HoldUp Hitch Mount Tray Bike Rack

I did a lot of research before I decided to purchase the Yakima HoldUp Tray Style Bike Rack. During my research phase I happened to be in Summit County in the mountains of Colorado. The local buses has bike racks for riders and all the buses have tray style mounts. It made me shift from a hanging style rack to tray. If buses choose try style given the endless variations of bikes there must be a reason. I studied the physics of bike carriers and realized the hanging style racks that connect via 2" or 1.25" hitch mount put a lot of stress on the rack and trailer hitch. Certainly they are engineered for the stress, but why put needless stress into the equation in the first place. I also noticed the tray style racks actively manage the sway and inter-play between bikes. The hanging style allow bikes to sway and potentially knock into each other. They require bungie cords or straps to hold the front tires in place. Tray mounts on the other hand actively hold the bikes preventing swaying and knocking into each other. The final reason I chose a tray mount was visibility. All the hanging mounts obstruct the rear windows of the vehicle. This obstruction is guaranteed when bikes are mounted. The tray style does not obstruct the window and in many cases the bikes don't raise the the level of obstructing the rear windows. This obstruction or lack thereof does have a downside for tray style. They are not visible when backing up creating an increased risk of backing into something. After all my research it came down to two choices; 1) YAKIMA 2) THULE. Both offer "Systems" that enhance the synergy of purchasing bike rack, roof cargo carriers and kayak holders. Things like universal keying (one key for all locks) and common tools which is convenient. Both have excellent quality reputations. What swayed my decision was two things: 1) Quantity of bikes - the Yakima tray system allows up to four bikes 2) Bike, Cargo and Kayak systems - we plan to purchase all three mounting systems and strongly desire the ability to key them all the same YAKIMA The HoldUp Tray Bike Rack is extremely well made. From the gauge of steel to the paint to the securing mechanisms everything is high quality. This quality comes at the cost of weight. The rack is rather heavy and that is especially the case when you add the additional 2 bike attachment (allowing 4 bikes to be carried). Assembly was straightforward and the instructions clear and easy to follow. It took me about 60~90 minutes to assemble. I took my time first unpacking all the parts, reading through the instructions twice and slowly assembling the unit. It could easily be assembled in approximately 45~30 minutes if you have two people. Mounting is obviously easy simply inserting the bike rack into the trailer hitch. It can be cumbersome given the weight. The mounting pin (inserts through the rack and trailer hitch) is threaded and screws in easily. The final tightening can be tedious because there is little space between the pin/bolt, the mounting rack and the hitch mounting apparatus. The mechanism to swing the loaded tray mount down to access the rear vehicle doors is very very nice. It is easy given the squeeze clip-n-pin. Of course swinging the rack back up into place loaded with bikes requires significant strength (you are lifting bikes and the heavy gauge tray mount after all). The mechanism to fold the rack up up against the vehicle is nice when not carrying bikes. It interfered with my SUV's backup sensors so I was force to toggle those off when I had the empty tray mount folded upwards. SUGGESTIONS After mounting and unmounting the rack several times I made a changes to make it much easier. A) I purchased separate ratchet wrench (not socket but ratcheted wrench) making it much much easier to thread and tighten/untighten the mounting pin. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND purchasing a ratcheting wrench. B) I bought a Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Marker Medium Point Silver and once I had the rack inserted properly into the hitch I drew a line with the marker on the hitch and mount. This line allows me to single handedly insert the rack into the hitch exactly the right depth without having to stop, check, and push/pull the rack to align the mounting hole. Given the marker was permanent and a bit "runny" I chose to surround the areas I was drawing on with masking tape. This kept excess marker ink from bleeding all over the metal around where I was drawing. I like my stuff to look good. If these two changes are not clearly described simply respond and I'll get a couple photos uploaded. These changes makes the process of solo installing and uninstalling much easier and faster. Yes they involve a $6 permanent paint marker and a $20 wrench, but well worth the investment.

I love this rack. The bad. Its heavy and awkward to carry and store. The good. It heavy, as in SOLID. Rack doesnt move, bikes dont move. I was skeptical at first but as long as you have the front tire locked in at the right position near the front fork, you are good to go. Mounting the bikes is a piece of cake. I wish the security cable was longer and thicker but I purchased an additional cable to wrap both bikes to the rack in addition to the ones on this. The rack locks to the hitch and the bikes to the hitch. Only complaint is that tilting rack with bikes on is difficult and they do make a version with a tilt mechanism in the front but at a higher cost. This is a nice rack that is well worth the price. And my previous rack was a Yakima. And they came through for me on a warranty issue without a problem. That is another reason I picked this one over Kuat and Thule. Purchase with confidence.

Was on the fence between this Yakima and the Thule 917 and decided to go Yakima. I dont have experience with either one so my decision was really just based on videos I saw on how they work. I have to say I've used the rack twice so far and am pleased in every way. The quality of workmanship, and operation is just perfect. Put two heavy touring bikes on the rack (which is installed on my Mini Cooper btw) and worked great! I should note that this is the 1 1/4" version, NOT the 2" version but other than the hitch mount size, they are identical. The 2" allows you to add an extension for two additional bikes but my car cant handle the load of 4 bikes hanging off the back so I went with the smaller mount size. I will say that even with two heavy bikes, with the mount bolt tightened adequately, which doesn't take a lot of effort (you just tighten down so the washer catches) there was NO movement on the road of the rack at the hitch point. There is a TINY amount at the join of the where the rack tilts up but this is expected and was still WAY less than I thought. I had an old Saris hitch type rack where the bikes hung from the top tube and this is about 1000% better in my opinion. Easier to get the bike in, and they dont move side to side to bang into each other at ALL. Plus, no contact with the frame at all which means no rub marks in the bikes paint, or scratches. Take a look at the video for how it works and installs. Otherwise, cant say enough good things about this rack. Holds any kind of bike and works like a charm!

When looking for a bike rack, I had several requirements: stability, no frame contact with my bike frame, the ability to fold up when not in use, and quality construction. This Yakima rack met 3 of those 4 requirements very well, but the last item could probably use a little improvement. I got the model for the 2" receiver and installed this on a RAV4. Packaging and installation: The item was received in a single box and was well packaged. Contact between the assemblies was not a problem, and none of the assemblies were damaged or scratched. Installation took about 45 minutes and was a basically just following the instructions. The instructions themselves were very good, with pictures showing the steps during the installation process. Several tools and all necessary hardware were included need for the installation. Using this rack: I tote around a very expensive bike and after about a dozen trips, the rack has performed good enough to earn my trust. After my first few trips, I stopped every so often and checked how it was handling, but I don't feel I need to do that now. Contact with the wheels is snug - the straps have never loosened by themselves and the arm's grip has stayed solid. A cable lock is installed in each arm that can be used to secure your bike - these cable locks are at best a slight deterrent to a would-be thief, but they would slow them down and add a little extra security when travelling. When driving, the rack has very little sway and vibration. Hard turns, highway speeds, fast stops, and bumpy roads were not a problem. Installing and removing my bike is very quick - easily under a minute. When the rack isn't in use, the arms tuck under the wheel holders and the rack folds vertically. The rack won't overfold, so I don't have to worry about it folding into the back on my car beyond it's stop. Quality of construction: The construction quality of the rack was ok, but I see a few areas where improvement needs to be made and might cause long-term problems. In the Northwest, it rains often. After about 4 days of rain, the sun decided to come out - when I went to load my bike, I moved the arm and noticed a brown water coming out around the bottom arm pivot. When I pulled the lock cable, it was covered in a brown residue - rust. Both arms had this issue, so I suspect the inside of the arm's are rusting. It would of been nice if the extra manufacturing work was performed to slow down the rusting. Externally, the rack still looks new and shows no sign of rust. For now, I occasionally spray a shot of WD-40 inside the tube to help prevent rust. Some of this rusty soup has sprayed on the back bumper of my car during driving (be sure to clean it off promptly!). After a few more weeks on on and off again rain, the arm became very hard to move. Again, WD-40 came to the rescue - this time I sprayed the cracks around the arm pivot. The arm eventually loosened up. The hitch pin lock on my rack didn't work. The pin inside the lock wouldn't move (stuck unlocked) and wouldn't stay attached to the hitch pin. In the end, I didn't use this lock. I've had one case where the cable lock has popped out of an unused arm when toting a single bike. The end of the cable was about an inch from the road, so it wasn't damaged. Yakima does list replacement parts for these racks on their website, which is a good thing. Update: 06/15/2014 I took another look at the lock and was able to get the pin to pop out with some finessing. I added the lock to the hitch for some extra security when I go to more remote areas. After some more long trips, the rack has no major problems. The rack is still solid and is holding up well.

I've had this for almost 18 months now and haven't had any issue with it. Assembly took around 30 minutes perhaps without help. I have two L 27.5" mtbs and I adjusted the lateral lentgth as far as the rack would allow me on each slot. With this, the bikes arent completely centered due to their length, but it's clos to enough. I only mention this because others with XL 29ers may have I issues with either the bikes not fitting well on the rack itself, or being very noticeably off center. After assembly, I would say that the only "difficult" part is mounting it if you take it off regularly when not in use as I do. There's no limit indicator on the bracket that goes into your tow hitch, so if you're placing it in by yourself, you'll have to play with it a bit to center the holes together. I keep telling myself I'll use the wife's nail polish to mark it, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I read reviews from others that the threads on the rack are fine threaded while the bolt was very coarse. I found that when threaded correctly, this goes in without issues and you can then hand tigthen it until you need to use a torque wrench to get to the recommended 150ft lb. so no real complaints for me there other than having to make a few minor adjustments to set it perfectly. When it's not set correctly, I definitely notice the threads crossing poorly after just two full turns, but take my time to readjust the rack. As far as swaying goes, it does seem to have a slight rock to it even without any bikes on, but the wheel strap on the rear tire and the securing arm for the front seem to be very solid, so I haven't noticed anything hazardous or sketchy while driving. It does obviously block a bit of your reverse camera, but what would you expect. When I have my two bikes on, I can lower the rack fairly easily by myself, and almost effortlessly when I have one person with me. This allows me to open the hitch of my 2015 RAV4 and get what few things I might need. Putting the rack up when not in use is also very seemless. Again, works perfectly well for me, but probably not a one-size-fits-all rack.

I was initially planning to return the Holdup 2 but luckily I didn't before trying out my second consideration: the Kuat NV. Here's my review comparing the Kuat NV and the Yakima Holdup 2: Hitch connection: Both are well-built and fit securely without any movement. I like how there's no wrench required on the Kuat to attach it to the hitch receiver: slip in and lock the pin and then hand-tighten the ball with a knob to secure the mount to the hitch and keep it from moving around. On the other hand, while the hitch pin just slips in and locks, it's free to rattle around. (I added some tape to make it more snug.) On the Yakima, the hitch pin screws into place with a wrench. It's very secure but it's not very convenient to put on or remove - and I'm not one to leave the rack on when I'm not using it. Tray Design: Both are tray designs and can carry a wide range of bike sizes and styles. Both can be extended to carry up to four bikes. Yakima's is easier to assemble but that's just a one-time thing. However, Yakima has a strong advantage here in that the individual trays can be adjusted left and right to avoid conflicts between handlebars and seats. In addition, Kuat advertises that you get 13" spacing between your bikes but that's only true if you don't add on the extra rack for two more bikes. You have to disassemble one set of arms and reattach them at a 9" spacing to accommodate the two bike add-on. And this isn't something you can do easily - you're not going to want to switch this back and forth. Even without the squeeze down to 9", I find that our two mountain bikes make hard contact with each other between seats and handlebars and shifters. This doesn't happen at all on the Yakima. Even in the tray's center positions, the bikes are offset from each other and the seats and bars don't touch at all. Plus, you can move the trays on the Yakima if need be. Lock cables: Both have built-in cable locks and a locking hitch pin with shared keys. Kuat's cables are beefier but Kuat's cables are so short I can just barely get it to pass through the frames of two mtn bikes - and not even both rear wheels (never mind the front wheels). The Yakima design is different and each cable locks separately and can easily include the frame and front wheel (but not the backs). Door clearance: On the Yakima, you can't open the RAV4's rear swing door very far (it opens left to right) without hitting the rear wheel basket. However, if you lift up on the swing door while you open it, you can squeeze over this and get it open about 3-4 feet. Not all the way, but it's enough to provide easy access to the back of the vehicle. On the other hand, the Kuat design has a low enough profile when fully lowered that the RAV4's door will only just barely touch the rack but allows it to open fully. Extras: The Kuat NV comes with a repair stand to lift your bike up via its seat post. The Yakima Holdup 2 Plus add-on comes with a spring loaded warning flag and two battery-operated warning blinkers. Aesthetics: It's subjective, but I think the Kuat looks nicer/sharper than the Yakima, but the Yakima doesn't look bad, just plain. I am going to stay with the Yakima Holdup 2 just because of how easily the bikes fit in and don't rub or cut into each other and how the trays are adjustable to avoid handlebar/seat conflicts with other people's bikes. The need to use a wrench to screw on and off the hitch pin on the Yakima might get annoying over time - but I normally put my bikes inside my vehicle anyway. Much safer and secure back there. I just want the rack for when there's more than two of us or I need to fill the vehicle with other gear (camping, etc).

Original Post, Unboxing | 5.23.2013 It just arrived yesterday. It's heavy, weighing about 60lbs. It came double boxed and the parts are all well wrapped in foam and protected with cardboard spacers. It comes mostly pre-assembled in three main pieces; the hitch and the two arms that hold each bike. It also includes two small parts bags. It took me about five to ten minutes to unbox and unwrap everything. Everything looks solid and high quality. After considerable research, tray style hitch mounted bike racks are great(though they have their cons too). I'll update after assembly, installation, and use. Update 1, Assembly & Installation | 6.1.2013 I assembled the rack, which means I screwed the two trays to the hitch. You start by inserting the hitch mount into your vehicles hitch. That's all there is to assembly. Just unscrew 4 screws from each tray and then use them to attach the tray to the hitch mount, repeat for the other tray and you're done. This took about 10-20 minutes. The arm folds down easily with the push of a button, it folds down a bit further for easier loading and trunk/ hatch access. It's heavy, but it's smooth. I loaded and unloaded my bikes a few times and it is very fast and incredibly easy. I've only used it a few times so far, about 4 or 5 times with my XL 29er MTB, 61cm CycloCross bike, and my wife's City bike with fenders. All work great, with the exception of my wife's bike... This rack cannot be used with fenders, I just used the arm to hold on to the down tube instead of the front wheel and it worked fine. On one trip, I forgot to latch the rear wheel and didn't budge. So far, this is by far the best bike rack out there, I'm very happy with it. The built in hitch and cable bike locks are a great added feature. I'll update again after a full summer of use.

The bike rack works well. It is easy to load the bikes and the hold down arms seem very sturdy and unlikely to fail to hold the bikes in place while traveling. I like the idea to have three identical keyed locks to lock the two bikes to the rack and the bike rack bolt to the trailer hitch. However, the lock for the hitch bolt can easily be pulled off while it is locked. It will eventually fall off during travel. Either the bolt or lock innards is not machined correctly. The large extra pin with the red plastic handle supplied with a cable to attach it to the rack frame with a plastic insert is a nice feature since the pin does help hold the rack in the traveling position and eliminate any looseness in the unit. However, the plastic insert used to attach the cable end to the frame is essentially useless and failed on the very first trip. Fortunately, we notice the pin fall on the ground when we pulled the large pin to fold the rack into the upright position. I tapped a hole in the frame to bolt the loose end of the cable firmly to the frame. It appears that the extra pin, which I think is quite useful, was an after thought since the method of attaching its security cable to the frame was extremely weak. The bike rack is much easier to use than the traditional bike rack we previously used. The bike attachment to the rack is both easy and quick to use and seems far less likely to fail to hold the bikes securely. We nearly dropped a bike on the road when the old racks attachment failed, and thereafter used extra rope to insure that the bikes would not come loose.

Cool and sturdy. Very good and bit expensive. Easy to handle.

I Have a Subaru Crosstrek 2014 and this hitch fits well. I can tilt the unit away from the car so that my rear hatch door opens to access gear. This bike hitch is easy to assemble and attach and remove from my car ( I am 5'2"@ 110 pound female). My bikes are easy to load and lock into place compared to using a roof rack. I compared the Thule and Yakima models. The Yakima is a quality product ( as is the Thule), but the Yakima is less expensive and the troughs where the wheels sit are a bit deeper. The tool,supplied with this unit to tighten the bolt to the 2"'hitch works, but is slow going. You will want to use your own ratchet set to speed up the job ( which really does not take long at all).

It was easy to assemble, took it on a trial run with both e-bikes on it and everything seems well. I had a difficult time finding something to fit a 1.25” hitch and didn’t want to use an adapter, so I am thrilled with this bike rack. Looking forward to a longer trip to see how it performs. Fantastic so far!

Good but if you have 27” wheels you may need more straps to keep the bike from slipping sideways in the cradle.

This is the rack to transport our 60lb e-bikes. Well built, straight forward assembly, good hold-down system. It’s pricey, but worth it.