Review: Pendle Hang On Bike Rack

The towbar-mounted Pendle Hang On Bike Rack is an extremely solid steel rack with a high weight capacity. The modular design means it takes up less space than other styles when stored, but it’s not the quickest thing to fit, and a few extra straps would be useful.

Within towbar-mounted racks there are two main styles: hang on racks such as the one on test, and wheel-support racks. The latter are usually much larger, though, meaning more space is required to store them.

The Hang On Bike Rack is a modular system. It has separate arms, a universal mounting block and a light unit, and it’s all easy to take apart. The rack is made from steel and powdercoated for a very durable finish.

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The rack can be fitted to any style of towbar (including swan neck), and requires a minimal amount of space between it and the bumper.

The version on test is the H4 fitting, designed to fit the majority of vehicles; there’s also an HD version with a mounting block designed for flat-back vehicles such as vans, and an HL version for vehicles with spare wheels on the rear, such as Land Rover Defenders.

If you have a traditional two-bolt towbar (not swan neck or detachable) there is the option to secure the mounting block permanently via the two bolts holding the ball in place. This allows the rack to be set up quickly, but still allows access to the ball for towing.

Ball clamp

Alternatively, the mounting block is secured with four steel bolts and nuts. While it is simple, it does increase the setup time as it’s vital to ensure all bolts are equally torqued and the plate is mounted straight to ensure the rack will fit correctly.

Check the spanner

Once the mounting block is secure, the support arms are slotted in, the security plate is fitted to prevent accidental movement, and the arms are secured using the spanner provided.

Note: Pendle says the spanner is for use with the security plate fixing bolt and the aluminium fixing caps, and not for fixing the block itself to the towbar… Use it for that and it’ll round almost instantly. (Pendle says it’ll make the instructions clearer on that). 

The rack does not feature any form of tilt, as some towbar racks do, which can then allow access to boot space with the rack in place (depending on the vehicle).

The arms feature a rubberised non-slip surface that should prevent any marks or damage to the bikes, although for anyone particular fastidious about bike care, using extra foam or similar to give extra protection would be fine.

Fully loaded

The rack can support up to four bikes with a maximum load of 60kg, which is significantly more than the majority of similar racks. This figure will also depend on the nose weight of the towbar you have, of course.

I found that positioning was crucial for preventing movement, and there is no set way to mount the bikes. Full suspension mountain bikes present the biggest challenge, with the shock often in the way of where you would normally mount. Pendle suggests the first bike is strapped to the rack, with any other bikes being strapped to the first bike.

The kit is supplied with one 3m strap and two 1.5m straps, but I was constantly looking for extra straps to hold wheels in place or firmly secure bikes to each other.

Pendle offers spares (£15 for five 0.5m straps), but given the cost of the rack, I think it would be reasonable to expect a few of them as standard.

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With all bikes in place, the lighting unit – which has space for a number plate and connects via a 13-pin socket on a generously long cable – can be secured via two basic straps.

I found that it moved about far too much; it sways, and ideally needs to be fitted to something else, such as the last bike, to prevent it from moving while driving.

With the exception of the light unit, the rack is very solid and I had no movement at all from the rack or bikes themselves.

Value

At £269.99 the Hang On looks more expensive than some similar designs, such as the Thule HangOn 4 Tilt at £165. But the Pendle rack does have a superior build, and the price includes a light panel.

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The big benefit of the Hang On Bike Rack is how small it is when removed in comparison to wheel-on types, while you still get the benefits of the towbar mount – there’s nothing touching your vehicle.

Overall

Overall, performance is very good, as is the quality. A more generous selection of straps would be welcome, though.

Verdict

Solid rack with high capacity and potential for quick setup