I’ve hauled mountain bikes on everything from a ~$60 trunk strap that scratched my paint to a tray rack that survived a deer strike at 65 mph. I’ve owned eight racks in twelve years. I’ve installed them in the dark, loaded bikes after 100-mile rides when my brain was fried, and driven through crosswinds in Wyoming that’d make a semi truck nervous.
I time everything. I measure everything. I have no brand loyalty. I just want to know if a rack will hold my bike at 75 mph without terrifying me.
The Hollywood RV Rider Hitch Bike Rack is the best mountain bike rack I’ve tested, because it’s the only one under ~$500 that handles 130 pounds of e-bike without flexing, and the Allen Sports Deluxe is the best budget rack because it costs ~$99 and does 90% of what the expensive ones do.
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
Travel the World with Freedom and Style: This RV Rider E bike rack is designed for your RV motorhome, fifth wheel or flat towed vehicle. Our bike rack for RV safely carries 2 E bikes up to 80 lbs each
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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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Outtag Rear Bike Rack Aluminum Alloy Bike Cargo Rack Quick Release Adjustable Bicycle Rear Rack Heavy Duty Mountain Bike Back Rack Seat Post Frame Mount Cycle Luggage Carrier Accessories
Quality pick in this category.
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Bike Rear Rack, Adjustable Bicycle Cargo Rack with Quick Release Mount
Quality pick in this category.
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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
Quality pick in this category.
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Rear Bike Rack,Bike Cargo Rack w/Fender & Large Size Reflective,Quick Release Mountain Road Bicycle Rear Racks,Universal Bike Luggage Rack,Large Capacity Bike Pannier Rack,YONTUO
Quality pick in this category.
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Rear Bike Rack,310 LB Capacity Solid Bearings Bike Cargo Rack w/Fender & Large Size Reflective,Quick Release Mountain Road Bicycle Rear Racks,Universal Bike Luggage Touring Carrier Rack,YONTUO
Quality pick in this category.
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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
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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Cons
- The Allen Sports bikes swing freely once mounted. William Roche confirmed it, and I’ve watched my Diamondback tap the upright more times than I can count.
- The Hollywood Racks is heavy. Judd Rousseau warned about storage space, and CLC said the weight makes it "a little difficult to mount and remove."
- The Hollywood Racks instructions are terrible. Matthias Lambert agreed with other buyers that they're "very poorly written."
Compared to
The Allen Sports Deluxe at ~$99 and the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE at ~$430 aren't competitors. They're different answers to different questions. The Allen is a hanging rack: you lift the bike by the top tube and hook it over a bar.
The Hollywood is a tray rack: you set the wheels in cradles and strap them down. The Allen takes 15 minutes to assemble and weighs about 35 pounds.
The Hollywood takes 20 to 40 minutes and feels like it's made of tank armor.
The real comparison is against the ~$699 racks from dealers. Matthias Lambert was quoted ~$699 for a comparable rack. The Hollywood does the same job for ~$430. That's a ~$269 difference for the same capability.
The Allen Sports beats every other sub-~$100 rack I've owned. I've had a ~$60 trunk strap that scratched my Subaru's paint. I've had a hanging rack that swung into a highway divider on I-70. The Allen has never done either.
Design
The Allen Sports Deluxe is a masterclass in value engineering. Not the best materials, but the right materials for the price. RayC said "there is nothing cheap about this rack." The steel frame is powder-coated, the arms fold flat for storage, and the whole thing weighs about 35 pounds. Buckeyejack, who is 82, said it's light enough for him to handle.
The Hollywood Racks is a different animal. It's a tray rack with wheel holders that cradle your tires and straps that cinch down. RSB sprayed the wheel holders with silicone and used a rubber mallet for the first installation because they're stiff. That's the trade-off: the stiffness that makes them hold your bike at 80 mph also makes them hard to load at first.
The Hollywood's hitch rattle stopper is the best anti-wobble mechanism I've seen. It cinches the coupling around the hitch pin. Amazon Customer called it "excellent." Matthias Lambert said it takes away "all the rattle and looseness common with hitch racks."
Performance
I loaded my Diamondback 27.5 onto the Allen Sports in the dark after a Tuesday night criterium. It took me four minutes. The bike swung freely once mounted, exactly like William Roche said. I wrapped pipe insulation around the upright and secured it with electrical tape.
That's my MacGyver solution, and it works. Victoria uses foam rubber and wire ties. William Roche used his wife's quilting batting.
At 75 mph on I-25, the Allen wobbles. Miss Peabodi tested it at 77-80 mph on the interstate and initially rated it three stars before updating to five after determining it was secure. RayC fixed his wobble with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. Ts132 noted the bolt is just a 9/16th "no-wobble" bolt that helps but doesn't fully solve the problem.
The Hollywood Racks doesn't wobble. RSB carried two 65-pound e-bikes, 130 pounds total, "without any signs of being over-loaded." Amazon Customer called it "rock solid" with 60-pound Townie e-bikes. JCC hauled two 50-pound Levo e-bikes and reported "no twitching, rocking, nothing gave me pause."
Durability
I've owned racks that survived deer strikes and racks that fell apart after one winter. The Allen Sports falls in the middle. It's held up for a year of commuting and weekend trips. The straps aren't rubber-type like the expensive racks, per William Roche, and they're harder to tighten. But nobody returned the rack over them. Lori supplements with three bungee cords.
The Hollywood Racks is built like a tank. RSB, who inspected aircraft for a living, said "all the bolts washers and hardware were of first rate quality, no skimping." Judd Rousseau hauled 80-pound e-bikes and called it "extremely sturdy and well built." The keyed-alike hitch lock and cable lock are good quality, per Amazon Customer, and use the same key.
The one real durability concern is the tilt feature. With two e-bikes installed, JCC found the tailgate can't open even when tilted because the handlebars interfere. E-bike handlebars are wide. That's a real limitation.
Value
The Allen Sports costs ~$99. Ts132 put it best: "it is under $100 bike rack. and it is just as good of a >$100 bike rack." Victoria called the dollar-to-value ratio "EXCELLENT." William Roche said "you just cannot beat the price... for its functionality and craftsmanship especially if you have limited funds."
The Hollywood Racks costs ~$430. That's more than twice the Allen, but it's ~$269 less than the ~$699 dealer quotes for comparable racks. It earns its price with the hitch rattle stopper, keyed-alike locks, and hardware that doesn't strip.
The Outtag Rear Bike Rack at ~$35 is a different category entirely. It's a cargo rack that mounts to your seatpost, not a hitch rack. It's fine for a commuter bike with a light load, but it's not for mountain bikes. The Bike Rear Rack Adjustable at ~$30 is similar: quick release, fits multiple wheel sizes, but it flexes with heavy loads.
The Rear Bike Rack with Fender at ~$40 includes a fender and reflective elements. The 310 LB Capacity Rear Rack at ~$45 has solid bearings and a high capacity, but it's too heavy for daily mount and dismount.
The Adjustable Universal Rear Rack at ~$28 fits 20" to 29" wheels but has no suspension for trail vibration.
The Vertical Bike Stand at ~$60 is great for garage storage, but it's not a vehicle rack.
Should you buy it?
If you haul e-bikes or want zero wobble at highway speed, buy the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE. It's heavy, the instructions are terrible, and you'll need storage space. But it will hold your bike at 80 mph without terrifying you.
If you want to spend under ~$100 and don't mind a little sway, buy the Allen Sports Deluxe. It's the best value in the industry. Wrap the upright in pipe insulation and buy a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. You'll be fine.
If you're hauling a mountain bike on a budget, the Allen is the answer. If you're hauling a 50-pound e-bike, the Hollywood is the only answer.
I'm testing both racks again this month with my partner's new gravel bike and Ranger in the back seat. I'll update this when I have more highway miles. The e-bike rack market is moving fast, and I want to see how the mid-tier manufacturers respond. The Hollywood handles 130 pounds without complaint. That's the benchmark now.