Some people see a problem and work around it. Others can’t help but wonder if there’s a better way. Nelson-based inventor and entrepreneur Frank Witowski clearly belongs in the second camp.
Frank is the founder of HYBRID Bikes, the New Zealand company behind a range of lightweight carbon-fibre e-bikes designed to make riding more enjoyable and accessible. His passion for clever engineering is evident in the bikes themselves, which combine lightweight carbon-fi
re frames with powerful motors to create e-bikes that are easier to handle without compromising performance.
After years of talking to fellow e-bikers, Frank recently set his mind to a problem he kept hearing about: People love their e-bikes – they just don’t love getting them onto the bike rack.
It’s an understandable frustration. E-bikes can be surprisingly heavy and lifting a 25–35kg bike up onto a conventional rack can be an awkward, uncomfortable business. For some riders, it can even put a dent in their enthusiasm (and ability) around taking their bikes away on longer trips.
In true entrepreneur form, Frank decided there had to be a smarter solution. The result is Goover, a distinctly Kiwi piece of ingenuity that turns the conventional bike-rack concept on its head.
Rather than lifting the bike to the rack, Goover brings the rack down to the bike.
The patented Goover Lift-Free E-Bike Rack allows bikes to be loaded at ground level, secured, and then simply wheeled to the vehicle. The rack is tilted back, rolled into position and connected to the towball using its self-aligning coupling system. In other words: load, wheel, connect and go – without having to heave a heavy e-bike off the ground.
It’s an elegantly simple idea. There’s no elaborate loading ramp or complicated lifting mechanism; just a rethink of where the loading process happens.
The original idea required around 18 months of design, development and testing, beginning in his Nelson garage before moving into manufacturing.
The finished rack has since passed E-Mark and ECE R26 European bike-rack testing, while Frank’s innovation has also picked up international recognition with a 2026 Global Business Innovation Excellence Award.
One of the great joys of travelling by motorhome or caravan is being able to take discover and enjoy new landscapes – and e-bikes have become an increasingly popular way to explore once you’ve parked up. Goover simply makes getting them there a whole lot easier.
For more information, visit gogoover.com
