Today, I’m going to cover the best bike racks for your Jeep Cherokee.
I tested over a dozen Jeep Cherokee bike racks from different manufacturers and at different price points. I found that the Allen Sports 2-Bike Hitch Rack is by far the best choice for your Jeep Cherokee.
The Allen Sports 2-Bike Hitch Rack has been made from alloy steel, making it a durable and reliable option so you can bring 2 bikes on your next family adventure. It takes minutes to attach to your receiving hitch and you’ll be on the road in no time.
If you’re interested in finding more out about this and other bike racks for the Jeep Cherokee, keep on reading.
Allen Sports 2-Bike Hitch Rack
Overall Best
The Allen Sports Bike Rack is made of high quality alloy steel that’s treated with a black powder protective coat which prevents rust and ensures longevity. The rack attaches securely to the receiving hitch of your Jeep Cherokee. The 70-pound load capacity is also worthy of praise because it allows you to haul even the heaviest of bicycles.
You only need 3 bolts to assemble this bike rack and it. can be taken out of the box, fitted to your vehicle and you can be on the road in a matter of minutes.
This bike rack fits on 1-¼ and 2-inch hitch receivers, which makes it perfect for your Jeep Cherokee. But also great for other vehicles, you may own. It includes a no wobble bolt which will help to further secure the rack and prevent it from moving inside the hitch.
The tie-down cradle system individually secures each bike to the rack, stopping them from wiggling around. This protects them from any scuffs and scratches during travel and the bike potentially falling off while driving.
The single carry arm can be rotated to engage a wide range of bicycles of all different frame sizes, from smaller kid’s bikes to larger adult road bikes.
The only issue with this bike rack is that it can only hold a max of 70lbs, which is on the low end when compared to some of the other bike racks on this list.
The Allen Sports 2 Bike Hitch Rack can be tilted away from your vehicle, allowing for easier access to the cargo area of your Jeep Cherokee without needing to take the bike rack off. Something not many racks offer at this price range.
Pros
- Compact design
- Great value
- Easy to install
- No cutting required
- Attaches securely on your hitch receiver
- Only needs 3 bolts to assemble
- Carries 2 bikes
- It Fits 1-¼ and 2-inch hitch receivers
- No wobble bolt
- Rack does not shake at highway speeds
- Tie-down cradle system for each bike
- Can attach a wide range of bikes
- Protective finish
Cons
- 2 bikes only
- Max 70lb weight
Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
Overall Budget
This is definitely the most compact bike rack I’ve used for the Jeep Cherokee. It had a great advantage for transporting and storing your bike rack when not in use, allowing you to fold it down to a size no larger than a shoebox.
You even get a free nylon bag so you can carry the rack with you as well as small items such as phones, wallets, and keys whilst on your biking adventure.
The only problem I’ve had with this rack is that it’s not the easiest to fold up. You need to use a bit of muscle to push down on the buttons and get them through the slots so the arms fold properly.
However, this bike is very easy to install, so much so that you might even believe that your bikes aren’t going to be safe – but trust me, they’ll be fine, I’ve had no issues traveling across the country with my bikes loaded on this rack.
Pro tip: if this is your first bike rack, and you’re reading from the included instructions, just don’t. Watch their youtube video instead.
This bike rack is built using rugged steel. The 3 legs are padded in soft material and can be adjusted to fit perfectly on the back of a Jeep Cherokee. You don’t have to worry about them causing damage, and once you secure the 3 adjustable straps in place, you’ll also have added lateral stability too.
Allen Sports’ Ultra Compact Rack features a large TPR landing pad located on the main spine. This keeps your bicycles away from the Jeep’s bodywork and protects the bike frames from scratches.
Loading your bikes is a breeze with this rack, the Allen Sports rack provides individual tie-downs so you can secure each bike in place on the carrying arms. They also include added padding to help further protect the bicycle.
The tie-downs are mounted permanently on the carry arm but are easily rotated so that they can engage a variety of bike frame sizes and styles.
As a whole, this bike carrier works great on a Jeep Cherokee, but I wish it had a protective coating on the metal hooks that attach to the car. To solve this issue, I just put a piece of cloth between them and the paint to prevent scratching and scuffing.
And the fact it can fit on a range of sedans, hatchbacks, minivans and SUV’s a big a plus if you own another vehicle. It comes with a lifetime warranty so you can pick this bike rack up worry free.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Ultra-compact
- Can be folded away
- Out of the box ready
- No tools required
- Made from rugged steel
- Easily transported/stored
- Perfect for traveling across country/camping
- Plenty of safety options
- Padding to protect bikes and vehicle
- Tie-downs to secure bikes in place
- Rotating tie-downs to fit many styles of bikes
- Fits on many different vehicles
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Folding the rack requires a little effort
- No protective coating on hooks can cause damage
Swagman CHINOOK Hitch Mount Bike Rack
Best premium
The Swagman Chinook Bike rack has been made from alloy steel and allows you to transport 2 bicycles with ease. Only takes you 2 minutes to get it on your Jeep Cherokee. The combination of durability and utility of the Swagman makes this the best premium bike rack money can buy.
The included instructions are easy to read, and you’ll have this bike rack attached to your receiving hitch in a matter of minutes; it fits a range of hitches from 1-¼” and 2”.
And this goes for when you want to take it down again, only taking a couple of minutes.
The compact design of this bike rack means that there is no need to take it off when it’s not in use as the rotating arm gives plenty of free movement, so the rack doesn’t deny rear boot access to the Jeep Cherokee like others on the market.
The Swagman allows you to carry 2 bikes up to 45lb each, and because it fits most frame sizes, shapes and styles of bike, you can use it to carry everything from mountain bikes to small children’s bikes.
The carry cradle supports up to 3” wide tires, which is more than enough space to carry the vast majority of road bikes.
I would recommend mounting the smallest bike nearest the car as I found that things fit much better this way.
In terms of safety features of this bike rack, the locking threaded hitch pin and ratchet hooks help to keep your bike stable when on the road, and have even been padded to protect the finish on each bicycle frame.
There are also additional straps that can firmly hold the bikes in place during travel.
You can even lock your bikes in place using the cylinder locks provided (they give you 2 keys) so that you can deter thieves.
The tilt feature of this bike rack means that there is some minor rocking of the bikes when on bumpy roads – nothing to worry about from my experience.
Additionally, if you were planning on keeping this bike rack on your Jeep Cherokee at all times, carry around a wrench so you can remove the bike rack when you go through the car wash.
Pros
- Made from alloy steel
- Carry 2 bikes
- Up to 45lb each bike
- No cutting required
- No drag
- All mounting hardware provided
- Easy to install
- Can be left on
- permanently
- Compact design
- Ideal for 1-¼” and 2” hitches
- Rotating arm gives free movement
- Allows for rear boot access
- Plenty of straps to
- tighten bikes down
- Lock and key feature for safety
Cons
- Can only carry 2 bikes
- Wobbles a little on bumpy roads
