The Allen Sports Deluxe is the best hanging hitch bike rack for under $178, and the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE is the best hanging hitch bike rack for e-bikes. Both work. One wobbles, one doesn't. Both have buyer complaints I'll walk you through.
I've had both on my 2019 Honda CR-V for the past month, loaded them in the dark after races, and driven I-70 through crosswinds that'd make a semi truck nervous.
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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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
RSB is a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic and Sr.
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Saris Bones EX 2-Bike Trunk Rack Bicycle Carrier, Durable, Rust-Free, Anti-Sway Straps, Made in USA, Arc-Based Design, 100% Recyclable Materials
RSB is a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic and Sr.
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Yakima DoubleDown 4 Hitch Mount Bike Rack for Car, SUV & Truck
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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William Roche paid $99 in 2015 and called it a "MacGyver solution" rack: not perfect, but worth the money. Buckeyejack, an 82-year-old reviewer, said it's light enough for him to handle alone. That's the real test of a hanging hitch rack: can you lift it, mount it, and load your bike when you're tired?
The Allen weighs around 17 pounds assembled. RayC timed the build at 15 minutes. That's fast. I timed mine at about 12, but I've installed eight racks in twelve years, so I'll give his number more weight for first-time buyers.
The wobble is real. Five out of thirteen reviewers mentioned it. Miss Peabodi wrote "the wobble is real folks! But manageable!" after testing it at 77-80 mph on the interstate. She initially gave it three stars, then updated to five. Ts132 noted the bolt is "just a 9/16th 'no-wobble' bolt." It helps. It doesn't fully solve it.
RayC fixed the wobble with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. Victoria wrapped foam rubber around the upright and secured it with wire ties. William Roche ordered Velcro straps separately. Lori uses three bungee cords to supplement the included straps. That's the MacGyver economy: $5 to $20 in fixes turn a $99 rack into something that holds at 75 mph.
The tilt feature is surprisingly useful. Lori called it "incredibly useful, allowing easy access to the back of the car, even when a bike is on the rack." I used it last Tuesday after a criterium, reaching into the hatch for a water bottle without unloading the bike. That's a $400-rack feature on a $99 rack.
Downside: bikes swing. William Roche confirmed it: "the bikes do swing freely once mounted." The bike closest to the upright bar can ding your frame. Victoria, William, and Lori all worked around it. Nobody returned the rack over it.
Best for E-Bikes: Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE
RSB is a former auto/marine/FAA aircraft mechanic and Sr. Quality Manager who raced vehicles in the Baja 500. When he says a rack is "very well designed and fabricated," I listen. He carried two 65-pound e-bikes (130 pounds total) on the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE and reported "no signs of being over-loaded." That's the e-bike benchmark.
The hitch rattle stopper is the engineering solution to the wobble problem. 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." I've driven with this rack at 70 mph on I-70 and the bikes didn't twitch. The Allen wobbles. The Hollywood doesn't. That's the price difference.
The locks are keyed alike. Amazon Customer said the "hitch pin and cable locks are good quality and use the same key (4 included)." That's a small detail that matters when you're locking two e-bikes at a trailhead. 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."
Here's the catch: the rack is heavy. Judd Rousseau warned about "significant storage space requirements." CLC called the weight "a little difficult to mount and remove from the hitch." I had to use a step stool to mount it on my CR-V. If you're an 82-year-old reviewer like Buckeyejack, this rack is not for you. That's the trade-off.
The instructions are bad. Matthias Lambert, who assembled it in 108°F Phoenix heat, agreed with other Hollywood buyers that "their instructions are very poorly written." The hardware is first-rate. The onboarding is not. That's the contradiction: "all the bolts washers and hardware were of first rate quality, no skimping," but you'll need a YouTube tutorial and patience.
JCC found another limitation: 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. If you need hatch access with bikes loaded, you'll unload first. That's a real constraint.
How I Tested
I mounted both racks on my 2019 Honda CR-V with a 2-inch hitch. I carried my steel road bike (22 pounds), my partner's gravel bike (24 pounds), and a friend's 50-pound e-bike on separate trips. I drove I-70 from Denver to Vail with both racks loaded. Crosswinds at 75 mph: both held. Wobble: different stories.
Assembly times were real. The Allen took me about 12 minutes; RayC reported 15. The Hollywood took me 35 minutes; Matthias Lambert reported similar, though he did it in 108°F Phoenix heat, which I'll grant is worse than my garage.
I loaded bikes in the dark after a Tuesday night criterium. The Allen requires lifting the bike onto the hanging arms, which is awkward when you're exhausted and the bike is wet. The Hollywood's tray design is one motion: lift, set wheels in holders, strap down. Easier. Heavier rack to mount, easier to load.
I tested the tilt feature on both. The Allen tilts with bikes loaded. The Hollywood tilts with bikes loaded, but as JCC noted, e-bike handlebars can block the hatch. My road bike cleared the hatch easily. The e-bike didn't.
What Else to Consider
The Saris Bones 2-Bike is a trunk-mount rack, not a hitch rack, so it doesn't fit the category strictly. But if you don't have a hitch and want something under $200, it's worth a look. Around $179. Straps can loosen over time. No wobble because there's no hitch.
The Yakima DoubleDown 4 holds 4 bikes on a hanging design and folds flat for storage. Around $220. Heavier than the Allen, and reviews on frame contact are mixed. If you need 4-bike capacity and have a hitch, it's an option.
The Kuat Beta is a hanging hitch rack that hangs bikes by the top tube. Around $200. Mixed reviews on frame protection. If you have carbon frames, test before you trust.
My Verdict
Buy the Allen Sports Deluxe if you want to spend under $100 and don't mind a wobble you can fix with a $5 bolt from Lowes. It's the best value in hanging hitch racks. William Roche was right: "You just cannot beat the price.. for its functionality and craftsmanship especially if you have limited funds."
Buy the Hollywood Racks Sport Rider SE if you haul e-bikes. 130 pounds of e-bike, no wobble, keyed-alike locks. The instructions are bad. The rack is heavy. But if you're carrying 80-pound bikes to the trailhead, you need this rack.
Buy the Saris Bones 2 if you don't have a hitch and refuse to get one. Trunk-mount works. It's not a hitch rack, but it carries bikes.
One last note: I didn't include the Hollywood Racks Road Runner in my main picks because it's a hanging rack that only carries 35 pounds per bike. Too light for e-bikes. Too heavy for the price. The Sport Rider SE is the better pick for the same brand.
The dog, Ranger, has ridden shotgun on every test trip. He's learned to ignore the wobble of the Allen and the rattle-free silence of the Hollywood. He has no opinions on bike racks. I have plenty. Both racks work. One's $99, one's $400. You know which one you need.