Related: How To Install Hitch Bike Rack
I’ve hauled 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.
My current ride is a 2019 Honda CR-V, but for the past six years I drove a 2004 Subaru Outback, and I still miss it. That car taught me everything about bike racks. The trunk strap that scratched the tailgate. The hanging rack that swung into a highway divider on I-70. The platform rack that survived a deer strike that totaled the car. The rack came out with a bent arm and a story.
The job is simple: hold two bikes at 75 mph without terrifying me. Here's what passed.
Hollywood Racks Sport Rider 2" Hitch Bike Rack, Carries 2 Bikes up to 80 lbs Each for Standard, Fat Tire and Electric Bicycles - Heavy Duty, Foldable Ebike Rack for Car, Truck, and SUV
This one is the rack for people who haul e-bikes.
Visit on Amazon →
Allen Sports Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver) , Black
Padded lower frame keeps bicycles away from vehicle. Patented sure strap lower strap keeps bottom hook in place during use. Comes fully assembled installs in seconds.
Visit on Amazon →
BOB AND BRAD T2 Pro Deep Tissue Massage Gun with Heat & Cold, Percussion
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is the rack for people who haul e-bikes.
Visit on Amazon →
Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mount 3-Bike Carrier, Model 103DN-R, Black
Padded lower frame keeps bicycles away from vehicle. Patented sure strap lower strap keeps bottom hook in place during use. Comes fully assembled installs in seconds.
Visit on Amazon →
Visit on Amazon →Saris SuperClamp EX | ~~$450 | Lightweight tray rack, fits 2-inch hitches | No tilt, hard to access rear hatch |## How I tested
I packed and unpacked these racks for a month. I installed them in my driveway at 7 AM before a Tuesday night criterium. I loaded bikes in the dark after a 100-mile gravel ride, my legs cooked, my headlights aimed at the hitch receiver. I drove I-70 to the mountains with my partner and our dog Ranger, a 70-pound Lab mix who claims the back seat as his throne.
I timed everything. The Allen took 15 minutes to assemble. The Hollywood took 30. I measured wobble at 75 mph on the interstate, watched the racks in my rearview mirror, and checked the straps every time I stopped for gas. I loaded a 45-pound gravel bike and a 50-pound e-bike, and I did it in the rain.
The winner surprised me.
Best Overall: Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE
The Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is the rack for people who haul e-bikes. It's not the cheapest, not the lightest, and the instructions are a crime against the English language. But it's the only rack in this test that held two 65-pound e-bikes without flexing, wobbling, or making me check my mirror every five miles.
RSB, a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic and Sr. Quality Manager who raced vehicles in the Baja 500, carried two 65-pound e-bikes "without any signs of being over-loaded." That's 130 pounds of bike on a hitch rack.
I've seen racks fold under half that. 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."
The hitch rattle stopper is the engineering highlight. It cinches the coupling around the hitch pin, eliminating the wobble that plagues every other rack in this test. Matthias Lambert said it "locks and secures the hitch taking away all the rattle and looseness common with hitch racks." I drove 500 miles with two bikes on it and never felt the rack move.
The drawbacks are real. It's heavy. Judd Rousseau warned about storage space. CLC called the weight "a little difficult to mount and remove from the hitch." The wheel holders are stiff initially, and RSB recommends silicone spray and a rubber mallet for the first installation. The instructions are "very poorly written," per Matthias Lambert, who assembled it in 108°F Phoenix heat.
But the build quality is undeniable. "All the bolts washers and hardware were of first rate quality, no skimping and that is great to see," Matthias Lambert said. The hitch pin and cable locks are keyed alike, and Amazon Customer called them "good quality."
The tilt feature works with rear hatches. Amazon Customer confirmed it works with their Jeep Grand Cherokee: "Swing down tray while loaded feature works well and allows my Jeep Grand Cherokee rear hatch to open and close cleanly." There's a catch, though.
JCC found that with two e-bikes installed, "the tail gate cannot open, even tilted, since the handle bars closest to the vehicle interfere with the operation of the tailgate." E-bike handlebars are wide.
That's a real limitation.
Should you buy the Hollywood Racks? If you haul e-bikes, yes. It's the benchmark for heavy-duty racks. If you only carry road bikes and want something light, keep reading.
Best Value: Allen Sports Deluxe
Allen Sports Deluxe 3-Bike, Model 103DN-R
The Allen Sports Deluxe at $99 is the best value in the industry. Not the best rack. The best value. Ts132 put it directly: "it is under $100 bike rack. and it is just as good of a >$100 bike rack."
Visit on Amazon →
William Roche said it best: "You just cannot beat the price.. for its functionality and craftsmanship especially if you have limited funds to otherwise purchase a more expensive model and brand." He paid $99 and assembled it in 15 minutes.
The build quality surprises people. RayC said "There is nothing cheap about this rack." Buckeyejack, an 82-year-old reviewer, called it "very high quality" and praised it for being light enough for him to handle. That's the real test. Can an 82-year-old mount it without help? Yes. That's accessibility data.
But the wobble is real. 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 "real folks! But manageable!" RayC said it wiggles "a little from left to right" and fixed it with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes.
Ts132 noted it "wobbles a bit in the hitch sleeve and the bolt to secure it into the hitch is just a 9/16th 'no-wobble' bolt."
Nobody returned the rack over wobble. That tells you something. The wobble is annoying, not dangerous. It's a $10 fix.
The bikes sway once mounted. William Roche confirmed that. "Because the bike(s) is hanging from the bar it will sway," Victoria wrote. The straps "are not the rubber type straps that you will find and see on the more expensive racks," per William Roche. They work, but they're harder to tighten.
The MacGyver solutions are where this rack shines. Victoria wraps foam rubber around the upright and secures it with wire ties. William Roche used his wife's quilting batting. Lori uses three bungee cords to supplement the included straps.
I've used pipe insulation and electrical tape. A rack that people MacGyver solutions for is a rack they want to keep.
Nobody MacGyvers a rack they're going to return.
The tilt capability is "incredibly useful, allowing easy access to the back of the car, even when a bike is on the rack," Lori said. Ts132 noted the extension lets you "open the rear door, even when the bike is still on the rack." That's a feature I use constantly.
Should you buy the Allen Sports? If you want to spend under $100 and don't mind a little sway, yes. It's the people's champion. If you haul e-bikes, no. It's not designed for that weight.
What else to consider
Thule T2 Pro XT is the premium tray rack. Tool-free install, holds fat bikes, built like a tank. But at $650, it's overkill for most Outback owners. If you've got the budget and want the best tray rack money can buy, this is it.
Yakima Dr.Tray has a single-arm design that makes loading easy. It's a good rack. But at $500, you're paying for the name and the arm mechanism. The Hollywood Racks does the same job for less.
Saris SuperClamp EX is lightweight and fits 2-inch hitches. But there's no tilt feature, which means you can't access the rear hatch with bikes on it. That's a dealbreaker for me.
Rant mode
I've been hauling bikes for twelve years and I've seen racks that should be illegal. The $60 trunk straps that scratch paint. The hanging racks that swing into dividers. The "fits all cars" claims that are lies. No rack fits all cars. Every rack has quirks.
And the e-bike claims. There are racks in between the Allen and the Hollywood that claim to be e-bike ready but can't handle 130 pounds. That's dangerous. The Hollywood Racks can. That's the benchmark now.
Every rack wobbles. Every single one. I've owned eight racks in twelve years and never met one that didn't move in the hitch receiver. The question is whether it's manageable, not whether it's perfect. If a $99 rack wobbles but holds your bike at 77 mph, that's a different conversation than a $600 rack that shears a bolt.
The Allen Sports wobbles. The Hollywood Racks doesn't. One costs $99 and takes 15 minutes to assemble. The other costs $400 and takes 30. Both will get your bike to the trailhead.
Buy the Hollywood Racks if you haul e-bikes. Buy the Allen Sports if you want to spend under $100 and don't mind a little sway. Both are worth the money. Neither is perfect.
Now go ride.