Review of Allen Deluxe 3-Bike Spare Tire Mount Rack

Allen Deluxe 3-Bike Spare Tire Mount Rack
By: Allen Bike Racks Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 49
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great bike rack!

On: 2008-06-23

This bike rack is great! There was no assembly, it came right out of the box. I can get it on and off in less than a minute. Much easier than my "bonz" bike rack I used when I had a car with a spoiler. I bought this one for my 2005 RAV4. The only thing I dont like, is that I have to remove my tire cover off of the spare tire everytime I want to use it. Also, the little rubber thingy that protects the ends keeps coming off. I would recommend this for SUVs with tires on the back. Its much cheaper than having a hitch installed. I was quoted 500.00 to put a hitch on at my local bike shop!!

Very easy to install & works well

On: 2008-06-18

We were able to install the rack within 5 minutes. Very easy. It generally works very well though Ive never used any other bike racks before. Only issue is that I could not actually load 3 bikes on the rack because when I reverse the direction on the middle bike, it sticks out way too much. I think this is mainly due to the fact that I use the rack on my Honda CR-V, which has an offset spare tire. So, if you want to use this rack to store 2 bikes, its very convenient. But with a CR-V, I dont think you can actually load on 3 bikes.

Great Rack for 2008 RAV4

On: 2008-06-17

There arent many spare tire bike racks that fit a 2008 RAV4, but this one works great. Ive taken several trips with no problems. The rack is easy on and off, and holds 2 bikes very securely. Im not sure about 3 bikes - might be a tad heavy for the RAV4 spare tire mount. Be sure that the lower mounting straps are attached to the RAV4s frame, not plastic trim.

I chose to deal with two small fit issues, but you might not. The left side of the rack is very close to the wiper arm - I flattened the rack slightly with a hammer at that point for more clearance. The bottom of the rack rests on the spare tire - I slipped pipe insulator over the rack at that point to prevent scratching the rim.

Overall, a great rack at a great price.

This is it if you have a back tire!!

On: 2008-06-04

I have a Honda CRV (2003) and the bike rack fits perfectly on my vehicle. I was a little worried after reading some of the reviews if it work on my car and now I know, no problem! The price is right and the weight of the rack is right. I live in a small town and do not have to worry about taking the rack on and off all the time, but when I have had too, I can set it up in matter of minutes. I hook the rack strapes onto the bottom of my back door and I can still open it with a bike on or not!! I huge plus for me. I havent put on more than one bike as of now, but one bike equals no worries. Though I do plan on putting my two kids bikes on also.

Very Satisfied

On: 2008-06-02

Im very happy with this product. Being "mechanically challenged" I was nervous about it at first and it did take me a little while to figure out how it all worked, but after the 1st time of doing that, its very easy to put on my car (I have a Jeep Liberty) and easy to load the bikes as well.

Simple, effective, cheap

On: 2008-05-29

Havent taken it on the road yet, but I loaded it up and liked it a lot. It was easy to mount. As solid as other fancier and more expensive models I have used.

good rack for the price

On: 2008-05-27

Good bike rack, nice secure harnesses.
Cons--I live in the city and parking is tight. Gotta be careful not to bang it into the car behind it sticks out quiet a bit. I feel it can be preety easily stolen. I have kids bikes, the rack is pretty wide makes it kinda hard to strap them down.

Works great for my Jeep Liberty

On: 2008-05-22

Order this rack and got free shipping which got delivered very quickly. Easy to install and have no issue with it. It is very easy to put my bike on. The small issue I have is that I have an XS size bike, so the frame is quite small and can only fit in the first slot.

Keep that in mind if you have smaller bike.

But oveall, it works very well.

Deluxe? thats a joke to me, but i'm not laughing!

On: 2008-05-14

It is a bit flimsy with three bikes squeezed onto it. I was scared it might break while i drove. Bottom line is three kids bikes or two adults would work out ok.

Great rack for the price

On: 2008-05-12

I had been looking for a tire mount rack for my full size Montero for awhile. I really didnt want one that mounted behind the tire so when I saw this one on Amazon, I ordered right away. Install takes 30 seconds max. I have to keep my tire cover (which is the plastic kind) off but the backing to the tire cover which is behind the tire can stay on with no problem. Once installed, the rack is very secure. No jiggle whatsoever when driving. Also, I can open my hatch door (side swinging) with the bikes on. I have only used the rack for 2 bikes, Im not sure how it would be with 3 since one set of bracket slots is really right up against the spare (I use the 2 slots further away). Anyway, for my purposes, this rack was exactly what I was looking for. As a bonus, it folds for storage in the off season.

Not made for a Rav4, but it works ok.

On: 2008-05-11

At first I wasnt sure this rack would work on my 2008 Rav4, but with some work it does. The arms that go over the tire are very very close to the wiper arm but it doesnt harm it. Its hard to attach the straps to the bottom of the tailgate, it just doesnt grab so I attached them to the underside of the bumper and even though the bumper is plastic coated it made enough of a surface to pull the straps tight. The bar though resting on the spare tire isnt wide enough to rest only on the tire and will damage the wheel unless you pad it all the way across. I did so with 2 shop towels. Once the rack is on and pulled tight, it was solid and seems well made. It didnt loosen or vibrate and 70mph..

Good bike rack, but.....

On: 2008-05-01

The bike rack is very easy to attach to the car (Jeep Liberty). However, not all bikes can be attached to this rack depending on the shape of the frame.

Be careful with 2007 Jeep Wrangler with 17" tires

On: 2008-04-21

This Bike Rake Scratched my Wheel, I had to use a small towel to ensure the rack did not cause more damage of my wheel with the Goodyear Wrangler P255/75R15 Tire.

Allen over the tire 3 bike hitch

On: 2008-04-15

Was concerned at first that it would not work, but after reading all reviews, was prepared to remove rear tire plastic cover, had some extra padding between car and hitch. V.close to wipe blade but did not touch. Secured on my Toyota RAV 4 under on towing holes. Held 3 bikes with no jiggle. GREAT BUY. Had to remove spare tire to remove plastic back plate, but that is because of Toyota.

passable

On: 2008-04-12

this rack has been right on and I"vebeen have way across the U.S. and it has held tight no slop or came loss so I am fery happen

looks flimsy, but 100% sturdy

On: 2008-04-11

i must admit, when i bought the Allen bike rack I was a bit skeptical. I have only heard of Thule and Yakima up until now. I just took this my bike to school on freeway speeds, and it did not budge at all. I can put this thing on and off in under a minute. You just have to store it everytime youre leaving your vehicle. I can see that it is easy to steal. Otherwise, its a great bike rack at a great price compared to the other bike racks if you only have the rear tire option.

love it

On: 2008-04-09

love this bike rack. its easy to mount on my jeep & easy to mount the bikes on the rack. its just what i was looking for

Perfect for my 4 Door Jeep Wrangler Sahara!

On: 2008-04-07

I searched all over the internet to find the perfect bike mount for my Jeep. I wanted a light, easy to use bike mount that I can easily put away in the back of the Jeep when not in use. The allen bike rack met the criteria.

The only problem I had was the poor shipping for the rack but I am not rating the rack based on the shipping. When it shipped it was in its original packaging and when it arrived home the box was all beat up and it was open. No manual inside except the rack. I was not to sure if anything else came with it. I downloaded the manual from the web. According to the manual I had everything I needed to use the rack.

After learning to mount the rack on the spare tire you can easily put it on in less than 5 minutes. Once it is mounted it feels really strong. It seems like it may not hold much but it really can hold much. When not in use you can take it off faster than you can put it on.

What I really like about this rack that I did not like on others is:
-I can swing my gate open with the bikes in place
-Super easy to mount/unmount
-My hitch is free for other uses
-Price
-Very light weight

What I dont like:
-The part that rests on the wheel/rim is not covered with rubber or anything. A wrapped cotton towel took care of the problem but it does not look pretty
-Bikes can be a little too close and bang to each other if using 3 bikes. I have only 2 and use the first and third mount and I have not problems.

Simple Set...Works Fine on Jeep Wrangler

On: 2007-10-17

This bike rack is a great value, compared to Thule and others, and works perfectly well. It took two minutes to set up, works with the Jeep back door so that it still swings, and holds bikes securely.

Fantastic bike rack for Rav4

On: 2007-09-21

I was well on my way to buying a Thule Spare-me, when at the last minute I decided to read some reviews on spare tire bike racks. The Thule reviews were lukewarm, but the reviews for the Allen rack were plentiful and very positive. I ended up buying it solely based on the reviews and it works great! We hauled 2 road bikes from FL to NC and back with no problem. As a result of reading the reviews, I wrapped some of the chafe points in microfibre cloth and I had no chafe issues.

Its also extremely easy to attach to and remove from the car. It may not be as cool or sturdy looking as the Thule, but its definitely a winner in my book. Great spare tire rack!

Works great

On: 2007-09-12

This bike rack works great. I was nervous at first that it would slide off the back of the tire, but it hasnt. Its been through the rain, 60 mph winds, and large bumps (with bike) and Ive only had to tighten one strap once. Its secure enough that I dont even need bungee cords.

Great Product - Highly Recommend

On: 2007-08-23

Bought this bike mount for my 2000 Jeep Wrangler, and it is Perfect! It really is like it was made to go on my Jeep, and I highly recommend this to anyone who is thinking about buying one. You are able to throw it on and go in less than a minute, and I drove across country with my 23" Mountain bike on the back through wind and rain.

I am so happy with this product and this company

On: 2007-08-16

Now i can take my bike anywhere. This bike rack is easy to use and it holds my bike securely on rough roads.

Allen Deluxe Spare Tire Rack: Must Read

On: 2007-08-14

The rack composition is lite-weight and easy to install. Some of the rubber components are flimsy (they fell off right away) and the straps that hold the bike in a locked position are NOT to be trusted. The strap broke before I even took off with the bikes on the road.

The straps to tie down to the spare tire are not long enough and you NEED alternate method of securing the rack to the tire. Go to Wal Mart and by tie-downs with hooks.

Make sure you put a pad on the bottom rung of the rack otherwise it will rub and scratch your tire.

The rack is ok for the price. I took it on a 600 mile highway speed ride. As long as you buy those extra straps and tie the bike to the rack with line and secure it....you will be ok.

Hope it helps.

Great but not perfect.

On: 2007-08-07

We wanted a less expensive option to the Thule rack for our 2004 Jeep Liberty with the spare tire on the back. The Allen 3 fits good over the tire but you cannot open the back glass once the bikes are attached. We can see how 3 bikes would fit but it would be tight and they would rub as ours did with just 2 bikes...so we had to space them out between the first and third bike holders. We would suggest using a towel or something to buffer the piece of rack that sits on the tire while driving. Overall we liked it and would recommend it. It was easy to put on but we wouldnt recommend attaching it to the back door if avoidable but using the trailer hitch. There is no lock for it and we took our bikes off each night and kept them indoors. We drove about 1800 miles and didnt have any issues.

Great bike rack for the Jeep Liberty

On: 2007-08-03

The last bike rack I had was the type that you basically put on the spare tire and never took off until the end of biking season, simply because it would have been too much of a pain to do and/or too bulky to store. As such, that one rusted quickly. I love that this rack can go on and off within a matter of 1-2 minutes and stores completely flat in the cargo area of my Liberty. I imagine this rack will last for years and years since you can take it on and off so quickly and it wont get exposed to the elements unless you leave it on. I dont necessarily think it would hold 3 comfort bikes, but maybe 3 road bikes since those are more sleek. I needed a crossbar in order to use it, but the one made by Allen comes on and off quickly. At first I was a little concerned about the nylon tie downs, but have no concerns whatsoever now. The directions seemed a little unclear as how to attach the 2 bottom tie downs under the back hatch door - on the Liberty, simply thread them through the rim of the spare tire and youre good to go.

Good but not the best.

On: 2007-07-26

This did not attach to my CR-V very well. Its stable but the straps arent the most secure. It works but could be better. Good for the money though if you dont want to spend over $100 on a bike rack.

Simple solution

On: 2007-07-06

I use this with a Honda CRV and it works well with two bikes. Apparently, by design, the bars do not stick out horizontally, but more at an upward angle. This makes me wonder if a third bike will rest well on the innermost mount, which is very close to the tire. One further piece of advice is that you should take off the spare tire cover on the CRV or the rack will make marks on it.

Allen Deluxe 3-Bike Spare Tire Mount Rack

On: 2007-06-17

This is my review for the spare tire bike rack which Ive used for one bike (with cross tube). Although It weighs less than 11 LBS. the bike rack is SOLID and in no way flimsy. It is EASY to install on the spare tire and is even easier to remove (I take it off my Honda CR-V while riding and then put it back on -- dont want it to get stolen while I am gone). The straps that tie down the rack to the spare tire (they hook onto the bumper or bottom of the rear door) are probably long enough for any vehicle. The rack has soft plastic sleeves on the tubes to protect the bike at points of contact. It is EASY to secure my bike on the rack; taking it off is just as EASY. Because the rack is titled slightly, the bike doesnt bounce while the car is moving. The straps that secure the bike rack to the bikes cross tube are EASY to tighten and loosen. I cant imagine anyone complaining that this bike rack is hard to use --it is NOT. My CR-V spare tire is not centered in the middle of the rear door, allowing the front wheel to extend beyond the right side of the car by a few inches -- nothing to worry about (unless driving into/out of a VERY tight garage door). The rack does not allow the pedals of the bike to contact the spare tire cover - the instructions for the rack recommend removing the spare tire cover to prevent damage to it, but I do not and there is no damage. Lastly, the bike rack is nice looking, too.Allen Deluxe 3-Bike Spare Tire Mount Rack

Great Product!

On: 2007-05-22

I loved this bike rack. Its so easy to mount on the jeep and once we figured out how the bikes went on it only took a few minutes to secure them. I would definitely recommend this rack!

Perfect...for 2 bikes only?

On: 2007-05-21

Got this rack for our 98 RAV4 and its just great. Nicely made and the straps and buckles are of a great quality -- quick and easy to put bikes on. It also surprised me how solid the bikes stay on.

Ive only had two bikes on there so far; however, Ive marked this at 4 stars because Im not sure that 3 really fit. I cant get an adult bike mounted on the spot closest to the tire.

Note, if you have a RAV, youll want to hook it to the metal under the door, not to the bottom of the door that is plastic. This allows you to tighten it down appropriately. Therefore, if you need to open the tailgate youll need to unhook first.

Overall -- a great value and I dont regret getting this at all!

Quick, Easy, Reliable

On: 2007-04-11

Easy to install on my H3. Close to the wiper blade but didnt hit. Easy to secure, and the straps secure the bikes better than some which use velcro to secure the bikes.

Seems quality made, and allowed no jiggle in the bikes after mounted. Fully assembled except for inserting two metal brackets in 2 holes.

Very satisfied.

easy as pie

On: 2007-04-11

I was surprise that this bike rack was so easy to put on my SUV, its amazing, "a caveman can do it". It is not a 5 star because you have to put a foam or any thing that will protect your rim from the horizonal bar resting on the tire and it is tricky to put 2 female bikes on it. You have to play how to put it on so the bikes wont scratch each other or the gears wont mess up. I also bought a combination lock with chain to secure the bikes and the rack on my tire so I have peace of mind when I go biking .Other than these, it is sturdy , price right and recommendable. Enjoy.

Great buy!

On: 2007-03-08

I am very pleased with my bike rack!! It came sooner then expected and works great. We have three bikes and it holds them very well. Can be a little tricky with odd shaped bikes, otherwise great buy!!!!

Easy to Setup and Works Great!

On: 2007-02-08

This bike rack took a whole 2 minutes to setup on my RAV4. It was extremely easy to use and is very secure. We easily fit 3 bikes!

For the money, an incredible bike rack!

by: eelalien On: 2007-02-06

This 3-bike rack is as plain-jane as it gets, but is sturdy and gets the job done. easy to mount and dismount (on the external spare tire of a CRV w/plastic bumper, this requires lying down under the tire to secure the hooks). Once the routine is down, it takes literally seconds to put this thing in place and tighten it, or the reverse. I looked at racks 3x this price but saw no advantages. A real deal.

Bike Rack

On: 2007-01-19

Fit was OK.
Bike Rack was a bit flimsy, but held up with one bike on it for a 200 mile trip on the back of a 1999 Chev Tracker.

Bike Rack

On: 2007-01-18

Fit was OK.
Bike Rack was a bit flimsy, but held up with one bike on it for a 200 mile trip on the back of a 1999 Chev Tracker.

Allen 3 Bike Spare Tire Rack...High recommendation !!!

On: 2007-01-15

I think this bike rack would be hard to beat..especially for its moderate price. It sets up and goes on very easily ... and it feels very secure. I have not as yet put more than 2 adult bikes onto the rack at one time and perhaps 3 - especially adult bikes - may be pushing the limits. What I also like about it that I can also open the rear door without dismounting the bike - this comes in very handy ! ..and because it uses my spare tire I still have the ball hitch for other things, like my boat or trailer. This review written by my husband, Paul.

Great Value!

On: 2007-01-12

We recently purchased bikes and love to ride but loading them in the car is a pain so we cruised the web and looked at many racks. Most were several hundred dollars and many required a trailer hitch install which would cost even more. The Allen rack is very easy to mount! It attaches to the spare tire and hooks below on the frame. We are on the road in less than three minutes! It holds the bikes secure but I do tie the wheels to keep things safe.
Its a great value!

they should point out a potential problem

On: 2007-01-10

This is probably just my denseness, but a larger bike will extend far past the side of the car if the spare is mounted on the side (aot center) in the first place. Otherwise, works great.

Good Tire Mount Rack. Poor packaging.

On: 2007-01-09

I was looking for a rear Bike rack for my Honda CR-V and I tried Walmart, Target and I did not find one. I was looking for options like hitch bike rack too. But I have to install hitch in my car and I got to get a Hitch Bike Rack which would cost me around $200.00. I came through this product through [...] and it costed me around $[...]. It is worth for the money.

The packaging was very poor and one of the rubber cover was torn.

Worth buying...

Cheers,
Vivek James.

Easy to mount

On: 2006-11-05

The Allen Deluxe 3 - bike rack is easy enough to mount to the spare tire on our Jeep Liberty but I had some concern that it was not attached tight enough so I used a bunjee strap around the bottom bar into the rim of the spare to make the rack more secure to the spare. The bikes are secure and easy to put onto the rack and easy enough to remove. We just have two bikes and cannot review how three bikes would be. But I am satisfied and would recomend this rack to anyone who would need a bike rack that mounts to the rear mounted spare.

spare tire bike rack

On: 2006-11-03

Great bike rack! It was easy to set up and to put on the spare tire of my Honda CR-V, even with the offset location. The bikes fit perfectly and I did not even have to take off front wheels with the offset tire! I did use a couple of extra bungies to provide additional security, but what a piece of cake!

Works Great for a Camping Trailer

On: 2006-08-14

Very easy to install and uninstall and folds up very well. Works great.

Very easy but be careful!

On: 2006-08-08

I bought this bike carrier and overall I like it. Its very easy to put on and take off and holds the bike easily enough. The stirrups that hold the bike are on the small side, so if you have a bike with a frame thats wider in diameter, like a mountain bike, you will have to buy a tension bar for it. Also, it doesnt come with any padding on the lower part that rests on the spare, so it has put some scratches on my wheel. Also, the top part that goes behind the tire should be more padded. Its taken off my paint in that area. Just be sure to rest it on some padding or try to position it so its not touching paint.

Shosho

On: 2006-08-07

This Allen Bike Carrier fit perfectly on my CRV Honda SUV and I have carried my 2 bikes so easily from place to place. They fit on snug, and it is very simple to fasten them on the carrier. For the great price of the carrier and the simplicity of putting the bikes on IT IS A FABULOUS BIKE CARRIER.

Shosho

On: 2006-08-06

This Allen Bike Carrier fit perfectly on my CRV Honda SUV and I have carried my 2 bikes so easily from place to place. They fit on snug, and it is very simple to fasten them on the carrier. For the great price of the carrier and the simplicity of putting the bikes on IT IS A FABULOUS BIKE CARRIER.

Great product and great value.

On: 2006-08-05

As the previous reviewers have said, this is a great product. I have a Jeep Liberty that we take camping 2 or 3 times a year. Until now we had not been able to take our bikes along, because none of the generic "fits most cars/SUVs" bike racks would fit my car. This spare tire rack is just what we needed. For us, the price is a good value, because our only alternative was to drive 2 cars (one for the bikes), and with the price of gas... well, you know.

Great product and great value.

On: 2006-08-04

As the previous reviewers have said, this is a great product. I have a Jeep Liberty that we take camping 2 or 3 times a year. Until now we had not been able to take our bikes along, because none of the generic "fits most cars/SUVs" bike racks would fit my car. This spare tire rack is just what we needed. For us, the price is a good value, because our only alternative was to drive 2 cars (one for the bikes), and with the price of gas... well, you know.

Allen 3 bike carrier

On: 2006-07-02

I have a 2003 CR-V and this carrier works great. I initially thought I would have some problems with the lower anchors but managed to find two places to hook them. I put two adult bikes and a kids bike on it and they stayed secure for a 30 minute trip with highway speeds. The carrier itself takes less than five minutes to install and folds up to fit in a closet when not in use.

Spare tire bike carrier great for occasional bikers!

On: 2006-07-01

We needed a bike carrier for our SUV, so we could take bikes along on a camping trip with our grandsons. Since we dont bike regularly we didnt want to invest in a hitch type rack. This Allen spare tire carrier is perfect for people who only need a carrier once in a while. The price is right, its easy to mount and we can use it on other vehicles, without adding a hitch. One of our sons has already borrowed it!