Very Quick
"The top tube of my bike is slanted instead of horizontal, so I had to mount it in the tie-downs using the top and down tubes To keep the front wheel from spinning and scratching your vehicle you will need to secure it to the mount using either a bungie cord or the excess from bottom strap of the mount."
"It was for two bikes but was unnecessarily large, didn't fold up properly, and had floppy velcro loops to hold the bike on that were impossible to feed through the slots to tighten them."
"And when using a tool I can see how easy it would be to accidentally push the buttons too far in and get them locked permanently inside the tubes."
"I commute to work via bike occasionally, and this allows for plan flexibility: I don't have to bike back home and then drive somewhere, I can just get picked up--this bike rack fits on the back of literally any car."
"Once the straps are adjusted for one car, only the bottom strap has to be tightened or loosened to secure or release the rack on that car."
"One nice part about this rack: because I have a Sentra with a trunk, not a hatchback car, there's extra length on the straps when they're fully tightened."
"Every time I mount my Schwinn, there s always one pedal that tends to rub up against my car and scratch the heck out of my paint job."
Allen Sports Ultra Compact Folding 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack (Click to Compare Deals)
Quick
"Don't Ride W/it on Your Back: Folded, it was heavier than I was expecting but nothing to worry about I think, unless you are going to lug it around with you for some reason... I wouldn't even bother folding it back up, just place it in there and all you need to do is get it out and mount it once you are back from your ride... The top tube of my bike is slanted instead of horizontal, so I had to mount it in the tie-downs using the top and down tubes To keep the front wheel from spinning and scratching your vehicle you will need to secure it to the mount using either a bungie cord or the excess from bottom strap of the mount."
"It was for two bikes but was unnecessarily large, didn't fold up properly, and had floppy velcro loops to hold the bike on that were impossible to feed through the slots to tighten them... I don't have to adjust the tightness of the bottom strap when the weight of the bike is put on it like I did with the old one... But my car has a little ledge under the back window that the top two supports of the rack sit on without touching the glass."
"I never even got a bike on it before giving up and returning it because it's absolutely not compatible with my car, despite my car being clearly printed on the compatibility chart on the box... The lower secure strap needs to be hooked to something under the car to give you enough room to really crank it down tight... And when using a tool I can see how easy it would be to accidentally push the buttons too far in and get them locked permanently inside the tubes."
"To top it off, that rack folds down to "only" 1' x 3' by 3' (not exactly compact for storage), and takes about ten minutes to fully set up or take down each use... There does seem to be an excess of strap length, but I've used that excess to my advantage, tying it around the handlebars to prevent random movement there as well... I commute to work via bike occasionally, and this allows for plan flexibility: I don't have to bike back home and then drive somewhere, I can just get picked up--this bike rack fits on the back of literally any car."
"I was not able to notice any problems whatsoever traveling over an interstate highway (I looked back a couple of times to make sure the bike was still there, the hold was so secure!... Once the straps are adjusted for one car, only the bottom strap has to be tightened or loosened to secure or release the rack on that car. On a car, the extra strap lengths eliminate the need for extra straps or bungees to secure the wheels (trucks or vans might not have as much excess strap)."
"It takes maybe 5 minutes at most to set up and get the bike on, and the pivoting supports for the frame work really well with my Electra Townie - it doesn't need a cross-bar for the rack to be supported level, rather than at an angle... One nice part about this rack: because I have a Sentra with a trunk, not a hatchback car, there's extra length on the straps when they're fully tightened. I can use that length to tie the wheels, so they don't rotate in the wind or the front wheel doesn't bang around, instead of needing a Bungee cord or something."
"* Allen Sports Ultra Compact Folding 1-Bike Trunk Mount Rack Cheapskates, Rejoice!... Every time I mount my Schwinn, there s always one pedal that tends to rub up against my car and scratch the heck out of my paint job... But when you re late for work and you re rushing to install this rack, stuff like that happens."
Less Quick
"Don't Ride W/it on Your Back: Folded, it was heavier than I was expecting but nothing to worry about I think, unless you are going to lug it around with you for some reason... Why would you want to do that instead of just leaving it in your vehicle is beyond me; because the storage bag it comes with is not padded and use draw strings which would become very uncomfortable on your back IMO the longer you ride... I wouldn't even bother folding it back up, just place it in there and all you need to do is get it out and mount it once you are back from your ride... The top tube of my bike is slanted instead of horizontal, so I had to mount it in the tie-downs using the top and down tubes To keep the front wheel from spinning and scratching your vehicle you will need to secure it to the mount using either a bungie cord or the excess from bottom strap of the mount. I found that I could lift the bike slightly away from the mount once I had it secured on the tie-downs, so I used a bungee cord to secure it more snuggly to the mount so it doesn't bounce when I'm driving/go over a rough patch of road... I have to push really hard on the buttons sometimes to get them through their little slots so I can fold the arms... There is a label on the back of the mount that I can be seen in the review mirror of my SUV and it didn't move the whole time I was driving (even over some crazy bumps/rough roads); so that told me the mount was completely/properly secure."
"It was for two bikes but was unnecessarily large, didn't fold up properly, and had floppy velcro loops to hold the bike on that were impossible to feed through the slots to tighten them. It had four attachment points to the car, but I never felt like I could get the straps tight enough for it not to wobble..... The lower strap also has a stiff elastic section sewn into it so you can get it really tight. I don't have to adjust the tightness of the bottom strap when the weight of the bike is put on it like I did with the old one. I have a hatchback so I was a little concerned about the way the top two supports went up against the glass. But my car has a little ledge under the back window that the top two supports of the rack sit on without touching the glass... My car does have something of a spoiler above the rear window, but it's very sturdy and I have no problems securing the rack to the forward edge of that."
"I never even got a bike on it before giving up and returning it because it's absolutely not compatible with my car, despite my car being clearly printed on the compatibility chart on the box... The lower secure strap needs to be hooked to something under the car to give you enough room to really crank it down tight. It can't be secured on the bottom lip of the trunk because there is an elastic piece of that strap that can't be tightened too short... No matter how tight you get the feet planted on the car the various pieces of the rack are going to move around. Even if I could get it securely fastened to the car and even if the bike fit properly in the cradles, I wouldn't carry my bike on this thing... It's not like I have 1 oddball shaped bike) It's absolutely not easy to break down and fold back up either... And when using a tool I can see how easy it would be to accidentally push the buttons too far in and get them locked permanently inside the tubes."
"We took it on a road trip and the thing wobbles so much that you keep expecting it to fall right off despite the fact that the connections are securely fastened. To top it off, that rack folds down to "only" 1' x 3' by 3' (not exactly compact for storage), and takes about ten minutes to fully set up or take down each use... The top and bottom straps tighten down to anchor the rack, and the side straps tighten to secure any side-to-side wobble. There does seem to be an excess of strap length, but I've used that excess to my advantage, tying it around the handlebars to prevent random movement there as well... It takes a bit of muscle to fold it up, but I suppose that's because the button-pin-things (technical term) have to be resistant enough to support the weight of two bikes. It is about 15 pounds (I'm not a stellar judge of weight, but it's heavier than a gallon of milk and lighter than two gallons of milk), so if I'm just riding for fun I probably won't carry it along... I commute to work via bike occasionally, and this allows for plan flexibility: I don't have to bike back home and then drive somewhere, I can just get picked up--this bike rack fits on the back of literally any car."
"I needed the instructions to figure out how the arms unfolded, but after the first time, it was easy enough to repeat. I was not able to notice any problems whatsoever traveling over an interstate highway (I looked back a couple of times to make sure the bike was still there, the hold was so secure!... It works best if you adjust the straps at the top of the trunk first, then attach the bottom strap and tighten it... I had lots of loose strap material, which I used to tie the front tire to the frame so that it didn't move. The rack held the bike safely away from the car, so there was no risk of scratching the paint (unless I did something stupid)!... Once the straps are adjusted for one car, only the bottom strap has to be tightened or loosened to secure or release the rack on that car. On a car, the extra strap lengths eliminate the need for extra straps or bungees to secure the wheels (trucks or vans might not have as much excess strap)."
"It fits securely on the back of my car with some tightening of the straps, and I can toss it inside the trunk once the bike's off, easy. It takes maybe 5 minutes at most to set up and get the bike on, and the pivoting supports for the frame work really well with my Electra Townie - it doesn't need a cross-bar for the rack to be supported level, rather than at an angle. My old cheap cruiser bike (a Huffy) did fit at an angle, with one wheel high up, and a cross-bar would have make it look less awkward, but it was still secure! The folding arms are a little difficult for me to move, so I leave them extended and just fold up the bottom section when not in use... One nice part about this rack: because I have a Sentra with a trunk, not a hatchback car, there's extra length on the straps when they're fully tightened. I can use that length to tie the wheels, so they don't rotate in the wind or the front wheel doesn't bang around, instead of needing a Bungee cord or something. I've driven on the interstate at speeds of 75-80mph with the rack in place and bike wheels secured with the extra length of straps with no trouble at all!"
"* Allen Sports Ultra Compact Folding 1-Bike Trunk Mount Rack Cheapskates, Rejoice!... I rejoice in knowing that I spent only $32 on this rack and now my parking is free while everyone else is forced to feed their parking meters at $1... Instead of paying that amount, she simply parks a few miles away in a residential area, unhooks her Schwinn and glides into campus... It folds down easily and fits inside a backpack... Although the rack does indeed keep the bicycle secure it does not keep it 100 percent separate from the vehicle. Every time I mount my Schwinn, there s always one pedal that tends to rub up against my car and scratch the heck out of my paint job... But when you re late for work and you re rushing to install this rack, stuff like that happens."
