When traveling routinely with a bike, there is a dilemma of how to carry the bike on a subcompact rental car. You could take the bike apart and try to wedge it in the back seat, or pay a large amount of cash to upgrade to a pickup truck. Allen Sports has come up with a nice simple solution with a foldable universal bike rack. Mounting similar to most trunk racks on the market, the racks have adjustable straps and pads, so they can fit on the back of most small cars and SUVs. The unique thing though is they are made from lightweight aluminum, and fold extremely compact, so you can bring it with you in your checked baggage.
Allen Sports’ Aluminum Compact Bike Trunk Carriers are made from 6061 alloy, fold up to be the smallest on the market, and include a carry bag. Allen has thought this idea through, and make it easy to bring the rack with you. The three pads spread the load out evenly, and along with rubber-coated hooks, keep the rental agency from being able to charge you for damage to the car. There are two versions, the AL01 which holds one bike, and the AL02 that holds two bikes. The AL01 comes in at just three pounds.
Most impressively, the AL01 sells for just $59.99. Being affordable and light, it seems like it would be perfect to simply add to your bike’s travel case. If you need to carry two bikes when you get to your destination, the AL02 sells for $119.99 and weighs 3.5lbs.
