There’s a unique sense of freedom that comes with owning a vehicle like a Jeep Wrangler, an older RAV4, or a CR-V—the kind with a rugged, externally mounted spare tire. It speaks of capability and readiness for adventure. But that same feature presents a frustrating puzzle when it’s time to bring our bikes along. For years, my friends and I struggled with this exact problem. Roof racks can be a pain to load and can kill your fuel economy. Trunk racks often don’t fit securely around the protruding spare. The obvious solution is a rack designed specifically for that spare tire, but finding one that is both affordable and trustworthy can feel like a quest in itself. The fear of seeing your precious bikes tumbling down the highway in the rearview mirror is a powerful deterrent, pushing many to either overspend on complex hitch systems or leave the bikes at home altogether. This is the precise dilemma the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack aims to solve: to be the simple, secure, and budget-friendly key to unlocking those two-wheeled adventures.
- Features. Bikes are held away from the road and car's exhaust. Narrow carry arms accommodate most styles and frame sizes.
- Bikes secured by individual tie-down cradles. Extra-wide bottom foot supports weight on the rear tire instead of the rim. Carry arms are 15" long; hold up...
What to Consider Before Buying a Spare Tire Bike Rack
A spare tire bike rack is more than just a piece of metal; it’s a key solution for a very specific type of vehicle owner. It leverages an existing, sturdy part of your vehicle—the spare tire mount—to create a secure platform for transporting bikes without the need for a trailer hitch or the hassle of lifting bikes onto the roof. This design keeps the bikes elevated, away from road grime and hot exhaust fumes, and often preserves access to the rear hatch or tailgate, a major benefit over many trunk-mounted styles. For owners of SUVs and 4x4s with rear-mounted spares, it’s often the most elegant and integrated solution available, especially when you consider the cost. You can check the latest price and availability to see just how accessible this type of rack can be.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the exact challenges mentioned above: the Jeep, CR-V, or Liberty owner who is a casual to enthusiastic cyclist looking to transport one or two standard bikes without a major investment. It’s perfect for weekend trips to the trail, family outings, or road trips. However, it might not be suitable for those with high-end, featherlight carbon fiber bikes, as the top-tube hanging style can put stress on delicate frames. It’s also not designed for heavy electric bikes, which often exceed the weight capacity. For those users, a platform-style hitch rack is a much safer and more appropriate alternative.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Vehicle and Tire Compatibility: This is the most critical factor. Not all spare tire racks fit all spare tires. You must verify that the rack’s design will clear your specific tire width and diameter. As we discovered in our testing, and as confirmed by other users, the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack fits well on tires up to 33 inches, but the included straps may be too short for larger custom setups, requiring some ingenuity. Furthermore, check for potential interference with things like your rear license plate, backup camera, or, as we’ll discuss in detail, your rear windshield wiper.
- Capacity and Bike Fit: Most spare tire racks, including this one, are designed for two bikes with a total weight capacity of around 70 pounds. This is perfect for standard road, mountain, or hybrid bikes. However, consider your bikes’ frame geometry. Bikes with non-traditional frames, like step-through cruisers or some full-suspension mountain bikes, may require a top-tube adapter bar to hang properly and securely.
- Materials and Durability: Look for a rack made from heavy-gauge, powder-coated steel. This provides the strength needed to handle the dynamic forces of a moving vehicle while resisting rust and corrosion. The Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack is built from alloy steel that, in our experience, feels incredibly robust for its price point. The durability of the frame itself is a major selling point.
- Ease of Use and Security: How quickly can you install and remove the rack? A good design should mount in minutes. The security system is paramount. Pay close attention to the bike cradles and the straps that hold the bikes. Are they rubberized to protect the frame? Are the straps robust? As we found, this is an area where budget racks can have weaknesses, and it’s essential to scrutinize it for the safety of your bikes and other drivers.
This rack fills a specific niche, but understanding these factors will ensure it’s the right choice for your particular setup and needs.
While the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack is an excellent choice for its category, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition and other types of carriers. For a broader look at all the top models, especially if you’re considering heavier bikes, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Aluminum Alloy Material - Suitable for most bicycles, Such as road bike, mountain bike, fat bike, etc. (Kids' bike and Trek Verve can not be used，Please...
- Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack, Model 102DN-R
- 【High Quality Materials and load 310lb】The bike rear rack is made of high quality hard Aluminum Alloy. Also,durable TIG-welded and heat-treated process...
First Impressions: Unboxing and Assembling the Allen Sports Rack
Upon opening the box, the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack presents itself with a no-nonsense, utilitarian appeal. The components are straightforward: the main vertical mast, the lower support foot, and the two horizontal carry arms. The alloy steel has a reassuring heft to it, and the black powder-coat finish looks clean and durable, though we’d soon find it requires a bit of care. Assembly was a breeze. Confirming reports from other users, it took us less than 20 minutes from unboxing to having it ready to mount, requiring only a basic wrench or socket set. The instructions are clear enough, but the design is so intuitive that you can almost assemble it just by looking at the picture on the box.
One small but important detail we noticed immediately, and something a fellow user wisely pointed out, is to be careful when inserting the metal set-up pins. If you’re not deliberate, it’s very easy to scrape and scratch the powder coating, potentially opening it up to future rust. It’s a minor quibble, but worth noting for those who value pristine equipment. Once assembled, the patented folding design is a standout feature. The arms fold down flat against the main mast, making it incredibly compact and easy to store in the trunk or a garage corner when not in use. For a product in this price bracket, the initial build quality of the frame itself inspired confidence and felt like a solid foundation for carrying our bikes. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better sense of its simple, effective design.
Advantages
- Exceptional value for the money; the steel frame is incredibly sturdy for its price.
- Simple, patented design allows for very quick installation and removal.
- Proven durability on rough terrain and long road trips (with proper reinforcement).
- Foldable carry arms make for compact and convenient storage.
Limitations
- The included securing straps are a significant weak point and not trustworthy for high speeds.
- The design can obstruct the rear windshield wiper on some vehicle models.
- Rubber bike cradles can slide on the arms, potentially scratching the bike’s frame.
Putting It to the Test: A Deep Dive into Real-World Performance
A bike rack’s true worth isn’t judged on the garage floor; it’s proven over miles of winding roads, bumpy trails, and highway speeds. We put the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack through a gauntlet of real-world scenarios, from city commuting to extended travel, to see if its performance matched its promising first impression. Our findings were a mix of genuine respect for its core design and serious concerns about some critical components—a story of a rock-solid foundation let down by its supporting actors.
Installation and Fitment: The Good, The Bad, and The Workarounds
The core mounting principle of this rack is brilliantly simple. The vertical mast has two top bars that slide over the top of the spare tire, and a wide, padded lower foot that rests firmly against the tire’s tread, not the rim. This design effectively transfers the weight of the bikes onto the tire itself. Once the rack is resting on the tire, two straps with metal hooks are used to anchor the bottom of the rack to the vehicle. This is where things get complicated.
Our test vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler with 33×12.5″ tires, immediately highlighted a common issue: the included straps were just barely long enough. For users with stock tires, this likely isn’t a problem, but for the large community of off-road enthusiasts with oversized spares, it’s an instant hurdle. This observation was echoed by numerous owners who had to get creative, with one user fashioning an extension from a battery box strap. More importantly, we shared the widespread sentiment of distrust in the straps themselves. They contain an elastic section, presumably to maintain tension, but this feels like a potential failure point. When securing thousands of dollars worth of bikes, “elastic” is not a word that inspires confidence. Our expert conclusion was immediate and firm: the included straps are inadequate for anything more than a slow, local trip. We swapped them for a pair of heavy-duty ratchet straps, which we used to secure the rack directly and tightly to the spare tire itself. This simple, inexpensive modification transformed the rack from questionable to rock-solid and is a step we consider mandatory. The impressive sturdiness of the rack’s frame is unlocked with this simple fix.
On the Road Stability: From City Bumps to Backcountry Trails
With our upgraded ratchet strap system in place, the performance of the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack was genuinely impressive. We loaded it with two mountain bikes, staying well within the 70-pound limit. The bikes are held by individual rubber tie-down cradles on the 15-inch carry arms. On city streets, the rack was stable, with minimal sway over bumps and railroad tracks. But the real test was on more demanding terrain. We took it on a long road trip that included a significant stretch of rough, unpaved backcountry roads, mirroring the experience of one user who completed a staggering 3400-mile journey that included rugged trails in Big Bend.
The rack earned our respect. The steel frame didn’t flex, and the bikes remained securely in place. However, we did discover another design nuance that requires attention. One user reported that the rubber cradles holding their bike frame could slide along the metal carry arms during transit. This allowed their bike to shift and the frame to make contact with the metal, scratching the paint. We were able to replicate this slight movement. The user’s ingenious fix was to wrap black electrical tape tightly behind the cradles to prevent them from sliding. We tried this, and it worked perfectly. It’s another small modification that makes a huge difference in protecting your gear. We also highly recommend using a bungee cord or a gear tie to secure the front wheel of the innermost bike to the rack’s frame, preventing it from spinning and hitting the other bike or the vehicle.
Design Flaws and Critical Safety Considerations
While the core structure is sound, our extended testing revealed two significant design flaws that any potential buyer must be aware of. The first is a practical annoyance: rear wiper obstruction. On our test Jeep, once the rack was installed, the rear windshield wiper could not complete its cycle. Its path was completely blocked by the rack’s vertical mast. A user with a different vehicle reported the exact same problem. This is a massive issue for anyone living in a climate with frequent rain or snow. It effectively means you cannot leave the rack on your vehicle full-time unless you’re willing to sacrifice your rear visibility in bad weather. This turns it from a convenient “set it and forget it” solution into a rack you must install and remove for every single trip, which can become tedious.
The second flaw is far more serious and relates back to the original straps. While we felt they were untrustworthy, some users have experienced catastrophic failure. We read multiple harrowing accounts of the straps snapping at highway speeds, sending both the rack and the bikes crashing onto the interstate. One user described the terrifying experience of having to pull over on a narrow shoulder to recover their brand-new, now-damaged bike and figure out how to cram it into an already packed vehicle. These are not isolated incidents. The conclusion is unavoidable: using the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack with only the straps provided in the box is a significant safety risk. The value of this incredibly affordable rack lies in its steel frame, not its included fastening system. Budgeting an extra few dollars for a set of proper ratchet straps isn’t just a recommendation; it’s an essential safety upgrade.
What Other Users Are Saying
After our extensive hands-on testing, we delved into the broader community of user feedback, and our findings were largely confirmed. There’s a clear consensus that the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack is a product of two halves. On the positive side, it’s widely praised for its incredible value and the surprising toughness of its steel frame. One user, who was initially skeptical about trusting a sub-$100 rack with an expensive bike, wrote, “Ended up doing a 3400 mile road trip where 80 miles were on VERY rough backcountry trails… It earned my respect.” This sentiment is common among those who take the time to properly reinforce the installation.
However, the negative feedback is just as consistent and focuses squarely on the straps. The most alarming review came from a user whose setup failed dramatically: “I was able to drive about an hour before one of the straps snapped and both bikes and rack scrapped on the road in the middle of the interstate.” Another user simply stated, “the entire rack and bike suddenly fell off my car in the middle of the road.” These experiences underscore our own assessment that the provided straps are the rack’s Achilles’ heel. The rear wiper blade interference was also mentioned, confirming it’s not an issue isolated to one specific vehicle model. The overall user sentiment is clear: it’s a great rack, *if* you’re willing to immediately improve how you secure it.
How Does the Allen Sports Rack Compare to the Competition?
The Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack operates in a very budget-friendly niche, but it’s important to understand what you gain by looking at different styles and price points. The primary alternatives are not other spare tire racks, but trunk-mounted and hitch-mounted carriers.
1. WEIZE 2-Bike Hitch Bike Rack
- ✅ For low step-through bikes, a top cross-bar needs to be purchased separately for compatibility.
- ✅ SMART TILTING & FOLDING DESIGN: Our bicycle car rack is versatile, the tilting function allows for access to the back of your vehicle even when loaded...
The WEIZE rack represents the next level up in bike transport: the platform hitch rack. Instead of hanging bikes by the frame, it supports them from below on a tray, securing them by the wheels. This is far superior for protecting bike frames, especially carbon fiber, and is the only viable option for heavy electric bikes due to its 160 lbs capacity. It eliminates sway entirely. The trade-off is cost and convenience. It is significantly more expensive than the Allen rack and requires your vehicle to be equipped with a 2-inch hitch receiver, which can be a costly addition if you don’t already have one.
2. Thule 910XT Passage 2 Bike Carrier
- Soft Rubber cradles protect bike frame while holding it securely
- Stay-Put anti-sway cages prevent bike to bike and bike to vehicle contact
The Thule Passage is a high-quality trunk-mounted rack. Its biggest advantage is versatility; it can fit a wide range of vehicles that don’t have a spare tire or a hitch, including sedans and hatchbacks. Thule is a premium brand known for quality, and its strapping system and cradles are generally more robust than what’s found on the Allen rack. However, trunk racks make contact with the car’s paint and can cause scuffs if not kept perfectly clean. They also can be less stable than a rack mounted to a solid point like a spare tire carrier, and they almost always block access to the trunk or hatch when installed.
3. ARKSEN 2-Bike Hitch Mounted Bike Rack
- [Solid & Strong] - Constructed from heavy-duty reinforced steel with a loading capacity of 75 lbs per bike with a maximum tire width of 5.5" and a total...
- [Convenient & Easy To Use] - Platform-style and 2-inch hitch-mounted, this rack easily transports up to 2 bikes. The built-in quick hitch pin design allows...
Similar to the WEIZE, the ARKSEN is another robust platform-style hitch rack. It shares the same benefits: superior bike protection, high weight capacity (150 lbs), and excellent stability. It also includes a smart tilting feature, which allows you to pivot the rack down and away from the vehicle (even with bikes loaded) to access your cargo area—a premium feature the Allen rack cannot offer. Like all hitch racks, it’s a more significant investment and is only an option for vehicles with a 2-inch hitch receiver. It’s a great choice for those with heavier bikes or those who prioritize convenience and frame protection above all else.
Final Verdict: A Budget Workhorse with a Critical Flaw
The Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack is a fascinating product. In our expert opinion, the core component—the foldable, powder-coated alloy steel frame—is an incredible value. It is genuinely tough, surprisingly well-designed, and has been proven by us and other users to withstand punishing conditions far beyond what its price tag would suggest. When properly secured, it provides a stable and reliable platform for transporting your bikes. It is, in essence, a fantastic skeleton.
However, it is a skeleton that comes with a dangerously weak heart. The included strap system is, frankly, not up to the task and poses a legitimate safety risk. We cannot, in good conscience, recommend using this rack as it comes out of the box for anything beyond a short, slow-speed trip. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a product worth buying. Our recommendation is strong but conditional: this rack is an excellent choice for the DIY-minded, budget-conscious adventurer who is willing to immediately invest in a set of high-quality ratchet straps to create their own robust mounting solution. If you’re willing to make that small, crucial upgrade, you are rewarded with a rack that performs like one costing twice as much. For those who want a perfect, worry-free solution right out of the box, it would be better to look elsewhere. But if you see the outstanding potential in its solid frame and are happy to provide the finishing touch yourself, you won’t find a better value.
If you fit that description and are ready for a reliable carrier that won’t break the bank, you can get the full specs and check the price on the Allen Sports 2-Bike Spare Tire Rack today.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API