Side by Side Comparison of: Allen Sports vs Saris vs Ohuhu

After reading reviews on this rack, I was a little hesitant to buy it due to folks frequently mentioning the wobble factor, the bikes potentially swinging, and the quality of the straps. However, after finally deciding to purchase it and installing it, I love it.This rack does not wobble an unusual amount. We are talking about a piece of metal. Of course it's gonna sway when you're doing 70mph, but it doesn't mean that's bad. Nowhere in the amount of wobble it has is there any need to be uncomfortable, if you have tightened all the bolts satisfactorily. It won't come off or even loose with the nylon lock nuts. If you're worried, just add a second lock nut to the bolt.As far as the bikes swinging and rubbing their paint off, I had my road and mountain bike on the back for a 12 hour road trip with no extra strapping other than what comes with the rack. The bikes never swung into the vehicle or away, most likely due to the fact that they're behind the SUV and as such not receiving a direct wind. Another issue that should not be worried about.And finally, the quality of the straps... they don't feel flimsy, although they do look somewhat so. But, again, you're spending 50 dollars vs 300 on a bike rack. Don't expect it to look like a Thule, although it certainly behaves and functions the same way!

You get what you pay for! I ordered a cheaper one and had to return it. This one came partially assembled so assembly andinstallation were easy. I have a smaller hitch opening and also bought the rack hitch lock. The bike rack does wobble a bit at the hitch connection but it may be because I didn't use the hitch bolt it came with. I will use some something to tighten it a bit. I have a girl's step throgh bike so I purchased the tension cross bar. If you havd a woman's bike I highly recommend it! Also the rack folds down easily to access the trunk of my ford explorer, and there is enough clearance (not with bike on it though - not sure I would want to even try it)

For the price, this is a great starter rack! I've just purchased a bike and wanted something that wasn't going to break the bank. As far as the wobbling within the hitch goes, I figured out the trick. I have a 1 1/4 hitch, and when I first bolted it in I used the smaller bolt and went through the bigger hole, so the entire bolt slipped through. Even tightening it all way, the rack still swayed back and forth when driving. After reading some reviews though, I moved the bolt to the SMALLER hole on the rack with the same size bolt. This pushes the ridge of the bolt through the larger hitch hole and against the actual rack within the hitch, clenching it tightly together and keeping it from swaying. Now it doesn't budge. Don't know if that makes any sense. But keep working with it - the rack shouldn't be swaying within the hitch at all!

I was initially very skeptical of this product at first due to its much lower cost and complaints of wobbling and the use of shims for 2" receivers. After having used this product (and still using it) I am relieved to find that all my concerns were unnecessary. The shim used to convert this to fit a 2" receiver is attached firmly to the rack out of the box and can be removed to fit a smaller hitch by simply removing a screw.As for wobbling, the people complaining about this must not have tightened the anti-wobble bolt since after I did so the rack has remained very firm. It is more stable than a 2" (no shim) rack I was given by someone else and even though I could have returned this time via Prime and used the free rack I was given, I liked this one so much that I decided to keep it and store the one I was given.Additional bonuses I didn't read before buying the product: The arms holding the bikes folds down when not in use. The entire rack will tilt down which WILL allow enough room for a truck's tailgate to open fully (this being on my 2012 Nissan Frontier Pro-4x). The tie-downs where the bike rests on the rack are not firm which allows you to tilt them to tie bikes down appropriately which is very helpful for my wife's bike that is a slanted bar. Finally, this item has a small profile on the back of a vehicle. Originally I wanted to be able to attach/remove this rack each time I went riding (2-3 times per week) but because the "arms" fold down I only added about 4"-6" to the end of my vehicle which is much more acceptable than some models that require you to have an additional 1.5' - 2' on the back of your vehicle.Great product, especially for the price. The only cons I can think of is that the tie-downs that secure the bikes in place would be better if they were the rubber/elastic tie downs you see on other models, but this is a very petty issue.

I have to say that I had low expectations, considering the price difference between this and more "known" brands such as Yakima and Thule. So i was pleasantly suprised when it arrived, and appears to be relatively well made and had intelligible instructions. Not much to assembly, but is nice that they made sense.Works well, doesn't wobble as long as you read the above mentioned instructions and install the bolt in the proper hole that presses against the rack through the receiver. Easy on, easy off (albeit with a pair of wrenches). The rack tie downs are simplistic, but work fine.

Easy assembly, well constructed and will serve our MTB transportation needs really nice. The bikes do swing freely once mounted so ordered Velcro Hook Loop Cable Tie Down Straps, 14" Length x 1" Width, Black (Pack of 10), 9" x 1" and 21" x 1" in order to safely secure the tires to the frame and the frame to the rack to minimize any bike swinging while transporting the bikes. We also have Highland (9008400) Bungee Cord Assortment Jar - 24 Piece for additional stability while the bikes are on the rack.I am sure with all of these additional items, the bikes will be safely secured to the rack and will surely eliminate any free swinging of the bikes, tires and prevent any dings to the bikes as well.Update 7/22: We finally had a chance to take our new MTB on the road with the bike rack working very nicely as expected. I didn't need to use any Bungee Cords but I did use a few velcro straps to secure the bikes to the rack and to each other in order to avoid any swinging and bumping of the bikes to the rack and to each other.These velcro straps are awesome and did their job fantastically. The rack was able to hold the bikes with no issues and the tie down straps that come with the rack do serve their purpose even though they are not the rubber type straps that you will find and see on the more expensive racks.BTW, the MTB we purchased are Diamondback 27.5 Sorrento's with small size for my wife and the large size for me. Both bikes fitted nicely on the racks but you do have to set them up in reverse direction on the rack since the handle bars would prevent you to mount them in the same direction. The anti-movement pin that comes with the rack is effective and did not have any movement of the rack while transporting the bikes.One last thing ... I came up with a "MacGyver" solution to prevent the bike closest to the vertical metal part of the rack from dinging the bike by using some unused quilting batting from my wife's quilting locker which I wrap around the rack's vertical pole and even used a couple of the velcro straps to keep it in place.My "MacGyver" design and solution is working just fine and I don't intend to ever transport the bikes in the rain but if the batting does need to be replaced for whatever reason, I can always raid my wife's quilting locker for some additional batting :-).You just cannot beat the price (we paid $99) of this rack for its functionality and craftsmanship especially if you have limited funds to otherwise purchase a more expensive model and brand.

For the money, this rack is a fine investment. I installed it on a 2016 Honda HR-V with a 1 1/4" hitch. Yes, there is play in the rack and I did expect this going in. For me, this is not a huge deal. The only setback I faced was attaching the rack to my Draw-Tite hitch. There are three holes drilled in the square tube that inserts into the receiver tube. The 1/2' hole in the tube does not line up with the same opening on the receiver. (The 1/2" hole is the last one facing the rear.) The tube bottoms out inside the receiver before those holes line up. I took a step bit and drilled out the second hole, spray painted the exposed metal and good to go. If you don't have access to tools, you could use a smaller hitch pin. Photos coming soon.

When I first installed I saw what other reviewers had mentioned about the rack not having anything to prevent an attached hike from swinging. I went to Lowes and bought a 2 inch "U" bolt, some bungees, and some sort of rubber piping connector sleeve that I found in the plumbing area. So an extra $15 or so to make this rack workable for me. Works great on a 2 inch hitch. Very sturdy and holds my bike well (after modifications). If I ever put a 2nd bike on it then I will have to add something to keep that one from swinging as well, shouldnt be a big deal for me but others that dont have tools or basic mechanical imaginatory skills might have an issue. For me it works great. However, I bought the rack and hitch lock combo.... I thought the lock would have the "No Wobble" design incorporated into it as well (which would've been extremely handy), but it does NOT. Just a regular hitch lock. So to use it, you have to remove the "No Wobble" bolt to insert the hitch lock bolt which will allow the rack to wobble severely. Okay if your parking some where over night or in a question

I posted this information also under the Q&A, but I really like this bike rack. The only issue I had with it is I have a heavy duty class V hitch on my truck and the sidewalls are thicker. If you have a Class IV or Class V 2" hitch I suggest you go to your favorite hardware store and buy a 1/2" x 4" long GRADE 5 (don't buy a cheap one) bolt, and then, right here on Amazon, you can buy an Allstar #18566 5/8" - 1/2" reducer bushing (2 pack for about $3.50). Once I slid the bushing on and tested the results I just rubbed some heavy duty high strength (not super glue) adhesive around the top of the bolt and in the inside of the bushing with a Q-tip, slid it up to the top of the bolt and let that dry overnight. Be sure to make sure you clear any glue out of the threads. The glue is not to increase the strength of the assembly, but more to keep the bushing from falling off every time you remove the bolt. You can use the same locknut that shipped with the factory bolt. This bushing is 3/4" long instead of 1/2" long and makes up for the thicker hitch material. You can't tell the one I made from the original except it's longer in the right places. It was a quick and easy fix for a great bike rack, for around $5. It's just too bad the manufacturer refused to reply to my requests for help :o(

Pretty good rack. Holds bikes securely w/o allowing them to be scratched. I do like the pins have clips and retaining cables! I snugged one bolt well so leaning the mount back to access the vehicle trunk is snugged. I had a tie-down that limited that travel when I drove several hours, and it made opening and closing the trunk a breeze. I expect to be quite happy with this rack.The parts I mention below would probably add $30 or more to the cost of this item - plus a I used cable lock to hold the bike to the rack, so it cost me almost the cost of the rack to make it work for me. Not all the fault of the rack, just I don't want the rack and bikes stolen.The Cons:- I think this is made for toy cars, or at least toy receivers, like they put on clown cars.The bar that fits in the receiver on the car is a sloppy fit, and the hole in it is too small for a "real" lock, and the included pin is idiotic, unless you're hoping to have the bike(s) and mount stolen. Rather than drill it out w/o a drill press, I used a pimpy lock I have for another purpose.- Since the bar is small, I also had to use a device with a bolt to pull the bar to the top of the receiver, which keeps it from rattling like mad.I drove four hours and this kept the bike securely and no noise. Arrived home everything fine.- I tightened the bolt that allows the rack to swivel and allow the trunk to open. With the help of a ratcheting tie-down strap, the rack would swivel and not hit the road.- I put some Locktite on any bolt that did not have a nylon retainer nut.

Took about 10 minutes to install on a Explorer 2" hitch. Plenty of clearance for my lift gate. Does interfere with the rear parking sensor so I just turn off the audible alarm when it is installed, Am able to lock the bike to the trailer hitch safety chain opening with my 6' bike lock, it would be easier with a longer cable but it works and the cable also keeps the wheels from spinning. With the lock cable and 2 bungee cords everything seems very stable. It is a little bit high so if you are under 5'6" it may be a little hard getting bike up on rack until you get the hang of it.

I've been using this for a couple of weeks now, and for the money I'm very happy with it. It fits my standard frame XC bike perfectly, has almost no wobble in the hitch and took all of 5 minutes to put together. From a standard bike perspective, the only thing I'd change about it would to have slightly sturdier clips for the tie-downs. They're working fine so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if they only lasted a season or two.That said - this has less to do with this particular hitch and is mostly regarding these types - my full suspension bike (A Cannondale Scalpel 29'er) DOES fit on it, but just barely, and at a slightly ridiculous looking angle as I have to use the rear subframe for one mount and then kind of snake the other side in between the rear shock and the headset. If you're looking for a full suspension hitch mount, look elsewhere - otherwise for standard frames this is a great hitch that I'm very happy with.

I would have loved to give this product 5 stars, but the hitch adapter wasn't the right size. I had to wedge a 2" metal washer (that I wrapped wire around so it wouldn't wiggle loose and could be removed later) in beside it so my bikes were wobbling back and forth while I was driving. I was very worried about loosing the bikes or the whole rack when I was first driving with it on, but after I pulled off and made some resourceful adjustments it was solid.Honestly, if they would just size the hitch adapter correctly this bike rack would have been an easy 5 stars. Everything else about it was fantastic, but that wobble was very concerning till I got it under control.

A nicely made product. Went together well and provides enough clearance for the bikes. I returned a cheaper rack because of excessive wobble. This one was advertised as "anti-wobble". It still wobbles significantly, even with their "anti-wobble" bolt - which is just a bolt with a collar on one end. I replaced the bolt with the original slide in pin, and there was no difference. So I glued some washers onto the hitch insert to reduce the wobble and tossed the special, hard to use "anti-wobble" bolt. Works satisfactorily now. Don't like to be lied to in advertisements, but I guess that's just a sign of the times. Buyer beware...

Needed something that would fit on the back of my Jeep to carry my 2 mountain bikes on the trails. The product itself is strudy and contains straps to strap down your bikes so they wont come flying off. The bikes fit on there decently, but I will admit there doesn't seem to be as much space between the first and second set to allow for room for 2 moutain bikes. The fit is a bit tight and takes some work to get them to both sit properly on the holders. There really isn't a place to secure your front tire and it can bobble around when driving. The other issue is when you need to have access to your trunk of the SUV or car, you have to pull out this large pin (which sometimes can get a bit stuck), while thats ok, it doesnt fold down 90°, so it can become difficult to get larger items in.Overall, it still is a good product and excellent for the price!

What other people are saying about the rack not bring right inside of the hitch is 100% correct. While tightening the bolt thru the hitch will stop the rack from swaying side to side, the rack will still bounce up and down tremendously which I just cannot see being safe to carry bikes on like that. So long story short I have the luxury of being a machinist and fixed that problem myself. I have no idea why they wouldn't just make the bike rack to an exact 2" that will fit into a 2" hitch with no slop, but there is about a .105" gap when placed into the hitch. So to fix this I took a piece of stock steel and ground it down to exactly .105" (105 thousandth of an inch) countersunk some screws then tapped holes in the frame. I've heard of people just putting shims inside the gap however I didn't fee it would stay on a long trip without screws. It fits absolutely perfect now no bounce at all. (Still need bungee chords to help tie the bikes in tho) So at the end of the day, my review of this product now is that I had to fix it to make it work properly which I'm fine with but I assume most people don't have these capabilities. So I think maybe if you don't have the resources or time it may be a better idea to spend a little extra and buy a better quality product that actually fits into a 2" hitch. But for me I had the time and resources to fix it myself. Hope this review helps some people out with their decision to buy this product.

This product is OK. It needs to come with some sort of strap to prevent the bike from swaying. I have been using 2 bungee cords: one wrapped around the frame one wrapped around the tire ... both attached to the rack. Without these two bungee cords; I would never trust my bike on this rack as there is way too much sway and tire movement. Overall, I like the rack...just needs a bit more support.

I got this bike rack to replace a Thule 4-bike carrier since my hitch is only 1-1/4" Class 1 I cannot carry 4 bikes on it and wanteed a 2 bike carrier to save the weight. This Allen carrier is sturdy and 1/2 the weight of the old Thule 4-bike. I just came back from my first use of the carrier and had some concerns.The first thing I didn't like and others have mentioned is that the holes on the vertical post for the tilt function quick release pin do not line up perfectly and there is no extra clearance, so the bolt wedges in the holes and can't come out by hand. I don't want to drill the holes out because the extra clearance will allow wobble - which is on to my second negative: The anti wobble bolt does not prevent wobble on my rack. First of all the anti-wobble bolt is just a standadrd bolt with a collar under the head to take up the clearance between the hole through the hitch and the carrier's bolt. I tightened it before my trip and by the time I got to my destination the rack was swaying through every turn. Unless the bolt is very tight the anti-sway doesn't work. Maybe if they put a collar on the nut end too, or better yet make the hole the same size at the hitch and use a bigger bolt. The Thule didn't wobble because it used the same size bolt as the hitch hole and threaded directly into the solid shaft on the carrier, not into a nut.Also disappointing is the plastic securing hardware and the non-adjustable spacing between the bikes, but these are smaller issues and are an effect of the low price.It's a good enough carrier to keep, but I will need to devise a way (bigger bolt or side straps) to deal with the sway.

Here is the deal. The rack itself would have been just fine for our needs. Subaru Outback and just a simple way to carry our bikes to local trailhead spots. First we had to find an adapter that would fit into our hitch, not the standard 2" but the 1 .25' instead. Found that and ordered it. Allen includes filler plates with their rack so that their piece will now fit into a standard 2" hitch mount. The filler plates still did not completely fill the space. Gapping all around so the rack was not sturdy. Back to Amazon. I consulted with Allen and they said their bike rack mounts are not compatible with adapters or extensions. So why bother to include filler plates if they won't fill the gap? Frustrating to say the least. Very disappointed.

Cons:A lot of wobbling. In the hitch, in the arm, in the stand. No wobbling bolt, HA!I am not carrying bikes all the time. Why would I want this rack on my car all the time? Installing/Removing the rack every weekend takes time, loosens plastic of the nut.Misses features for secure mount. Bungee cords at least for highway only travel. I would not go bad road with this rack.Mounting bikes not convenient. Quick straps on their S525 model solve the problem, but it is +30% to the price of the rack.

Spent 40 minutes trying to get 2 adult bikes to fit in the rack. When did, took pictures so could copy. Tried again, gave up, returned, ordered 3 bike rack=much better.

It's sturdy and will transport your bike, but it definitely wobbles a lot from the base no matter how tight the bolts are. The pin that holds the rack up, which you need to remove to tilt the rack down, often gets stuck so I can't tilt the rack back down, or after I tilt the rack back up the pin won't go back in unless I vigorously shake the entire rack. I'd probably love the rack if it wasn't for these problems. The tilting pin thing is extremely annoying.

I am a careful consumer and thought I had researched this purchase enough before I ordered. It arrived in good order and I was happy to see how well it was packaged and shipped. It is hard to pack and ship heavy steel correctly. Great job. I of course imediately assembled the rack according to directions and installed it using the tightening bolt provided for a 2' hitch. All seemed well. I was so tickled that I loaded up the bike and took photos and checked out how I would secure the bike on the rack for travel. After I figured out what I needed to know I took the bike off and folded the arm assembly up and left the rack on the Highlander overnight and drove to work the next day. Today while driving around where was a clunking that I knew had to be the rack. I was right. Every time I put on the brakes or took off the rack would lurch forward and then back. I thought that was pretty strange. I tightened the rack down very securely and according to directions it should have not had done this. I could move the rack with my hand up and down corresponding to an up and down motion in the hitch housing. I drove home and unbolted the hitch and brought it inside.I am not sure if the hitch I bought is not compatible with this rack or if the bolt hold in my Curt hitch too far back but I am not a happy camper at all

Bought it for the price but I expected better.The No-Wobble hitch bolt works only in the left to right but not in the up and down direction.I called the manufacturer and they state that the weight of the bikes should stabilize the up and down movement, somethingthat is not correct. There are further wobbles between the RR post and the carry arm assembly.All that could be corrected with a few judiciously placed nylon washers/spacers which would cost the mfr only a few pennies but now I will have to make a 10 mile round trip to the hardware store. The service person couldn't have been less interested.Why the wobbles on some units and not on others? Manufacturing tolerances due to cheap tooling and lack of dimensional checks on the tooling. China -it is made in China- can produce higher quality products but the US importer has to pay for the difference in quality and in this case Mr. Allen is apparently not interested to improve his products.Harbor Freight sells a very similar bracket at a fraction of the cost and it doesn't wobble any more.

It rattles a tonnnnn in the hitch! It doesn't fit snuggly. Also the rubber pieces sometimes move if driving further or faster... the straps still hold the bike in but the rubber has moved.

The part that goes into the car hitch is too small, yes I had the adapter on it. The hole drilled for the retaining bolt is to small, standard hitch bolt will not fit in. I had to buy a bolt to fit. All of this made the bike flop around. I finally just put it in the trash.

Couldn't support the weight of our mountain bikes so I had to return it -- and got stuck with $18 return postage! I ordered the 3-bike mount for our two bikes, which supports 100 lbs, so I wouldn't have to worry about exceeding the weight limit.

Don't waste your money on this cheap rack. The No-sway bolt does nothing, so it does sway. The bike is not securely held, so it will bang against the vertical post if you don't tie it down and cushion it some how. The straps are hard to open and close. I intend to return this and spend a little more money and get a better rack.

hard to put together. terrible wobbling even when follow directions. i had to travel so couldn't return it in time. a waste of time and money. cumbersome. i would rather strap the bike to the top of the vehicle!

This bike rack needed a LOT of extra pieces to make it work, which was not disclosed in the initial post. When my husband finally got it installed there was no way for me to put my bike on it (female bike) only my husbands bike worked on this version. Then the rack it self was very unstable. When my husbands bike was on there it swung around and hit the back of the vehicle and could have easily chipped the paint and even broken the back window. This is where all those extra parts come in. After realizing my bike would not work we went back online to Amazon to see if we could salvage this rack. The only way it would have worked would be to order hundreds of dollars of extra parts. No thanks! We returned it and got one that we love.