Gearing up for Spring 2018, Yakima gets set to roll out some new products in their hitch rack lineup. The company will add a new swing arm that makes it easier to get in and out of the back of your car and a single-bike hitch rack for those quick after work solo missions.
I often throw a single bike on the back of my car whether it’s to head further north to escape the tourist traffic for my weekend ride, or to road trip up to Tahoe and beyond. While not a big deal, a two-bike hitch rack is a bit overkill, especially on my little Mazda Miata.
Answering my plight, Yakima created a new single-bike hitch rack for those fast and light solo missions. The SingleSpeed ($259) carries any kind of bike and is super-easy to install and remove, making it great for the spur-of-the-moment rides. The StrongArm design secures your bike at the wheels, protecting paint jobs and carbon frames. It’s compatible with fat, mountain, road, BMX and kids’ bikes.
The SingleSpeed is the first single bike tray that comes with a full locking package: SKS Locks are included, which lock both the rack to the vehicle and bikes to the rack. The rack weighs just 20 pounds and is compatible with both 2” and 1.25” hitch receivers.
After seeing Küat introduce the Pivot swing arm at Sea Otter earlier this year, I am psyched to see Yakima follow suit with their own version. The new BackSwing ($299) turns any hitch rack into a swing-away hitch rack. It works seamlessly with Yakima’s DrTray and HoldUp and almost any other rack or hitch basket using a 2” receiver. Now, your fully loaded rack can swing well out-of-the-way for easy access to the trunk of your car.
The BackSwing installs in your hitch receiver just like a regular Yakima hitch rack and includes a receiver on the opposite end for mounting your rack. A locking system holds the arm securely closed when you are driving.
The BackSwing will hold loads up to 250 pounds, so can easily accommodate a 4-bike rack. I’m excited for this one as it is impossible to get Lola in and out of the Subaru when we bring our bikes along on any road trip.