Pendle has a new roof rack that'll fit the longest enduro bike and support most e-bikes. We put it to the test.
Pendle Ergorack bike rack review
In a market dominated by Thule, it’s great to see a small UK brand like Pendle Bike Racks offering one of the best car racks on the market. I’ve used its products previously and been impressed with the sturdy construction and secure mounting, but the new Ergorack hits new levels in terms of build quality.
The rack is little more than a simple bent steel tube with a T-mount welded on one end and a wheel tray bolted to the other. This carrier bolts into two receivers that you install onto your roof bars – they’re compatible with most extruded T-Track bars.
How the bike rack works
Pendle has designed the carrier to be easily removable, so you actually mount the bike on the ground, then lift it into position, so there’s less chance of the bike toppling over, or pulling a muscle, when securing it onto the roof. To begin with, fit the machined, orange anodised front mount into the T-Track using the wide steel plate. Do the same with the rear mount.
The sturdy machined and annodised front mount removes quickly with a 8mm hex key
Once you’ve assembled the carrier and threaded the correct adaptors into the fork mount (Pendle offers 15mm Boost, 15mm non-boost, 20mm thru-axle, 12mm thru-axle and QR options), you simply secure the fork to the mount with your axle, lash the rear wheel to the tray with the supplied strap, and offer the carrier up to the fork mount holder. This keeps the bike stable enough to install the hefty M10 bolt and the two thumbwheels at the back.
Rear wheel tray can be adjusted to suit different wheelbases but the metal can bend easily
Performance
Once fitted, the Ergorack is exceptionally stable on the roof. Even with an e-bike fitted (I removed the battery), it’s rock-solid. Credit must also go to the wide T-Track plates – they’re much wider than the ones Thule use on the Thruride for example, so they really help spread the load across the roof bars.
Install the carrier with the bike on the ground…
Another bonus with the Ergorack is the length of the carrier. It’s rated for bikes with up to 1,350mm wheelbases, which should cover even a Geometron, and I’ve had e-bikes with wheelbases approaching 1,280mm on there with plenty of room to spare. And the load capacity is a generous 23kg, whereas most Thule racks top out at 20kg.
…and lift into position.
And if you’re worried about having to put a dirty front wheel in the car, fear not. Leave the pedals on, and you can wedge the wheel between the pedal and the handlebars, secured with a couple of toe straps.
Verdict
At £200, the Ergorack is a similar price to Thule’s offerings, but it feels much burlier and better built. It’s simple, stable and well thought out. My only minor criticism is that the wheel tray bends slightly when you add tension to the wheel strap. But this doesn’t really affect the performance in any way. And the fact that it doesn’t look like a bike rack, and it’s super easy to remove, means you’re not advertising the fact that you might have expensive bikes in the house when you’re parked outside.
Details
Weight:4.5kg
Max wheelbase:1,350mm
Max bike weight:23kg
Contact:pbr.co.uk