Bicycle Rack for Jeep Wrangler

Last Updated on April 17, 2023 by Paul S.

Your Jeep Wrangler’s trunk and spare tire swing away to the side.  So, what happens when you have a hitch bike rack? You can’t access the back! The spare tire bicycle rack is a genius invention to help you access your trunk while having a bike rack.

Here are some of the characteristics that make them great:

  • Small in size so when you need to store it, it doesn’t take up much space in your shed or garage
  • Light weight so it doesn’t break your back putting it on the spare tire.  The hitch style bike racks can weigh up to 60 lbs!
  • Swings away, and allows access to the back of your Jeep

This article will provide you with some of the best bicycle racks for your Jeep Wrangler.  The best ones are going to be the spare tire racks because it allows for full access to your Wrangler.  These racks will help you transport your bike to your favorite trail safely and quickly.

In our research, we came across many different types of models, websites, reviews, and specifications to put this list together.  We hope that this saves you time, money, and the headache of doing online research.  There is nothing worse than spending time after work on the computer doing more work! 

If you are really in a hurry, we have provided our number one bike rack on this list to save you even more time!

It is the Allen Sports Delux JL 2.  This bike rack has amazing reviews and is our budget model on the list.  You will be shocked at the price!  It allows for full access to the trunk of the Wrangler and even fits on up to a 33” spare tire.

If you want to find out what the other racks that qualified to be on our list are then continue on!

Jeep Wrangler Bicycle Rack Reviews

Allen Sports Delux JL 2 Bike Spare Tire Rack

This bike rack has the highest reviews on the websites we researched.  It is a tie-down style bike rack that uses two alloy steel arms that accommodates two bicycles.  The bike rack can carry up to 70 lbs in bikes. 

Here is a list of some of the great characteristics of this rack:

  • The rack includes a lifetime warranty for workmanship or material. 
  • This rack can fit the Jeep Wrangler JK or JL
  • Quick install and quick uninstall on the spare tire
  • Compared to hitch mounted bike racks this is very affordable
  • The rack does not block the third brake light
  • Budget model!

Cons:

  • An anti-theft lock does not come with it, but reviewers have said you can loop a typical bike lock through the spare tire and around your bikes.  Just be sure to get a long lock.
  • A few reviewers did not like the nylon webbing and bought more straps to hold it down.  This is a great cheap option for someone that needs peace of mind.  With how cheap the rack is a little more money for straps shouldn’t hurt the budget!
  • Straps do have to be undone to get to the rear of the Wrangler, but the bikes do not have to come off!

Allen Sports Premier 2-bike Spare Tire Rack

This bike rack is almost identical to the Allen Sports Delux 2 JL, but it has some efficiencies built into it which makes it a little more expensive.  The following are the improvements to the rack:

  • The rack has a quick set up frame that sets up in seconds even right out of the box.  After use it can be folded flat for easy storage!
  • The straps are made of rubber and have many different positions to strap your bike to the mounting arms. 
  • The cradle in where the bike frame sits is made of a UV resistant rubber that helps secure your bike and protect it from rubbing.

Cons

Same cons as the Allen Sports Delux JL 2. See above.

Yakima – Spareride Bicycle Rack

If you are new to the bike world Yakima is one of the leading bike rack companies in many countries and maybe the world.  This means that this rack is going to be built correctly and last a long time.  I personally have two of their racks which I would recommend.

This bike rack is made of painted steel and can hold two bikes of 35 lbs each.  

Here are some of the standout characteristics about this rack:

  • Rachet straps with foam that hold your bike firm to the rack
  • Anti-sway straps to avoid your bike from swinging into each other.
  • It’s connection to the spare tire carrier provides a strong connection that is stronger than other types of spare tire bike carriers.
  • Comes with a lock for your bike’s security.
  • Built in bottle opener for some suds after your ride!

Cons

  • Does not work with the Jeep Wrangler JL because of the backup camera.  FYI, the camera is not easily removed from the spare.
  • As with all bike racks with arms an adapter is required for certain bike styles.

Surco BT300 Spare Tire Rack

This is one of the two racks that attach to the spare tire mounting plate.  This rack can hold up to 3 bikes and is made of alloy steel.  It is a rather simple design and there is not much to it once you have it attached to your spare tire.

Here are some great things about this bike rack:

  • Reviewers have said that rack does not allow for excessive movement of the bikes including swaying or bouncing. 
  • Your bikes can be secured using any padlock and a built-in lock that comes with the rack to ensure their safety from thieves.
  • Cheaper than your name brand spare tire rack by almost double.
  • Made in the USA!  This is really rare!

Cons

  • Some reviewers mentioned that the padded channel where the bike sits can erode away after time.  This could cause some scratching of the bike paint but a DIY solution for adding pipe tubing could alleviate this issue.
  • Fitting three bikes on this rack could be a stretch depending on the style of bike you have.  One reviewer mentioned that they were able to put three mountain bikes on it but had to remove the front tires and reverse the way each bike faced.  The difficulty of fitting the maximum number of bikes on a rack is always an issue no matter the make or model.

Hollywood Racks SR1 Spare Tire Rack

This rack is totally supported by the spare tire of the Jeep Wrangler unlike some of the other models that require attachment to the underside of the Wrangler to keep it balanced.  Max capacity of the system is 35 lbs per bike and it does not recommend for use with E-bikes.   

Here are the top qualities of this rack:

  • The rack comes fully assembled
  • It does not block the back camera of your Wrangler. The bikes will block it some but that will be the case for most racks.
  • Easy Rubber straps to latch your bike on quickly.
  • Anti-sway strap is provided.
  • When not in use the bike arms can be turned flat to avoid from protruding away from the vehicle.

Cons:

  • A lock is not provided to secure the bikes to the rack.  A long bike lock could be used for this purpose.
  • Mid ranged in price but very similar in quality to the cheaper options.

Jeep Wrangler Bicycle Rack Comparison Table

Mounting styleCapacity (lbs)Bike Lock
Allen Sports Delux JL 2Hang on rear tire and connect strap to vehicle70  or 35/bikeNo
Allen Sports Premier 2 Hang on rear tire and connect strap to vehicle70  or 35/bikeNo
Yakima SparerideBolt on to spare mounting plate70  or 35/bikeYes
SurcoBolt on to spare mounting plateNot Provided But Three bikes can fitYes
Hollywood Rack SR1Spare Tire35/bikeNo

What To Look Out For When Purchasing A Bicycle Rack For The Jeep Wrangler

Tube adapter for children’s bicycles, step-throughs, and some mountain bikes.

Bike Rack Adapater, Jeep Wrangler
Bike Rack Adapter Bar

These types of bikes sometimes require an adapter in order to work with these types of racks.   The adapter attaches to the bike from the seat post to the handlebar stem and acts like bike support that allows it to rest on the rack arms.   

Click here to see a great option for a bike rack adapter bar on amazon. Amazon

Typical weight of bikes

The highest capacity of these racks is 35 lb/bike. 

For your quick understanding here are some typical bike weights:

  • Child’s Bike: 15 lbs to 30 lbs
  • Beach Cruisers: 35-40 lbs
  • Average road bike:  20-25 lbs
  • Average Full Suspension Mountain Bike:  30 to 40 lbs
  • Typical E-bike can weigh 38 to 70 lbs.  This could push the limit over all of these racks if you decide to put two e-bikes on them.  They can probably handle one heavy e-bike but two would put it over capacity.

Spare Tire Bike Rack vs Platform Bike Rack

The main difference between the two of these is their location and how the bikes are held.  Let’s review their differences now:

Spare Tire Rack

PROS
  • This rack either is supported by the tire or bolting onto the spare tire plate.
    • Spare tire plate supported rack: This is the most secure option but takes longer to take off if you need to.
      • Allows the easiest access to the back of the Wrangler.
    • Tire supported rack:  This rack is supported on the top of the tire and typically needs to hold onto the vehicle at the bottom via nylon straps for total support and stability.
      • Easy to take off and on but you will need to unstrap it every time you need to access the back of the Wrangler.
  • Allows for great access to the back of the Wrangler by swinging with the door compared to the platform bike racks.
  • Can allow the Wrangler to experience more difficult trails as it is off the ground.  It is recommended to still take it easy on difficult trails.
  • Is typically cheaper than the platform bike racks
Cons
  • Supports the bike with arms that extend from the support.  Bike has more chance to sway and wobble around.

Platform Bike Rack

 Pros
  • Allows bikes to be supported by their tires instead of swinging like the spare tire racks.  Easier to avoid frame rub since the bikes aren’t supported by the bike arms.
  • Attached to the hitch and allows more access to the spare tire if needed.  If there are bikes on the rack then you may need to remove them to take the spare off.
Cons
  • Does not allow complete access into the back of the Wrangler.
  • Would not recommend anything other than maintained dirt roads since the rack sits low to the ground and limits your departure angle.

The biggest thing to keep in mind for Wrangler owners is the access to the back of the Wrangler.  If this is not needed and you have a nice bike you want to take care of, then the platform rack is probably for you. 

See this article for a selection of platform bikes for the Wrangler.

Conclusion

Access to the back is typically what Wrangler owners need especially when on weekend trips or even larger.  The spare tire bike rack gives you that accessibility while securing your bikes in a safe way.  Sometimes getting them on is a bit more difficult than other racks but in general, it’s not too bad. 

The top rack we have found is the Allen Sports Delux JL 2.  This decision was made because of two things, the price, and the reviews.  This is the budget model of the list and typically we don’t name the budget model as the top choice but with all of the amazing reviews and the ease of installation and use we had to put it at the top!

It may not be as stable as the spare tire mount bolt, but if you are confident in following directions and tightening things down then it can’t be beaten.  It is also so easy to get on and off that it does not need to be a permanent fixture on your Wrangler.

Check out the price below on Amazon!

Have fun on your bicycle whatever trails or road you may be on!