Bike Trunk Mount Rack
I've been pretty nervous looking for a decent but affordable bike rack. After initially getting an Outback Rack from Target, I was disappointed by the flimsy construction and had to return it. I did some more researching and wasn't able to find any reviews for low-mid-priced racks online. Found a Bell 3-bike rack from Walmart and later on a Bell 2-bike rack from Sports Authority. These were a lot sturdier but also quite heavy.
I have a mountain bike that weighs about 35lbs. A friend of mine has a road bike that weighs about 25lbs. I kept looking and finally settled on the Allen because of the price, design and construction.
Bike Trunk Mount Rack
(I took a star off for aesthetics. The foam supports are grey. The top and bottom struts are unpainted silver aluminum, and the caps at the end of the rack are white.)
A couple of things I learned:
Bike Trunk Mount Rack
* cloth/nylon strap tie downs are better than plastic or rubber which become brittle after repeated use and exposure to different weather conditions
* use of lighter weight aluminum is better than steel
* the more anchor points to your car the better (3 is the minimum)
* put the heavier bike on the slot closer to the car
* women's bikes or bikes without a horizontal beam from the seat to the handlebar column will require a "bike adaptor"
* when not in use, remove the rack from the car to prevent it from being stolen or the foam padding from melting onto your car
* lock your bike(s) to the rack with a separate chain
* use common sense and don't put more than the number of bikes the rack was designed for
* drive more slowly and carefully on uneven streets
Hope this review helped! :)
