I just realized that I had not responded with a satisfactory "fix" for this situation. The provided ramp is about 36" long (as seen in the original post) and folds up on itself in 3-1 foot pieces for easy storage. It would be much better if the ramp was longer. I purchased a 4' length of 3"X1" aluminum channel. I riveted a 1' length of the long channel to the lower 1' section of the provided ramp. Once they were attached, the effective, usable length of the ramp is now 5' This makes rolling the bike up the ramp much easier!
The only downside is that I have a 4' folded long ramp to store rather than a 1' folded length. Not a show-stopper though and my wife can now load the bike herself.
The only downside is that I have a 4' folded long ramp to store rather than a 1' folded length. Not a show-stopper though and my wife can now load the bike herself.