I have a new bike rack!
For years I have fought with roof mount racks on top of an SUV. If you have ever tried, they are very difficult to use unless you are 6′ 6″ or have a small step ladder handy. Now that I am considering replacing the SUV with something smaller and more economical, I installed a hitch-tray bike rack – a Yakima Holdup 2″ (the 2″ refers to the hitch size). Go figure. I may just have to keep the Touareg.
I can’t say enough about this rack. It is easy to use. It holds all of my bikes without ever touching the frames. This is a very real consideration for the carbon fibre bikes. The bikes stay in view while I am driving. When they were on the roof, I was always wondering if the bikes were OK. The rack includes an integrated locking system for each of the bikes. I can leave the bikes unattended and not worry about them being stolen – at least for a short while. It is built like a tank. It is solid, strong and, although heavy, easy to lift up and down. And, it looks good on the vehicle. Right?
The feature list from Yakima’s website follows –
FEATURES:
- NEW Side-to-side adjustability that reduces bike to bike interference
- Quick and easy assembly within minutes (provided you alreadyv have a 2″ hitch)
- StrongArm™ design enables you to load your bike quickly whether it’s a 20” wheel or a 29’er
- Zero contact with the bike frame. Accommodates carbon road bikes as well as disc brakes, thru axles and full suspension bikes.
- Tilts down with bikes loaded for rear of vehicle access
- Compact design – bike trays fold up when not in use
- Comes with fully integrated security. Locks bike to rack and rack to vehicle (SKS LOCK CORES included).
- Premium glossy black finish
- Metal bottle opener is best friend approved
- Carries 2 bikes out of the box, or 4 bikes with optional HoldUp +2. I have used the +2 and had 4 bikes on the back and 2 on the roof when we wanted to road and mountain bike on the same weekend.
It is so convenient, I find I load the Garneau bike and drive to one of the hills I frequent for repeat climbs rather than spending an additional 75 minutes riding there and back. This way I can spend more time climbing or fit a workout in late in the day.
If you need a rack, I would strongly recommend a hitch mount over a rooftop, even for the smaller vehicles.
PedalWORKS 