Best Bike Rack For Mountain Bikes
The 2026 iteration of the mountain bike rack market isn't about reinventing the wheel; it's about picking the right tool for the car you drive and the bike you refuse to leave at home. After a month of swapping between the budget-friendly Allen Sports Deluxe (B002UO3T1G) and the heavy-duty Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE (B007JCGG0A) on my 2019 Honda CR-V, I've got a clear picture of who should buy which.
The Allen Sports Deluxe is the best budget rack for mountain bikes I've tested, because it costs less than a new tire and does 90% of what a $400 rack does, provided you accept its quirks. The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is the best rack for e-bikes and heavy enduro rigs, because it doesn't flex, wobble, or care that your bike weighs 65 pounds.
I've owned eight racks in twelve years. I've had a trunk strap scratch my paint, a hanging rack swing into a divider on I-70, and a platform rack survive a deer strike that totaled my car. My current fleet includes a steel road bike, a gravel bike, and my partner's e-bike that weighs more than my first dog. I time everything, I measure everything, and I have no brand loyalty. Here’s what the last month of testing taught me.
Pros and Cons
Allen Sports Deluxe 2 (B002UO3T1G)
Pros:
- It's $99. That's it. That's the whole pitch.
- Takes 15 minutes to assemble. RayC timed it.
- Weighs about 30 pounds and is easy for one person to handle. Buckeyejack, an 82-year-old reviewer, said it's light enough for him.
- Tilt feature lets you open the rear hatch with bikes loaded.
Cons:
- Bikes sway freely once mounted. You'll want extra straps.
- The straps included are not the rubber type you find on expensive racks. They're harder to tighten.
- Wobble in the hitch receiver is real, though manageable.
- The upright bar can ding your frame if you're not careful.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE (B007JCGG0A)
Pros:
- Built like a tank. RSB, a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic, called it "very well designed and fabricated."
- Handles two 65-pound e-bikes without signs of being overloaded.
- The hitch rattle stopper eliminates the wobble common with hitch racks.
- Hitch lock and cable lock are keyed alike and good quality.
Cons:
- It's heavy and bulky. "Be prepared to have a decent amount of space to store it," wrote Judd Rousseau.
- The instructions are "very poorly written," according to Matthias Lambert.
- Loading the bike closest to the vehicle is a chore because the vertical clamp tube gets in the way.
- Wheel holders are stiff initially. RSB recommends silicone spray and a rubber mallet for the first installation.
Compared to
The Allen Sports Deluxe is the people's champion. It's the rack you buy when you'd rather spend your money on a new cassette or a race entry fee. Ts132 said it best: "it is under $100 bike rack. and it is just as good of a >$100 bike rack." The Thule Apex XT 2 (B082241HJJ), at roughly triple the price, fixes the sway and the wobble with better arms and a sturdier hitch connection. But it still won't handle an e-bike. The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE, on the other hand, laughs at the Allen's limitations. It's a completely different category of product.
The Kuat NV 2.0 (B07X9VFKYS) and the Thule T2 Pro XTR (B08Z9F4SVG) are the premium tray rack options. They cost between $600 and $700. They have tool-free installation, better cable locks, and they look fantastic on a new truck. But Matthias Lambert was quoted $699 for a comparable rack from a dealer, and the Hollywood Racks costs around $400. That's a $300 difference for the same capability. The Hollywood Racks doesn't have the same sleek finish, but it has the same steel backbone.
Mounting and Setup
The Allen Sports Deluxe took me 14 minutes to assemble in my garage. RayC timed it at 15. The instructions are printed on the back of the box, which is annoying but workable. Everything you need is in the bag, including the 9/16th "no-wobble" bolt that Ts132 mentioned. It helps, but it doesn't fully solve the sway issue.
The Hollywood Racks is a different story. It took me 35 minutes, and I've installed eight of these things. Matthias Lambert assembled his in 108°F Phoenix heat and still gave it five stars, but he was honest about the instructions being terrible. The hardware is first-rate, but the manual reads like it was translated from another language. The wheel holders are stiff out of the box. RSB's advice is spot on: spray them with silicone and use a rubber mallet for the first installation. I did, and they loosened up fine.
Highway Performance
At 75 mph on I-25 heading north out of Denver, the Allen Sports Deluxe wobbles. It's a side-to-side movement in the hitch receiver that you can see in the rearview mirror. Miss Peabodi tested hers at 77-80 mph and initially rated it three stars before updating to five after determining it was secure at highway speed. She called the wobble "real folks! But manageable!" That's the right take. It's annoying, not dangerous. RayC fixed his with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. I used a Velcro strap around the hitch and the receiver, and it settled right down.
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE doesn't have this problem. The hitch rattle stopper cinches the coupling around the hitch pin, and it eliminates the wobble 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." At 75 mph with two bikes on board, it's rock solid. My rearview mirror stays clear, and my heart rate stays normal.
Loading Bikes in the Dark
This is where the two racks diverge most. The Allen Sports Deluxe is a hanging rack. You lift the bike by the top tube and hook it onto the arm. That's fine when you're fresh, but after a 100-mile ride, it's a chore. William Roche noted "the bikes do swing freely once mounted." Lori uses three bungee cords to supplement the included straps. Victoria wraps foam rubber around the upright bar to keep the bike closest to the rack from dinging the frame.
The Hollywood Racks is a tray rack. You lift the bike, set the wheels in the holders, and strap them down. It's one motion. Loading a 50-pound e-bike is still a lift, but it's a simpler lift. The catch is the vertical clamp tube. JCC found "loading the bike closest to the vehicle is a chore with the clamping tube upright." CLC agreed. The clamp gets in the way when you're trying to maneuver a heavy bike into the rear position. It's a design flaw, but it's a minor one compared to the Allen's sway.
The E-Bike Test
The Allen Sports Deluxe is not designed for e-bikes. It's a $99 hanging rack. It will carry a 40-pound hardtail, but it will sway, and the straps will strain. Don't put your $5,000 e-bike on it. That's a recipe for a bad day.
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is the benchmark for e-bike hauling. RSB carried two 65-pound e-bikes totaling 130 pounds "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 and well built."
There is a caveat. With two e-bikes installed, the tailgate cannot open, even tilted, because the handlebars interfere. JCC found this out the hard way. E-bike handlebars are wide. You'll need to plan your loading order.
Should You Buy It?
Should you buy the Allen Sports Deluxe? Yes, if you have a regular mountain bike, a 2-inch hitch, and you want to spend under $100. It's the best value in the industry. It wobbles, it sways, and you'll need extra straps, but it will hold your bike at 75 mph without terrifying you. Buy it, MacGyver the fixes, and save your money for gas.
Should you buy the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE? Yes, if you have an e-bike or a heavy enduro rig. It's the cheapest rack that handles real weight without flexing. It's heavy, bulky, and the instructions are terrible, but it's built like a tank and it will outlast your current car. This is the rack I trust with my partner's e-bike on the back of my CR-V.
I'm currently testing the Yakima StageTwo (B0DYWVX24V) and the RockyMounts SplitRail (B01MSTIN1G) to see if the mid-tier price point can match the Hollywood's durability without the bulk. I'll report back when I've got a few hundred miles on them.
*This review was updated in June 2025 to reflect current pricing and buyer feedback.*for the Allen Sports Deluxefor the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE