Is the Hollywood Racks Over-The-Top Bike Rack Easy to Use on a 2012 Honda Odyssey
Question:
I want to get this bike rack. I am concerned with the ease off installing and removing. How long does it take to put on Can? To remove it? Once put on, how hard is it to put bikes on? Do i have to lift very long? Type and complexity of bike clips to secure them to rack? Thanks!
asked by: Kim S
Expert Reply:
The first time you install a trunk mount bike rack such as the Over-The-Top # HRF2-3 will take the longest but each subsequent time will be easier than the last. Maybe 15 minutes at first down to a few minutes after several uses. After you have done it a few times it will be very easy to install and remove. The learning curve on these is not very steep so I am confident you will be a pro in no time!
I have linked a video showing the 2-bike version of this rack on a 2012 Honda Odyssey for you. You can see that loading and unloading bikes is not all that difficult at all. Our demonstrator mainly shows taking the bike off the rack but you would just reverse the process to load a bike.
The rack uses rubber straps to secure the bikes to the cradles. The straps have holes in then that fit around little nubs on the cradles. A common misconception is that the straps have to be super tight. They don't. Instead they just need to be snug. The straps can be stiff at first since they are brand new rubber but it will get easier to use them after you have had the rack for a while.
