Very Quick
"The reason I consider this a positive thing is because once you have the bikes all on and seated properly these velcro straps hold them very securely and I never felt like the bikes were going to fall off or come loose from the rack."
"* I took some time to use this product before I wrote my review because I wanted to be able to help people decide if this was right or wrong for them before spending their hard earned money on this."
"I use a bungee cord to keep the front wheel from swaying, but in order to keep the bike from swaying, I use a ratchet strap and attach it to the hitch mount."
"Make sure the staked spacer on the smaller bolt goes thru the larger hole on the hitch and tighten the snot out of it."
"I can only imagine if someone was driving behind me the terror they may feel seeing the bikes moving around that much thinking they're about to come lose."
"It comes with bolts that lock on and are not easy to get off, and I want to be able to quickly remove the rack from the hitch so I can toss it in the back of my van when I'm not using it."
"The only downside to this rack is there is no easy way to prevent someone from stealing your rack from back of your vehicle as the anti-wobble bolt provided can't be secured."
Allen Sports DELUXE HITCH MOUNTED BIKE RACK (Click to Compare Deals)
Quick
"If your hitch sticks out really far behind your vehicle bumper then you should also be in pretty good shape and have some extra space to fit the bike on the front of the rack and the back of your vehicle... This just comes in handy when you don't have the ability to take the rack out while you're on a trip yet you are not carrying bikes at all... The reason I consider this a positive thing is because once you have the bikes all on and seated properly these velcro straps hold them very securely and I never felt like the bikes were going to fall off or come loose from the rack."
"* I took some time to use this product before I wrote my review because I wanted to be able to help people decide if this was right or wrong for them before spending their hard earned money on this... The bike frame support arms fold down to give somewhat of a lower profile to store it away when removed or so that it takes up less space if you keep it mounted to the vehicle... Not because the bikes will come loose, but to prevent everything from constantly hitting together and scratching all of your bikes up."
"If I can figure out a reliable method to stop the wobble of the bike rack where it fits into the hitch, I will bump up a star... I use a bungee cord to keep the front wheel from swaying, but in order to keep the bike from swaying, I use a ratchet strap and attach it to the hitch mount... Also note, the little 'notches' the bike rests on do rotate, so it is possible to strap down difficult bikes, you may just need to think creatively."
"Make sure the staked spacer on the smaller bolt goes thru the larger hole on the hitch and tighten the snot out of it. Done right and the only thing dancing in your mirror will be the wild animals that got loose in your back seat... With all said and done I d recommend this Bike Rack to anyone looking to haul two bikes and a third one in a pinch."
"I know the bikes are secure and aren't going to fall off but I don't think other drivers on the road will know it's that secure. I can only imagine if someone was driving behind me the terror they may feel seeing the bikes moving around that much thinking they're about to come lose... Understandably if someone wants to disassemble the bike rack on the back of my car they can and they will make off with pieces of the bike rack - taking my chances there."
"It comes with bolts that lock on and are not easy to get off, and I want to be able to quickly remove the rack from the hitch so I can toss it in the back of my van when I'm not using it. Since the adaptor for my hitch takes 5/8" pins, it makes this bike rack a little jiggly on the hitch, since only 1/2" hitch pins will go through the hitch and bike rack once the bike rack has been inserted into the hitch... I guess if they do, they can just bolt it on and never take it off, but I need something more convenient to remove that takes standard hitch pins."
"I only have 2 bikes, bought this 1) because it was less expensive than 2 bike model and 2) gives me plenty of room to get bikes installed easily... You'll also want to purchase a set of bungee cords or long velcro type strap to secure the bikes to prevent bikes from swaying or wheels from spinning... The only downside to this rack is there is no easy way to prevent someone from stealing your rack from back of your vehicle as the anti-wobble bolt provided can't be secured."
Less Quick
"Being able to carry five bikes on a trailer hitch rack is a big deal when you need as much cargo space inside your vehicle as possible and you don't have roof rack options at your disposal... If your hitch sticks out really far behind your vehicle bumper then you should also be in pretty good shape and have some extra space to fit the bike on the front of the rack and the back of your vehicle... The hole for the Bolt is smaller than standard therefore I could not use my lock to lock this rack into the receiver... This just comes in handy when you don't have the ability to take the rack out while you're on a trip yet you are not carrying bikes at all... I have had a trunk rack for years that has the same kind of set up so even though it can be difficult to figure out it's easy once you do... The reason I consider this a positive thing is because once you have the bikes all on and seated properly these velcro straps hold them very securely and I never felt like the bikes were going to fall off or come loose from the rack... I even tilted it down several times with all 5 bikes mounted on and it held just fine so that is a great feature allowing access to cargo."
"* I took some time to use this product before I wrote my review because I wanted to be able to help people decide if this was right or wrong for them before spending their hard earned money on this... The bike frame support arms fold down to give somewhat of a lower profile to store it away when removed or so that it takes up less space if you keep it mounted to the vehicle... Not because the bikes will come loose, but to prevent everything from constantly hitting together and scratching all of your bikes up... you will get some scratches no matter how carefully you mount things because they are close together and pedals and handle bars stick out... I haven't tried this, but it would have to be extremely heavy and I'm not sure it would even lower down enough with bikes mounted to clear an suv door... I already tried mounting it with a hitch lock, and it allows far too much play in the bike rack swinging and rattling all over the place... I think they could have designed this area to be a bit more solid and have less play to it, but I don't think it would be an issue with breaking."
"* Ok, so this thing has good reviews overall, but there is a lot of talk of wobble--which is true... If I can figure out a reliable method to stop the wobble of the bike rack where it fits into the hitch, I will bump up a star... **UPDATE** (from 3 to 5 stars) Ok, so I have used this a few times now, and have a better grasp of the dynamics of this thing... This also makes it easier to remove it when you don't want the rack on the car... I use a bungee cord to keep the front wheel from swaying, but in order to keep the bike from swaying, I use a ratchet strap and attach it to the hitch mount... (see pictures of my bikes, and them on the rack) My road bike secures on the inner mount, but I still use a ratchet strap in addition to the bungee cord... Also note, the little 'notches' the bike rests on do rotate, so it is possible to strap down difficult bikes, you may just need to think creatively."
"CURT 112863 Class 1 Trailer Hitch with Old-Style Ball Mount, Pin and Clip This was assembled in 1/2 hr... This also means there are 2 holes for each bolt... Make sure the staked spacer on the smaller bolt goes thru the larger hole on the hitch and tighten the snot out of it. Done right and the only thing dancing in your mirror will be the wild animals that got loose in your back seat... " That was enough motivation for me, I don't like to ride alone, to figure it out... Otherwise an appropriate length of cable around the frame, thru the wheels and lock to the Hitch Safety Chain Hooks will do the job... With all said and done I d recommend this Bike Rack to anyone looking to haul two bikes and a third one in a pinch."
"I wanted something that wouldn't be rubbing directly against the paint and I also wanted something that feels more secure when I travel with 3 bikes... 25" Apart from welding, drilling, adding straps that would have to latch to the trunk for stabilization etc I have found no way to make this secure... I know the bikes are secure and aren't going to fall off but I don't think other drivers on the road will know it's that secure. I can only imagine if someone was driving behind me the terror they may feel seeing the bikes moving around that much thinking they're about to come lose... Understandably if someone wants to disassemble the bike rack on the back of my car they can and they will make off with pieces of the bike rack - taking my chances there. The bolt that holds the rack in the hitch cannot be untightened with bare hands... Someone else left a review saying you had to use the pin they gave you and that person was correct."
"The guys at the U-Haul store said a 1 1/4" hitch would work perfectly fine for attaching bike racks and I was told that even if I purchased a rack built for a 2" hitch, I could just get an adaptor... The instructions on how to put it together weren't the best, but I was able to figure out how it all went together within about a half hour... There is one kind of big fault for me with this product, that may be a dealbreaker for some, but no problem for another... It comes with bolts that lock on and are not easy to get off, and I want to be able to quickly remove the rack from the hitch so I can toss it in the back of my van when I'm not using it. Since the adaptor for my hitch takes 5/8" pins, it makes this bike rack a little jiggly on the hitch, since only 1/2" hitch pins will go through the hitch and bike rack once the bike rack has been inserted into the hitch... It seems like it would have made a lot more sense for the manufacturer to drill 5/8" inch holes since it is made to fit a 2" receiver... I guess if they do, they can just bolt it on and never take it off, but I need something more convenient to remove that takes standard hitch pins."
"* I've read several reviews that mention there is a lot of wobble or movement when installed in 2" hitch... Slipping the rack onto the hitch and tightening it down (with no wobble) and bike's installed without any issue. I only have 2 bikes, bought this 1) because it was less expensive than 2 bike model and 2) gives me plenty of room to get bikes installed easily. The mounting straps are OK, they do the job well, but seem to be more effort than it needs to be. You'll also want to purchase a set of bungee cords or long velcro type strap to secure the bikes to prevent bikes from swaying or wheels from spinning... Not sure why Allen doesn't include strap as you'll def need it and their instructions seem to confirm that... The only downside to this rack is there is no easy way to prevent someone from stealing your rack from back of your vehicle as the anti-wobble bolt provided can't be secured."
