or objects with your e-bike? Then your cargo trailer should come with good suspension and shouldn't be unbraked. At too high a speed, this can lead to accidents and dangers. Because of the center of gravity, a bicycle trailer with a stable frame and axle connection works best!
You want to transport long equipment with your e-bike? A surfboard, a ladder or a SUP? Then we recommend a bike trailer with high drawbar and saddle connection. Thus, you can transport long equipment with your e-bike and your bike trailer. For this purpose, the reacha SPORT LONG works great! With it, you can pull equipment up to 4.5 m in length with your e-bike. The best thing about the reacha? Thanks to the modular design of the bike trailer, the tow bar can be exchanged within a short time. So your e-bike combination for shopping becomes your weekend companion for the trip to the lake!
In case you need a bicycle trailer for your children, generally the same applies as with a bicycle trailer for dogs. You should pay even more attention to the aspect of safety! If you are on the road with e-bike and bike trailer, your children should sit safely in the trailer! Do not save on the purchase and make sure that the trailer is attached as firmly as possible to the e-bike! It is not mandatory in all countries. We recommend that children always wear a helmet in the bike trailer. Especially when an e-bike is pulling the bike trailer and speeds of 25 km/h are reached!
Which legal things have to be considered?
First of all, a small note: This is not legal advice, and the online offer of reacha does not claim to provide or even replace such advice. Liability and warranty for the content of this article are excluded, as far as permissible within the framework of the current legal situation.
The rules you have to follow when driving a bicycle trailer with your e-bike vary from country to country. As a company from upper Bavaria, we provide you with the most important rules from Germany. Below you will find various websites with more information about riding with an e-bike and bike trailer!
As mentioned above, you are not allowed to pull a normal bicycle trailer with an S-pedelec. No matter if child trailer, dog trailer or cargo trailer. Also not the reacha! A bicycle trailer may only be attached to e-bikes that have a maximum electrically assisted speed of 25 km/h.
The reacha is not a child trailer and we expressly advise against taking children in the reacha. But for
information: When transporting a bicycle trailer with the e-bike, a maximum of two children may sit in the
trailer. Also, not everyone is allowed to pull an e-bike with a children's carrier. The driver of the tandem
must be at least 16 years old! There is also a maximum weight for the combination of e-bike and bicycle
trailer. An unbraked cargo trailer like the reacha may be loaded with a maximum weight of 45 kg. Although
the reacha can withstand more weight, we do not recommend it!
If the bicycle trailer has an overrun
brake, up to 90 kg may be towed when transporting an e-bike! However, the permitted total weight of the
e-bike must also be taken into account here. Each e-bike has an approved weight limit. For most e-bikes,
this limit is around 130 kg. The approved weight of the trailer must also be taken into account. The
approved weight to carry with the reacha is about 35 kg when used as a bicylce trailer and 60 kg if used
as a hand carrier.
At a glance, here are all the guidelines in Germany
- The combination of S-pedelec (up to 45 km/h) and bicycle trailer is not allowed
- An unbraked bicycle trailer on the e-bike may be loaded up to a maximum of 45 kg
- A braked bicycle trailer on the e-bike may be loaded up to a maximum of 90 kg
- A child trailer is allowed to have a maximum of two children inside the trailer
- The minimum age for driving a child trailer on an e-bike is 16 years old
- The permissible total weight of the e-bike must not be exceeded
- The permissible total weight of the bicycle trailer must be complied with
Please inform yourself before your trip: What are the legal requirements in your country to be on the road
with e-bike and bike trailer.
Hier findest Du weiterführende Informationen zu folgenden Ländern:
Is the reacha suitable as an e-bike trailer?
To give a short answer: Yes! The reacha comes with everything a bike trailer needs to harmonize well with an e-bike!
So why is the reacha suitable as a bike trailer for ebikes? Because the reacha bike trailers are mainly made of textile and lightweight aluminum, the trailers are extremely light. The best selling bicycle trailer reacha SPORT LONG weighs just 8.9 kg in the compact 20" version. Compared to other bicycle trailers, such as Klarlift the reacha is extremely light! This ensures that the weight of the reacha is hardly noticeable in the performance of the battery. But of course, if you load the reacha bicycle trailer the battery range is affected. To counteract this, simply pack a spare battery in the reacha bike trailer!
The Bike Connector was
developed modularly. Therefore, there are almost no e-bikes to which the bike trailer from reacha can not be
connected. For an e-bike with integrated battery, the mounting is generally the same as for any other bike. Only
5 cm space is needed at the seat post!
If the battery is mounted on the luggage carrier, this restricts
the positioning of the Bike Connector. Since the luggage carrier of the e-bike is higher, the Bike Connector of
the bike trailer can only be attached under the saddle. Nevertheless, we have found a solution with the CITY
variant of the Bike Connector. So almost any e-bike can be connected to a reacha bike trailer! Thanks to our
Bike Connectors the bike trailer can also be separated from your e-bike in seconds. The end piece remains
attached to your saddle. So the reacha can be used as a handcart. When it is needed again as a trailer, the
reacha can be attached again just as quickly!
Many of our customers use their reacha bike trailer with an e-bike. Here are some reviews from happy customers:
★★★★★
Great tandem !
With the reacha on the e-bike, it is easy to drive to the lake and carry the complete windsurfing and / or SUP equipment. Since I have the reacha SPORT, the car often stays in the garage. It's just fun to cycle to the spot. Great tandem !
Jochen H.
★★★★★
Diving and shopping
So far everything is great. Makes shopping fun and with the diving gear I can drive to the pool, disconnect the reacha and walk the rest with the trolley. Behind the e-bike he also runs super well.
Joachim N.
★★★★☆
Perfect solution for windsurf bikers
Since I have the trailer, I have not gone to the beach by car! Distance to the beach: 5 km. With the e-bike perfect! For boards over 120L the trailer is a bit narrow - there you have to improvise. But in the end it took 2 boards, 2 rigs incl. 3 sails, a beach chair, the umbrella and accessories such as neos and towels. What more could you want? Top product.
Markus U.
The right reacha bike trailer for your e-bike
The choice of the right reacha for your e-bike depends on your goal, just as described above. Do you want to replace your car with an e-bike and trailer for your weekly shopping? Or do you want to use the electric tandem to transport your SUP? In the following section we explain in more detail which reacha bike trailer is the right one for your e-bike!
All reacha models are attached to the saddle post of your e-bike via Bike Connector.
So basically you
can't go wrong with our best
selling e-bike trailer SPORT LONG. The bike trailer fits almost any e-bike and the long drawbar
allows the transport of almost 5 m long equipment. The tandem of e-bike and reacha gets quite long, but can
still be used in everyday life. Those who find the long drawbar too long can also opt for the reacha SPORT SHORT. This allows
you to connect the same trailer with a shorter drawbar to your e-bike. You can no longer transport a SUP,
but you have a handy bike trailer. The bike connector allows you to use the reacha as a trolley in no time.
How to attach the reacha trailer to the e-bike?
As described, the reacha bike trailer is connected to your e-bike with the Bike Connector.
The Bike
Connector is available in two different sizes. One is the long CITY variant: This is particularly suitable
for e-bikes with luggage racks, e-city bikes and e-trekking bikes. The long tube of the hitch fits easily
over most luggage racks. So the short CITY drawbar can also be connected to almost any e-bike.
The SPORT-Bike Connector is suitable for all e-bikes without a luggage carrier. It is connected in the same way as any other bicycle. In case you can not picture it: Take a look at this video of our founder Floko. There you can see the Bike Connector in use!
E-cargo bike instead of bicycle trailer with e-bike
Not in the mood for a tandem and more interested in always having the load in sight? Then maybe an
E-Cargo bike is the better alternative for you!
Everything you would normally pack into your bike
trailer, you simply strap onto your cargo bike. Electric cargo bikes in particular are very expensive
and can cost three times as much as a good bike trailer! They also take up quite a bit of space. Normal
bike trailers also take up space in the garage. However, many trailers are foldable or can be
disassembled. The reacha bike trailers are designed differently. Due to the modular design of the bike
trailer from Upper Bavaria, it can be disassembled in a few simple steps. The small pack size allow it
to simply disappear on the shelf or in the closet!
