|
|
|
|
Allen Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver)
|
|
Show more by Allen Bike Racks
|
|
|
- 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
|
|
|
Product Description:
|
|
|
|
The Allen® deluxe 4-bike carrier mounts easily, quickly, and firmly to your car or truck's trailer hitch. Allen's® patented cradle system uses snug tie-downs to secure up to 4 bicycles. When not in use, the carry arms fold down, and the entire rack tilts to allow access to the lift gate. The powder-coated rack installs in just minutes with a no-wobble bolt that eliminates dangerous movement within the hitch. Easy assembly required.
|
|
|
|
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 Warranty
Lifetime warranty
|
|
|
|
Customers' Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
|
 Quality Rack, Great Price!, August 22, 2010
|
|
|
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.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
|
|
|
|
 So far so good & Solution to pin alignment problem!, August 20, 2010
|
|
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
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
|
|
|
|
|
Good Rack for Frugal Buyers, August 18, 2010
|
|
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 forCycling 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.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
|
|
|
|
|
Great bike rack!, July 26, 2010
|
|
|
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!!!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
|
|
|
|
 Quality Issues, July 24, 2010
|
|
|
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.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home
View Cart
Bookmark This Page
Contact Us
