Batteries Included: 0 Binding: Sports Brand: Allen Bike Racks Color: Blk/ Silver EAN: 0076527540008 Feature: Features a patented folding arm system Item Dimensions: Array Label: Allen Bike Racks Manufacturer: Allen Bike Racks Model: 540RR MPN: 540RR Publisher: Allen Bike Racks Size: 2-Inch Receiver Studio: Allen Bike Racks Variation Description: Blk/ Silver
Product Features:
• Features a patented folding arm system • Tie-down system individually secures and protects bicycles • Included strap eliminates lower bicycle movement • Lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials
DELUXE 4 BIKE CARRIER FOR 2" HITCHES. Patented tie-down system indivi- dually secures and protects bicycles. 22" long carry arms easily accomodate up to 4 bikes. Minor assembly required. Sets up and installs in less than 5 minutes. Included strap eliminates lower bicycle movement. For 2" Hitches Only. This Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Carrier by Allen holds four bikes and is ideal for weekend biking trips with friends and family outings. A tie-down system securely holds and protects each bicycle while 22-inch carry arms drop out of the way when not in use. Appropriate for two-inch hitches, this carrier includes a strap which eliminates lower bike movement. Minor assembly and simple set up of the carrier is 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.
Customer Reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Sturdy rack at a great price! Comment: I tried a couple of other racks before and they had the wobbling problem. This rack came with the anti-wobbling bolt. It does require 2 wrenches, but well worth it. Once tightened, the rack did not wobble at all! The rack seems very sturdy and well made. I have used it and felt very confident and very happy with it. Customer Rating: Summary: Room for improvement Comment: This is a good product, but don;t like the bolt method of attaching to tow mount. Would rather use tow bar lock insted, so I'll have to drill out the hole o make it bigger. Customer Rating: Summary: Great bike rack Comment: This is a great bike rack for adult bicycles. I originally bought a Thule for $300 but ended up taking it back because of the price. This has all the features of the Thule for less than half the cost. It is lighter, folds down when not in use, and tilts away from the vehicle for easy access to my minivan's rear hatch. Child bicycles don't fit as easily, but it still works. The strap that came with it isn't very sturdy. The plastic piece broke when my husband was tightening it. If you want a locking pin to secure the rack to your hitch you have to buy Allen's brand or drill a bigger hole on the bike rack. Overall, I'm very happy with this rack. Customer Rating: Summary: Solid Rack, Nice Features, Great Value Comment: This Allen Bike carrier rack is awesome.
I can easily load a mens and a womens mountain bike, my teenagers thick frame mountain bike, and my young daughters "little Pony" kids bike all at the same time. I had to think about the best way to load them up for a minute, but it was'nt to difficult to make them all fit (and I didnt have to remove any bike parts). I suspect that I would have an easier time loading 4 similar bikes rather than the variety of 2-wheelers that sit in my garage. My wifes "Womens Low X-Bar" bike easily mounted without the extra x-bar attachment that they recommend, so you can save yourself $20 bucks and skip that purchase.
The hitch pin snugs up to the 2" recieved and eliminates all the wobble I have seen on other carriers. The horizontal mount can be folded down by pulling a spring-loaded knob, and the entire unit will fold away from the tailgate by pulling the lower spring-loaded knob. The bikes are held in place by poly-straps and friction buckles. They snug down real nice, and stay secure for the entire trip to the bike trails.
I found this bike carrier to be a quality item, and when you compare the price to the top-name brands, this is definately a great value.
Bottom Line: It will easily carry 4 bikes, it has some very unique features that are nice to have, and its a quality carrier.
Cons: There is no way to "lock" the rack to the reciever unless you buy the locking hitch pin sold separately. (A crook will need a 9/16" wrench to to steal the rack, so its reasonably secure in most places without a lock). There is a gusset on the rack that you can run a cable thru, so I ussually just lock everything up (bikes and rack) to the 2-inch reciever chain holders using a cable and pad-lock. Customer Rating: Summary: Rack is fine but can't be secured Comment: The rack itself is fine but there's no way to secure/lock this rack to a 1.25" hitch. The hole in the rack is only 3/8" wide but all locking pins are 1/2". Having a rack full of expensive bikes with no way to lock them makes this rack essentially worthless.