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Aug 26, 2024
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Very few racks can match this one for its versatility and ability to accommodate nearly any e-bike on the market.
The ever-growing hitch rack market includes a number of new racks designed specifically for e-bikes. With models that include features such as ramps and special arms that can accommodate fenders or step-thru frames and even lights, there are some pretty fancy racks out there.
Unfortunately, as the features grow more elaborate, the prices go up. We love the Hollywood Racks Sportrider rack for a number of reasons, but our favorite reason is that it can carry almost any e-bike on the market, plus it is one of the most affordable racks out there. It’s a potent combination. At $499, there aren’t many hitch racks that can compete with it.
When we say the Hollywood Racks Sportrider hitch rack can carry almost any e-bike on the market, we really mean it. It can carry two e-bikes each weighing up to 80 lbs. Yes, we’ve reviewed some e-bikes that weigh more than 80 lbs. but of the hundreds of e-bikes we’ve reviewed, they comprise maybe one percent of our reviews. It’s next winning feature is that it can carry e-bikes with a wheelbase of up to 60 in.—long enough to carry longtail cargo e-bikes.
Pros- Extremely versatile while still being a terrific value
- Terrific for fat e-bikes
- Tool-free system; assembly and installation is easier than most others
- One key operates all locks
- Can carry e-bikes with a wheelbase of up to 60 in., making it ideal for cargo e-bikes
- Weight capacity of up to 80 lbs. per e-bike
- With 10 in. of space between e-bikes, there is no interference between pedals
Cons- No ramp; you’ve got to pick the e-bike up
- Requires an adapter for smaller (20 in.) wheels
| Hitch Size(s) | 2 in. (no 1.25 in.) |
| Number of Bikes It Can Carry | 2 |
| Max Bike Weight Per Tray | 80 lbs. |
| Total Max Weight Capacity | 160 lbs. |
| Mechanism For Securing Bikes | Arm over frame |
| Max Wheel Base Length | 60 in. |
| Rack Weight | Hitch |
| Vehicle Type | Any |
| Max Tire Width | 5 in. |
| Max Tire Diameter | 29 in. |
| Works With _____ Frames | Step-over frames, step-thru frames with an adapter |
| Key Features | Nearly unmatched in weight and wheelbase |
| Security Features | One key for all locks |
| Optional accessories | Trike adapter, step-thru frame adapter, small wheel adapter |
The ratcheting frame hook is easy to position once the e-bike is in the wheel holders.
Because the ratcheting wheel straps prevent the e-bike from rolling backward or forward, the frame hooks with with sloping top tubes.
The ratcheting wheel straps help to secure the e-bike and minimize wiggle.
Turning this crank is all that is required to secure the Sportrider in the receiver.
Hollywood Racks Sportrider Review: Functionality / Using the Rack
Securing the rack to the hitch
For people who want a rack that doesn’t require getting out a tool kit, the Hollywood Racks Sportrider is an ideal choice. One of the marketing points for the Sportrider is that it can be installed with no tools. Slide it into the hitch receiver and then simply turn the handle clockwise until the rack is snug.
Loading bikes
Due to the way an e-bike’s wheels sit in the wheel holders, a ramp won’t work; the e-bikes must be picked up and placed in the hitch rack. For owners of heavier e-bikes, this won’t be much fun, but this is the rack’s biggest drawback. To load an e-bike in the more inboard position the mast can be folded down into the storage position.
With the bike loaded, you can then hold the e-bike upright and fold the mast back up and bring the frame hook down on the e-bike. Once the first bike is secured, the second bike can be loaded. Each wheel holder comes with a ratcheting strap to help secure the e-bike.
For e-bikes with step-thru frames, Hollywood makes a telescoping adapter that functions like a top tube and can be mounted on an e-bike that clamps at the seatpost and steerer below the stem. The frame hook can then be brought down on it.
The wheel holders can be adjusted left-to-right to reduce interference between the handlebar of one e-bike and the saddle of another. Setting this up the first time can require a certain amount of patience, but once the wheel holders are properly positioned you won’t have to move them again, provided you’re loading the same e-bikes each time.
Securing the bikes
The frame hooks in the Sportrider are keyed to the same key that locks the rack to the receiver. Having just one key simplifies security without sacrificing anything.
Trunk / Tailgate access
Like other hitch racks, the Hollywood Racks Sportrider can be folded out, away from the vehicle so that you can open a vehicle’s trunk, hatch or tailgate.
This is what the rack looks like with the central mast up without e-bikes in position.
When not in use, the Sportrider folds up so that it is compact and out of the way.
When carrying just one e-bike, it’s helpful to position it closer to the vehicle to help reduce how much the rack wiggles.
The trike adapter for the Sportrider is a terrific option, and one with little competition.
Hollywood Racks Sportrider Review: Driving With the Rack
Stability
The Hollywood Racks Sportrider does a nice job of holding e-bikes securely without a lot of wiggle. Of course the amount of wiggle is determined by just how heavy your e-bikes are. There’s a notable reduction in movement with just one e-bike rather than two.
For anyone planning to drive on unpaved roads, we recommend slowing down, less because we are concerned about the durability of the rack than how the hook will treat the frame.
Entry/Exit angles and ground clearance
The rack frame sits 6.5 in. higher than the hitch receiver, and the outermost portion of the rack sits 29.5 in. from the hitch receiver. That creates a fair amount of clearance between the rack and the ground.
Points to consider: The heavier the e-bikes, the lower the carrier will sit. Also, the farther the carrier is from the rear axle, the lower the carrier will sit. We found the Sportrider to scrape on steep driveways when loaded.
Having a truck or SUV will reduce the chance of the carrier scraping. Woe be unto those with lowered vehicles, though.
Accessories
There aren’t many accessories made for the Sportrider. They don’t offer license plate holder or extra lights. However, what they do offer, which puts most other racks to shame, is an adapter for a trike, which is a terrific alternative to buying a pickup.
People looking for a rack that can be expanded to three or four bikes will need to look elsewhere; the Sportrider is not expandable.
Owners of e-bikes with 20-in. wheels can purchase the small wheel adapter.
If, for some reason, the ratcheting frame hooks aren’t sufficiently secure to satisfy you, Hollywood makes what they call Precision Slide frame hooks. Rather than depending on a ratchet, they can be secured at any height you choose.
Hollywood Racks Sportrider Review: Rack Storage
What it’s like carrying the rack around and storing it.
The rack weighs 58 lbs., less than many e-bikes, so it’s not super-heavy, but you may not enjoy carrying it from your garage to your vehicle. If you’re apt to remove the rack following each use, Hollywood makes what they call the Rack Valet, which is a rolling carrier for a rack.
Roll it out, position it behind your vehicle, lock the wheels and then slide the rack out of the receiver and pick it up the few inches necessary to position it in your vehicle’s receiver.
When folded, the rack is relatively compact and occupies about as much floor space as an e-bike.
Hollywood Racks Sportrider Review: Our Recommendation
It our increasingly complicated world, it doesn’t often seem like there are products that can work for anyone, but where hitch racks are concerned, when someone asks us about a good hitch rack that won’t run the cost of an e-bike, the Hollywood Racks Sportrider is the first rack we mention.
When don’t we recommend the Sportrider? In exactly one situation: If you can’t lift your e-bike high enough to set it in the wheel holders. We’d hate for that to seem ableist, but that’s the price of admission with this hitch rack. It’s a bummer, but it seems a reasonable trade given the cost of this rack.
It’s rare to find a product that offers so much flexibility, but there are few hitch racks that can accommodate such a broad array of e-bikes. And with a retail price of $499, that you get so much for such a great price makes this one of our very favorites.
Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Hollywood Racks Sportrider down in our comments section.
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