Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 24 x 16 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 24.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B001PLG7UK
• Item model number: 542RR
  

By : Allen Bike Racks
Price : $99.00
You Save : $60.99 (38%)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Carry your bicycles securely and avoid the hassles of piled bikes or high threshold rooftop mounts, with the Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack. Fitting vehicles with a 2-inch trailer hitch, the Allen Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack is both easy to operate and super secure for your bikes. Constructed out of steel with a durable black powder finish, the rack is built to last and is backed up by a lifetime warranty by Allen.
The Allen rack boasts a patented tie-down system and individually cradles up to four bikes in the 22-inch carry arms. A separate tie down strap is included with the rack and eliminates lower bike movement completely. As easy to install as it is to use, the rack sets up in less than 5 minutes with a no-wobble bolt that holds it still within the hitch. When the rack is not in use, the carry arms quickly drop out of the way and fold down flat with a patented single pin mechanism and the rack tilts up to allow easy access to the lift gate.
Specifications:

• Fits vehicles with a 2-inch trailer hitch
• Holds up to four bikes
• 22-inch carry arms
• Individual bike cradles
• Steel construction
• Black powder coat finish
• Patented single key release system
• Tie down strap
• Minor assembly required

About Allen Bike Racks:In 1967, after a few years of working on the aerospace technology for the Apollo missions, Dick Allen was out of a job. Government cutbacks led Allen, a Harvard-trained physicist, to transform his garage hobby into a new industry. A cycling enthusiast, inventor, and family man, Allen had a personal need for a bike-carrying device. On weekends, he would take his sons and wife to Cape Cod or the White Mountains of New Hampshire. What proved difficult time and again was the transport of his family's bicycles. Rather than fight through inconvenience with twine and a dinged car, Allen sought an answer for himself as well as a market in which he foresaw major growth possibilities.
Always a pathfinder, Allen took to work in his Lincoln, Massachusetts garage in search of a more efficient way to transport bikes. Drafting designs during the day and constructing them throughout the night, he put together a model made of electrical conduit, metal strapping, and fire hose casings (for padding). At first, the Allens tested the prototype on weekend excursions. Finding the first trunk-mounted rack to be a success, Dick started Allen Bike Racks. Dealer acceptance came quickly, and by 1971 Allen Bike Racks were sold nationally through a number of major bicycle distributors. Today, the company owns over three-dozen patents and offers a versatile product line of bike racks while Dick's son Alex now owns and operates the business. What started out as a small garage run operation now operates three warehouses nationally, two factories abroad, and has products sold in more than a dozen countries around the world.
Manufacturer's WarrantyLifetime warranty

Deluxe 4 bike carrier for 2" Hitch

Product Features

• 4-bike rack fits vehicles with a 2-inch trailer hitch only
• 22-inch long carry arms individually secure bicycles with Allen's patented tie-down system
• Folding carry arms quickly drop out of the way when rack is not in use
• Rack sets up and installs in less than 5 minutes
• Sturdy steel construction with black powder coat finish; Lifetime warranty

 

Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)

 

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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