Blaupunkt e-bike: The folding e-bike Holy Grail - fits under the R1T V2 Tonneau

[PhatDaddy]

This may be of little interest to many, but for me it is a big deal. I have been researching folding e-bikes for 2 years trying to find one for camping trips where the WIDTH, when folded and laid on it's side, would fit in the bed of my R1T and still allow my V2 tonneau cover to fully close. It has been a long and maddening search. I kept coming back to the Carbon Fold - so light weight and with great features, but it just wasn't doing it for me - didn't seem 'camp compatible' (yeah, I don't know exactly - just didn't seem right for me). And somewhere along the journey as I tired of having to jump up into the bed or try to reach over into the bed from the sides loading and unloading various things, I decided to add the Thunderbolt Adventure supply Bed Glider to my R1T. That further reduced the space between the bed and the tonneau cover, so I finally gave up the search. Last weekend at the Tampa RV Super Show I found a great deal on the Blaupunkt e-bike, which I had researched previously. Specs said 20" wide when folded, but I had accepted that I was not going to find a folding e-bike to my liking that could fit under the tonneau. So I bought 2, one for the wife and I. The features met our needs and I liked the look, battery life, and folding features.

Today I got the bikes out to test fit them in the bed, folded, but standing up - they fit as expected - in fact nicely on the larger side of the Bed Glider. But I got to looking - pulled out the tape measure - and what a surprise! They fold down to between 16-17" wide (not 20" as the specs say) and fit perfectly under the sliding tonneau cover, with a tiny scrape against the weather seal edge along the folded handlebars as the cover closes. And that is on TOP of the added height of the Bed Glider (with 2, I load them across both sections of the bed glider). So I can fold them up, pull the glider sections out, load them up, push the glider back in, and seal up the whole load with the tonneau cover and tailgate - out of sight and out of the weather. And with room left in the bed for other camping gear.

The moral of the story? If you have been on the fence like me due to perceived size constraints, DON'T ALWAYS TRUST THE MANUFACTURER SPECS!

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[Cycliste]

Yeah, the widest part of a bike is at the handlebars. On my road bike, I have lately been taking off the front wheel, rotate the handlebars so they are parallel to the top tube and slide the bike on a mover’s blanket under the tonneau cover. It is the fastest way to transport one bike and it is secure-ish under the cover. I also don’t have to climb into the bed like when I’m using a bed mounted rack for the fork, or worry about height if the bike is on a rack mounted on the cross bars. I rarely use the tailgate pad. I don’t have a hitch mounted carrier.

So I use one of four ways to transport bikes based on the number of bikes, MTB or road bike, and other cargo I’m transporting.

 

[Singletracker]

Yeah, the widest part of a bike is at the handlebars. On my road bike, I have lately been taking off the front wheel, rotate the handlebars so they are parallel to the top tube and slide the bike on a mover’s blanket under the tonneau cover. It is the fastest way to transport one bike and it is secure-ish under the cover. I also don’t have to climb into the bed like when I’m using a bed mounted rack for the fork, or worry about height if the bike is on a rack mounted on the cross bars. I rarely use the tailgate pad. I don’t have a hitch mounted carrier.

So I use one of four ways to transport bikes based on the number of bikes, MTB or road bike, and other cargo I’m transporting.

If you’re just carrying one bike and don’t need it under the tonneau, you don’t need a bed mounted rack. Save your money. Here’s my solution for my MTB and it works great! Easy to load/unload (no climbing in the bed) and disappears when not in use. I just throw straps and mounting board in with the spare tire.

 

[PhatDaddy]

Sometimes, sure. But I am pulling a Pebble trailer - truck hitch is occupied. The 1.25” hitch receiver on the rear of the trailer is not beefy enough for my tastes to handle 2 e-bikes due to the physics the rear of the trailer experiences. Besides, out of sight means weather protection and theft protection.

 

[Thunderbolt Adventure]

That's fantastic! We hope you're getting a lot of use out of the Bed Glider!

 

[Pilot-R]

Is there a reason that a tailgate pad doesn't work? Especially with the build in lock, I'm a bit confused.

 

[CharonPDX]

Is there a reason that a tailgate pad doesn't work? Especially with the build in lock, I'm a bit confused.

If the bike fits in the bed with the tonneau closed, why bother with the aero hit and environmental exposure of having it hanging out? Plus, small-frame folding bike probably doesn't fit the tailgate pad well.

 

[Singletracker]

Is there a reason that a tailgate pad doesn't work? Especially with the build in lock, I'm a bit confused.

I have an E-MTB that weighs in excess of 50 lbs. Getting it in and out over the lift gate would be a PITA. I’d also be concerned about the potential for damage to the lift gate. Not to mention, open access to the bed would require removing the bike. Plus, I would have to buy a pad. For me, my solution has worked very well - easy access, very secure, and, the best part, it didn’t cost me dime.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

At 47 lbs, these Blau bikes are not light. Typical for e-Bikes. Urtopia's Fold 1 is 29 lbs. And Carbo's folding bike is 28.5 lbs. Both more expensive then the Blau Fiene though.

 

[Pilot-R]

If the bike fits in the bed with the tonneau closed, why bother with the aero hit and environmental exposure of having it hanging out? Plus, small-frame folding bike probably doesn't fit the tailgate pad well.

I was wondering why the need to look for a bike that would fit in the bed with the tonneau closed if a tailgate pad does the job. There were a number of other needs I didn't realize we're at play

 

[PhatDaddy]

At 47 lbs, these Blau bikes are not light. Typical for e-Bikes. Urtopia's Fold 1 is 29 lbs. And Carbo's folding bike is 28.5 lbs. Both more expensive then the Blau Fiene though.

Yes, the Blaupunkt e-biles are 47 lbs, but I pull the batteries reducing them by 5 lbs. I considered both the Urtopia Fold and Carbo folding models which are indeed lighter, which would be really great. But the Urtopia is 19" wide folded; the Carbo is 23" (both per manufacturer's specs at least). To get under the V2 PTC max width needs to be about 17.5". And to fit under that as well as use the raised Thunderbolt Bed Glider requires more like 16". The Blaupunkts fit snug, but they fit, and work perfectly for our use cases.

 

[ksumnole]

I put 2x 50lbs e-bikes on the tailgate, no issues what so ever. Keep in mind a lot of the weight sits on the bed.

 

[mkhuffman]

I put 2x 50lbs e-bikes on the tailgate, no issues what so ever. Keep in mind a lot of the weight sits on the bed.

My process is to lift my bike over the closed tailgate. I can see a lot of people having problems doing that with a 50lbs bike. My MTB doesn't weight even close to that amount, and it isn't hard to put in. But 50lbs is a different story.

What is your process for loading your heavy bikes? Do you put the bikes in the bed, close the tailgate, and then lift them over while standing in the bed? I have not tried that process myself, but it seems like maybe the way to do it with a heavy bike. The problem is the bed is small, and I am not sure you can close it easily with bikes already there.

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