Lectric Bike Transport | Demonstration on using a tote

[@saskskyboy]

I use a method I learned from another video. Tip the tote onto its end, roll the folded bike into it, and then tip it back down. We tip ours directly onto a pet ramp, and then slide the tote into the back of our SUV. No lifting required.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Sounds like a great method! I would probably need something like a 2x6x8 or 2x8x8 board to reach the back of my truck but I just might try that out. It might even be a way to load it yourself in a bind. Thanks for stopping by with that information.

[@nobleharbor265]

I have a lectric Premium, which weighs around 80 pounds with the batteries. First advice is to remove the batteries and seat/seat post. This drops the weight about 20 pounds easy. I use the same tote, only bigger because the premium is longer too. After much research experimenting I’ve come up with the easiest way to load the bike singlehanded into my pickup. You load the tote into the bed first, and position it on its side, facing you, longwise with the bottom of the tote in the hinge area of the tailgate to prevent the unloaded tote from sliding. Essentially you fold the bike first, along with removing the battery(s) and seat/seat post. Then place the bike in front of you facing sideways in front of the tote in the pickup bed. Make sure to leave enough room to load the bike. You will load the bike by letting it lean back on you, and leverage it with your knees bringing up the tires (folded) HORIZONTALLY then slide the bike in the tote wheels first, sideways. After which you can easily rotate the tote/bike upright and secure the tote. Why sideways? While you can sometimes get help with loading the bike… you may not ALWAYS have help. Lifting the whole weight of the bike is a real strain. Lifting the bike by using your knees and body to lever up the bike wheels horizontally means that you are essentially only lifting HALF the weight of the bike up to the pickup bed level, with the other part supported by your legs and knees. I use my upper body weight to counter-balance the bike with the upper part of the bike resting on my knees. I find that the 60 pound bike becomes essentially 30 pounds when lifting the wheels up to pickup bed level. I’ve tried every other way and this is the easiest when you are the only one lifting. Oh by the way, this way you only life HALF the weight of the bike ONCE, since you don’t need to lift the bike into the tote first. Hope this helps

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

@noble Harbor That is the most detailed explanation of how to load a bike I’ve ever heard!😀 But it’s also the best idea I’ve heard to be honest. Thanks for sharing this method! When I’m by myself, I would load the tote into the truck, lift the bike into the truck, then climb in and fold the bike and lift it into the tote. Your way sounds much better!! I just might have to redo this video and show how to do it if you are by yourself. I’ll reference your idea of course😀

[@Miczael]

Awesome demonstration video! I always wondered how the process of toting the Xp went. I don't have a car so the tote is out of the question for me haha

[@chrismaki8396]

Thanks so much for quick reply. I think that I would use your tote for my wife's smaller Volt Urban and I'll go with more sturdy, larger tote for my Lectric. Give your wife a "Thumps Up" from me and my wife!

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You are very welcome😁 I’d say that I agree with you about your two bikes and the use of the two different totes. I’ll tell Lisa!😁

[@56CrownVick]

Thanks for showing this, I wondered how you transported the bikes. I got some news from Lectric, I'll tell all the details when it actually happens.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Not the best production but it was last minute with very little time available. I hope it's good news 🙏

[@kenvik-q5t]

Watching this video the author did not realized yet that instead of raising the over 65 pound e-bike manually with his partner, he can do this operation without any physical effort. Simply raise vertically the tote and slide the foldable ebike in and then fold the handle post outside the tote. Then in the last stage using a foldable car dog ramp enough wide matching the 21-in wide tote you slide the bin w/ the bike inside your trunk. One will have a space for sliding this way a second foldable heavy e-bike) inside any SUV as well. There are few videos describing this easier, no lift transporting heavy e-bikes like Lectric XP.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Great information! Thank you for that. I really hadn't thought of using ramps and tilting the totes but this does sound like a great way to load the bikes...especially if you have trouble lifting the weight!

[@chrismaki8396]

Thanks for the post. Appreciate the demonstration of the fit and lower priced tote. Would have appreciated demo with the handlebars folded down so one could see if they fit inside tote or hang over the outside edge.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Hi Chris...I realized after we filmed this video that I didn't show that. I have done that a few times and usually just let the handlebars hang outside the tote. But if you fiddle with it for a bit, they can come down inside the tote. Just takes a little extra time to get everything adjusted correctly.

[@nahnisjourney1406]

My handlebar go right inside my tote that I got from Lowe’s. I drive a little Scion xB, and I don’t have to worry about the bike tipping over. I still put the white Styrofoam between the folded eBike to prevent scratches. It’s the styrofoam that shipped with the eBike. I’m glad I saw someone recommending to keep it for that purpose.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Hi Nahni! For some reason, your other comment that you left disappeared but I saw you on this thread. I appreciate you stopping by and commenting! The one from Lowe’s is the tote I wanted but they were sold out when I stopped by there. I settled for this one for the time being and it works ok for now. I still have my eyes open for one like you have. I would definitely like to get the one with wheels! Thanks again!

[@ronlong8625]

Hi. You can unhook your tailgate cables from the sides and lower your tailgate down a few more inches which would make it lower to load the tote.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Great tip! I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks for stopping by!😁

[@PamDeiling]

Use craftsman 50 gal with rollers works great

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

That's what I was originally looking for but they were sold out at the time. I agree with you.

[@mikeintampa250]

Thanks for this video. My bikes arrived last weekend, and I saw another video where someone recommended using a 64-gallon tote from Lowe's. So I went there over the weekend and bought them and they looked pretty massive. But me and the manager were able to easily get them into the back of my Jeep Grand Cherokee and they fit great. They had wheels so they're easy to move around and they are a thick, high-quality plastic it doesn't feel like it's going to break. Someone commented that with the 64-gallon the bikes might move around a bit, but I'd rather have some extra room than not enough and I could stuff towells or something else in there to stop them from moving if I needed it. However, I have a lot of accessories that are to be put on the bikes so I think I would need that extra room anyway in the 64-gallon. My question is when you were folding up the step through, how come the battery didn't slide out?

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks Mike! I wanted to show that you could get away with 50 gallon totes if you need to. I've also seen people use 40 gallon ones but the ST has to sit part of the frame on the lip of the tote which I didn't like so I think 50 is the smallest you should use. I agree that the 60 would be better if space isn't a big concern...I always like to have too much of anything rather than too little. I'm looking for the thicker plastic ones and hope that one of our home improvement stores get them soon. About the battery...When the key is turned off, it has 2 choices kind of like a car has the accessory spot and the lock spot where you can take the key out. If you stop the key at the first spot that turns the bike off and take the key out there, the metal stem that sticks out of the battery through the frame will stay through the frame so it won't fall out. If I were to stop at the second spot (click) to take the key out, the battery stem would contract all the way back into the battery which allows the battery to be taken out of the bike. I hope this helps...I will be uploading a new riding video today but on my next video, I'll demonstrate what I'm talking about if my description here is hard to understand.

[@mikeintampa250]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife thanks much for the explanation, when I went to Lowe's the manager told me they didn't have any more 64-gallon but I asked him to go in the back and check and sure enough he found two.

[@peterfernandezjr5914]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife A new riding video today? You just made my day better than it has been so far, thank you, Sir.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

I’ll have to try that out our stores!!

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

@Peter Fernandez JR Yes sir…I’ll have it up in just a few minutes. 😁

[@maryc1396]

Great video and what a great idea! Will be getting the totes for our bike this weekend. Thanks!

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

I'm really glad this video helped Mary! It really cuts down on the bikes clanking around and getting scratched. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment! Have a great day!!

[@westmcgee9320]

You’re selling me on the tote option. We have a rack but prefer to put the 3.0’s in the car when we won’t be around the vehicle for longer stretches. Theft n all that. I may adopt this method since I’m almost always loading alone. Also, I kept the styrofoam that was in the display. I use it whenever I’m transporting them - rack or inside. I’m not sure a tote would work for an SUV’s lower clearance but if I could fold the handlebars into it, that’d be great. I try to use the Velcro straps that came with it to keep it from unfolding but I’ll give this method more thought. Thx. I shudder to think what it would cost for replace a damaged screen.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

The totes do work pretty well as far as keeping the bikes from banging into each other as well as the sides of the vehicle with very little to none cushioning. By the way, I am able to fold the handlebars down over the outside of the tote. Might need a bigger tote to fold them inside it.

[@westmcgee9320]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife I bought a couple. They’re kind of awesome, although I wish the sides were as comfy to hold as the far ends. Anyway, they had wheels and the bike fit well…but two of them, somehow, didn’t fit side-by-side in the back of my vehicle. I took them back immediately. 😞

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Well that’s a bummer that they didn’t fit in your vehicle. I need to get a new set. The ones we got were Walmart cheepos which were all we could find at the time. I’d like to get thicker ones with wheels like you had. They would work in the back of my truck just fine.

[@westmcgee9320]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife Home Depot, my friend. 75 gallon, iirc.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks…I’ll have to keep checking. The last time I was there, they were sold out of the bigger ones.

[@knightsun]

I did this with my new 3.0 and the front fork paint got scratched from a nut that holds the rear fender on.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

@knightsun I’m sorry to hear that! I don’t believe I’ve had a problem with that on my 1.0. But thank you for sharing for those that want to use this method. A blanket or something between where the bike folds would be a good idea to help keep that from helping. Unfortunately I’m not very careful with mine and have several scratches on my bike. The good thing is that I haven’t had an issue with rust I assume since it’s made from aluminum.

[@pair-a-dicecraps8618]

Awesome, thanks. It was not too clear but was the frame on your bike pushing on that end of the tote? Lisa's seemed to fit without deforming the end? This will be very helpful info for a lot of people I am sure, thanks again.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks Pair-a-dice! The regular XP does push slightly on the end but with a higher grade tote, I'm sure it will be fine. I also need to cut the top out to give the lip of the tote a little more stability. It was a very quick video and we had limited time but I wanted to get it out to answer some questions that I'd had about them.

[@pair-a-dicecraps8618]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife thanks again, it was a quality video and answered my questions. Now get back out on some new WV trails to share!

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks! I’m about to release a new riding video today and will be back out on another trail very soon. 😁😎👍

[@karenm.welter5351]

I have carrier for bike on RV but don't have hitch on my CRV. This looks like something I can use to transport bike in car. Thanks for measuring so now I'll measure inside car and hope this will fit. Great video!!!!👍😊

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You're welcome😃 The biggest plus is that the bikes don't bang around which would cause scratches and other damage. It works well for us for now while we are looking for the thicker totes at our local home improvement stores.

[@karenm.welter5351]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife that's where I'll look! I'll need wheels on one end.😊👍

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Great! I want the wheels on the end too!😁

[@saskskyboy]

We also have a CRV. We carry two folded bikes in the back. See my earlier comment on how we do it.

[@FullTimeDreamRV]

we got our bikes this last week and got our bins yesterday

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Awesome! Enjoy your bikes and get out as much as you can. We love ours😃 Thanks for stopping by!

[@ziblot1235]

Ive had my bike since 2018. Ive never folded it. You got a truck bro. I wouldnt even fold it. Looks real good. I have a Prius. In fact 2 Priuses.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

We don’t fold them either unless we are traveling with them. Folding them into the totes makes it easier and quicker to load and tie them down. I found that when I don’t put them in totes it’s a lot easier to get scratches on them when I tie them down. If I only have one bike you are right, I just lay it flat in the truck bed and it rides ok. With two, they can’t lay flat without rubbing against each other.

[@bcflyer99]

The bin method doesn’t work well for one person operation. I used a ramp to wheel the bike up into my SUV.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

That’s an excellent point!!! I feel like I need to go back and remake that video now to include it being for two people. Although I don’t use them if it’s just me and one bike. I just lift it into my truck. The bin method is good if you have more than one bike and in that instance, there would probably be more than one person to lift the bins.

[@bcflyer99]

Thank you for that video.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You’re welcome…I’m glad it might have helped😁

[@DARTH-VADER-SW]

Thanks for the great videos and info.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You’re welcome…marcustony. Thank you for stopping by and for the kind words!😁

[@BN99239]

Can you link to the tote? I've been looking for one that would fit my Lectric.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Hi BN9! We actually got these totes at WalMart. They are the 50gal. ones and only cost about $25 each. They are a little thin but do the job. The ones I really wanted are from Lowes or Home Depot which are about double the thickness but they are a bit more expensive. Just go into one of those 3 stores and check to see if they have the 50gal ones. I'd really like to have one with wheels. I checked both Lowes and Home Depot but they were sold out at the time so I went with the ones from Walmart who had them in stock. Any 50gal tote will work because they are all about the same length and width. Either of these would work: -- www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-50-Gallon-200-Quart-Black-Tote-with-Latching-Lid/1000976084 -- www.lowes.com/pd/Centrex-Rugged-Tote-50-Gallon-200-Quart-Gray-Tote-with-Standard-Snap-Lid/1000237841 -- www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-55-Gal-Tough-Storage-Tote-in-Black-with-Yellow-Lid-HDX55GONLINE-4/205597365?MERCH=REC-_-searchViewed-_-NA-_-205597365-_-N&

[@BN99239]

@@ReflectionsofOurLife Thank you!

[@claudiam4547]

I would love seeing videos of women loading their bikes in bins by themselves. Men make it look easy. How about middle age women to elderly women loading by themselves?

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thank you for bringing that up @claudiam4547 . I sometimes forget that many different people watch our videos so I apologize for that. It would depend on how strong you are for sure. My 53 year old wife can put them in the tubs but it really does take two to lift the tubs since they are a little awkward. For an older lady I would recommend a bike carrier before trying to deal with the tub by herself. Honestly, I don’t use the tub by myself…I load the bike into my truck without the tub if I’m by myself.

[@Silverxxx450]

Looks like a bit short?

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

It fits tight but that’s really what you want so it doesn’t shift back and forth. You could go bigger and add some padding around it. The step through actually fits a bit better. The standard frame fits tighter.

[@cynthiabjones5412]

Good job guys.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks Cynthia! I felt so awkward making this video! 🤣

[@djcoolcliff]

Smart idea brother and thanks for sharing!!!!!

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

@djcoolcliff I’m glad this video could help! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. I really appreciate it!😁👍

[@xtremefight]

My only concern is having the bike open in half and running into the inevitable rain that we have here in Michigan.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

That was a concern for me too. We traveled through some brief downpours a couple of weekends ago with the bikes broken down in the back of the truck. I did wrap some garbage bags around the open ends which seemed to keep the moisture out. They worked fine when we finally got to our destination. If it was supposed to rain a lot, I'd probably wrap some tarp around them too.

[@USNAVDC]

Looks good. Thanks.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks Tom!

[@MrVictsan112]

holy crap i totally wouldnt have thought of traveling with my xp this way ever XDDDD wow im just more surprised why i didnt think of this XDD

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Lol…thanks Victor! I’m glad this video helped in some way. I have found that this is the easiest way of doing it…after several fails on my part😂

[@roundsmail]

Cool video.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks James…I hope it helps a little😀. Thanks for stopping by!

[@Tank838]

Good video thanks man

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You’re welcome…thanks for stopping by!😁

[@CrappieCraze]

Hopefully my shorty (wife) can help me lift ours(?). Or she may tell me to get out of her way and toss them into the back of the truck herself(?).

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Lol!!! Sounds a lot like my wife!!😂

[@mist4926]

if you take the batterie out it will be lighter

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

That is a good point and very smart if you are by yourself. It just takes a little more time to take them out and put them back in when you are ready to ride.

[@vincentconnolly-yj5ed]

👍🎣⛵💯

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

I appreciate that!! 😎💪

[@JamesWang-ps9sk]

You don't need big tote,do this way: 1)fold the pedal that will be on the folding side of the bike; 2) fold the bike so that front wheel will be parallel to the rear wheel, the pedal being folded will freely rotate between them; 3) hold the front wheel parallel to the rear wheel and directly roll the bike on a dog ramp into the trunk. In doing so, you need to keep the front wheel parallel to the rear wheel so that there is space between these two wheels for the pedal to rotate, when you roll the bike, the pedal will rotate. 4) if you have some problem to keep the front wheel parallel to the rear wheel in step 3), just try to use some small piece of wood and put it between forks for these wheels and bound them together, but you don't really need this because with two hands, you can manage to make these two wheels parallel and roll the bike on the ramp into the trunk. The advantage of doing this way is that you don't have to keep a big tote which occupies big space and I did this with my Heybike mars and threw away the container which I purchased for $50.00.

[@joeseep7235]

lol. I thought you were gonna attach the tote to the rear rack and use it to carry stuff when you ride.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

LOL...That would be a lot of stuff! 😂 We really like using the totes to transport the bikes. It makes tie down a lot easier and keeps the bikes from bumping against things to lower the chance of scratches. Thanks for stopping by Joe...I really appreciate it!

[@SeymourKitty]

Nice n snug

[@frankduzok]

Doesn't look like to T cover will close with the bikes in there. That's unfortunate.

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

You’re right Frank, the tops won’t close on these. A lot of people have SUVs that they can slide them in so maybe that’s ok for them. With the handlebars folded down, I can close my tonneau cover to cover the bikes as well. You might be able to find bigger tubs that will allow for a top to cover though. Thanks for stopping by!😁

[@mrd6093]

GOOD SHOW GUY

[@ReflectionsofOurLife]

Thanks Mr D…I really appreciate it!😁 My videos are pretty raw and rough but I try😂

[@Saddletramp1200]

I had one of those I used as a bath tub. I will leave out the details. I weighed less back then.

[@Cyfi71]

Probably on the front porch I suppose!😎

[@peterfernandezjr5914]

Pray tell, how on earth did you drain it out when you were done with your bath, and did you use Mr Bubbles?

[@Saddletramp1200]

@@peterfernandezjr5914 i used a empty coffee can. Mr bubbles is for rich kids.

[@peterfernandezjr5914]

@@Saddletramp1200 1) must have taken an eternity, I never figured you were a patient man, So if not Mr Bubbles, did you use the dollar store one?

[@peterfernandezjr5914]

@@Saddletramp1200 LOL