dcphilly

This is my first bike rack that I bought for $40. It is an Allen MT1. Does this look safe to you guys? I'm scared that it will break the window.



thanks in advance.

danmc

You're supposed to mount it on the window?

dcphilly

The instructions were really broad since it was made to be compatible with a lot of cars. The only warning that it had was that the bottom rubber pieces can not be on the window.

nolefan

Looks like most of the load would be on the bottom, but what do you plan on carrying? A 19lb road bike, or a 28lb mountain bike?

Either way, if it were me, I would email that picture to Allen and get their approval. That way, when they say go ahead, you have an email you can use to get them to pay for a new rear window if needed

shadoman

That's mounted so high that the wheels will be bouncing on your taillights...

dcphilly

Here is a picture with the bike on it.

shadoman

Wow...
I think I'd go down below the window, rather than have to hoist my bike all the way up there...

tagaproject6

Uh, no, hell no!

The bottom part should typically be on the bumper and the middle part should be on the metal part of your hatch. Can you increase the length of the straps to move the carrier down?

dcphilly

I tried to put it below the window but the rack just doesn't work right when down there due to how oddly shaped my car is. It is a nissan juke, plus that really isn't too high to hoist it up. The roof is around 5ft high only.

Thanks for the advice Nolefan, I did email them and included a picture. They responded within 10 minutes telling me that it "should work well."

ratdog

The rack looks like it's for a car with a trunk and not a hatchback. Can't find the old post, but I thought I remembered someone posting that similar type bike racks have gone through back windows.

dcphilly

Yeah you guys are right. I don't think I will take the chance.

I'm just mad because my car is listed on their fit list for this model and the rep told me it should work well but there is clearly a lot of pressure on the window. I guess I'm out 40 bucks too cause Amazon said no to the return.

edit: scratch that! I called Amazon again and a different rep said ok to me. I will get my refund

pdlamb

I used an Allen rack like that for years with a minivan, but I always had the lower bar over metal instead of glass. Despite carrying up to four bikes at a time (and that was a work of art, I tell you!) I never had any problems with the rear window.

fietsbob

If you are concerned , invest in having a receiver mount on the car
and getting a Bike rack to go in the receiver ..

If you are worried about the Window, check with your insurance policy
and see if its covered if it does break.

iheartbacon

A receiver mount is really handy. There are lots and lots or accessories available for a receiver mount, everything from portable toilets, to baskets, to barbeque grills and, of course, trailer towing equipment. It also makes an excellent tow point for the winter, both for pulling someone else out and for getting yourself pulled out.

Velo Dog

Receiver mounts are nice, but you're talking hundreds of dollars instead of dozens. I have about $600 worth of Yakima cartop stuff (2003 prices) that I use most of the time, but when I'm just carrying one bike or making a short trip, I use a trunk mount Yak similar to your picture. It's been on half a dozen cars, including two hatchbacks. If I can't get the lower legs on the sheet metal, I put them as close as possible to the edge of the glass. Worked fine so far. If mine fit like your picture, I'd try longer straps and see how it worked with the bike more nearly vertical.

Warning: the lower legs also can dent the sheet metal over time. My old Subaru looked like it had been rammed by a bull.

iheartbacon

Check U-Haul for the hitch and installation. All told it cost $165 and some odd cents to get a hitch installed and wired on a PT Cruiser.

jsigone

i wouldn't do it, hitch rack would be cheaper then replacing that back window. One good pothole is is all it takes.

ratdog

And the bike because if the glass goes while you're driving, the bike is gone too.

Shimagnolo

+1
Mine was ~$150 from etrailer.com.
Simple, bolt-on installation.
I have attachments for:
- bike rack
- flat cargo carrier that also carries skis
- tow hook

dcphilly

thanks for the tips. I ordered a curt hitch and a swagman xtc rack. total cost was around $330 but at least I have peace of mind and it should last me many years to come.

iheartbacon

Now that you have a hitch it's time for the all important bumper dumper.

dcphilly

That is.... awesome

LarDasse74

Yeah, hitch mount is my preferred option. But I cannot believe that more fiddling would not improve the trunk-mount rack.

Another option would be to get a better Thule trunk mount rack, or some other brand that does not have the instructions written by a reta... mentally challenged person in China. SOme of the Thule racks I have seen have indexed joints so you fold the two legs and move the bike-holding bars to points that are pre-defined for every model of car listed as a fit for the rack.. I suspect other rack companies make similar things but most of my experience is with Thule.

Stomper

[QUOTE=Shimagnolo;14732061]+1
Mine was ~$150 from etrailer.com.
Simple, bolt-on installation.
I have attachments for:
- bike rack
- flat cargo carrier that also carries skis



Thanks for the tip. I didn't want to pay the dealership $530 to install a new bumper with a trailer hitch. I plan to order one of the etrailer.com hitches and a bike rack. There will be no more scratches on my new ride.

MadCityCyclist

Ostensibly, a wise choice (I say ostensibly because I'm not too familiar with the hitch/rack options, but WOW, was the original set-up bad). One way or another, we've all been through it. Bad helmets, shoes, headlights, rear lights, side mirrors, clothing, etc. It's part of any hobby, but when those hobbies interact with bigger more expensive things like automobiles, the stakes go up significantly.

My concern about the original configuration was, besides the things already mentioned, the upper U-joints holding the bike frame were sideways and the bike would bounce out of them during normal driving, and the weight placed on the rear window would cause leakage from rain over the years, if it didn't completely fail as others predicted.

Peace of mind can go a long ways, and your hunch that the original rack wasn't right was indeed correct. You'll probably also discover that that type of hitch can be adapted for other hauling-type uses.

If you bike enough, you might find yourself adapting your automotive choices to your bikes. For example, I bought a Honda Fit because I can haul bikes in it without having to buy an exterior rack. I can even put my fatbike in it, and that thing is a monster.