I'm returning this rack.Numerous parts of the rack were rusty, right out of the box. Box seemed fine, didn't appear that it had gotten wet or anything.
I set it up (and got my hands very dirty from all the rust rubbing off: certainly wouldn't want to pack this up with my car camping stuff, which was one of its intended uses), and noticed that the powder coat was already scraping off.I suspect any of this units would start to get rusty if left out in any type of weather.
One other word of caution: I don't think this would work very well with kids' bikes. There's nothing that would keep small wheels in the slots.
Gave it two (instead of one) stars since it is heavy duty, holds full size bikes securely, and folds up as advertised (although it was very stiff due to rust).
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Allen Lightweight Folding 4-Bike Parking RackProduct Description: Featuring vertical sections that telescope so it can be folded flat for storage, this lightweight steel rack securely holds four bicycles upright so they can be easily accessed. A thick black-power coating prevents rusting indoors and outdoors. The rack arrives fully assembled and can be set up for use in seconds. It carries a lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials.
About Allen Bike Racks In 1967, after a few years of working on the aerospace technology for the Apollo missions, Dick Allen was out of a job. Government cutbacks led Allen, a Harvard-trained physicist, to transform his garage hobby into a new industry. A cycling enthusiast, inventor, and family man, Allen had a personal need for a bike-carrying device. On weekends, he would take his sons and wife to Cape Cod or the White Mountains of New Hampshire. What proved difficult time and again was the transport of his family's bicycles. Rather than fight through inconvenience with twine and a dinged car, Allen sought an answer for himself as well as a market in which he foresaw major growth possibilities.
Always a pathfinder, Allen took to work in his Lincoln, Massachusetts garage in search of a more efficient way to transport bikes. Drafting designs during the day and constructing them throughout the night, he put together a model made of electrical conduit, metal strapping, and fire hose casings (for padding). At first, the Allens' tested the prototype on weekend excursions. Finding the first trunk-mounted rack to be a success, Dick started Allen Bike Racks. Dealer acceptance came quickly, and by 1971 Allen Bike Racks were sold nationally through a number of major bicycle distributors. Today, the company owns over three dozen patents and offers a versatile product line of bike racks while Dick's son Alex now owns and operates the business. What started out as a small garage run operation now operates three warehouses nationally, two factories abroad, and has products sold in more than a dozen countries around the world.
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This is a nice bike rack, we use it inside our garage, so the kids bikes are standing up and organized.Only two issues: on two of our bikes (kids BMX) the front tire is too big to fit between the bars, so we have to "back it in" and park it with the back tire.The other issue is that 6 bikes really don't fit.I found that only 4 bikes fit comfortably, two on each side of the rack at the ends.If you try to put one in the middle it is almost impossible.
