Features:

  • Steel
  • Made in the USA or Imported
  • Ultra-compact 1-bike carrier for traveling and commuting
  • Folds up small and fits inside carrying bag or backpack
  • 3 padded legs rest against vehicle; 3 adjustable security straps
  • Tie-downs and padding keep bike secure and separate from vehicle
  • Fits sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, and SUVs
Compact, stable, not lightweight; allows for flexible planning

My fiance has a small sedan. A couple years ago, she paid $200 to get a small trailer hitch welded onto her car and another $100 to get a hitch-mounted bike rack for our bikes. 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. By contrast, I just bought this bike rack for under $50. It fits snugly onto the back of my Mazda hatchback, and the bike clearly isn't going anywhere. 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 still takes about five minutes to set up or take down, but that could be because I'm still new at it. It folds up to about 5" x 6" x 12" and fits into the included bag nicely. The unit is solid. It unfolds ridiculously easily. 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. But because of its compact size, I absolutely could carry it with me. 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'll probably typically leave it in my car in case I need to haul the bike, but it's nice to know that I have the option to bring it with.

No scratches on my car and my bike didn't fly off!

This is my first bike rack ever. I'm a 'pub crawler' with my beach cruiser, so transporting my bike is new to me. I was shocked with how portable it was. It was easy to adjust and put on my car. I freaked out on the first outing - but worked like a charm! No scratches on my car and my bike didn't fly off! :) I'm a happy cruiser!

Highly recommend if you're looking for inexpensive bike rack

The rack fits my dodge charger perfectly. Highly recommend if you're looking for inexpensive bike rack.

Cost efficient alternative to racks that require drilling.

Installation was a breeze. Check the Allen Sports site first for vehicle compatibility!!! I've used this several times to hold 2 bikes (roughly 50-55lbs) without any issues. I haven't driven on the highway with it only smaller streets, usually going no more than 45MPH and seems sturdy (enough). The rack hasn't scratched my car but my bikes have but that's not the fault of the rack. If I cover my pedals with a sock or something then I could have prevented it. Overall, great item and good price for those who aren't in the need for a permanent solution.

The rack fit quite nicely on the back of the vehicle with little issue

I drive a Subaru 2016 Crosstrek. The rack fit quite nicely on the back of the vehicle with little issue. There is just enough room between the trunk button and license plate that the rack itself won't cover the plate. You will not be able to use the rear wipers when the rack is on and if you have a crosstrek with a spoiler do not get this rack. You will break the spoiler off. The hooks do not cause any damage to the car or paint however the bottom one is difficult to put on. I've found popping the trunk a bit and slipping the hook under is the easiest way. If you have a rearview camera the bike will block it a bit. I find putting the front wheel in front of the camera is the best way to go if you still want to use it. As for mounting the bike itself this is relatively easy. The straps are fairly easy to buckle and wrap around the bike. The bike is held safely away from the vehicle so no damage is done to either. The rack itself is easy to steal from the vehicle (all someone would need is a pair of scissors or knife to cut it off.) I would suggest leaving it in the vehicle when not in use. The rack is easy to set up. Folding it back down is the hard part. I just use the key to my bike lock to push in the little locks on the rack and this helps. The rack is easy to store within the vehicle and doesn't take up room in the trunk. I've driven with the rack over many rough roads/ potholes and the rack has remained in place with no slipping or loosening of the straps. I've had the chance to take it out on the highway up to speeds of 70mph. The rack held secure. There was a bit of resistance created by the by the bike but this was expected and there was no noticeable dip in the mgp. A quick summary: Pros: -Easy to set up -Holds secure in a variety of conditions -Keeps the bike from damaging the car -Doesn't damage the car itself -Great deal for the price -Gets your bike where it needs to go Cons: -Can be difficult to fold up (fixed by keeping something that can push in the buttons handy) -Bike will block license plate -Bike can make it difficult to see through rearview camera. -Will not fit a crosstrek with spoiler -Cannot use rear wipers Overall this is a great bike rack. Especially for the price. It is very versatile in the vehicles it can fit. Best of all it gets the bike where it needs to go and does so safely. I would recommend this bike rack to others.

A 3000 miles review

On 14th Feb 2016 I started my journey from Gainesville, FL to Seattle, WA almost a 3000 miles journey. I love my bike and didn't want to sell it so I bought this relatively cheaper car mount. This thing was load tested rigorously for 4 days through heavy road bumps, screaming winds, rain that froze both on the bike and the mount itself, dust and high speeds. It stood there hard and tight. If you're looking for something that's not expensive and serve you for short time look no further. Make sure everything is tight and fastenes properly. It will take a few minutes to figure this thing out. You will not be disappointed. Tip: Use your bike lock to make it even tighter from the middle of the mount.

excellent and easy to use

I have just one bike and one Nissan Sentra and needed something to transport my bike long distances (or even just home from the bike shop!), and this folding rack is excellent. 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. This means I can't put it back into the handy carrying bag, but I don't really mind. I'm not pressed for space in my trunk, so leaving the arms extended isn't a problem. 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!

Perfect!

I just bought this rack two weeks ago and used it for the first time a few days later. 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!). The next weekend, I used it again to carry a different bike with the same result - a good, solid transport with absolutely no movement! The instructions are not as clear at showing how to attach the rack to the car, but I read a lot of customer reviews before I bought, so I had a head-start. It works best if you adjust the straps at the top of the trunk first, then attach the bottom strap and tighten it. Strap the bike in tightly, with the chainwheel away from the car (handlebars to the right). 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)! There are several nice features to the rack. 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). Finally, the included bag makes it easy to transport the rack, and stores it neatly between uses. According to the instructions, dirt on the pads can scratch the car, so proper storage can reduce the risk. I have read other reviews and customer suggestions for improvements, but from my perspective, this rack is perfect!

Nice Rack!

I have a Dodge Journey and this rack fit it well. Attaching it to the vehicle was as smooth as I would have hopped, but after a 2 hour trip with my bike (21" frame, 700x38 Tire, road bike) it did shift a bit and the rests on the bottom shifted down the tailgate. It was not something that caused a huge problem, but where we back up at home, there is a curb. The bike just barely cleared the curb, whew! There is always a trick to learning how these work best with different vehicles, so do not let this discourage you. The rack worked very well. Protected my bike and the bike did not slide in the rack itself at all. I just learned I need to have the bike riding higher than lower when possible. I kept the rack and will use it. It does a great job in my opinion. It comes with a bag to put the rack in once done and it does not take up that much room considering. I would purchase some longer velcro cloth, or smaller bungies with it. I got the smaller bungie cords, and they worked great, but they did rub a small spot on the frame after the trip.

Easy set up on 2007 Ford Focus

Easy to set up on my 2007 Ford Focus, once the top strap lengths are set the only strap I need to adjust to install or remove is the single strap going to bottom of the trunk. Though both pages of the instructions included in the box were in Spanish, contacted Amazon for package feedback and they directed me to the Allen Sports website where I could download the pdf in English. I've used it a couple of times since purchasing, and it works very well keeping the bike secured including at highway speeds. Only issue with the fit on the car is the feet on the back sit on the bottom of the license plate, if I had a license plate frame it might damage it depending on if it's plastic or metal.

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