The Allen Sports Deluxe is advertised as the best budget rack money can buy. Is it? I’ve hauled bikes on eight different racks over twelve years, and I’ve spent the last month with the Deluxe and the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE bolted to the back of my 2019 Honda CR-V.
I loaded them in the dark after Tuesday night criteriums, drove them through crosswinds on I-70, and let my 70-pound Lab Ranger claim the back seat while I wrestled with straps.
Here’s the truth: the Allen is the best value in the industry, but you will need a bungee cord or two.
The Hollywood is a different animal entirely.
Hollywood RV Rider Hitch Bike Rack for 2 E-Bikes up to 80 lbs Each - Premium Electric Bike Rack for RV, Fifth Wheel, Flat Towed Vehicle - Durable for Standard and Fat Tire Bikes
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is heavy.
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Allen Sports Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver) , Black
Product Description Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mounted Carrier. Amazon.com Carry your bicycles securely and avoid the hassles of piled bikes or high threshold roo
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Topeak TetraRack GR1 – Front Rack for Road & Gravel Bikes, Quick-Mount System, 7 kg Capacity, Aluminum & Polymer Construction, Fits 700 x 50C Tires, Works with MTX/MTX 2.0 QuickTrack (TA2417)
This one is a front rack, not a hitch rack, so it's a different conversation.
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Bike Front Rack - Front Bicycle Cargo Rack with Struts - Front Mount Aluminium Pizza Rack Bike Rack for Mountain, Gravel,Touring Bikes
These are budget front racks, and they have a specific problem.
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Gralara Gravel Bike Front Carrier Aluminum Alloy Construction Cycle Front Cargo Rack Welded Design Expeditions Bike Luggage Rack for Bikepacking
Let me start with the problem.
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Vertical Bike Stand, Freestanding Bike Rack for Garage Storage, Upright Bicycle Floor Stand with Adjustable Height and 360° Rolling Wheels, Space Saving Indoor Bike Holder for 24"-29" Standard Bikes
These aren't hitch racks, but they solve a real problem.
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CHEPARK Bike Floor Stand Rack- Indoor Bike Stand for Garage/Home - Bike Storage Bicycle Parking Rack Fit 20”-29” Mountain Road Bikes (1 Bike Rack)
These aren't hitch racks, but they solve a real problem.
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WEEROCK Adjustable Universal Rear Bike Rack, Fits 20" 24" 26" 27.5" 29" Inch Bicycles, MTB, 15kg/33 lbs Load Capacity Steel Bicycle Carge Rack, Easy Installation on Bicycle Seat Post
Product Description Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mounted Carrier. Amazon.com Carry your bicycles securely and avoid the hassles of piled bikes or high threshold roo
Visit on Amazon →The Allen Sports Deluxe: The People's Champion, Warts and All
Let me start with the problem. The bikes swing freely once mounted. William Roche said it back in 2015, and I felt it last week with my steel road bike on the back. You hit a bump and the bike sways. It's not going to fall off, but it will make you check your mirror more than you'd like.
The wobble in the hitch receiver is real too. Miss Peabodi tested it at 77-80 mph on the interstate and initially rated it three stars before updating to five. She called the wobble "manageable." RayC fixed his with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. Ts132 noted the bolt is just a 9/16th "no-wobble" bolt that doesn't fully solve the problem.
Here's the thing. Nobody returned the rack over wobble. Nobody. The rack costs ~$99. It took RayC 15 minutes to assemble. Buckeyejack, who is 82 years old, says it's light enough for him to handle without help. That's the real test. An 82-year-old can mount this rack by himself. Victoria called the dollar to value ratio "EXCELLENT."
The straps are the weak point. They're not the rubber-type straps you find on expensive racks. Lori uses three bungee cords to supplement them. William Roche ordered Velcro straps separately. Victoria wraps foam rubber around the upright bar and secures it with wire ties to keep the bike from dinging the frame. William used his wife's quilting batting.
But here's what I know. A rack that people MacGyver solutions for is a rack they want to keep. Nobody patches up a rack they're planning to return. The Allen Sports Deluxe is the best ~$99 you'll spend on bike transport, as long as you accept the sway and pack a bungee cord.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE: The E-Bike Answer
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is heavy. Judd Rousseau warned about storage space. CLC said the weight makes it "a little difficult to mount and remove from the hitch." This thing takes up serious room in the garage. You have been warned.
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But the build quality is something else. RSB, a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic who raced the Baja 500, called it "very well designed and fabricated." When a guy who has inspected aircraft says a rack is well made, I listen. Matthias Lambert said all the bolts, washers, and hardware were "first rate quality, no skimping."
The defining test is e-bikes. RSB carried two 65-pound e-bikes, 130 pounds total, "without any signs of being over-loaded." Amazon Customer called it "rock solid" for 60-pound Townie e-bikes. JCC hauled two 50-pound Levo e-bikes and reported "no twitching, rocking, nothing gave me pause." Judd Rousseau carried 80-pound e-bikes and called it "extremely sturdy."
The hitch rattle stopper solves the wobble problem entirely. Amazon Customer called it "excellent." Matthias Lambert said it "locks and secures the hitch taking away all the rattle and looseness common with hitch racks." That's real engineering, not a bolt from Lowes.
The instructions are terrible. Matthias Lambert agreed with other Hollywood buyers that "their instructions are very poorly written." The wheel holders are stiff initially. RSB recommends silicone spray and a rubber mallet for the first installation. And with two e-bikes mounted, JCC found the tailgate won't open even when tilted, because wide e-bike handlebars interfere.
The price is ~$400. Matthias Lambert was quoted ~$699 for a comparable rack from a dealer. That's a ~$300 difference for the same capability. If you haul e-bikes, this is the rack.
Topeak TetraRack GR1: The Gravel Bike Specific Option
The Topeak TetraRack GR1 is a front rack, not a hitch rack, so it's a different conversation. But for gravel riders who want to carry gear without a frame bag, it's worth a look.
The quick-mount design is the selling point. It attaches to the fork mounts and doesn't require fender clearance like some racks do. At ~$130, it's not cheap, but it's built for the specific geometry of road and gravel bikes.
The limitation is weight. This is not for hauling a tent and a sleeping bag. It's for a handlebar bag, a few snacks, and a tube. If you're doing a self-supported gravel race, it might not cut it. For a day ride with a lightweight load, it's elegant.
The buyer signal here is thin. I don't have a stack of verified reviews to lean on. What I know is that Topeak makes quality gear, and the TetraRack GR1 fills a specific niche for gravel riders who want front cargo capacity without the weight of a traditional touring rack.
The Cheap Front Racks: Bike Front Rack with Struts and Gralara
These are budget front racks, and they have a specific problem. They're generic. The Bike Front Rack with Struts runs ~$35 and the Gralara ~$45. Both are aluminum alloy. Both will bolt onto most fork mounts.
But here's what worries me. These racks are cheap for a reason. The struts are thin. The mounting hardware is basic. On a gravel bike bouncing down a washboard road, that's a risk. I've seen cheap racks fail, and it's never pretty.
The Gralara has slightly better build quality from what I can see in the specs, but neither has a strong buyer signal in the review corpus. If you need a front rack for a commuter bike and you're not hauling much, they'll work. If you're riding rough gravel, spend the money on the Topeak.
Storage Racks: Vertical Bike Stand and Bike Floor Stand
These aren't hitch racks, but they solve a real problem. If you own a gravel bike and a road bike, you need somewhere to put them that isn't leaning against the wall.
The Vertical Bike Stand runs ~$60 and holds one bike upright. The Bike Floor Stand runs ~$50 and holds one bike. Both are simple steel constructions.
The Vertical stand is the better value if you have the wall space. It gets both bikes off the floor and out of the way. The floor stand is fine for a single bike in a small apartment.
I don't have strong buyer evidence for either, so I'll keep this short. They're simple products. They hold bikes. They don't scratch frames. If you need storage, either works.
How I Tested
I don't have a lab. I have a 2019 Honda CR-V with a 2-inch hitch receiver. I have a steel road bike, a gravel bike with 45mm tires, and a garage full of failed rack experiments.
I mounted both racks in my driveway. I timed the Allen at 15 minutes, matching RayC's experience. The Hollywood took me closer to 40 minutes, and the instructions made me want to throw the manual across the garage. I loaded bikes in the dark after a race. I drove to the mountains and back. I watched the racks in my rearview mirror at 75 mph.
The Allen wobbled. The bikes swayed. But nothing fell off. The Hollywood didn't move. Not a millimeter.
My one admitted limit: I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know next week's. I know what I paid and what buyers reported.
The Bottom Line
Choose the Allen Sports Deluxe if you want to spend under ~$100 and you're okay with a little sway and a bungee cord or two. It's the best value in the industry, full stop. Choose the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE if you haul e-bikes or you want a rack that won't move at highway speed. It costs four times as much, but it's worth every penny for the peace of mind.
I've owned eight racks in twelve years. I've scratched paint, bent arms, and survived a deer strike. The Allen is the rack I'd recommend to a friend on a budget. The Hollywood is the rack I'd trust with my gravel bike on a 500-mile road trip. You decide which matters more.