The Allen 102DN Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack is an affordable bike accessory designed to fit onto the trunks of most passenger car designs. That said, with affordable models, there’s always the chance that cheap materials were used in construction or the device isn’t well designed. As such, it’s a huge risk to make the purchase without looking for more information. This makes the Allen 102DN review below quite handy as it can help potential buyers determine whether the rack is good value for money or if they would just be wasting their funds.
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Specifications
Fits
Sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, and SUVs
Material
Alloy steel
Weight capacity
70 lbs.
Dimensions
23.03” x 13.58” x 3.94”
Weight
8.8 lbs.
Warranty
Lifetime
Review
Whether a bike rack is a good purchase or not all depends on the features. As such, we delve deeper into all the Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier features below.
Design and Functionality
Designwise, the Allen 102DN is simplistic and functional. There aren’t that many bells, and whistles and most of the inclusions serve a purpose. One example is the padding. It’s incorporated in the components of the rack that come into contact with the car’s backside. Consequently, even when you take your rack and bike onto a bumpy road, there isn’t any damage to the vehicle.
That said, the padding also pushes down on the trunk. As such, it’s always good to wipe down the trunk’s exterior before mounting the rack, as that will protect your paint job from scratches.
The rack features a 5-strap design that attaches to the top, sides, and bottom of the trunk for vertical and lateral stability. There is only one strap configuration, so the way you set up the Allen 102DN on a sedan is the same way you’ll do it on a van, hatchback, or SUV. However, with this design, there are some vehicles that the rack is incompatible with.
Twelve-inch carry arms are another aspect of the rack’s design. Given their length, they offer enough clearance between your bikes and the car and even a bit of space between the bikes. There’s also not that much space between the arms, which allows for a wide variety of bike designs and sizes to be mounted onto the rack. This design choice also makes it easier to mount the bikes.
As implied by the name, the rack supports a two-bike setup and should be useful if you’re going cycling or mountain biking with a partner. Each bike is held down on the rack by dedicated tie-downs that can also rotate to better match the designs of different bikes.
The tie-down design is patented, and so is the overall design of the rack.
Mount
The Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier is a trunk mount device, as implied by the name. The top straps hook into the top of your rear door or trunk. As for the side straps, they hook onto the side edges of the trunk. Lastly, there is the singular lower strap that can either be hooked into the inside of the trunk or the car’s underside.
Due to the mount, these straps are able to provide stability in four directions and keep your bikes secure at the back of the car.
Weight Capacity
Given that the weight capacity of the Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier is 70 lbs, each bike you mount on the rack should be 35 lbs or lower.
However, this should be easy to do since most mountain bikes weigh less than 30 lbs.
That said, some bikes tend to be heavier. Full suspension bikes, for instance, tend to have a lot more moving parts than their hardtail counterparts, and hence they can be pretty heavy. The same can be said of E-bikes thanks to the inclusion of motors and batteries. Some bikes even weigh as much as 70 lbs on their own.
If you’re unsure of the weight of your bike or bikes, it’s a good idea to check it out before committing to the purchase.
Bike Compatibility
If weight isn’t an issue, the Allen 102DN is compatible with most bike models. This is due to the rotatable tie-downs, which support bicycles with slanting and odd-shaped top tubes.
Of course, the easiest configuration to work with is the straight top tube since all you have to do is place it on the 12” carry arms of the rack and fasten the tie downs. With the slanted top-tubes of women-style bikes, the design is still workable. One tie-down straps onto the slanted top-tube while the other straps onto the back of the seat tube.
Vehicle Compatibility
The Allen 102DN is compatible with multiple vehicle models and car shapes. For instance, it could easily fit on both the back of a van or a sedan. However, with vehicle designs often changing in the modern world, there’s no guarantee that the rack will work for your particular car model. The only sure way to find out is to check the Allen fit list that helps match cars with the rack.
Durability
Despite the affordability of the rack, there’s nothing to worry about with regard to its durability as it’s made using alloy steel. However, you do have to stay within the weight limitations provided.
Ease of Assembly
Assembling the Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier is not difficult since the rack arrives at your doorstep almost fully assembled. There’s no need for tools either. Nonetheless, there may be some finishing touches required before you can put it on your vehicle, including unfolding the rack and inserting the pins into the right holes so the rack can hold its shape.
After that, mounting the device onto your vehicle and then mounting your bikes is all that’s left.
Security
As a budget pick, you don’t get much security with this trunk-mounted carrier. All you get are the tie-downs that hold your bikes in place while you ferry them. Consequently, anybody could unstrap the bikes when you’re not looking.
Leaving the rack as-is is a massive risk since bike theft has been on the increase over the years. According to National Public Radio Trusted Source Bike Thieves Are On A Roll During The Pandemic. Here's How To Protect Your Ride : NPR The “bike boom” of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a shortage of bikes nationwide, has also led to a significant rise in bike theft in multiple cities across the country www.npr.org , there was approximately a 24% increase in bike theft between 2019 and 2020, and you could easily be the next person to report your bike stolen.
Of course, the thefts are being driven by the increase in the bicycle market in the US. Research by Statista Trusted Source Cycling - Statistics & Facts | Statista Cycling, also known as biking, is a popular leisure activity and, in many cases, a means of transportation. In 2016, around12.4 percent of Americanscycled on a regular basis. www.statista.com shows there was an increase in the number of US-based cyclists from 43 million in 2014 to 47.5 million in 2017, and this upward trend has continued since then. This ready market means the thefts won’t be stopping any time soon.
To avoid your bikes being stolen, you might want to purchase a cable lock or other bike security mechanisms and add them to your rack. That way, you’ll maintain your peace of mind even if you leave the rack unattended.
Warranty
Most Allen products come with an impressive warranty, and it isn’t any different for the Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier. With the purchase, you get a lifetime warranty for the rack. If you use the rack correctly and only mount bikes within the stated weight limit, you’ll likely never need to claim your warranty. After all, the 2-bike carrier does feature durable alloy steel construction.
Nevertheless, there is a catch with the warranty as well. You have to buy the rack from authorized Allen dealers. If you buy from third-party sellers, your rack won’t be covered under warranty.
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Conclusion
As shown by the Allen 102DN review, the rack isn’t a fancy purchase. However, it is functional enough to carry your bikes to and from your cycling destination, provide stability throughout the journey, and keep your vehicle protected from damage. You might need to add some measures to improve security, but other than that, the Allen Deluxe 2-bike trunk carrier is a good deal.
References
1.
Bike Thieves Are On A Roll During The Pandemic. Here
The “bike boom" of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a shortage of bikes nationwide, has also led to a significant rise in bike theft in multiple cities across the country
2.
Cycling - Statistics & Facts | Statista
Cycling, also known as biking, is a popular leisure activity and, in many cases, a means of transportation. In 2016, around12.4 percent of Americanscycled on a regular basis.
