Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack Review

Last Updated on July 14, 2021 by

For more than half a century now, Allen Sports Group has become a notable and reputable manufacturer of outdoor sports equipment and hear. The company was established in 1971, and since then, they’ve been delivering an ever-evolving array of high-quality products ranging from trailers, racks, and strollers.  The Allen Sports Group has different outlets in America and every other place in the world, but their headquarters is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

Over the years, you’ll find numerous ranges of [amazon link=”B087ZLDZJ7″ title=”Allen Sports bike racks” /] available in different packages on the market. These bike hitch racks were carefully designed and built to suit customers with different tastes. These packages include the premier locking hitch racks, deluxe locking hitch racks, premier hitch racks, deluxe hitch racks, and deluxe + locking hitch racks. Depending on your preferences, you can get each of these racks with compartments for two, three, and four bikes. 

What Is The Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack? 

An Allen Sports bike rack is a type of bicycle towing accessory that can be attached to a vehicle to allow riders to transport their bicycle easily and safely without the need for full dismantling or trailer investment. 

Who Is The Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack For? 

The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is for riders who want to transport their bikes easily and safely without the need to fully dismantle them or paying for trailer packing. Here is the list of the kind of people that this bike rack is for. 

1. Families in search of an affordable bike transport option for up to three bikes 

2. Families looking for a great hitch rack system to use with hybrid, standard, road adult bikes, and kids’ bikes

3. People who want to purchase a lightweight and portable option that can easily be transported anywhere 

How Much Does The Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack Cost? 

The cost of the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack on Amazon depends on the bicycle size you’re buying. If you’re going for one bike tray, it’ll cost you about $250, two bike tray costs about $399, and three to four bike tray costs about $865. 

Variation Of The Allen Sports Premier Locking Tray Bike Racks

Allen Sports premier locking tray bike rack is available in sizes to handles between one to three bikes. These bike racks from Allen Sports have two major model categories, including Premier and Deluxe, having subcategories of both for each size carrier. Let’s look into the different beneficial features that each category has to offer. 

The Major Variations Between The Premier And Deluxe Models Are Listed Below:

1. Quick-Fold Carry Arms: Deluxe models usually come with a quick-release clip to fold down arms, while the Premier models feature two red release buttons. 

2. Spine Shield: You’ll find the spine shield which is a padded shield that keeps your bikes away from the metal mast of the rack in most Premier models. However, Deluxe models are not equipped with a padded shield.

3. Rapid Tilt-Away Mast:  The Deluxe models cones with a quick-release clip to keep the mast away from the trunk, while the Premier models use a one-handed pull-lever. 

The Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack Review

The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is well-designed and built with steel material, making it durable and easy to carry. It is user-friendly, you don’t need to have technical skills before you can set it up. This bike rack is robust enough to carry two adult bikes and one child’s bike. It is quite affordable, you don’t have to spend out of your pocket to afford a bike rack. 

If you want something effective and safe to help lug your bikes while you’re traveling short or long distances, the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is an ideal option. There are sturdy and rugged no-wobble bolts that help to hold your bike to your vehicle without the risk of scratching or damaging it. It comes with foldable arms which can easily be tilted for proper storage when not in use. After a few trials, you’ll get used to the process involved in setting up the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack. 

Notable Features Of The Allen Sports Premier Locking Bike Rack

1. Foldable

We loved that the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack comes with a flexible rack to help users secure their bikes firmly. It’s actually retractable, meaning that you can easily fold or tilt it for easy and accessible storage. The good thing here is that you won’t have to dismantle it completely when it’s not in use. That’s why the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is highly recommendable to all bike owners who love to take their bikes with them on long tips. Be assured that your bike will be kept in place, thanks to its no-wobble bolts.

2. Portability

The bulky weight of many bike racks has discouraged a lot of bike owners from buying them. And that’s quite understandable. No one would love to travel with extra weights. Apart from that, we’ve heard a lot of people complain that bulky bike racks weigh down their vehicles, while some say talked about getting dents from bike racks.

Fortunately, that’s not the case with Allen Sports’ premier locking bike rack. For the lightweight purposes, this bike rack was made of steel material. The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack will definitely not slow down your vehicle with bulky weight. What more? Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is collapsible and will fit perfectly into your trunk when not in use. 

3. Easy Installation 

Some people employ professionals to help them set up their bike racks. Well, that’s also understandable because some brands cones with a complicated set of instructions. With the easy-to-read product manual, you’ll be able to set this bike rack up in few minutes because it comes fully assembled. You’ll find non-wobble bolts at the trailer hitch and hitch receiver. Within 15 minutes, you should finish the setup if you pay attention to the instructions. 

4. Versatility

When a bike rack isn’t the right fit for your car model, you might be in the same shoes as people who normally leave their bicycles behind during trips. Whether you own a hatchback, sedan, or SUV, the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack shout be a great fit for you. This bike rake for Allen Sports fits most of the trendy vehicles and accommodated different kinds of bicycles, ranging from adults to children. 

What we are trying to say here is that the Allen Sports premier locking bike rack comes in great shape to promote easy accommodation of a variety of children’s bicycle shapes and sizes. People prefer this bike rack because it serves two functions; it helps to transport bicycles and serves as a security system too. 

5. Bike Fastener

The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack has an extra-long strap on its unique patented tie-down system which helps to keep the pedals from scratching your vehicle or wheel from moving back and forth. While you’re on the highway moving at high speed, you can be sure that your bike is kept in place. 

6. Durability

When we were reviewing this bike rack, we considered its durability. The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack comes with high durability to ensure that it will last longer than any other models you’ve used before. The padding of this bike rack prevents it from wearing or tearing out quickly. It was well-designed and built to serve you for a long time not minding the elements or whether you use it. 

7. Relatively Inexpensive

Buying traveling aids is quite a struggle as it isn’t normally taken as a priority. Parents who have kids that love bicycles and always love to take their bicycles anywhere are more likely to buy even when not included in their budget. The Allen Sports premier locking bike rack is quite affordable unlike other expensive options out there, it’s value for money. You don’t necessarily need to break the bank to buy a bike rack. 

Why Use A Tray Bike Rack?

The tray-style bike racks are one of the most popular types of bicycle carriers because they make it easier to unload and load bikes on vehicles. With a tray-styled bike rack, you’re assured of the elimination of bike sway issues. 

How To Load And Unload Bicycles From The Allen Sports Premier Locking Tray Bike Racks

Loading bicycles on the [amazon link=”B087ZLDZJ7″ title=”Allen Sports premier locking tray bike racks” /] is quite straightforward. All you have to do is place top tubes into the cradle with the bike in an alternating stance while loading them onto the arms of the rack. Make sure you always begin with the biggest/bulkiest first. Then, use the straps to secure the bikes into the cradles. Next, use a 70” strap to secure the bottom brackets and wheels of the bikes to the mast and then together.  

The proper way to load bicycles is to load them onto the rack arms and place top tubes into cradles with the bikes in alternating directions (if they can properly fit that way), beginning with the largest/heaviest bike first. A strap is an important tool used to tie the bikes altogether, as it helps to reduce the swaying movements of the bikes as you accelerate or brake quickly to prevent tear and wear. 

It is normal for bikes to sway when they are not properly tied together when you accelerate or brake sharply. But be assured that when you use the bike racks from Allen Sports, your bikes will be firmly secured in place. We, however, advise you to drive a little less aggressively when the rack is loaded up with more than two bikes. 

Don’t go on long-distance journeys if your bikes are now well strapped to the racks. Also, we recommend that you put some padding between the bikes to prevent damages and wear. You can use something like cardboard, towels, or even pool noodles. Though it might be a little time-consuming when you’re unloading or even loading your bikes on the racks, it is beneficial as it will save you from having damaged or wear bikes. Most especially when you’re going on a long-distance journey.

 You need all the protection you can get for your bikes and even vehicles. Unlike the hang bike rack which takes some maneuvering and some muscles to load the bikes into the arms and place them in the cradles for a secure fit into place, Allen Sports premier locking tray bike racks are quite easy to load bikes. Teenagers, adults, or even younger boys and girls would be able to load bikes easily with this bike rack. 

Pros

1. Unique compartments for up to three bicycles

2. The rack is easy to set up and dismantle

3. A durable steel material was used for making the rack 

4. Comes with foldable arms for proper storage when not in use 

5. You have a reduced charge of getting a dented vehicle 

6. This model is quite affordable compared to other models on the market 

7. Can take more than one bike model

8. There’s a unique patented tie-down system 

9. It helps to prevent any sway movement in the hitch, thanks to its no-wobble bolts

Cons

1. Some end-users complained about the plastic parts wearing out quickly 

2. There’s no built-in lock mechanism 

Final Words 

The Allen Sports premier locking bike racks are quite durable, efficient, cost-effective, and easy to use. They don’t occupy too much space, they are less bulky and lightweight. The trade-off for those incredible beneficial features, however, is that Allen Sports premier locking bike racks tend to extend farther out from the vehicle and they do not come with an in-built lock mechanism. 

Apart from that, the Allen Sports premier locking bike racks are an ideal option for people who want to purchase a lightweight and portable option for transporting their bikes anywhere. 

We’ve reached the closing chapter of this single product review. We hope you were able to find good and reliable resources in your quest to know the Allen Sports premier locking bike racks review. If you have any questions or comments about the article topic, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks!

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