Yakima Holdup Bike Rack

I bought the HoldUp 2 rather than the Thule equivalent partly on price, partly on bulk (the Thule takes up more space on and off the car) and partly because I wanted to be able to add the Plus 2 extension to the Yakima so I could take four bikes. Overall it has been a good purchase, although I mainly use it for two bikes at a time - one of which is an E-MTB. The rack goes on and off the hitch-mount easily (once you've mastered the art and as long as you're strong enough to lift it). I like the fact that it locks onto the hitch-mount too, and the 'wobbling' problems that some people have mentioned when driving can be avoided if you wiggle the rack around a bit as you're tightening it onto the hitch-mount.On the downside it does have a couple of weak points in its ... MoreI bought the HoldUp 2 rather than the Thule equivalent partly on price, partly on bulk (the Thule takes up more space on and off the car) and partly because I wanted to be able to add the Plus 2 extension to the Yakima so I could take four bikes. Overall it has been a good purchase, although I mainly use it for two bikes at a time - one of which is an E-MTB. The rack goes on and off the hitch-mount easily (once you've mastered the art and as long as you're strong enough to lift it). I like the fact that it locks onto the hitch-mount too, and the 'wobbling' problems that some people have mentioned when driving can be avoided if you wiggle the rack around a bit as you're tightening it onto the hitch-mount.On the downside it does have a couple of weak points in its design/construction. First, if you have 29 inch wheels you need to be very careful to position the front wheel clamp as close to the forks as possible (ie well over the arch of the wheel) to avoid the front wheel bouncing out of the wheel holder. Before I realised this I once got home to find one bike hanging off the rack and held on only by the rear wheel strap and the fact that its handlebars had become entangled in the bike next to it when it moved. User-error probably, but something to be aware of.More problematic for me has been that although the rack is advertised as taking the weight of an e-bike, the plastic bolts built into the rear wheel clamps don't seem strong enough. I've had two of those break in the year that I've had the rack, and I've ended up replacing them both with a stainless steel bolt which I bought from Bunnings. This has only been a problem when I've been carrying my E-MTB, not the standard bike. It's not an expensive fix, and perhaps something the factory should consider.Another problem I've had has been the built-in lock cable jamming in its housing so I was unable to use/move it. Living in Brisbane I was able to take the rack into the Yakima supplier and they fixed it for me, but it was irritating nevertheless.I should say that the customer service I've had from Yakima with these problems has been great, both in replacing broken parts and in fixing the lock when I went in to see them. However, given the price of the rack it would have been good if the design was such that the problems didn't occur in the first place.I would give this a 5 for its overall usability but marked down to a 4 because of the niggles I mention above.

Good but has some issues

The red ratchet button on the bar that holds down the front wheel, rubs against my fork and scratches the sticker. Not cool. This happened as a result of the bike rocking back-and-forth, which can happen when I hit bumps. I might heed another reviewer’s advice and use Velcro straps on the front wheel to the front wheel tray. Otherwise a great rack, except it weighs 1,000,000 pounds, especially when you add the two bike extension to it.

Great Rack

Had a nice rack that grabbed (and would eventually scratch) the top tube of the bike's frame. Wanted to get this style rack and I have other Yakima products. MOVATIK had this rack in stock, at the best price I could find, and free shipping. Very pleased with the rack. The finish is much nicer than I thought it would be. I like all the features: all tools included, sliding trays, built in locks w/keys included, anti rattle hitch pin (2") and hitch pin lock (one key fits all locks), folding up as well as down, and even had occasion to use the built-in bottle opener (cheers). Most of the time I have the rack mounted to the front hitch of my van, so I can confidently say the bikes never move around or look loose and the rack stays totally secure in the hitch. The ... MoreHad a nice rack that grabbed (and would eventually scratch) the top tube of the bike's frame. Wanted to get this style rack and I have other Yakima products. MOVATIK had this rack in stock, at the best price I could find, and free shipping. Very pleased with the rack. The finish is much nicer than I thought it would be. I like all the features: all tools included, sliding trays, built in locks w/keys included, anti rattle hitch pin (2") and hitch pin lock (one key fits all locks), folding up as well as down, and even had occasion to use the built-in bottle opener (cheers). Most of the time I have the rack mounted to the front hitch of my van, so I can confidently say the bikes never move around or look loose and the rack stays totally secure in the hitch. The clamping arms are easy to use and release. No chance of getting pinched when releasing the hook from the tire, and my 4'-11" girlfriend can load and unload the bikes without issues.No regrets spending $400+ on this rack. I see lots of racks at the trailheads, and this is as good as any, and nicer than most. No need to spend $700+ on a K***. They don't even come with a bottle opener! :)

Great at first, but not sustainable in moist climates.

I live on Vancouver Island where we receive a fair amount of precipitation and the bike is on the car all year round. I bought this rack a few years ago. The arms rusted very quickly and wrecked the plastic at the arms joints. Yakima was good about the warranty claim and replaced the first set of arms, but the second set quickly followed in the same footsteps as the first.4 years later and I'm in the market for a new rack. It rusted very quickly and is now super wobbly. If you can take good care of this rack, it'll last a long time. If you're like me and this thing is a year-round necessity, look for something a little more rugged.

Great bike rack.

Love this bike rack. It makes loading and unloading the bikes so much easier that it's definitely worth the cost of the trailer hitch and the rack. My husband is tall enough to get the bikes on a roof rack but I'm short and didn't feel comfortable doing that so I always had to lay my bike down in the back of my SUV. That was a hassle. Since we bought this rack I take my bike out every chance I get. It folds up nicely so I don't even know it's on my Highlander. I love that it's not HUGE. I wouldn't want some huge rack on my car. I was worried it would rattle around as I drove but I don't hear a sound from the rack. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because once mounted the bikes do wobble a little bit. Doesn't seem to be a problem at all but I'd still feel ... MoreLove this bike rack. It makes loading and unloading the bikes so much easier that it's definitely worth the cost of the trailer hitch and the rack. My husband is tall enough to get the bikes on a roof rack but I'm short and didn't feel comfortable doing that so I always had to lay my bike down in the back of my SUV. That was a hassle. Since we bought this rack I take my bike out every chance I get. It folds up nicely so I don't even know it's on my Highlander. I love that it's not HUGE. I wouldn't want some huge rack on my car. I was worried it would rattle around as I drove but I don't hear a sound from the rack. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because once mounted the bikes do wobble a little bit. Doesn't seem to be a problem at all but I'd still feel more comfortable if those expensive bikes didn't wobble at all. I also love that this rack can adjust to different size bikes. I ride a small, my son a large, and my husband an XL. So far all sizes fit fine without actually having to adjust anything even my son's giant beach cruiser fits in there just fine.

Great rack, but some tweaks needed

The holdup 2 is a rugged rack with a good finish. Handles 2 bikes with no problem and no issues to the frame. However, if carrying 1 bike caution is needed to ensure the outside hold down is secured. If not, the hold down can bounce out of the clip and swing down to the road. Mine did this and rubbed off the lock (cable end). Luckily it did not catch anything and rip the arm off. Why is there not a stop that prevents the arm from swinging down past the horizontal? This seems to be an easy fix that would prevent something serious from happening. We do not always carry two bikes.

Reliable and stylish

I purchased in 2017 and in 2020 this rack still wows me! I chose this model based on its design. I was tired of having to disassemble the front wheel of bicycles to fit in the backseat of my car and later SUV. I had a trunk mount strap-on rack that hadn't failed but was always paranoid that it might tear the trunk off or the bikes would go soaring off in a head on collision. The Yakima HoldUp solved both of those issues. It allows the bicycles to be mounted without disassembling the bikes, and its 3 point locking system--ratcheting lockdown arm for the front wheel, ratcheting strap buckle for the rear wheel, and a wire with keyed lock that can wrap around the bike frame--keeps the bicycles securely attached to the rack. The bike rack goes above and beyond. It fits ... MoreI purchased in 2017 and in 2020 this rack still wows me! I chose this model based on its design. I was tired of having to disassemble the front wheel of bicycles to fit in the backseat of my car and later SUV. I had a trunk mount strap-on rack that hadn't failed but was always paranoid that it might tear the trunk off or the bikes would go soaring off in a head on collision. The Yakima HoldUp solved both of those issues. It allows the bicycles to be mounted without disassembling the bikes, and its 3 point locking system--ratcheting lockdown arm for the front wheel, ratcheting strap buckle for the rear wheel, and a wire with keyed lock that can wrap around the bike frame--keeps the bicycles securely attached to the rack. The bike rack goes above and beyond. It fits so well behind my Outback that I often forget that it is there when driving. It makes no noise, no additional rumbling and creates no apparent drag. The bicycle rack has another keyed lock at the hitch point so that it can be secured from theft. That the lock has a plastic cap to cover the keyhole. This has been key (pun intended) in keeping it free from moisture and corrosion since we use a lot of road salt in the Chicago area during the winters.This rack has proven itself against user error twice so far. Once while carrying one bike, I forgot to secure the second empty bike rack position and the carrying arm of the empty rack got loose. Another driver warned me that it was dragging along the street. Despite having dragged for at least three miles, it was undamaged besides the plastic on the wire lock and carrying arm being moderately worn away from being dragged on the road. Yet everything still functions perfectly. Another time, when carrying two bikes I didn't secure the carrying arm well enough on one of the bikes, and after completing a drive, I discovered that that bike had gotten loose. However because I secured the bike at another point, the ratcheting strap on the rear wheel, the bike was saved from being lost or dragged much to my relief although it was tilting precariously.Before you think this is all praise, there are some things to get used to in owning this fine piece. Much of its reliability and workmanship is due to its weight. It is heavy; it leaves marks on my garage wall where I lean it and generally takes time and patience to install and remove from the vehicle. It blocks the backup camera when stored in the up position but I got used to going old school and using the mirrors when reversing. The plastic ratcheting rear wheel strap is flexible and worries me that it may be the first thing to break but as described above, it did not fail when I failed to secure my bike through not using the other two points on the rack properly.In summary, this rack is reliable and stylish (check out how I made it my own in the photo attached!). It travels locally frequently and has traveled from Chicago to as far as Upper Peninsula Michigan and to middle Kentucky carrying two bicycles without any additional or significant fuel usage that I can tell. I am excited to bring it to North Dakota later this month. Thank you Yakima!

Review of Yakima HoldUp Hitch 2 Bike Rack

Love this product ! Assembled very easily to back hitch of car, although you have to pay attention to how the bike brackets go on. It would be easy to get them reversed. Pay attention to the Yakima stickers and they will clue you in. Rack needs to say Yakima on back (to be read by a car behind you) when down holding bikes or up and folded out of they way for non bike transport. Bike clamp instructions said don't use on bike with fenders. I had to, no choice, so I put a small washcloth size towel over the fender and clamped the holder down over the towel. Worked fine for my trips. Guess Yakima has to say that kind of thing in their assembly instructions to relieve some type of liability. Great rack, love it well worth the extra money. I had a cheap $ 49 type rack I ... MoreLove this product ! Assembled very easily to back hitch of car, although you have to pay attention to how the bike brackets go on. It would be easy to get them reversed. Pay attention to the Yakima stickers and they will clue you in. Rack needs to say Yakima on back (to be read by a car behind you) when down holding bikes or up and folded out of they way for non bike transport. Bike clamp instructions said don't use on bike with fenders. I had to, no choice, so I put a small washcloth size towel over the fender and clamped the holder down over the towel. Worked fine for my trips. Guess Yakima has to say that kind of thing in their assembly instructions to relieve some type of liability. Great rack, love it well worth the extra money. I had a cheap $ 49 type rack I bought on Amazon and it worked but scratched my two new bikes up quite a bit. No scratch problems with the Yakima rack. A good buy.

This bike rack is excellent in quality and function

Ordered this bike rack. It was shipped quickly and delivered without any problems. It only took a few minutes to assemble and install. It was very easy to load the bikes up and it holds them very securely. I would definitely buy this again but fortunately I don’t think I will ever have to since the warranty is so comprehensive and it is so well made. My wife and I have definitely enjoyed going for bike rides.

Yikes not Yakima

I bought this in October 2018. By June 2019, I had reached out to Yakima to get a new tray because it had already broke off from rust and poor design with plastic pieces where the arm pivots. They sent me a new tray to install. I threw the broken one away. Then, I made the mistake of using this rack for my carbon bike. See how the two arms both face towards the vehicle? The clamping bit on the arm on the tray closest to the vehicle hit the rear triangle of the bike furthest from the vehicle and punctured my carbon Transition Scout before I ever rode the bike. The bike was fully wrapped by RideWrap and the arm still destroyed it. This isn't an advertisement warning you off from carbon frames, its a horrible design hitch rack for two bikes. Broken rack, broken bike. ... MoreI bought this in October 2018. By June 2019, I had reached out to Yakima to get a new tray because it had already broke off from rust and poor design with plastic pieces where the arm pivots. They sent me a new tray to install. I threw the broken one away. Then, I made the mistake of using this rack for my carbon bike. See how the two arms both face towards the vehicle? The clamping bit on the arm on the tray closest to the vehicle hit the rear triangle of the bike furthest from the vehicle and punctured my carbon Transition Scout before I ever rode the bike. The bike was fully wrapped by RideWrap and the arm still destroyed it. This isn't an advertisement warning you off from carbon frames, its a horrible design hitch rack for two bikes. Broken rack, broken bike. End of story.