Customer Reviews:
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 Good Rack for Frugal Buyers, August 18, 2010
By Rosakins (Baltimore, MD)
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Let me begin by stating that I bought this rack at Pep Boys after reading one of the negative reviews (there's irony for you). After using the Allen Deluxe 4-Bike rack last week to haul two bikes from Baltimore, MD to Brunswick, ME (12 hours), then four bikes from Brunswick to Acadia National Park (3 hours), plus round trips and the time we spent in Acadia, I can say this inexpensive rack performed admirably. For the most part, the pros and cons supplied by other reviewers seem fair. (Although why you would want to fold down a rack with 4 bikes attached is beyond me, probably because of my lack of strength.)
Installation: My husband and I had a hitch installed on our 2001 Pathfinder specifically to take our inexpensive hybrid bikes to Acadia. The guy who installed the hitch, Bob, also assembled the rack in about 10 minutes; he's used to assembling Thule racks, so he's experienced but it didn't look terribly difficult. Bob didn't like the "sway" and recommended a locking pin that would fix that problem (which another reviewer also mentioned). The locking pin, however, would not go through the bike rack's holes, so Bob expanded the hole by re-drilling it (again, another Amazon reviewer mentioned the need to do this). Clearly a design flaw in a rack specific to a 2" Class III hitch, but it was "easily" corrected by Bob who had the tools and know-how.
Use: Getting two men's hybrid bikes on the rack was simple. Getting four bikes was a tight squeeze, and it was made more difficult because one of the bike's was a woman's bike. Still, with some trial and error, the four bikes fit. For 3 days the four bikes were put on and off the Allen rack with little difficulty. They were extremely stable. We used an assortment of chains and locks to deter any opportunistic thieves who may have been looking for low-end bikes. We were able to access the inside of the SUV through the back window which required only a slight movement of one bike's handle bars. Although the rack folds down, you need to remove the bikes and we could get to what we needed without doing this.
Recommendation: if you have the money to spend, have expensive bikes, and/or transport your bikes frequently, buy a more expensive rack with more bells and whistles built in (locking pins, locking cables, etc.). If, as we did, you need a rack to transport more than two bikes and can't justify or afford to pay at least $250 on hitch rack, buy this one with confidence. Although our need for a 4 bike rack was specific to our vacation trip, we now have the ability to carry 2 bikes easily and up to 4 with a minimum of hassle. All this, for less than $150. We're happy. If we decide to become more than occasional recreational bicyclers, we'll invest in better bikes and possibly a different rack.
70 of 70 people found the above review helpful.
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bike rack, June 13, 2009
By mggreen (USA)
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A good rack for the money. If your trying to put a womans bike on your going to need the adaptor because the support bars are futher apart than most upper end racks.
29 of 30 people found the above review helpful.
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Good (but not perfect) Rack, September 21, 2009
By zippers (CA USA)
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At first, I must admit that I thought that the two bars holding the bikes would not be strong enough to support all of the weight of my MTB bikes. But, after several trips to the local trails, I'm glad to report that it's been a very solid rig.
On the down-side (if you could call it that), you must remove a retaining pin when tilting the bike rack down in order to open your SUV Hatch. It can be a bit of a hassle if you're doing this a half a dozen times per day. I noticed that with Thule Racks (for example), they have a 'quick release' tab that tilts the rack down with a flick of the wrist. This seems to be a far superior method.
Other than that, I've been very satisfied with this product and would probably buy it again considering the great price.
17 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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 Run don't walk away from this 4 bike hitch, May 22, 2010
By jen (Chico, Ca United States)
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I had been looking for a 4 bike trailer mounted hitch for several weeks. I looked at lots of reviews and just happened to be in Pep Boys one day where this was on sale for $99. Wow, $99 for a 4 bike hitch when Thule and Yakima ones are going for hundreds more? What's not to like? Well, there's a reason it's $99 and not $200+. Mounting it is fine, getting bikes on is great however the real problems occur when you try to lower the bike hitch so you can open your rear door with your bikes on it.......It's very heavy and it takes two people to lift if down and back up. This is not the infuriating part though. While one of you is straining and holding up the four bikes with the rack the other person has to bend and twist their body around the bikes to fit this tiny linch pin into a hole. The fun part is it does not fit well and no matter how many ways we tried it did not go in all the way. After much frustration we took all of the bikes off the mount and still could not get the darn pin in without banging it through forcefully. The slightest movement up or down knocked it out of alignment.....to make a long story short we returned it to Pep Boys and bought the Thule bike rack mount which also has a linch pin but also fits much better and rubber guides to help you line up the parts. So now 4 bikes go on on off no problemo.
14 of 22 people found the above review helpful.
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So far so good & Solution to pin alignment problem!, August 20, 2010
By Mark P
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Hi,
Here is the deal with this rack.
I read the bad reviews about the pin alignment problem. Then I went to Dicks, and actually looked at the one on the floor. Quess what? If you pulled out the pin to lower the rack, it would not go in even with no bikes on it!
Yikes!
However, I needed a rack in a hurry and I was not spending $[...]+ on the next best one.
I ended up getting this one at Pep Boys on sale for $[...].
I just needed it for the coming weekend and may use it occasionally, and figured I would just forgo the use of the lowering feature.
I took it home and assembled it. I cranked down all 3 bolts good and tight.
I installed it on our SUV and lo and behold, I pulled the pin and then could not get it back in!
The holes were mis-aligned.
Having some mechanical experience, I remembered other times where a hinge bolt, that was too tight, caused problems.
So, I loosened the hinge bolt just so the nut made contact. Its the lowest of the 3 smaller bolts. (not the hitch bolt)
Wa-La, I tried the pin again and it went in with one hand WITH 2 bikes loaded.
As long as the nut has a few threads showing throught it, this bolt does not have to be cranked down tight. Its a lock nut that will not come off the bolt from simple driving conditions.
As for the other reviewer who complained about the weight of the bikes on the rack, EVERY rack that tips down like this, unless it has some kind of assist, will be heavy and harder to push back up. With 2 bikes I tipped mine and it was fine. I could see having a 2nd person assist with 4 bikes, especially if you don't have great upper body strength.
Rack does not slop all around, good positive straps on the bikes, and did the job on our 5 hr trip to Canada.
As for security, its lacking there just as most of them do.
Don't try to go out and get a 5/8" locking pin for your hitch, it will not fit this rack as the holes are only 1/2" and it has a "special" bolt. If you get a 1/2" locking pin, it will go in but allow the rack to "slop" around.
I'd simply get a long bike security chain and wrap it around all the bikes and through the safety chain loops on your hitch. This is only security from amatures who could take this rack apart with 2 wrenches and take the bikes. If you leave your bikes on a rack, anyone who really wants them can get them. FYI.
So far, for the price, it has done its job for us.
If you bike alot, get a better unit that has nice "retractible pins". But this is a good unit for my use and the price.
Thanks,
MP
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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So far so good & Solution to pin alignment problem!, August 20, 2010
By Mark P
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Hi,
Here is the deal with this rack.
I read the bad reviews about the pin alignment problem. Then I went to Dicks, and actually looked at the one on the floor. Quess what? If you pulled out the pin to lower the rack, it would not go in even with no bikes on it!
Yikes!
However, I needed a rack in a hurry and I was not spending $[...]+ on the next best one.
I ended up getting this one at Pep Boys on sale for $[...].
I just needed it for the coming weekend and may use it occasionally, and figured I would just forgo the use of the lowering feature.
I took it home and assembled it. I cranked down all 3 bolts good and tight.
I installed it on our SUV and lo and behold, I pulled the pin and then could not get it back in!
The holes were mis-aligned.
Having some mechanical experience, I remembered other times where a hinge bolt, that was too tight, caused problems.
So, I loosened the hinge bolt just so the nut made contact. Its the lowest of the 3 smaller bolts. (not the hitch bolt)
Wa-La, I tried the pin again and it went in with one hand WITH 2 bikes loaded.
As long as the nut has a few threads showing throught it, this bolt does not have to be cranked down tight. Its a lock nut that will not come off the bolt from simple driving conditions.
As for the other reviewer who complained about the weight of the bikes on the rack, EVERY rack that tips down like this, unless it has some kind of assist, will be heavy and harder to push back up. With 2 bikes I tipped mine and it was fine. I could see having a 2nd person assist with 4 bikes, especially if you don't have great upper body strength.
Rack does not slop all around, good positive straps on the bikes, and did the job on our 5 hr trip to Canada.
As for security, its lacking there just as most of them do.
Don't try to go out and get a 5/8" locking pin for your hitch, it will not fit this rack as the holes are only 1/2" and it has a "special" bolt. If you get a 1/2" locking pin, it will go in but allow the rack to "slop" around.
I'd simply get a long bike security chain and wrap it around all the bikes and through the safety chain loops on your hitch. This is only security from amatures who could take this rack apart with 2 wrenches and take the bikes. If you leave your bikes on a rack, anyone who really wants them can get them. FYI.
So far, for the price, it has done its job for us.
If you bike alot, get a better unit that has nice "retractible pins". But this is a good unit for my use and the price.
Thanks,
MP
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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 Nice Rack Baby :-P, May 27, 2011
By Musically aroused (Cincinnati, Ohio United States)
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I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty, and was really hoping people would indicate their vehicle when reviewing this item. This is important, as my big question looking at this rack was: Will it extend past my spare tire hanging off the back? The answer: no. I ended up having to buy a hitch extender. I bought an 8-inch, but turns out I measured wrong and could have gotten away with a 6- inch extender. Keep this in mind should you have a spare tire on the back like me.
My drawback to this item is vehicle specific as well. It has a pin system to lower the rack. However, it doesn't lower it enough to get out of the way of the spare tire when the door swings open. So once on, I can only access my rear compartment via the glass hatch. The bike rack doesn't swing out of the way like some Thule models.
The rack itself is awesome. Well made and well constructed. Very strong (could easily support 400 lb if needed). I love that the straps are fabric feed-through loops. This helps in carrying children's bikes which don't always have the nice and convenient thin tubes that other racks require. My daughter's bikes are thick tubed and fit just fine on this thing.
About the install. First off, I'm amazed that people would pay someone to install this item. Honestly, if a 1st grader had the strength of a 5th grader, they could install it easily (it weighs about 30 lbs). It comes put together in the box already. It requires you to: A - take it out of the box. B: slide it into your hitch. and C: slide and tighten the nut and bolt pin. Honestly, that's what I did. Why in the world would I pay anyone to do that?
Also, people have mentioned wobble. It doesn't wobble much (and my wobble is made worse with my hitch extension). Plus, the wobble does not affect the vehicle nor does it affect the hitch. I can't even hear it. So it isn't an issue and not worth buying an anti-wobble bolt or even having to drill. The bolt that comes with it gets the job done, and it can do it's little wobble back there all it wants and I don't even notice it.
Great item, just not perfect for the type of vehicle. And seriously people....pay to install? Let me know next time and I'll send my 7-year old daughter to show you how to do it. You do the lifting, and she can show you how.
Also, ignore the poster saying they couldn't get into the back of their car with 4 bikes on the rack. That's not the purpose of the lowering mechanism. It's to allow you to get into the back of your vehicle with NO bikes on it. Of course with 4 bikes on it it's going to be a pain in the butt. With no bikes it's super easy, it just doesn't allow my tailgate to open anyway because it swings out with a tire on it. But if you want one that totally gets out of the way, you'll need about $400. What do you want for $90? Come on.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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great rack!!, August 29, 2009
By mike (jersey city nj)
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nice rack well made fits my mini van well,was missing the botom strap to hold the bikes together at the bottom,that was disapointing,but over all very good for the price
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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 Allen Hitch Mount 4-Bike Rack, June 23, 2011
By yourwishismine
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I purchased this product based on the Star Rating and a few reviews. This product does work as advertised and we have been using it for a couple weeks now. If you are hauling 4 bikes, it will be a rather tight squeeze to get the bikes on the rack. Hauling 2 bikes is a breeze and it works great for that. I'm not sure why bike rack manufactures don't put more space between the mounting positions. The straps that hold the bikes in are not great quality and will probably break after a year or 2 of use (I say this from using another rack that had the same type of mounting straps). The rack should be able to be put together with in less than an hour. 1 person should be able to assemble the rack, however having a second set of hands will definitely help. I give this only 3 stars because of the lack of spacing for 4 bikes, if you are going to haul 4 bike regularly, I would advise looking elsewhere (although, if your cheap and don't mind a little hassle getting your bikes on and off every-time, thing go for this). It would be nice if the used a more durable strapping mechanism, but that didn't bother me nearly as much as how much of a pain it is to put 4 bikes on a rack that is supposedly a 4-bike rack.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Good bike rack but not top pf line, March 28, 2010
By TBBloom (Bloomsburg, PA)
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My wife and I just got into biking and have 4 bikes between us and kids, so I bought the 4 bike holder.
Arrived quickly and as described. Put together with 3 bolts in about 3 minutes. Easy to follow instructions. The bolt that goes into hitch was fine. I would recommend buying a lockable bolt for hitch as you need toold to remove the bolt the rack comes with.
As for the rack, bikes sit on rack and strap in via 2 straps with tie downs for your bike. Depending on bike, rack may not fit the best. There was nothing to hold bottom of bikes. They just suspend there. This works fine unless ride gets bumpy. I dont like fact that there is nothing holding bikes down except straps and weight of bike BUT for $104 paid thru amazon I cannot complain.
Seems sturdy and finish is nice. Also hinges in two places (top and bottom) so you can get access to hatch if needed and fold down when not in use.
I would recommend in addition to a lockable hitch bolt, to get a simple tie down strap for bottom of bikes.
Otherwise, easy to assemble and hook up. Assemply to hook up is about 5 minutes with a basic wrench.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Quality Issues, July 23, 2010
By Vikas Gupta
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The bottom locking pin does not pass through the holes in the rack as the two pieces of the rack are not fully aligned. It took me some time to install the hitch and by the time I installed the rack, it had been past 30 days. Have sent an e-mail to the seller but have not heard back in the last 3 days. As far as I am concerned, I cannot use the product with its design flaw. I wish I had paid some more and gone for a much easier to use, more robust quality rack from other brands which have a quick release feature. I would not recommend buying this product if this is a common quality problem.
4 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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Totally happy with this one, good for the money!, May 9, 2011
By Ryan
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I bought this at w mart cause I needed it that day. But did all the research on Amazon. This is a killer buy as long as you are aware of the minor modifications that need to be done when you buy it. Most 4 bike racks cost several hundred dollars. So I figure this one at just over a hundred is a steel. First the bad (minor modifications, just drill out the 2 holes to 5/8" (I used a step bit on my cordless drill, very easy, 5 min.) so your normal locking pin for your hitch will fit. That's all, I don't no why the manufacture didn't do that in the first place??? This is to secure the bike mount so no one can take it while your out on the trail. To secure your bikes just wrap a standard bike chain (or 2 together if you need more length) through all the frames and through your safety chain loop on bumper.
The rack is solid and I have fit ALL STYLES OF BIKES on it including 2 different brands of full suspension, hardtail, and no suspension.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Deal, April 18, 2011
By jjwilstex (San Antonio, Texas United States)
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I just bought this rack last week after reading reviews for about all of them. This one caught my eye since it came from Amazon. I don't know how they did it, but it was delivered the next evening! Quickest I have received anything! Other people have said they had mounting issue but for a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, there was no problem at all.
It only took about 10 minutes out of the box and on the Jeep. Like other buyers have said, the downside (kind of) is the fact that it is a fixed bolt that mounts to the hitch, so you have to use a socket and wrench to put on/take off each time. So dependnig on how you are going to use it, that is good (hard to steal) or time consuming to take off each time. We are going to get the locking bolt since we take it off each time we are done.
We also did not have issues with the back glass not clearing the rack. There is plenty of room and we don't even have to tilt the rack. There are really only two issues I have with it. 1) the straps to tie down the bikes are really short and there isn't much left over, they work, but I will buy some velco ones that are a bit longer. 2) depending on what kind of bikes you have, it will be very hard for us to even get three bikes (3rd being a 20" childs bike). The mounts are pretty close together for getting 3 or more.
The last and most important (too me at least) is if you have a 1 1/4" hitch this mounts right up, DONT buy the adapter like I did. It comes with a thick plastic sleeve for 2" hitches and it comes right off for the smaller one. I hardly had any movement from the mount as well, didn't really go far either, but lots of bumps and dips and they rode great. Overall I would purchase one of these again without hesitation.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Very Nice Product (Well Built) GREAT PRICE, March 22, 2011
By Coffee Lover
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After having a tow hitch installed on our Honda Oddysey I of course came to Amazon to look for a nice 4 bike hitch. I looked at numerous bick racks, and based on reviews and price I decided to go with the Allen Deluxe 4 Bike hitch with 2 inch receiver. I must say I am Very Very pleased with my purchase so far. Product arrived in perfect condition of course and was very easy to assemble. This bike mount is heavy and solid. Instilation onto the Honda was very easy just slip the rack into the hitch, line up the holes (2 holes to choose from) slide the bolt in and tighten. From assemble to instalation total time was between 5-10 min. There are 2 pins attached to the rack, one lets you lower the 2 bike holder arms down which is very nice. The other pin lets the whole rack tilt down so the back tailgate will open (A must to keep you from having to take off the rack just to open tailgate. I have not tried to tilt rack with a bike on it yet but the pins are very easy to use and are connected to rack with metal wire so you wont loose them. This is the first Hitch mount rack I have ever used so I can't compare it to any as far as ease of use or functionality, All I can say is I am Very happy with my purchase and would without reserve recomend this Hitch mount Bick Rack to anyone.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Solid, secure, October 9, 2010
By E. Neal
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I am impressed with the quality of the build, everything is solid and will withstand road weather conditions. It was a bit tricky to fit my kids' bikes on the rack, but we made it happen (first time was the hardest to load, by far). Once on the rack, everything was rock-solid; no worries about things shifting around. You could add a strap to prevent wheels/pedals from moving in transit, but I found additional straps unnecessary. The tie-down straps hold tight and are easy to operate when putting bikes on and taking them off. The twisting "seats" where the bikes sit are a nice feature; they give you room to get bikes on as well as some flexibility for hard-to-fit bikes. They are make of hard rubber to prevent damage to the bikes. The two arms are spread out wide to provide stability (good), but that makes little bikes or bikes without a horizontal crossbar a challenge (not so good). I have not, and probably will not, try to tilt the rack with 4 bikes on it. I have little doubt the rack will hold the bikes at an angle, but I am not convinced it will be a smooth and easy thing to do (4 bikes are heavy!). Mine came with a "no-sway" bolt that requires two 3/4" wrenches to mount. I like the "no-sway", but don't like to carry the extra tools required. Two ratchets make quick work of removal, however. There is apparently an add-on option for a "no-sway" locking pin that costs almost half as much as the rack and does not remove the need for wrenches. You can attach a cable to the rack to prevent theft. The fact that the bolt requires 2 @ 3/4" wrenches to remove is good enough for me to call secure. Like another reviewer suggested, if a thief wants your bike bad enough, they will come with tools to get the job done. It is easy to deter any opportunistic theft with this rack. The arms fold down for compact garage storage. I would have bought the rack from Amazon, but needed it quick and I thought there was a high probability I would want to return it if all 4 bikes of different shapes and sizes didn't fit. Therefore, I bought it from a local retailer with a satisfaction guarantee. I was very pleased with what I received and I am keeping it. This would be a 5-star rack if it came with a tool-free hitch pin.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Holds a variety of bikes well on a 2006 Odyssey, September 18, 2010
By Jennie H. (Wilmington, MA USA)
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I bought this rack to replace a Thule Ridgeline. We had the Thule for three years, and sometimes we had to do crazy things to get the kids' bikes on, but you expect that to some extent with any rack. After three years, the nut on the Thule that you had to screw and unscrew to get into your cargo space would no longer line up correctly, which was pretty annoying. The last straw was when we bought a new bike for my daughter this year, and she is now large enough for an adult size frame -- we got it home to discover that there is basically no way to get it on the Thule rack because we could not maneuver it down the bars over the bulky cradles -- I mention this in case someone is looking at this rack who has the same problem with a Thule.
This rack was easy to assemble (did it myself in 15 minutes while nominally supervising 3 children) and attach to the car. It is light enough that the process of aligning it into the hitch and attaching it was much simpler than with heavier racks. The no-wobble bolt really doesn't wobble! Most importantly the cradles rotate a full 360, and are not wider than the bars of the rack. The combination of these two features means that we have not yet found a bike that we can't fit on the rack, and between ourselves and friends' outings we've had three different combinations of four bikes on the rack at the same time without a problem. We recently took a camping trip to Maine (6 hours away) -- we loaded on 1 adult-size frame, 1 large child frame, one small child's frame, and one *really* small child's frame (the bike of an average-sized 4 year old, don't know the exact frame size -- we attached at the bottom crossbar and the seat post). Aside from having to remove all the training wheels, we were able to fit all these bikes on the rack in a reasonable, not-kludgy, secure fashion, and they stayed there for the duration of the trip up and the trip back without needing to be re-seated, re-tied, or adjusted at any point.
I can definitely see where the pin-mechanism for access to the cargo space might get annoying (it might have caused me to give 4.5 stars if that were an option), and we'll try Mark P's suggestion about loosening the nut as ours seems to have gotten a little more finicky over time. However, it's no more annoying than the mechanism on our Thule rack was, or that I see on several other brands of racks -- although there might be a truly good option for this mechanism, I think this one is par for the course.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Nice Bike Rack!, March 29, 2010
By D. Krift
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This is the first bike rack I have owned. I did some searching and could not really find a big difference between this Allen rack for a little over 100 bucks and others in the 200-300 dollar range. When I opened the box I noted the durable construction and could not wait to mount it on the SUV. It held up to all expectations. The fold down features are nice. You could get a locking hitch pin but the bolt that comes with it screws down tight and it would be difficult to steal the thing. Someone would need wrenches or a socket set to pull of the heist. The straps pull down tight. I had no problem with hauling the bikes. To reduce sway I just used bungee cords to hold the bikes stable. Can't beat the price, definite value for the money.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Nice, inexpensive bike rack, but only 140 lb weight limit, August 9, 2011
By cmoreho (Detroit, MI USA)
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Nice bike rack for the money, but can only put 3 bikes on it without exceeding the 140 lb weight limit. I thought it would have a 160 weight limit, since it is build so solidly. Won't exceed the weight limit, for fear of breaking while driving down the horrible Michigan highways (how my last rack met its demise). Overall, nice rack, and will hold 4 bikes, if they are lighter than our cheap mountain bikes.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Not great, August 1, 2011
By tracie p (San Rafael, CA United States)
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We were able to fit 4 bikes on this rack, one full suspension MTB, one womens MTB, one kids 20" MTB and a 10 inch kids bike. We didn't have to do anything crazy to get them on. The fit was very tight and our bikes ended up getting pretty banged up. The rack bounces a ton when you hit even small bumps on the freeway. Also, while on our trip, one of the plastic clips to secure the bike broke. Luckily our friends who were with us had an extra utility strap so we could get the bike secured on the rack for the rest of our trip and ride home.
Would I recommend this rack? No, we returned it, obviously, since the securing mechanism broke...but even if that didn't happen, we would have returned it...we spend a lot of money on bikes, so we know now that we will spend more for a good bike rack too...one that won't cause damage to our bikes when we transport them.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Hitch, July 28, 2011
By DG (Brookline, Mass)
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I love this thing. I put my and my wife's bike on it. Fits perfectly on my Honda pilot
Great because it doesn't require a cross bar for "women's bikes" at the attachments swivel to compensate for the horizontal frame.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Not for Full Suspension, March 22, 2011
By Stugots
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The rack seemed to be a quality build. It will not work for a full suspension Mtn Bike. I tried it on two bikes I had available to me and it is not even close to working. This should be stated in the description but it is not. Not a big deal, but a waste of time waiting for it and having to return it.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Does the Job, August 8, 2011
By Bill (MA, USA)
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I am very happy with this purchase. We used it to haul 2 adult and 2 children's bikes on a 3-4 hour trip and had no problems at all... I hit some rather large bumps including at highway speeds and the rack and bikes looked as if they went flying up in the air, but everything was fine and the bikes did not come loose and the rack didn't have a scratch. The straps that hold each bike are heavy duty and stay nice and tight. I used some bungy cords to keep the wheels from spinning but really didn't need them. The bikes were easy to load onto the rack bars with some nudging which is expected, but no big deal. The pivot feature is great as you can "fold" the rack down and away from the hatch back to open the door (we have a Nissan Quest). The construction of the rack itself, the tubing, bolts, pins, etc. is high quality. Highly recommended over the non-hitch style bike racks...
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Supreme value, August 7, 2011
By Raechel Perry (Portland, OR)
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Well, this is a no brainer. Read the reviews and you will be convinced; this item is all it claims to be and lives up to its good reputation. Other than needing tools for the hitch attachment, I am pleased. But to be perfectly honest, at this price range, I understand. One can dream it could be all things for such a low price, right? It does not wobble and the adjustable bike cradles/straps are such a good idea for all those non-standard bikes--which all four of ours are. Because I am too lazy to dismount this bike rack (and remount it), I'm leaving it on for the rest of the summer with the arms down until needed. I should be worried that somebody might steal it (since I don't have the locking bolt), but it may just be too much of a pain for any would be thief. In fact, I'm counting on that.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Can't beat this for quality versus cost, August 5, 2011
By Mr. ViseGrips (4 Seasons, USA)
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This is a great product. Sturdy, well built, affordable. For normal everyday family or personal use, I highly recommend this product.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen hitch style bike rack, August 3, 2011
By Steven A
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Securly holds four bikes.For smaller bikes you have manipulate them a little.You need to use stretch bands to keep the bikes from swinging back and forth.To lock the bikes onto the rack you would need an extra cable and lock. This rack has two horizontal pieces to attach the bikes,I used another one that only had one.The straps were easy to use.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Pleasingly Surprised, July 22, 2011
By ManInPDX
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This is about half the price of other similar racks but it is well made and carried 4 bikes without any issue. I put 3 beach cruisers and 1 road bike and did not have any problems and it is mounted solid without the wobble that I got from others. The folding arms as well as the upright column makes for a very handy rack. I recommend this product to everyone.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great value!, July 22, 2011
By manekate
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This rack has been great for the price. I was worried about the stability, but it doesn't sway at all. The installation was cake too! The only drawback is that one of our road bike frames is an XS and it barely slides on either side of the arms, which can make it frustrating when it loading it yourself. This is why I only gave it 4 stars. But I have the hang of it now and I could not be happier with my purchase!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen 4-Bike hitch rack, May 28, 2011
By smigaj4
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I received this item in two days just as Amazon said. I was impressed with how heavy-duty and sturdy the rack was. It bolts together in basically two steps and mounts securely to my two-inch receiver. I have had three bike on it so far and they ride very nicely on it. Overall, very happy with this rack and would highly recommend it to others.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Outstanding, May 21, 2011
By Jim Cover (Lincoln, NE United States)
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I had been wanting to buy a 4 bike rack for some time but couldn't bring myself to part with upwards of $200.00 for the priviledge. When I saw this rack my first thought was it is too good to be true. After reading some of the negative reviews I was more sure. However I read one persons review who sounded like they are serious bikers and had used his on a fairly long trip. Since I don't anticipate a long trip with our bikes and being reluctant to part with the money Thule and the like want for their respective racks I placed my order.
It is WONDERFUL. Easy to put together, easy to install and easier to use. Now you aren't going to be able to have four bikes on it and fold it down and back up easily. But I don't think that is a realistic expectation for any rack. I watched in my rearview mirror the whole time with 4 bikes on it and it was very stable. I don't know what to say to the people that have given this bad reviews, my only regret was not buying two of them for now I see they are priced over $100 and I payed $89.00 from amazon.
For the money this is the best rack out there.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Slight wobble, but very pleased, April 18, 2011
By btsseeker (California)
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Very well pleased with this product. Exactly what I was looking for. Other offerings much too expensive. Did not realize when I purchased it that it has a pull-out pin too allow tilt so you can open back doors of my van. It also has a pull-out pin to allow arms to drop down when not carrying a bike. It does have some wobble in the receiver hitch, a little too much play. Still it works just fine. The fault could be due to my receiver hitch. I suppose I could slip in a little shim if it bothers me over time. Bottom line, save a couple hundred dollars and buy this one. I do recommend!!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Too easy, March 21, 2011
By Cory Williams (SAN ANGELO, TX, US)
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I bought this for my 2011 Hyundai Tucson w/ 2in Curtis hitch. The fit is excellent and the quick fold down pin allows for easy access into the back hatch. I bought a 5/8in masterlock hitch pin to secure the bike rack to the receiver(other reviews said the supplied hitch pin was horrible at preventing wobble and suggested drilling out the 1/2in pin hole for a 5/8in pin hole and getting the masterlock...) Once I got the rack installed, I tested the supplied hitch pin and it works just fine. You do have to ratchet down the lock nut, but I don't think it's going anywhere! I will return the 5/8in masterlock for a 1/2in masterlock and see if it maintains it rigidness. I will admit I've not been able to test it out under load, so look for an update this week. 100% satisfied with the product/fit thus far.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Bike rack and bar, May 1, 2010
By Compass Bank
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This is a great bike rack, easy to put on truck hold the bike in place.
Inexpensive compare to others. Get the bar if you have girl bike or if
you have a center bar to close to seat.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great rack for great price, August 25, 2011
By Frank5150
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I purchased this rack in July 2011 after researching several other brands and based on reviews I read here and I could not be happier with my purchase. I got it at Pep Boys for $99 and I got a $20 mail in rebate, so it cost me $79. I used it to transport 2 adult mountain bikes (man's and woman's hard tails)and two children's bikes (16" and 18")from Northeast PA to the OBX of NC, which was over 900 miles round trip. The bikes were easy to mount and I had no problems with them during the transport. I used the no wobble bolt included with the rack and it worked fine; therefore, no need to drill holes bigger as others here have recommended. I also did not have any problems with the pins at the pivot points losening during the transport. I did have one issue with a teather strap thread cracking (was still functional to make the trip home) and I e-mailed Allen and they sent me a replacement in two days. Overall this is a great product and Allen provided great customer service.
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Don't spend more money. This is it!, August 24, 2011
By CHIN SONU (So CAL)
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After almost spending nearly a $200 on a bike rack that mounts on my trailer hitch, I decided to give this one a try. I usually don't like buying cheap stuff, because I believe in "you get what you pay for" adage, but this was an exception. It is built well, sturdy, and works great to carry around my two adult bikes, and two kids bikes on my Honda Pilot.
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Allen Bike Rack, August 23, 2011
By galipblj
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Can't be beat for the price!!!! Tried several racks from relatives before we made the purchase. This rack holds 4 bikes very comfortably and is super solid in the 2" hitch. It also has plastic spacers between the rubber holders that keep the bikes from touching. I would recommend this bike rack to anyone!!!
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Does the job, August 22, 2011
By Joe M
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Maiden voyage with 4 bikes............ no problems. Not going on long trips with it, but adequate for our purposes. value (cost / quality-usefulness) is good.
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Good rack for the money, August 21, 2011
By PeteK
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We bought the bike rack for our vacation and it worked good for holding my wife's women's bike(with the angled top tube) and my men's bike. We were able to tilt the rack down with the two bikes on it to open up the liftgate on our 2005 Equinox without any problems. I used bungee straps to secure the lower part of the bikes from moving around too much.
One problem we did have with it was that one of the plastic pieces that the straps to hold the bikes on broke when I pulled just a little too hard on it. I was able to use an extra bungee strap to secure the bike in place, but I think it was a little too easy to break the piece. Once we got home, I called the manufacturer and without any issues, they sent me a replacement as well as another one that I asked for in case I have the same problem again.
All-in-all the bike rack seems to be a pretty good buy for the money.
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Honda Pilot - 4 bike carrier, August 20, 2011
By Cara Tirrell Perry
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I bought this and used it with a 2" hitch receiver also purchased through Amazon. This rack did great on a 300+ mile each way trip from MA to the NJ shore with 1 adult bike and 2 kids bikes. The bike holders rotate thus making the kids bike mounting a snap. Very little movement using the supplied bolt/but for the hitch. I recommend this over the more expensive racks. Tilting with the 3 bikes is tricky for 1 person but I did manage it. I highly recommend it. Ed
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great bike rack at a great price, August 18, 2011
By kristingribbs
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we bought this in March and have used it several times and have not had any problems. it is very easy to use and it fits 4 bikes comfortably. childrens bikes also fit well on this rack. we are very pleased with our purchase and would definetly recommend it to others.
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Excellent Product. Works Well., August 15, 2011
By Jeffrey Kline (Columbia MO)
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I purchased this product several weeks ago and have only used it in town to haul 2 bikes to a local trail head. So with that in mind the rack is great. It is solidly built, does not wobble, and seems to have no troubles holding our two bikes.
The Rack was easy to put together. 5 minutes. Installing it on my truck was quick. I did end up adding a washer to the anchoring bolt since the holes on the side of my hitch were a little large. Installing it does take a few minutes. I have to grab my wrenches, put it on, and then tighten it down. I plan to either buy some wrenches or see if I can figure out another way to quickly disconnect the anchor bolt. There are many high end Racks that have easier methods to dismount, and most if not all cost 3 times as much. For this amount I don't think you could a much better rack.
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Nice bike rack, August 14, 2011
By pgolnick
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Easy to put together and easy to install on the vehicle. Travelled with 3 full size bikes on the back and no issues. Seemed very stable and solid. Great price with free shipping.
Recommended
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Nice bicycle rack!, August 14, 2011
By Karen Goulet (Epsom, NH)
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Very convenient - holds 4 bikes nicely; rack moves so that back of vehicle can open. Great product for the price!
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Timely, August 10, 2011
By Patience Phillips (IA)
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Due to the heat index in NYC we didn't ride, so didn't need to install it yet. After reading reviews we know we'll have trouble carrying my female bike and perhaps a tiny bit of trouble installing ... We're happy 'cause we got what we wanted and are willing to work with any issues. We're creative and handy with tools, so we'll be happy to adjust equipment as needed. Happy with the price. Best on line. Box showed up in good condition. No complaints.
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built solid, July 24, 2011
By Bob (oklahoma)
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Bike rack is built good. HAs a good beefy frame. If you have a spare tire in the back, don't forget to order a hitch extension for the bike rack. When you make a sharp turn the rack sways from side to side, the solution is to attach bungie cord to one side (for tension) then it is solid and you can make fast turns without the noise.
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Great for 4 bikes!, July 22, 2011
By Rob
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I recently used the Allen 4 Bike Hitch Rack to haul 4 bikes on a 5 hour trip. The 4 bikes consisted of 2 26-inch bikes and 2 24-inch bikes. The fit was perfect! No problems with the bikes moving around or bumping each other. The only bike adjustment needed was one of the 24-inch bikes had to have a seat adjustment. I purchased a locking hitch pin, and in hindsight don't know if I would use it again because there was some movement (slight side to side swaying) of the bike rack during the trip. If you use the provided hitch pin, the rack is solid as a rock. You can't go wrong with the quality or price of this bike rack.
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You won't be disappointed!, July 19, 2011
By Brian Wiebe (California)
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I'm very happy with this product (especially since I caught it on amazon when it was under $85). Easy to assemble and install, and easy enough to use. Yes, it takes a little time to strap the bikes on, but nothing more than I expected. I was concerned that our funny-shaped Mountain Bike frames wouldn't fit, but the straps are plenty long, and the seat of each strap (the two plastic thingy's that the bike rests on on the rack) can rotate, so the fit is snug.
We've been on two short trips into the mountains (mostly on roads) and the bounce was not bad and the bikes were stable. No banging into the back of the van.
As for the feature of being able to open the back gate of the van, I would not try to lower it with the bikes on, or maybe just with one bike. It would be too awkward to manage. But it does drop down easily when needed. The locking pins fit a little on the snug side, which I prefer, as it reduces bouncing and wobbling.
FYI, I have this on a 2005 Toyota sienna, into a Curt brand 2" hitch I also bought on amazon.
As I said above, very happy.
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Good product, July 18, 2011
By T. He
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I only tried it once since I bought it 2 weeks ago. It was easy to install although you need to use tools. I had 2 bikes on it and drove 40 miles one way to my destination. Both bikes were securely attached to it without any incident.
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Does it's job!, July 12, 2011
By Chris Brunner (Jacksonville, FL United States)
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We purchased this rack for our first family road trip. The trip was about 3.5 hours and we were concerned about it's ability to hold all four of our bikes. Loading took some thinking, but we were able to easily load two adult bikes, and two children bikes with no problem. We used extra bungee chords to secure the wheels from spinning. The tilting feature of this rack was our favorite part. It made loading and unloading our stuff from the trunk real easy. The obvious stand out from this rack compared to all of the other ones we reviewed was the price. You cannot beat that price for how this rack surpassed our expectations.
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver), July 11, 2011
By casual2
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)I bought this rack in the spring (2010) and it has worked great. We have it mounted to the rear of our fith wheel camper. Build quality is very rugged. Simple to mount bikes.
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Great bike rack, especially for the money, July 11, 2011
By keltnera (Florida, U.S.A.)
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I have had this rack for just a couple of weeks but I have traveled nearly 1000 miles with it already. This is my first bike rack that attaches to a hitch but I have a few friends that have one that I can compare it to. First of all, it took about 5 minutes to bolt together by looking at the picture on the front of the box. It then took just a few more minutes to attach it to the hitch with the "no sway" bolt that was included. A good size socket wrench is the easiest and best way to get it good and snug. Compared to other hitch racks, I immediately noticed there was nearly no sway at all on the hitch. The pins that hold the arms up and the main post from the hitch fit easily and snug. I like the unusual safety pins that keep the larger pins from sliding out. Because the larger pins fit is so snug, the safety pins are nearly unnecessary...no fear of the pins coming out. The pins are easy to grip and remove when you want to lower the arms that the bikes fit on or the main post coming up from the hitch. The main post lowers slowly and easily with or without a bike on the rack to gain access to the back of your car. We had my sisters dog in the back of our car on our way to N.C. So we had to access it regularly to let her out and it was a lot easier than I expected. Even though it fits 4 bikes, I have only had one bike on there so far. It was very easy to secure to the arms with the 4 holders/straps. It appears that there is adequate room to secure 4 bikes...aboutmthensame as other racks. Compared to my sisters bike rack where you have to use big metal clamps and screw them down, this is much easier. Also, on my sisters rack, if you want to use the back holders, you have to remove the covers on all the others. On this one you don't have to do that. I like to keep my bike in the holder closest to the car so my bike isn't hanging out there. The only down side on this rack after looking at some in a bike shop the other day is that it isn't quite as cool looking as some of the other name brand racks. That being said, those cooler looking racks were all 3 to 5 times more expensive than this rack. I have absolutely no regrets buying this rack and high recommend it. I have the utmost confidence that this rack will take care of my GF Superfly just fine!
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Excellent, July 9, 2011
By Thomas C. Wheeler (So.Cal.)
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Excellent bike rack. Does what it's supposed to do very well. Solid, well thought out and made. You can spend a lot more on racks that aren't as good as this one.
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Very good product for much much less, July 8, 2011
By Tomasz Cislo (Bayonne, New Jersey USA)
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Just got it today, took me a few minutes to put it together and was very satisfied with this product. I plan on using this with my 2008 Toyota 4Runner with 2in hitch receiver. All worked as described in product description, although I was puzzled as to why the hitch securing bolt would not go all the way thru. After closer examination I found it that the wider part "shoulder" goes thru the hole in the hitch but stops against the hole in the bike rack. When you tight it with the nut it keeps the bike rack really tight and secure to the hitch receiver without any wobbling. I also bought a locking pin, but there are two problems with it. First, it won't fit thru the mount rack and to correct it I would have to make the hole bigger in the bike rack, like some previous reviewers stated. The problem with that is, it will make the mount rack wobble while driving. As some other people mentioned, who is walking around with a set of wrenches to unscrew the mount rack from a vehicle. To correct it, some might just get a security nut that would require a special socket.
I have checked many others like Thule, Hollywood etc at local stores but they were to pricey and pretty much served the same purpose. I like the straps that secure bike to the rack. I think they are much better than the rubber one offered by other manufactures.
Bottom line is, I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this to others. If you are deciding between this and other more expensive units, go with Allen Deluxe. It looks like a solid product. As I said before, just got it, if I will have any more updates will post them later.
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No regrets about buying this, July 7, 2011
By vagayan (Virginia)
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This is exactly what I was looking for: a solidly made bike rack that is just the right size (not to big and not to small) for a 2-inch hitch receiver. The rack is packaged well and installation takes about 10 minutes. Some reviewers complained about missing bolts or having to enlarge the bolt opening on the hitch; I have a standard Class III hitch and did not encounter any issues. The bolt that attaches the rack to the hitch has a collar that goes through the hitch bolt hole and pushes the rack to one of the sides of the hitch opening when the bolt is tightened so that the rack stays secure and does not rattling or vibrate inside the hitch opening. The top shelf of the rack folds down when not used, and the rack itself can be tilted backwards (by releasing the lockout pins) to get access to the trunk without having to take down the whole rack. The bike holders are nicely padded and nylon straps are weather resistant. I have done a lot of research I believe this is the best rack for the price and beats other more expansive racks hands down. I wish it had a quick connect system for attaching it to the hitch but at then it would probably not be as secure in the hitch opening as it is when bolted down. I made a couple of trips with 2 bikes on the rack and everything seemed very stable and sturdy both in city and highway traffic. The bike rack is fitted with plastic sleeves in between the tiedowns so it wouldn't scratch your bike even if you are not careful when putting it on or taking it down.
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very good rack for the price, July 5, 2011
By axeman
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I was looking for an inexpensive rack and this one was about half the cost of some others with the same features. I have been using it regularly for about a month and have had no problems. My only complaint is that the attachment hole to the hitch is 1/2 inch and my hitch is 5/8. This makes it rattle around a little when using a 1/2 inch locking hitch pin. If you use the supplied bolt and tighten it completely, it takes care of this problem.
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great product at low price, July 3, 2011
By Alex
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I'm impressed with the build quality of this bike rack. Hard to beat the price as well. I used it to haul 3 bikes and a bike trailer on a 600 mile journey and it held up exceptionally well. I'm happy with the product and would buy again if I was to do it again.
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Best Value, Really holds 4 Bikes Too, June 29, 2011
By wookie (SAINT MICHAEL, Mongolia)
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This thing is great, best bang for buck, you will need a 9/16 and 3/4 wrenches to assemble and install. Took about 15 minutes. The bike holding straps rotate around the supports for added versatillity. I managed to get two female bikes (one with an adapter tension bar and one without), one male bike, a kids bike and a burley bike trailer all attached at the same time with only the use of one rubber binder on the female bike I didnt have a bar adapter for. 200 miles later everything was still rock solid. No wiggle and no damage to anything. Love it.
For female bikes I would recomend the allen tension bar adapter which adds a bar across the top of female bikes so they can be hung like male bikes, but with a little creativity and some extra straps you can get by without it. This thing is probably strong enough to hold 8 bikes if you can get them mounted. Its heavily built. I am debating about drilling out the hitch pin hole to accept a regular pin instead of the bold that they supply but the bolt definately makes it solid and keeps it from swaying even an inch. I think it would probably be fine even withouth the bolt once you have the bikes weight holding things down, that said the 3/4 inch bolt is easy enought to put on and keeps someone from ripping you off of your new fantastic bike rack unless they have a wrench with them.
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Exactly what I ordered, June 26, 2011
By Paul B. (Northern Michigan)
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I ordered this rack on a Wednesday and it was delivered on Friday. The rack went together easily, holds four bikes securely, and rides well on my Blazer. With the rack tilted I can open the hatchback with clearance to spare. You can buy converters for women's bikes, but my wife and two daughters bikes went on with no problem and no converters. As far as price, $85 from Amazon, $127.50 for the same unit from MC Sports. What's not to like?
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Nice Bike Rack, June 26, 2011
By R. Smith (Charleston, TN)
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I like everything about this bike rack, except for the straps that hold my bikes to the rack. I would have preferred the straps be a little more heavy duty and easier/quicker to engage and release. Otherwise, this is a good bike rack for the money. I would purchase the bike rack again.
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Worked perfect, June 13, 2011
By Mark
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The bike rack was far better than I thought it would be. It is very well made and heavy duty enough for the 4 bikes. It worked great even on the less than perfect Alaska roads. And the free super saver shipping to Alaska is nice too.
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Great Bike Carrier, June 10, 2011
By Corky
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I searched the web for the best bike carrier at a great price and found the Allen Deluxe Bike carrier to be of great quality and value. I showed it to a friend and he too like it very much and had me order one for him. Amazon's price was about $35.00 lower than a local store when I bought mine.
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Great bike rack, May 29, 2011
By Dan
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The rack was easy to assemble and very good quality. I have not used it to haul bikes yet though.
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Great bike rack, May 26, 2011
By Michele (Florida)
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It is perfect for my use. It drops down out of the way so you can access the hatch back of my SUV. It isn't too heavy or bulky and stores easily in the garage out of the way!
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Pleased with purchase, May 26, 2011
By PV
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Overall, this is a very solid rack. I would certainly purchase it again. Set up is essentially installing 3 bolts with nuts and you are ready to put bikes on the rack. If the rack has a downside its that the strapping system is very basic. It could use an upgrade to more of a quick locking mechanism.
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bike rack, May 22, 2011
By w2wnx
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)
Easy construction, excellent paint job will be long lasting. Tilt out for door opening easy to do only takes seconds holds rack at 45 degree angle for opening rear lid. Tried tilting with 2 bicycles mounted which is doable without much effort using outer ends of bars for leverage when tilting. Purched lock accessary which requires 5/8 hole for pin. Rack receiver 1/2 hole does need to be drilled out for this and was quickly done.
Particurally like the tie down feature which allow straps to rotate for alignment. This feature also allows straps, when rack is empty, to be turned sideways providing a smooth surface on top of the bar, helpful when sliding bikes on to rack. When bike is over the straps you want to use simply rotate strap upward and fasten!
Soon after purchase made a 1300 mile trip in car with bike on rack which never moved or caused any trouble entire trip. Did use bungee cord looped around front wheel and frame of bike to frame of rack to hold lower part of bike in place.
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Easy to use and good value, May 18, 2011
By Gregory J. Pearson
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I was a little concerned about the quality of the product given the rather economical price and some of the reviews about suspension pins not working or fitting properly. I found the quality to be excellent and everything worked as expected. We are not a family of expensive bikes, so we don't require all the bells and whistles that some of the more expensive racks provide. I installed it on my hitch in about 10 minutes, we loaded four bikes and off we went. Very pleased.
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Great price, good functional product., May 12, 2011
By C. Desai (NJ USA)
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Ppl complain about the alignment issues while using the tilt feature. Yes it's there but a little wiggle and you can get through.
I use it may be 2-3 of times a month. So would prefer paying $50 - $150 less then the top of the line.
I carry 4 bikes on it and it's working so far so good.
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Great bike rack, May 8, 2011
By Jere Parobek
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This bike rack is exactly what I needed. Easy to install on my Subaru and it is easy to attach the bikes and the bikes are very secure. The rack is very will made, nothing rickety or cheep about it. If I had another car that needed a bike rack, I would buy the same one again.
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Well worth the money, May 3, 2011
By J. Pittmon
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Had one of those crappy nylon things that hung off the back of my '08 Taurus x and had to stop every 30 min to tighten the straps and make sure it didn't fall off.
This thing is a notch above. Well worth the $85 dollar investment for peace of mind while on vacation. The tilt is pretty ingenious and works like a charm, I was able to tilt the bikes out of the way and open the back no problem. Just don't over tighten that part and it is awesome! Cant say enough good things about this bike rack.
EDIT: Now there selling it for $124 but still well worth it. Watch for it to come down though.
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Good value, performance, April 28, 2011
By My2Cents
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Rack was very secure and stable on first trip (250 miles each way). Tilt-down feature worked great... but with four bikes mounted it was heavy to lift back into position, but not due to any design issue. I used the Allen adapters for carrying ladies' bikes with this rack and they worked well also. I used generic bungee straps to stabilize the bikes and stop wheels from spinning while driving.
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bike rack, April 28, 2011
By Matthew
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In short, it's a very good product with price that beats their competitor. It's able to hold 4 regular bikes, but only 3 for cruise bike. I guess this is the case for other bands as well.
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Great Bike Rack, April 18, 2011
By Mnt Man
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Very easy to assemble, works great, no wobble. Best feature is the cradle/tie downs that hold the bike on the rack.
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Good value - gets the job done., April 12, 2011
By SAP Analyst (Allegan, MI)
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Purchased this rack for a trip out in Arizona with mountain bikes. Keep in mind, what types of bikes you are wanting to haul. Some mountain bikes have larger frames and are not parallel to the ground (think mens frame vs. womens new bikes are in between), thus we needed to purhase additional bars that attach to handle bar and seat post so the bikes would mount properly. No fault of the carrier... just the nature of the bikes. Rack has a release pin that allows the rack to fold out and gain access to vehicle without unloading bikes (nice). Straps stayed tight with loop back design on hard plastic (no velco or rubber - a plus). A nice rack for the price.
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Watch out for the curve, April 1, 2011
By JimT2410
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This rack is fine, in fact the second one I have. The problem is while the rack will fold down, the bottom curve up is too high for the gate on my jeep liberty to open without taking the hitch totally off. Putting the upper arm down does no good.
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Functional and Sturdy, February 24, 2011
By TheStoneHome
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The bike rack is very functional and sturdy. Bicycles are easily secured with the straps, and the bar easily folds down when not in use.
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Bike Rack, February 15, 2011
By Bob
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The bike rack was easy to install and easy to use. The only thing I would change on this rack is a locking system for the bikes. I use a cable lock and lock them to the hitch but it would be nice to have it incorporated in the rack. When installing the no wobble bolt and nut, you must tighten the nut very tight- until the rack does not move. You can't use a quick release pin for this rack. Overall very nice rack
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Great rack for the money!, December 9, 2010
By Landocrazy
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Bought the rack for a long trip. I put two bikes on the rack that was attached to a 2007 Tahoe. The rack worked perfectly! I was able to tilt the rack down with the bikes on it to get to the lift gate and was able to open and close it with one person. No complaints on the rack at all. Im very happy with the rack and am glad i didnt spend a ton of money on the other racks.
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Great Bike Rack, November 19, 2010
By John C. Pickeral
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Everything I needed in a bike rack at a low price. Good design, well constructed. Similar to racks costing lots more money.
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very good, September 12, 2010
By Holly J. Gorman (Landisburg, PA United States)
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This rack works very well, a little tight for four bikes if there was more room it would be 5 star. very stable no sway. used it to take bikes on a 6 hour trip and no problem.
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Quality Rack, Great Price!, August 22, 2010
By reed4817
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Installation was a breeze with simple hand tools, everything mounts firmly to the vehicle with the provided hardware, the rack holds the bikes so tight that on most short trips it is unnecessary to "bungie" or secure them in any auxiliary fashion. I read some reviews claiming that the pins and holes did not align properly, for me this was not the case, I found that when in the PROPER position the pins slid into place effortlessly, however if you were attempting to lift two or more bikes(already secured on the rack) up from the "down" position I could see where a small or weak person may need a second set of hands to assist in securing the pin, simply because of the weight of the bikes, not because of any design flaw in the rack. The rack is designed very well and is sturdy. I would recommend this rack to anyone, the price is great and the quality is superb. Don't hesitate this is a great rack and you will be hard pressed to find a better one for the price.
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Good Deal., August 16, 2010
By fattydaddy45
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Much cheaper than other racks I saw online. I use it almost every day because I ride my son to school with the bike(up a big hill) an he rides home himself.NO problems so far.
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Great bike rack!, July 26, 2010
By luv2camp
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After researching almost every bike rack on the market, I decided to go with the Allen deluxe 4 bike 2-inch receiver rack. This unit was the most economical and was exactly what I was looking for. There were other comments on how the certain pins didn't match up and they had to re-drill some holes, not me. The entire assembly and with bikes on the rack ready to go took me 5 minutes. I have one male & two female bikes and they all fit perfectly. I would recommend this bike rack to anyone. Very good product!!!
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allen bike carrier, July 2, 2010
By pm
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this product alone suits my needs perfectly. but whats more, i am completly satisfied with the prompt service i get every time i order anything from AMAZON!!! keep up the good work.
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Allen 4-Bike Hitch, June 29, 2010
By Merlin808 (Honolulu, HI USA)
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Excellent product with minimal assembly required. The only issue I have with the product is that it does not include the lockable hitch pin which I had to purchase separately.
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Great Product for the Money, July 25, 2011
By ryanhulce
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I cannot find anything wrong with this product. The instructions were clear and easy to understand, and the product works great.
I was skeptical of how well this product would work due to the low cost, however I was quite impressed.
I did read a lot of the reviews, which will make the install easier when you know what to look for.
Would highly recommend this product.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 Poor design. Poor quality, November 25, 2010
By Z. Liu (Houston TX)
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The rack itself is of reasonable quality. But the following particular problem makes this rack definitely a NO BUY.
1. The quick release bolt (a critical part) are made of poor quality metal. It yield after only 1 time use and can not release. It simple does not. I had to use a hammer to finally got it off.
2. The hitch bolt is attached to the receiver with a nut rather a quick release. How am I suppose to remove the rack with out wrench etc.
It is a pity this product could have been a good product if the designer had done a better engineering work. Very disappointed.
0 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack, September 28, 2011
By Randall
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Easy to assemble and install. Works well. The locks for the pins were bent in shipment. Ocasionally the pin, allowing the back doors to open, sticks and must be persuaded with a hammer.
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Great Value, September 28, 2011
By Rommerome
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I shopped around for a Bike hitch on line and in stores and most of them were $140 and up. This was the least expensive hitch and it looked pretty sturdy so I too a chance and purchased it. I have only had it for a few weeks now but have used it quite a bit and it is easy to install and remove from the hitch and securley transports 4 bikes. Great product great value.
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Looks good so far...remember the bungee cords!, September 26, 2011
By Barbara DiMondi (Holly Springs, NC, US)
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Got the part today...fast shipping...ordered on Sat pm and received Tues and it was FREE. Assembly took 5 min (without reading manual) Looks like they solved the "receiver wobble" problem with special bolt that has stepped OD from 5/8" to 1/2"...a good idea. Loaded up the 4 bikes( 2 adult 2 kids) and they all fit (after some trial and error with the smaller ones). You need bungee cords to wrap round the wheels. Forget trying to let it down to open tailgate with 150# of bikes unless your a weighlifter. Overall a good product. Can't beat the price of shipping with Amazon!
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Good value bike rack, September 18, 2011
By Bobby
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We purchased this rack to vacation in South Carolina, which was about a 6 hour drive on mostly interstate highways. Rack held up well with no issues of movement or metal fatigue. Would definitely recommend this rack. The only small issue I had was the straps, which were somewhat cumbersome to unfasten. I still give it 4 stars.
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Solid Product - Great Value, September 10, 2011
By Careful Buyer (Tennessee USA)
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This was one of the cheapest and best reviewed bike racks we could find. Easy to install and setup. Solid on our 2004 Expedition. One point to note is that smaller kids bikes don't really fit so you have to be creative. :) Adult bikes no problem, but trying to load 4 would be pretty tight.
Great price, great product. Very happy.
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You'll need a 5/8" drill bit, September 8, 2011
By imadeitfit
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Come on Allen! Don't you fit check your product? Your hitch needs a 5/8" hole in order for a 5/8" hitch pin on a 2" receiver to fit it. Works fine after you drill it out. The strap positions don't fit the new style mountain bikes very well but it did the job carrying two plus a regular men's bike. I'm not too sure about putting a fourth bike on it yet. I recommend anyone thinking about this hitch to make sure you have bikes that fit it well and that you at least have a friend that has a 5/8" bit and a drill large enough to do the job.
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Perfect for what I need it, September 6, 2011
By RickJP
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The rack was easy to put together and is very sturdy. Personally, I like the system of straps (with threaded nylon webbing through a buckle). It seems to hold the bikes on much better than other carriers that have rubber straps that stretch out.
The fact that the bike seats fold inwards is a very nice touch, as it makes it easier to place, and remove the bikes.
I only have three minor "wish it was different" issues:
1- the method of securing the upper and lower pins that allow the rack to fold down and out of the way, gave me a bit of doubt as to whether they'd stay on. Then again, I drove on the highway with three bikes on the rack over the weekend, at 65 - 70 mph, and the bikes stayed on nicely.
2- I had to wrap a piece of inner tube around the middle of the shaft (from the receiver to the rack itself), to avoid scratching the bike closest to the vehicle; and
3- I would have liked the hole where the pin that secures the rack to the hitch to be wider, so I could attach it to the hitch with the same pin as I attach my hitch ball. But, I've gotten the screwing in and out of the pin-screw down to a few seconds, and it's actually quite nice that the rack does not wabble when the vehicle is in motion.
Asides from those three, I think the rack is great and the 35 lb limit per bike is very generous.
I'm very glad I got it.
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Fits four bikes, but not very sturdy, September 2, 2011
By Bill H
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Bought this rack for a trip I was taking to Alaska with my family. This rack arrived and looked like it would meet all my needs. I started off with all four bikes on the rack. By the third day of the trip the rack was sagging. I took two bikes off and drove the next two weeks only carrying two. It got worse and worse until I had to take another bike off. One bike seemed to work ok. A little sturdier rack would make this review alot different. Allen will not send me a replacement part, and since I was on the road for 30+ days Amazon could not (would not) warranty it for me. Live and learn I guess.
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver), July 11, 2011
By casual2
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)I bought this rack in the spring (2010) and it has worked great. We have it mounted to the rear of our fith wheel camper. Build quality is very rugged. Simple to mount bikes.
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bike rack, May 22, 2011
By w2wnx
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Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)
Easy construction, excellent paint job will be long lasting. Tilt out for door opening easy to do only takes seconds holds rack at 45 degree angle for opening rear lid. Tried tilting with 2 bicycles mounted which is doable without much effort using outer ends of bars for leverage when tilting. Purched lock accessary which requires 5/8 hole for pin. Rack receiver 1/2 hole does need to be drilled out for this and was quickly done.
Particurally like the tie down feature which allow straps to rotate for alignment. This feature also allows straps, when rack is empty, to be turned sideways providing a smooth surface on top of the bar, helpful when sliding bikes on to rack. When bike is over the straps you want to use simply rotate strap upward and fasten!
Soon after purchase made a 1300 mile trip in car with bike on rack which never moved or caused any trouble entire trip. Did use bungee cord looped around front wheel and frame of bike to frame of rack to hold lower part of bike in place.
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