Customer Reviews:
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 Pretty good., December 17, 2006
By realist (Sunnydale, CA)
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It was really easy to put together and use. It was well packed - it emerged unscathed from a very scathed box. The steel seems thin until you relaize that it is just carrying bikes, not a trailor. It is strong enough and doesn't weigh a ton.
However... It comes in three main pieces that you bolt together. The resulting rack does exactly what it is supposed to. And it is solid. That's almost enough. The problem is that a thief must remove, at most, two bolts to steal your bikes. I used some Locktite on the bolts and cured that little failing. Now the bolts can't come out and the rack is about perfect.
25 of 27 people found the above review helpful.
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 EASY TO USE, great bike rack!, August 15, 2006
By K. Lloyd (Santa Clarita, CA)
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We bought this bike rack to replace a strap-on rack that was a mess to put on. This Allen rack is AWESOME!!! My daughter and I have no trouble at all putting it on, taking it off, stowing it inside the minivan. It doesn't weigh so much as to make it difficult to do this. It is a wide rack and gives more stability than others I considered. My husband loves it too because we ALL pitch in, putting the bikes on off! I did have to purchase an "Allen 900B Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor" for my bike, (women's frame) because the design of its crossbar made it difficult to install on the rack without a tension bar. My daughter's frame was a more traditional women's bike frame and fit perfectly on the rack without a tension bar. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THIS BIKE RACK! We love it -- we even gave it a name -- Herbie!
22 of 24 people found the above review helpful.
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This carrier is great!, July 27, 2006
By chicogolfer (Chico, CA)
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Very easy to put together and well constructed. Wobbles a little when inserted into the 2" receiver but the "no wobble" hitch pin included with the rack fixed it. If you want a locking hitch pin with the "no wobble" feature, you will need to order the one made by Allen (part number 500L). I found it here on Amazon. A standard 5/8" pin won't work as I found out.
14 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen Deluxe Hitch Mounted 4-Bike Carrier, June 28, 2006
By Michael C. Butters (Ann Arbor Mi. USA)
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This Hitch was better than expected. It was heavier duty than I had first thought. It folds up very nice and travels with bikes great. I looked for along time to decide on what to buy and this purchase was a good one. It does not sway like other bike carriers I read. It is a good purchase.
9 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Sturdy, easily assembled, & fits all of our bikes., September 18, 2006
By K. Boggs (Goose Creek, SC)
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I was apprehensive when the very damaged box arrived. The bike carrier itself was undamaged. I put it together easily in about ten minutes. I've driven for 45-minutes with four bikes strapped down and noticed very little movement. My wife's unisex bike with low crossbar fit on this carrier as did my son's beach bike with triple cross bars and my run-of-the-mill 12-speed.
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Great bike rack!, August 5, 2006
By L. Matich (Mechanicsville, VA)
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I don't know much about bike racks, but this one seems to be very sturdy and well made. We've used mounted racks in the past, but they were a pain to set up... my husband would get very frustrated trying to put the bikes on. This summer we decided to add a hitch receiver to our minivan and get this type of rack. It was definitely worth the money!!! My husband had a much easier time getting the bikes on. We especially loved the tilting option, which was easy to do. We were able to keep the rack on the entire vacation but could still easily open the back door of the van.
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Good bike rack, January 20, 2007
By Charles
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The Allen bike rack is constructed well however it is made in China. The bike straps are cumbersome to use as you must unthread to remove a bike and then rethread them to secure a bike. It would have been nice to have clamps like the Yakima and Thule. Overall a good rack.
7 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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User friendly Hitch, November 9, 2006
By L. Jackson (Crossville , TN)
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I found this hitch easy to assembly and mount. I did alone in just a few minutes.
It is a little hard to get womens bikes on the hitch
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Twice the rack for half the price, June 4, 2009
By ski/bike fool (Dillon, CO)
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I looked long and hard at Thule and Yakima racks before finding the Allen 4 bike hitch rack. The Allen is a superior rack, particularly for the price. Here's what I like about it after one full season of use:
- Well constructed of rust-resistent powder-coated steel; after a year of use, no rust anywhere despite the mag chloride we have on CO roads.
- Ease of use. To fold the rack down to get the tailgate up, you simply pull up a spring loaded pin. No need to take a safety catch off a pin and pull the pin through the rack. Equally easy to return to the upright locked position; you simply push it back up and the spring loaded pin pops into the locked position. Likewise, to fold the arms up or down, it's the same arrangement.
- My previous rack and most racks I've seen use rubber straps to secure the bikes to the rack. The Allen uses nylon straps that easily and securely strap the bike into the cradles on the arms. They don't stretch(I lost a bike on a speedbump I didn't see when the rubber straps stretched enough to allow the bike to fall off) nor do they get sun rot and crack like the rubber kind. The cradles also rotate on the arm so they don't interfere with sliding the bikes onto the arms.
- Some others have complained of the nylon strap used to strap all the bikes down. Again, every Thule and Yakima rack my friends have require some kind of strap or bungee chord to make sure wheels aren't turning or bikes aren't doing a lot of bumping together. In this the Allen is no different, so I don't view that as a disadvantage since they all need it.
- Some have complained of no bike lock, but it's a simple matter to secure the bikes on the rack with a cable lock. This is no different from Thule or Yakima racks unless you go to the very highest end rack they make.
- Finally, the friction fit bolt that hold the rack to the hitch does keep the rack from woobling and swaying.
Overall, I'd buy this rack again and recommend it to my friends.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Nice rack, August 1, 2006
By Gordon (Bloomfield, MI USA)
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For the money I don't think your going to do better. I wish it had better tie downs but, it seems to be strong and well built.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Value, March 8, 2007
By MrKoty (Florida)
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I bought this hoping it would work as a carrier for the family outings. It has been excellent. Good construction and very easy to use. I recommend it highly.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Very nice bike rack, November 9, 2006
By saint168 (Oceano, CA)
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I love this bike rack.
1. No rattle.
2. 4 bikes capability.
3. Easy fold down design.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Lacking two bolts, nonstandard hitch pin, April 19, 2009
By Big E (Biloxi, MS)
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Just received it today. Read all the reviews beforehand. Need a rack for about two times a year. Very careful opening the box...TWO bolts missing. Other people have shared this same problem. The nonstandard pin is really a pain. Don't see myself drilling it out to standard size and I'm definitely not purchasing the approx. $50 custom Allen pin (What a joke Mr. Allen the engineer??). Like many people, my life is too busy to send it back or wait on hold for an hour while they try to explain why they can't even send the bolts with the product. I'll go out and buy the bolts.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Solid Rack, April 16, 2009
By Cory Grunhovd (America)
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I bought this rack mostly because of how cheap it was. I wasn't expecting anything too amazing because the price was so low (I bought it online from walmart .) I was seriously surprised at the racks quality for the price. I see that people say the metal is thin, but this is just holding bikes people. The light weight makes it easy to place on the hitch. I think I also have an older/different model even though the model number is the same. Mine has a curved lower tubing and I don't know what the strap with the hooks that you are supposed to hook to the vehicle is. The rack tilt and the folding bike mount are super easy to use. Both have spring loaded quick release pins with no play whatsoever. Loading the bikes is a piece of cake. I don't understand why some reviewers think loading takes too long or the straps are not good enough (again it is just holding bikes.) It only takes a few minutes to load up my bikes and the top and bottom straps hold everything securely. To test out the rack I took our bikes on a 600 mile round trip at 80 mph. The rack was solid and the straps never loosened a bit. I know that you could steal the top half pretty easily (its only two bolts.) For me personally, I'm probably going to weld the nuts to the bolts and never worry about it again (when would I ever need to take it apart.) For the price I give it five stars+
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Good Value, January 25, 2008
By trg2002 (Fenton, MO USA)
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Strong Sturdy Frame. Nice lowering mechanism, but quite difficult to do with 3-4 bikes onboard (heavy to get back up). Bikes hold securely on frame.
Good Value. I would definitely recommend.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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great !, October 23, 2007
By True Blue
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Durable and easy to use, fairly lightweight and easy to store... especially important for a mom with little ones!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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4-Bike Mount Rack - 2" receiver, July 8, 2007
By M. Valis (Street, MD United States)
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We are very pleased with this rack. Love the individual straps, no more many many straps/bungee cords!! We have a Suburban, was very easy to lower the rack (with bikes still mounted on) to have access to back of car. Hitch (compared what we used previously) was easy to handle with installing onto or removing from car, by yourself. Great item!!!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Rack, June 27, 2007
By J. Schiefer
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After reading several reviews I went with this rack. A lot of racks got lousy reviews because they were loose and rattled in the reciever. This one arrived promptly, was easy to assemble, and easy to use. It doesn't rattle, seems very secure in the rack, and has done well on the couple of trips I've used it on so far. The tilt-down feature makes it easy to open the rear hatch on our SUV without removing the rack.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Bike Rack for the price!, March 28, 2007
By Rocco A. Venditto Jr.
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Close to a 2,000 mile road trip with four bikes loaded on and not a problem. Very happy with my purchase. Thank you.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Good Choice, January 10, 2007
By Duckweed (Colorado)
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This is a very sturdy carrier. Easy to assemble and easy to install. Well worth the price versus nearly identical carriers at twice the price.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Worth it and more, January 8, 2007
By mjm (Barrington, IL USA)
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I shopped around, and found this one. Rarely today do you get more than what you pay for. This has all the features you would want. Solid stable rack. Easy on and off. Nice system to fasten the bikes to the rack. Tilts out so you can open the back hatch door. Folds down for easy storage. Look no further. Thanks Allen, job well done.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Good product, January 3, 2007
By T. Robinson (Ballwin, MO)
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Very pleased with its overall stability and strength, but not happy with the straps used to hold bikes in place. Still, good product for the price.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Couldn't be happier!, November 12, 2006
By Acito
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Bought this bike rack for the back of our RV and it works great. Easy on, easy off. Easily holds our 2 adult bikes, 1 tween bike and a kids bike with no problems. We can load all 4 in about 5 minutes and they are nice and secure. We are very happy with this purchase!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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A great value!, November 5, 2006
By Bill Corsin (Fargo, ND United States)
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Very rarely do you find a product that is well made and does exactly what it's intended to do. This is one mighty fine bike rack that is about as close to perfect as you can get. We used it on a group camping trip this Summer and it carried 4 full-size bikes securely and was very easy to load and unload and attach the bikes. It is very durable and the fit and finish are superb. All the guys in the group were quite impressed with it and some may also purchase one. Buy one before the price gets raised to what it's really worth.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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A great bike rack, October 5, 2006
By handy man (san diego, CA USA)
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I had an earlier versions of this bike rack as well. I had to replace the old one because my car was hit from back bending the rack. But it saved my bumper!
They improved the tilting mechanism by adding pull up lock just behind the vertical main bar. They had a single pin lock before. It is very stable. I never tried carrying more than 2 bikes on this but currently I carry my bike converted to an electric bike which as about 60 lbs more weight on it.
I highly recommend this rack to anyone who like to keep their vehicle clear from their bikes and want to carry their bikes safely.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen Bike Rack, April 19, 2009
By Lynn E. Osborn (Jacksonville)
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This bike rack is so easy to install and easy to store; LOVE the bike rack. I really like how I can have all 4 bike mounted on the hitch on the van, and access into the back of the van with never having to take the bikes off the hitch. It rotates the bikes out of the way for easy access.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Carry Bikes for less Bucks, September 22, 2008
By Hack Playwright (The Midwest, USA)
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NOTE: MY VERSION WAS THE 2-INCH. CAN'T VOUCH FOR THE SMALLER HITCH VERSION.
This bike carrier is definitely in the "thrifty" line. No particular bells or whistles- just simple straps holding the bikes down. HOWEVER, it worked really nicely on the back of my '08 Chevy Silverado.
LIKES:
1. The fold-down aspect allowed me to full open the tailgate. I was able to get stuff in and out without having to remove the bikes.
2. Simplicity. The straps are stupid-proof.
3. The fold-down carrying arms is nice when the bikes are off the rack and you don't want people walking into the carrier in a parking lot.
DISLIKES:
1. It's a little wobbly. Not bad- you're not going to lose a bike. It's just worrisome for a person who likes nothing wiggling at 65 - 70 mph on a highway.
2. The straps are stupid-proof...but they do loosen a little in transit. Not enough to let the bikes bounce, but enough that there's more of that wiggle. I used a bike cable to lock the bikes in place, not to mention lock them to the whole hitch mount.
3. Security. It wouldn't be that hard for a truly inspired thief to pull out two bolts and take off with most of the whole contraption, sans hitch insert. If you're really worried, you'll need to figure out how to thief-proof those two bolts.
For the money- great! It's a sturdy, heavy son-of-a-gun that has no problem holding the bikes (even with the wiggle and extra security stuff). And here on Amazon, with the free shipping (which for once shipped the product quickly!) it saved me 30 - 60 bucks off local prices. Which I loved. :)
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Solid Rack, Nice Features, Great Value, August 22, 2008
By dam builder (Cranberry, PA)
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This Allen Bike carrier rack is awesome.
I can easily load a mens and a womens mountain bike, my teenagers thick frame mountain bike, and my young daughters "little Pony" kids bike all at the same time. I had to think about the best way to load them up for a minute, but it was'nt to difficult to make them all fit (and I didnt have to remove any bike parts). I suspect that I would have an easier time loading 4 similar bikes rather than the variety of 2-wheelers that sit in my garage. My wifes "Womens Low X-Bar" bike easily mounted without the extra x-bar attachment that they recommend, so you can save yourself $20 bucks and skip that purchase.
The hitch pin snugs up to the 2" recieved and eliminates all the wobble I have seen on other carriers. The horizontal mount can be folded down by pulling a spring-loaded knob, and the entire unit will fold away from the tailgate by pulling the lower spring-loaded knob. The bikes are held in place by poly-straps and friction buckles. They snug down real nice, and stay secure for the entire trip to the bike trails.
I found this bike carrier to be a quality item, and when you compare the price to the top-name brands, this is definately a great value.
Bottom Line: It will easily carry 4 bikes, it has some very unique features that are nice to have, and its a quality carrier.
Cons: There is no way to "lock" the rack to the reciever unless you buy the locking hitch pin sold separately. (A crook will need a 9/16" wrench to to steal the rack, so its reasonably secure in most places without a lock). There is a gusset on the rack that you can run a cable thru, so I ussually just lock everything up (bikes and rack) to the 2-inch reciever chain holders using a cable and pad-lock.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Product. Great Value, May 2, 2008
By Jason (Montana)
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No issues, no problems. Works great as intended. There is no strap required from the top of the carrier to the vehicle as another reviewer claimed.
Good Value. Solid rack. There is no need to buy name brand. This works as well or better than some. The folding arms are a must. Some of the name brand racks don't have this option.
As other reviewers have indicated the rack does not lock in place with a standard two inch receiver hitch pin. Instead a shoulder bolt with nylon lock nut is used. The shoulder bolt works to pinch the rack to one side in your vehicle receiver tube. Works great to eliminate side sway.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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 Competent product, December 31, 2007
By James L. Baze (Ozawkie, Kansas)
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This is a well constructed product generally. The bike restraints should be rubber instead of nylon but they will basically do the job. The nylon restrains that come with the frame do not competently keep bikes apart. You can, however, use Thule one's as they fit. Best for two bikes ... three or more require removal of seats and turning of HBars.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Stack, strap & go, November 4, 2007
By ED (El Paso, Texas)
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I've owned this product for about 1 month, so far its worked fine. Strong, durable & stable, only thing is the capacity is only 130 lbs.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Gr8 item, Gr8 value, hitch hole is not 5/8" but has special bolt., September 5, 2007
By kings5 (Manassas, VA)
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This is the best value for your dollar. The hitch tilts so you can get into your hatchback, is sturdy, and recesses when there are no bikes. Compared to other hitches this one is terrific. I bought a 5/8" locking pin so no one would steal this great hitch off my car. I found out this hitch hole is not quite 5/8" which is a feature to prevent the rack from wobbling in the hitch. A special bolt comes with the hitch which would be painful to ratchet on and off your car frequently. It would work fine if you left the rack on your car a long time. The bolt could also be undone by a thief. I'd rather have a hitch than no hitch at all so I drilled the hole to 5/8" and can now use my locking pin. Overall, great value.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Worked as described, August 12, 2007
By Charles L. Powers (Delaware)
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I used this bike rack on two womens mountain bikes, one mens mountain bike and a childs bike and it worked great. Very secure with no sway
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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very good rack, June 19, 2007
By S. Wilcox (Ohio)
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I originally had an Allen trunk mount rack. I liked the ease with which you mounted the bikes. For overall ease of use, I returned that and bought the hitch mount. I like the way the mounting arms fold down out of the way when not in use. I have the 4 bike model, and have so far only loaded 2 bikes on it. Seem like the bikes are held securely enough. I have not taken the bikes a long distance, so you will have to rely on others for how this holds up over the long haul. I could not see any real benefits from racks that cost twice as much. I'm satisfied with the Allen and recommend it.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Love Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Rack, June 8, 2007
By Robert E. Hale
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I was a little concerned about the hitch rack when I saw that comparable hitch bike racks were so much mor expensive. I found there was no reason for concern. I love it! It is solid and easy to use. By pivoting it out of position I can raise the back of my Expedition.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Product at a Reasonable Price, June 7, 2007
By Brian Masternak
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Extremely pleased with this bike rack. Works great, very heavy-duty construction and simple design at a price at least $100 less than comparable racks I was looking at from Yakima and Thule. I highly recommend it.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Simple, effective and economical, May 26, 2007
By Irish Exile (VA, USA)
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Tried two other types of racks with no joy; third time lucky. Works a treat, holds my bike and the wifes' and the two kids (11 & 13) bike with no worries.
A good solid build and simple construction.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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good value, January 9, 2007
By William M. Stemler (Monterey, CA)
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allows accessibility to rear of suv, easy assembly, good seating for the bike, and competitively priced
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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This is the one!, January 9, 2007
By Toby A. Gant
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Look no further. This is a quality item. It is made in the USA and is much nicer than the higher-priced units I saw in retail stores that were made overseas.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Solid Product at a very reasonable price., June 26, 2007
By tjlin (Houston,TX)
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I was pleasantly surprise by the thickness built of this bike rack. The arms folds down when not in use and you can tilt it down to an angle access your trunk or SUV. This product is built in USA and not some China parts that will break just as fast. Since the price difference between 2 or 3 or 4 bike rack was minimal I just went for the biggest one. It's kinda real long if you only have 1 or 2 bikes as you must slide your bike all the way in. Then again, more people is always more fun ona bike ride. If you're like me that lives in the city, you'll beg for some safe roads to bike on, then this will help you get to your desired park without risking your life at every turn. The rack is well constructed and don't use those cheap shinny enamel paint so no worries of getting it scratched. I think it is just as reliable as the higher priced Yakima or Thule rack. I definitively recommend it. It has a lifetime warrantee and comes well packaged.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Bike Somewhere ELSE!, October 9, 2008
By B. Mobley (Houston, TX United States)
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These guys are not honest. Ordered another this item. Did not arrive. (For over a MONTH!) Several phone calls to full VM box. Did not reply to emails. Submitted claim to Amazon then, BikeSomeShere canceled my order so that I could not leave well deserved negative feedback. These guys cannot be trusted. Go to their storefront and see how many similar complaints. Buy this from someone else.
2 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Worked well for awhile, but Allen customer service not so good, June 6, 2010
By Tommaso Primo (dallas,tx)
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We had this bike rack for a couple of years with no complaints, but when a 30 cent bolt sheared off and I contacted Allen customer support for a replacement part, they were of no help. Because of how the bolt sheared off, I needed to replace the entire horizontal support at the top of the bike rack, but they wouldn't sell me just that one part. I can't get the sheared bolt out, so the entire back rack is now headed for the trash bin.
So, I won't be buying another Allen bike rack, and I would think hard before doing so yourself. I'm going to seek out a brand like Thule that hopefully has better customer support.
...sigh
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Very good rack - Very reasonable price, July 14, 2009
By Q. White (Katy, Tx)
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Bought this rack a little over a month ago and have used it about 6 times logging a bit over 1000 miles with the bikes on. The performance of the rack is great. It is a well made rack that functions well.
I had read a previous reviews where the reviewer stated that the tie downs were stapled on the rack and this is not the case on the rack I received. Four MTB's fit securely, snug and stayed that way for over 300 miles on one trip.
Previously I had borrowed a friends Thule rack. It was a good rack but not worth over $100 more than this one in my opinion. Great rack at a great price.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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This is a great Bike Rack!, March 29, 2009
By Jon R. Cope (Rockford, IL)
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This is a great Bike Rack even for my Rans Stratus recumbent bicycle. It fits tightly in my 2 inch trailer hitch and is very convenient to just leave on since it tilts down for the back hatch to be opened and the arms that hold the bicycle fold down so that I can still park my vehicle in the garage without having to remove it! It is as good as a Thule and some of the other makers of bike racks but at a much better price.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Sturdy rack at a great price!, August 26, 2008
By D. Sun (Issaquah, WA United States)
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I tried a couple of other racks before and they had the wobbling problem. This rack came with the anti-wobbling bolt. It does require 2 wrenches, but well worth it. Once tightened, the rack did not wobble at all! The rack seems very sturdy and well made. I have used it and felt very confident and very happy with it.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Receiver too short, August 12, 2008
By jsfald (Meridian, ID USA)
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I purchased this right before a trip and had to use it or I couldn't take my bikes with me on the trip. Otherwise I would have returned it.
I had a huge problem with how long the "insert" that goes into the hitch is. When I had it all assembled I tried to put it on the hitch but the holes on the receiver didn't match the holes on the hitch! It was too short! The pull pin, with the ball on top that allows you lower the arm so you have access to the back of you vehicle, was hitting my bumper. I had to remove the pull pin and replace it with a bolt I had in my garage. This gave me an extra quarter inch to line up the holes on the insert and the hitch and put a bolt through them. So now the carrier is on my SUV.
The next problem was when the arms were in the upright position, so you can put your bikes on it, the rack is too close to my SUV. There is enough movement that the rack can hit the back of my SUV. When my bikes are on them the arms are loaded enough that the rack leans away from the my SUV. Luckily I didn't have to stop suddenly or else I'm sure it would have made a dent in my back door. What did happen was the rack scratched my back door. I assume this either happened from the off road we took to get to the trail head or by driving with the arms in the upright position without bikes on them. So I used some duck tape and put a small rag on the part that could scratch my SUV.
I looked at my brothers carrier and his insert was a good foot longer than this one is. Other than these two problems the carrier worked great and it was definitly the cheapest carrier out there. If your hitch sticks out further than your bumper and door than you should be okay. My hitch is an inch or two under (behind?) my bumper. So purchase with caution or don't purchase right before you need to use it so you can return it if necessary and get one that works for you.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Don't buy this rack - buy a Yakima, August 6, 2008
By E. Yap (NE Ohio)
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I just bought this rack based on the good reviews on amazon but what a dissapointment. Box says designed in USA but made in China.
Amazon packaging is non-existent. They ship in original box which was busted open on 1st order. Rack was scratched. And also on the replacment order box was torn open in shipment.
For the rack itself, First, the drawbar mount is loose in the hitch reciever. You will need shims to stop the rattling in the hitch reciever.
2nd, for the tilt dowm mechanism, the upright lock on the hitching post is not well made. There is a 5/16 gap between the pin and lock, making the hitching post rattle when you acclerate and or brake. At the top of the rack, it will move about 2" forward and back. Replacement item has the same problem. which leands me to think that the manufacturing is at fault. The design is good but the China manufacturing has very poor tolerences.
Beware also the hole on the drawbar to hitch it on the car is not standard. I bought the 2" hitch version but the hole is 1/2" for 1-1/4" reciever mount. My 5/8" hitch lock will not work on the drawbar. They give a 1/2" nut and bolt but that can be easily unbolted by a thief.
If it were not for the price, I would have gotten a Yakima which is $20 more at my local store.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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grest carrier, September 29, 2007
By J. Boehm (Cincinnati, Ohio)
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We needed a carrier that would carry an adult tricycle and 2 kids bikes with training wheels and this 4 bike carrier worked great. We used some bungy straps to keep it stable but there is hardley any sway behined our motorhome or on the back of the car. This was a great purchase!!!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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really good rack great value, August 31, 2007
By Campin' with Bikes (Benicia Ca)
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This rack works very well. It is very sturdy and easy to assemble. I've shopped around for a better deal and am convinced there is not a better deal for a rack of this type anywhere. I highly recommend this rack at this price. It was even worth it with the shipping upgrade. 120 bucks,You can't beat it.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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very good bike rack, August 9, 2007
By E. Breaux (la)
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excellent 4 bike rack that fits easily onto back of our Suburban Tow haul system. Rack pivots nicely and is easy to put on vehicle and remove. East to unload and unload bikes. Would highly recomend.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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super convenient, July 12, 2007
By skatemom (Iowa City, IA)
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easy to install and uninstall, sturdy, tilts so you can open the trunk, I'd say go for it, the price is beautiful
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen Bike Rack 2 inch receiver, June 9, 2007
By Wayne Masinelli (Staunton Il)
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I received the Allen Bike rack and was surprised to see how strong the frame was. I did get 3 bikes on the Rack with no problem. I like the way in tilts out so I can open my truck tailgate, it gives me lots of room. I
am very happy with this rack. I leave it attached to my truck all the time.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver), January 9, 2007
By John F. Fowlds Jr.
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Awesome bike rack. Works as advertised and very well built!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Good Bike Rack, January 3, 2007
By J. McClellan (Roanoke, VA)
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Good design and very well made bike rack to hold four bikes. Folds flat and stores easily from hook on wall. Moves very little with the provided "no wobble" bolt. You do need two wrenches to install the bolt onto the 2 in. receiver
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Oops!, July 18, 2007
By Z. Stowell (Seattle)
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I bought this for a Subaru Outback, only to discover it would require a custom built receiver. I made the poor assumption that Subarus would inherently be designed for this type of accessory' not so. Make certain it can be used with your vehicle before purchasing.
If returning this one, I recommend wrapping the actual box in bubble wrap and wrapping that with shipping paper. The box Amazon uses is ridiculously ineffective- something aforementioned in other reviews.
Other than that, it arrived as described. The decal fell off but I wasn't concerned about that. Unfortunately, I couldn't road test it! Instead, I bought a individual racks to mount to the luggage rack. I will say that I don't miss attaching a rear mounted rack to the back of my car every time I need to transport my bikes (I used to use a Yamaha in the past with a different car). On the flip side, once the top racks are installed they're basically there forever unless you want to go through the hassle of removal each time they're needed. Also, lifting bikes to the roof can be awkward.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Haven't installed the rack yet..., May 6, 2009
By C. ISOM (STL,, MO)
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I haven't installed this rack on our vehicle yet, but I plan to do so. My complaint is about the packaging and missing hardware:
The box was junk. It had plainly been opened and some of the hardware robbed out of the hardware bag. The box was then roughly taped up and shipped on it's way. If the packaging is torn up this bad, and the seller decides to send it out despite of it's condition, how can I have reasonable trust this item has all of it's parts and instructions.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Lack of customer service, February 20, 2011
By Biker50
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Worked ok for a while but then bent with 4 bikes. Destroyed 2 new bikes. No response from Allen after numerous attempts. Finally connected but they said they would not do anything. Consider any other mfr.
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Allen Deluxe 4-bike hitch mount (2-in receiver), September 16, 2009
By w1ljmm (Boston)
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Very good product. I would buy another if I ever needed one again.
Quality that will last a life time.
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Soccer Mom, September 12, 2009
By Handywoman (WI, USA)
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Great rack. Our maiden voyage with the rack was with 4 bikes loaded on an 800 mile trip. No issues. All 4 bikes fit - did not have to alter spacing. There was a little wobble in a couple of places, but I just stuck a piece of plastic shim in those. The shims stayed put and no wobble issues. It probably would have worked just fine without, the shimming just made me feel better. I do recommend using bungee cords with the rack to more securely attach the bikes, but this is true with any car bike rack. I love the fold down feature for when you are not carrying bikes. I found it easy to assemble and install by myself (I am a smallerish mom). Good price and VERY fast shipping.
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very well designed bike rack for a great price, September 9, 2009
By Rebecca (Santa Cruz, CA USA)
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This bike rack carries four bikes with ease. It is simple to use, and robust. I took a long road trip with it: very pleased!
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Sturdy and good price, February 7, 2009
By H. E. Tse (Columbia, SC USA)
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Good quality product. The anti-rattling bolt does great job to secure the vertical pole. Mounting point can swival around, that makes loading and unloading possible to irregular bike frame type/size. I read some previous review mentioned about a tie provided for hold the top rack to top of vihecal. The tie is for holding the bikes together so they are not allowed to hang loosely. An additional support is not needed!
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Good purchase., December 16, 2008
By E. BRIONES (California)
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Very happy, works great, easy to install. I have a Honda Element and it fits very well on it.
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Rack rocks, December 3, 2008
By DougieDog (Grand Rapids, MI)
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Awesome product. Prior to purchasing Allen Bike Rack - I had a Schwinn Rack that wobbled all over the place and was difficult to move the arms up/down and even a pain to tilt away from the tailgate of my truck. The Allen is well built and to tilt the arms up/down and to drop it away from the tailgate is a breeze. The other bonus is the strapping mechanism - much nicer than the Thule since there's no rubber to tear/rip over time.
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can't beat it for the price, October 6, 2008
By J. Grage (michigan)
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For the price this rack can not be beat. heavy duty construction, well made and easy to assemble.
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Simple, functional, and looks good, September 28, 2008
By Brian (WA)
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The box from FedEx suffered some damage, but the unit was in good shape. Putting it all together and attaching it to the car was quick and easy... took about 15 minutes. The bikes easily strap down to the rack and come off just as easy. There was some slight wobble to the unit at a joint in the vertical post, but nothing to be concerned about. When you're not carting bikes around, the mounting portion folds down, and the whole unit can tilt back to about a 45 degree angle for easy access to the trunk of your car.
Lately I've been taking a closer look at bike mounts on other cars, and this one looks a lot nicer that just about any other brand I've seen. The only minor problem is that there really isn't any way to burglar-proof the bikes unless you somehow chain them to some part of the frame of your car, but this is probably an issue with just about any bike mount. Just don't leave them out of sight for too long. Overall, I would highly recommend this Allen rack.
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bike rack, September 21, 2008
By James S. Lakomy (usa)
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Received the bike rack on time and it was very easy to put together. I haven't used it yet, but so far so good
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Room for improvement, August 25, 2008
By Aaron Higley
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This is a good product, but don;t like the bolt method of attaching to tow mount. Would rather use tow bar lock insted, so I'll have to drill out the hole o make it bigger.
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Great bike rack, August 24, 2008
By Jessica L. Graham (michigan)
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This is a great bike rack for adult bicycles. I originally bought a Thule for $300 but ended up taking it back because of the price. This has all the features of the Thule for less than half the cost. It is lighter, folds down when not in use, and tilts away from the vehicle for easy access to my minivan's rear hatch. Child bicycles don't fit as easily, but it still works. The strap that came with it isn't very sturdy. The plastic piece broke when my husband was tightening it. If you want a locking pin to secure the rack to your hitch you have to buy Allen's brand or drill a bigger hole on the bike rack. Overall, I'm very happy with this rack.
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Nice Bike Rack for the Money, July 20, 2008
By Go_G-Men (NJ, USA)
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Just finished a 500 mile trip using the Allen bike rack, sturdy, and easy to use. Very nice for the money! Two comments - one which I have read previously in comments.
Unless I was doing something wrong you will need to drill a hole in the frame in order to use the provided bolt and secure it to the hitch receiver. No big deal, took two minutes to do. When connecting the frame to the hitch receiver there is a little play - easily rectified with a wood shim!
All in all a very nice unit.
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Nice rack =P, July 11, 2008
By goldmatch45 (Memphis,Tn)
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solid well thought out design. The bikes are held close to each other so I tie a few rags in key spots to prevent bike on bike contact. So far there have been no scratches. It works with my sons 20 inch as well as my 29er. It will also work with my Townie cruiser if I use the cross bar attachment. Hope this helps
Dan
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Easy to use, June 4, 2008
By Amy P. (Excelsior, MN USA)
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Easy to use. Holds bike securely. Love that it tilts down with the pull of a knob so I can get into the back of my SUV easily while it's attached.
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Nice!, May 31, 2008
By Thomas O'farrell (Blanchard ID)
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Easy assembly and mounting plus is very secure in carrying bikes though would suggest a lock for the mounting pin to keep it from disappearing.
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Great Family Bike Rack, October 19, 2007
By J. Crocker (Columbia, SC.)
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This is a fantastic bike rack for a family. Fits 4 bikes (provided they're adult size....kid size bikes aren't wide enough for both braces to fit inside the frame). Rides without rattling. Kinda heavy but not unmanageable. Amazon price was over $100.00 cheaper than the bike shop. Hard to beat that!
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Good Rack, October 10, 2007
By A. J. Kahler (Louisville, KY)
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The Rack is well made and plenty sturdy. I like the fact that I don't have to take it off to lower my tailgate. I do wish it had different ties than the nylon straps and that it came with a locking hitch pin. The hitch pin that comes with it is not quickly removable without tools. Other than those minor details it's a great rack for the price.
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Great Value Rack, August 26, 2007
By Market_Ace (Boise, ID USA)
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For $99 can't beat this rack. No problems at all. Spring pull pins are very convenient for raising and lowering rack. No squeaks or rattles. Very satisfied.
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack, August 24, 2007
By T. Chan (Brooklyn, NY)
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Didn't even get to use it. Rack was received but was missing the screws and bolts, couldn't exchange it because Amazon was out of stock and couldn't replace it until October so I had to return it and request for a refund. Rack was shipped in it's original box but it was all beat up and was all taped, the screws and bolts could've fall out.
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Good Value - Easy to Use, August 23, 2007
By PhillyGuy (Suburban Philadelphia)
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Easy to assemble and install on hitch. Purchased hitch from U-Haul for $160. Took 30 minutes to assemble rack, install hitch and rack.
A real bargain compared to what they charge at bike stores.
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Allen Bike Hitch - looks good!, August 23, 2007
By Gerry
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I have not used this item yet - but the assembly was easy and the overall quality of the product looks excellent. I was able to pack several sizes of bike onto it fairly easily. It fits onto our hitch nicely and folds very easily.
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Well made, August 13, 2007
By J. BRUNO (NY<NY)
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A well made heavy duty hitch that is very stable, even with 4 bikes on it.Well worth the price.
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bike hitch rack, August 8, 2007
By hip (Chicago, IL)
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tongue was too short and did not mount in hitch and allow rack to work without contacting the car. had to add extension to bring rack out from back of car, 4 inches added. Cost me additional $38. Very sturdy rack for the price..
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Great hitch, easy to use., July 26, 2007
By M. Robarts (Massachusetts)
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We searched and searched and read a lot of reviews before purchasing this hitch. For 2 sincerely unhandy people, we managed to attach it without too much distress. The main issue was that we could not figure out how to "drop the muffler" on our '06 Honda Odyssey, and so in the end didn't. So the hitch is attached with minus one bolt -- which we intend to fix as soon as we can. However we have used it a few times on long trips already and there is no sign of any movement/swaying at all. The feature which allows you to access the back of the van without taking the hitch off is great -- even my 7 year old can do it! The one minor snag is that the hitch is slightly too wide for my bike (female) and so it is quite a tight fit getting it on there. OVerall great hitch, not too bad to install (takes 2 people, it is heavy to maneuver.)
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Awesome - Great Value, July 19, 2007
By T. Vetter (Fort Worth, Tx USA)
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This was an instant problem solver and for 100 bucks i couldn't ask for anything more.. This is a great product.. and if you are thinking about buying it.. Buy it.
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Great Rack, June 14, 2007
By M. Bolling
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The box came a little damaged, but the rack was well packed and received no damage. Had it together in no time and like other users, used locktite to secure bolts. Just took two bikes for a weekend trip about 3 hours away...done great! For the money, this rack cannot be beat. Like others, I wish Allen could come up with some other type of technique for fastening the lower wheels (other than included strap).
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I like it, June 1, 2007
By Handy man (somewhere in the US)
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It's really worth the money. I'd recommend to other. The two features that I like are fold away from the trunk and fold down bar where you are not carry any bike.
the only change I would suggest is to have a quick connector (instead of the nut and bold) so I can quickly remove it from my truck.
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Hitch Mounted 4-Bike Carrier, July 25, 2006
By Mike C (Pittsburgh, PA)
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EXTREMELY sturdy unit. Very well built.
Setup was a cinch. Can't imagine a better rack for the price.
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Hitch Mounted Bike Carrier was Great!!!, July 20, 2006
By M. Hetrick (Grantsville, MD USA)
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I purchased this Bike Rack for our annual camping trip to the Beach, we do a lot of bike riding while there...The rack held all 4 bikes very securely, and the fold-down feature made it easy to unload the fully-packed truck bed!! I left it on the truck the whole time we were there; the rack portion folds down so it's out of the way in the interim. Very sturdy. Also comes with a strap to secure the bikes to the rack, if you wish. A VERY good purchase for the money.
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Good price for bike rack, May 8, 2008
By Ronald J. Hoxworth
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount RackI have not used the rack yet, but it appears to be strong and well built....very good for the price.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Warning: Spare Tire on back door!, August 24, 2009
By diy guy (Mountain View, CA)
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Great hitch-mount bike rack for a fair price with the exception that it doesn't fit on vehicles that put spare tires on the back (such as the 2008 Rav4 we installed it on.)
I didn't read any reviews warning us about that.
We thought we were saving $50 by getting this instead of a Thule/Yakima rack, but that savings is going to be eaten up by purchasing a hitch extension.
Lame, very very lame.
0 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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should be designed better., April 4, 2007
By lightening (NJ, USA)
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It's good to hold 4 bikes. But I can't open the rear hatch door. I saw other similar product that can lower the rack and let people open the rear hatch door.
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