Best Bike Racks For Jeep Wrangler | Safe & Secure
The best bike racks for Jeep Wrangler must have high-quality gripping facilities that can tightly hold bicycles to ensure wobble-free and secure transportation through rocky and off-road paths. If you are looking for the best bike rack that can fit on your Jeep Wrangler or other Jeep-type vehicles. Then this review article is for you.
Using a bike rack on a jeep or car is a secure way to transport bicycles from one place to another place, and you can even take your bicycle to mountains and rocky areas for adventure rides. We clearly understand that buying a lightweight, and easy to carry bike rack is one time investment for most of the cyclists.
As a beginner, Searching for one suitable rack that is solid, foldable, rust-proof and compatible for almost all types of bikes is not easy for beginners. To help you make the correct decision, we tested over 23 bike racks that are specially designed for jeep wranglers.
After testing more than 8 months on a variety of roads and trails, We determined that Retrospec Lenox (hitch mounted) and Hollywood SR1 (spare tire mounted) are the best bike racks for Jeep Wrangler and have a tilt-down facility to easily get access to the rear trunk. These two are not only the winning racks of this article but also a list of our top 8 picks.
With almost two years of continuous testing of more than 500 bicycles and over 2600 cycling-related products, we have gathered in-depth details about almost every cycling-related product, from the best bike seat for heavy riders to the best bike water bottle holder. You can check our latest article in the bike tools and accessories section.
Best Bike Racks For Jeep Wrangler
Image | Product | Price |
1 | Hollywood SR1Spare Tire Mounted | |
2 | Quadratec Bike RackTilt Down To Access Rear Door | |
3 | WEIZE Hitch Bike RackAnti Theft Lock For Protection | |
4 | Retrospec LenoxAvailable For 2 to 5 bikes | |
5 | HYPERAX VoltAnti-Wobble Pin & Hitch Key Lockset | |
6 | Allen Sports DeluxeLightest Rack Weighs Only 10 lbs | |
7 | KYX Hitch Mounted RackBest For Electric Bikes | |
8 | Allen Sports PremierAdjustable Sliding Wheel Tray |
1. Hollywood SR1 Spare Tire Mounted Rack
Features:
- Lightweight & Durable Steel Material
- Adjustable Support Arms To Hold Tire
- Soft Rubber Grips To Ensure Safety
- Integrated Straps For Secure Transport
- Easily Foldable Arms For Indoor Storage
- Well-Made And Stable Tire Mounted Rack
In my experience of putting my bicycles on the rack to transport them for testing in (Illinois), there were only a few racks that impressed me enough to use them again. One of them was the Hollywood SR1 Spare Tire Mounted Rack, which is made with high-tensile steel and specially designed for all vehicles, including jeep wranglers that have a spare tire mount.
This lightest bike rack weighs only 10 pounds. Its fully adjustable arms and straps are compatible for all side mounted spare tires and make a strong grip around the tire. Other interesting specifications of this rack are integrated safety straps, soft rubber grips, and quickly foldable arms for storage.
We tested this rack and found that its maximum weight capacity is up to 35 pounds per bike. Which means this rack will not support E-bikes or fat bikes. Overall, you will get almost a pre-assembled rack featured with an easy-clamp installation facility.
2. Quadratec Foldable Bike Rack
Features:
- Thick Welded Alloy Steel Material
- Black Powder-Coated Paint Work
- Integrated Anti-Wobble Hitch Pin
- Easy-To-Fold Carrier For Storage
- Rubber Cradles & Hold-Down Straps
- Red Safety Reflectors Also Included
- Hold 2-Bikes Up to 80 Pounds Total
The Hitch Mount Bike Rack by Quadratec company was recommended by pro cyclists we consulted, and it is professionally welded and made with alloy steel. Its black powder-coated finish provides a smooth touch feeling and an attractive look.
This rack is equipped with full security features, including rubber cradles, hold-down straps and a ratcheting arm system to prevent your bicycles from coming into contact with each other and, hence, protect these bikes from unwanted scratches. You can also tilt down the rear tailgate to get easy access to the back trunk door.
The maximum weight limit capacity of this rack is 80 pounds, and its adjustable design can easily accommodate two bikes having 20″ to 29″ wheel sizes. You will also like its compact storage design, which folds forward to get access to the cargo area without removing it from the jeep.
3. WEIZE Hitch Rack
Features:
- Premium Metal With Powder Coating
- Tilt-Back Function & Foldable Design
- Foam-Padded Clamp & Hitch-Tightener
- Safety Straps For Additional Security
- Anti Theft Hitch Lock For Protection
If you are looking for a hitch-mounted rack that is compatible with the Jeep Wrangler and can hold electric and other fat tire bicycles, then this WEIZE Rack is the best option for you. It is manufactured using premium iron metal and can hold 2-bikes at a time, having a maximum weight of 160 pounds in total.
Its foldable and removable platform design can be adjusted for 1 or 2 bikes or can be fold up when not in use. This trailer hitch rack comes with foam-padded clamp and hitch tightener to protect the bicycle as well as the jeep wrangler from scratches.
You will also get safety rubber straps and a security hitch lock that will provide you maximum protection for bikes on bumpy and aggressive roads. However, it may be a little bit hard for a single person to set up and attach due to its 45-pound weight.
Note: According to my experience using it with the Jeep Wrangler 2019 model, the display of the rear camera was disturbed.
4. Retrospec Lenox Bike Hitch Rack
Features:
- Weather-Resistant Steel Material
- Wide Carry Arms For Wide Frames
- Secure Tie-Down Cradles And Straps
- Sizes Available To Hold 2 to 5 bikes
- Easily Fit 2-Inch Solid Trailer Hitch
- Anti-Wobble Adapter Also Included
The Retrospec Lenox Rack has more than 2100 reviews on Amazon and offers the lowest price compared to other models of the same quality we have tested. This bike rack is made with weather-resistance alloy steel material and available in different sizes for 2 to 5 bicycles.
The wide spacing between carry arms, tie-down cradles and straps of this rack provide safe and secure protection to your bike frame from damage. You will also get a free anti-rattle adapter to minimize wobbling.
This lightweight rack is only 23 pounds in weight and can fit with a 2-inch trailer hitch. Therefore, it is recommended by the company that your vehicle must have a class 3 or 4 hitch receiver. You can easily fold its carry arms downward to get complete access to the trunk without removing the bike rack.
5. HYPERAX Volt RV-Approved Rack
Features:
- High Tensile Carbon Steel Material
- Co-Injected Soft Rubber Secure Hooks
- Anti-wobble Pin & Hitch Key Lockset
- Dual Key Locks To Secure Bikes & Rack
- Reflective Velcro Straps To Tight Wheels
- Integrated Wall Mount Handle Included
- Adjustable Holders For Different Wheels
The HYPERAX Hitch-Mounted Rack is very popular due to its dual key lock feature, which secures both the rack and your bicycle from theft. This bike rack also comes with an anti-wobble steel pin and Hitch key lockset.
The popular features of this bike rack include co-injected soft rubber hooks, an Integrated wall mount handle, adjustable wheel holders, reflective velcro straps, and additional security straps.
This rack is specially designed for class 3 or higher hitch receivers. The maximum weight limit of this bike rack is 140 pounds, and perfect for mountain, road, electric and fat bikes with up to 5-inch tyre width.
Note: We do not recommend mounting this rack on a bumper hitch adapter. You also need to buy a separate adapter for step-thru women’s bikes.
6. Allen Sports Deluxe Spare Tire Mounted Rack
Features:
- Rigid & Durable Alloy Steel Material
- 15 Inches Long Arms For 2-Bicycles
- Individual & Secure Tie Down Cradles
- Foldable Frame With Two Secure Straps
- Lightest Rack Has Only 10 Pounds Weight
This Allen Sports Tire Mounted Bike Rack has more than 3055 positive ratings on Amazon, and the main reason for its popularity is its lowest price and durable quality as compared to other sellers, along with a free prime shipping offer.
This foldable premier rack is made with rigid alloy steel frame and specially designed to easily mount on the spare tire of jeep wrangler to carry bicycles up from the road. The 15-inch long carry arms are enough to easily mount 2-bikes in a wide distance.
I personally like its extra wide bottom foot support, two lower straps, and tie-down cradles to protect bicycles from any damage. It is also very easy to attach on almost any externally mounted spare tire of jeeps. However, its weight capacity is only 70 pounds, which means this rack is not perfect for electric bikes or fat tyre bikes.
7. KYX Hitch Mounted Rack For E-Bikes
Features:
- Made With Non-Toxic Iron-Alloy Material
- Coated With Wear Resistance Polyester
- Premium Straps With Locking Clamps
- Anti-Scratch Pressure Bar & Tooth Ripples
- Control Handle For Vertical Bar to Tilt-Down
- 54-inch Wheel Base & 5-inch Tire Width
- Safe And Secure Rack For 2 Bikes
The KYX 2″ Hitch Mounted E-Bike Rack is made with non-toxic iron-alloy material and coated with wear resistance polyester. This bike rack is featured with a switch and control handle to tilt the vertical bar up to 30 degrees to open the back door of jeep, SUV or car etc.
The safe & Secure system of this rack is equipped with Sturdy wheel holders, premium straps, locking frame clamps, Anti-wobble hitch, locking hitch pin, double-locking system. You can easily fold this rack for storage or to carry it anywhere.
This heavy duty rack has an excellent weight capacity of 180 pounds,5-inch wheelbase and is specially designed for 2-bikes. Which means you can easily mount any fat tire or Electric Bike up to 90 pounds each.
8. Allen Sports Premier Locking Tray Rack
Features:
- Aluminum Frame & Alloy Steel Tray
- Adjustable Sliding Wheel Tray
- Extra Long Tire Locking Straps
- Integrated Hitch Locking Knob
- Gripy Arms With Additional Cable
- Available For 1, 2, And 3-Bikes
The Allen Sports Premier Locking Tray Rack is made with rugged powder-coated steel and aluminium material, and it is equipped with locking straps to hold bikes tightly and is available for 1, 2 and 3-bicycles.
This foldable bike rack has interesting features such as a hitch locking knob system, adjustable sliding wheel tray, front & rear tyre locking strap, and locking arm, along with additional locking cables to secure the bicycle from theft.
Thick bike rack can easily adjust on 1.25 to 2-inch receiver hitches. You can hang up any bike with 26-29″ inch wheels having tyre widths up to 3.5″ inches. This means this rack will support road, mountain, and gravel bikes only.
How to Choose the Best Bike Racks For Jeep Wrangler:
Here are general criteria that you can use as a checklist to choose the best bike racks for Jeep Wrangler.
1. Types & Mounting Capacity:
Mostly, two types of bike racks are available for Jeep Wrangler: tire-mounted and hitch-mounted. Both types are good and reliable, but it depends on your preference. Tire-mounted racks provide the facility to mount only two bicycles, while some hitch-mounted bike racks, such as Retrospect Lenox, provide the facility to hang up to 5 bicycles with your Jeep Wrangler.
2. Anti-Scratch & Rust-Proof Material:
The most crucial and important point to consider is the material used in bike racks. We personally prefer alloy steel material because it is rust proof and very hard to bend under the effect of bumps.
3. Foldable & Tilt Back Facility:
Another important factor to consider is purchasing racks that are foldable and also have a tilt-back facility to easily access the back door of a Jeep Wrangler. One of our favourite bike racks in the above list, Retrospec Lenox, has a dual facility to fold for storage and can easily tilt back to open the back door.
4. Anti-Wobble Grips & Safety Features:
The security features really matter to ensure that the selected rack has the ability to hold the bicycle tightly and has safety straps to ensure that our bicycle will not fall down while jeep driving. So, don’t forget to check the safety features of the bike rack before buying it.
5. Maximum Weight Limit:
If you have an electric bicycle or fat tire heavy bicycle, then checking the maximum weight limit of the rack is very important for you. For example, the Weize Hitch bike rack has a maximum weight handling limit of up to 140 pounds, and the KYX 2″ Hitch Rack can hold up to 190 pounds.
How We Test Bike Rack:
We started market research by visiting physical shops, manufacturing factories, and bike rack retailers to purchase the most lightweight, solid and best bike racks for jeep wrangler. We also monitor the quality of material used in those racks and dually confirm whether they are rust-proof or not.
For testing, we arranged 5 jeep wranglers and tested about 23 different bike racks for almost 8 months. Our team members conducted countless testings on these racks to find the best options for Jeep Wrangler and other jeep types of vehicles to securely transport bicycles.
Our final round of testing procedures was involved using all these racks one by one on almost all models of jeep wrangler. Then, we choose the most rocky and difficult road paths to check the maximum ability of holding the bicycle on heavy bumps and unpaved rocky roads.
As the testing procedure ends, we also check the maximum weight handling capacity of each rack that we also mention in their description. After calculating test results, we make a spreadsheet and give a ranking to each rack to declare the winner bike rack for jeep wrangler.
Why Trust Best Bikes Lab:
We began our journey of testing bike racks by planning methods and routes to test the most popular and in-demand racks. We have a group of testers from our team, most of whom are professional bicycle mechanics and seasonal cyclists.
Here at Best Bike Lab, we thoroughly purchased and tested a variety of cycling products for reviews and comparison guides. The list included the best bike seat for heavy riders, the best bike cup holder, and the best water bottle holder.
We also have tested hundreds of bicycles to write reviews and shopping content for many cycling brands such as Schwinn, Mongoose, Hiland, Retrospec, and Senada etc. From regular hybrid bikes to more aggressive hardtail mountain bikes and racing road bikes to commuting electric bikes we have collectively tested more than 560 bicycles since 2022.
Our Experts:
This article was written by MP Naveed, a writer and pro cyclist specializing in bike-related tools, accessories, and cycling gear. Naveed personally owned his Jeep Wrangler and tested multiple rack options for bicycles. In addition, Naveed has worked on numerous projects with our testing team members to test different bicycles.