Contents
Review of the Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack
Let me guess, you sat down to research bike racks for what you thought would be a quick search and compare a few different models. How many hours has that “quick search” extended now? While you may have gotten away with a quick search a few years ago, that is simply not the case today.
The recent resurgence of the bike as a means of recreation and transportation has been accompanied by a boom in the bike rack industry as well. There are so many different designs, models, and features that selecting the rack right can prove to be a daunting task. This article is aimed at helping you decided whether or not the Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack is the one for you.
Hitch-Mounted Racks
The first question you have to ask yourself when looking to buy a bike rack is “What type of rack do I want?” Determining the type of rack that fits your vehicle and lifestyle the best will greatly reduce the number of racks to look at. The Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack is a rear hitch-mount rack, which means you need to have a trailer hitch on your vehicle to install it. If you do not have a trailer hitch, stop reading here (or go buy one and continue reading).
Hitch-Mounted racks are a popular choice because they are typically easy to install and are very stable. Some other good characteristics of this type of rack are:
- Bikes are held away from the vehicle which helps prevent damage to your paint job
- Ability to lock the rack to protect from theft by petty criminals
- Great for transporting bikes on long trips
Durability
You can have all of the bells and whistles on a bike rack, but if it doesn’t last, those features are meaningless. Hitch-mounted racks, in general, are known for their durability, and the HR8000 is no exception. Hollywood Racks uses high-quality materials to construct this rack. The frame is very sturdy and the cradles are made out of a durable plastic that holds the bikes in place securely. Integrated tie-down straps help to reduce the jiggling of the unit. Additionally, this model supports a threaded hitch pin that prevents the rack from swaying, which will greatly increase the lifetime of the unit.
Convenience
One aspect that often gets overlooked while researching bike racks is convenience. If the rack is not easy to use, you may find yourself using it less. This rack boasts several user-friendly features, such as:
- Easy Installation with limited assembly required
- The light frame (20 lbs) is easy to lift and fold
- Dual-sized models can support both 1 ¼” and 2” hitches
- Rack tilts for easy access and folds away when not in use
The only drawback in this area is the possibility of slight difficulty loading the bikes on the rack. This depends on the type of vehicle you have, however depending on how high your hitch is raised off of the ground, you may have to hoist your bikes a little higher than you would for other types of rack mounts. This is really a fundamental feature of hitch type mounts in general, and not necessarily a flaw with this particular model. With a standard height hitch, you should still have no problem loading.
Capacity
This rack holds up to four bikes
. Many only support two or three. Additionally, many of the three bike models are a tight squeeze when fully loaded. The Hollywood Racks HR8000 fits four bicycles comfortably. On top of that, it can handle a maximum weight of 35 pounds per bike. This is more than adequate as even a rugged dual-suspension mountain bike will typically fall below that mark.
Affordability
Pricing is the area where the HR8000 loses a little bit of its edge versus its competitors. Hollywood Racks retails this model around $180. While you can find it a little cheaper through outlet sites, it won’t be by more than around ten dollars less although Amazon is tough to beat. This falls in about the middle to lower-upper price range. There are many models that fall well below this price but just about as many that will run you quite a bit more. If you are looking to go the cheap route, you may just decide to look past this rack.
Should You Buy This Rack?
Well, I guess you could have just skipped down to this paragraph in the first place and saved yourself a bit of reading, but the answer is “Quite possibly, yes.” This is a very well built rack with many desirable features. It supports a large number of bikes without swaying. Depending on your vehicle type, and your budget, it could very well be the right choice for you. With the Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack, you get a high-end quality rack, for a bit less than the other high-end models.
You can learn more about the Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack by clicking here
Go back to the best hitch bike rack here!
Thanks for visiting Hollywood Racks Traveler Hitch Mounted Bike Rack Reviews in 2020, we hope we helped you with your quest for the best hitch bike rack!
Please go through the Performance Bike shop for reviews of the product to gain more insight into the product. You can also buy this bike carrier directly from the official product website.
View more Hollywood Bike Racks
on Amazon.com, the best choice for you.
