Yakima HoldUp Bike Hitch Rack Review

Yakima HoldUp bike rack

When I was looking for a new car, finding one that was versatile enough for both commuting and my adventures was a challenge. Regardless, I needed a hatchback, so chose the Honda Fit.

As a trunk-mounted bike rack wasn't an option with a hatchback car, I lost some versatility with mounting all my gear to the outside. Instead, I would need a hitch-mounted bike rack, so chose the Spring 2013 released Yakima HoldUp to test.

A little chisel work and the Yakima HoldUp fit nicely into my Frankensteined 1.25-inch hitch. Your bike is mounted to the tray-style carrier by the wheels and does not touch the bike frame. A swing arm affixes the front tire, while straps secure the rear tire to the tray. An attached cable and Yakima’s traditional SKS lock cores (purchased separately) offer a nice level of theft protection.

The HoldUp bike hitch rack easily mounts your bike close to ground level, which is the general advantage of hitch mounted racks compared to their roof-mounted counterparts. Yakima also follows the standard expected for tray-mounted racks and secures your bike without touching the frame.

There are a few unique features on the HoldUp that I do not see on most hitch-mounted racks. The HoldUp can tilt down from the hitch. This allows the hatch on your car to be accessed without removing your bike(s). Many trunk and hitch mounted racks are challenged by bike-to-bike interference, and in some instances, make it difficult to carry more than a single bike. Yakima has designed the HoldUp with sliding wheel trays thus eliminating the problem.

Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, there is one worth noting. Since the HoldUp is mostly black, there can be issues with visibility. Yakima has used a brighter red for its logo on the bike rack, but a recommendation is to include reflective paint on the bottom. This will prevent damage from other cars to the rack when it’s not in use for carrying bikes.

I recommend the Yakima HoldUp for anyone that is looking for the ease of a hitch mounted bike rack. On top of the lower mounting point compared to a roof rack, it has some unique features that set it apart from others. And for chillaxing after a ride, pop open a longneck with the integrated bottle opener.

The Yakima HoldUp bike hitch rack retails for $439 and is available now. 

Jason Renda

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