Riders Review – Yakima HoldUp Bike Carrier

15th Oct 2019

I always love the buzz you feel as you’re packing your car with your bike and gear and heading off to a mountain bike location. Elbow & knee pads – check. Shoes – check. Helmet – check. Gloves – where are my gloves? Grab a few tools and a spare tube. Some snacks and your water bottle or camelbak. Quick check of the bike. Tyre pressure is good. Chain is lubed. Gears are changing nicely. Brakes still work – could use an adjustment but good enough for today. And we are almost ready.
Time to load the bikes. This is easy if you own a Ute – just throw them in the back or over the tailgate. Strap them in and you’re ready. That is simple if you own a Ute. However, if you’ve filled your car with other riders, where do you put your gear? In the back with the bikes? But I can’t risk accidentally damaging “my precious”. And if it rains everything will get wet! Well then maybe one of those roof racks are a better solution? That can work. Until you slip one day and drop the bike and dent your roof. Also, you must be reasonably strong to lift and hold the bikes in place while you brace them in place.
If I’m on my own, I can lay down the seats in the back of my car, remove the front wheel and fit it in nicely. Make sure you have the brake spacers installed before you bump those brake levers. And a blanket to prevent the dirt rubbing in to the carpet in the rear of your car.
These were some of the things my Dad and I discussed before we purchased our racking solution. We were part of a group who were planning an MTB road trip to the Blue Mountains, Stromlo & Thredbo. We needed to transport our bikes and our gear, and we did not own a Ute. We didn’t care about the bikes getting wet, but our gear needed to stay dry. We needed a way to lock the bikes to the car during road stops, and the ability to access the gear in the car without the bikes getting in the way.
We ended up purchasing the Yakima HoldUp system. This carrier mounts directly to the tow bar hitch and is very sturdy and strong. There are arm pivots that swing up to brace the bike on the front wheel and a strap to hold the rear wheel. There is nothing touching the frame or elsewhere. All the grab is to the rubber on the tyres, which is perfect. The base model can fit 2 bikes however we purchased the extension which takes up to 4 bikes. The rack can be locked to the car and the locking systems secures the bikes to the rack.
We love the HoldUp system by Yakima. It’s very easy to load and unload your bikes, and just throw your gear into the back of your car. Don’t forget your accessory number plate. The bikes don’t bounce around and are safe and secure. On the negative side, the system is heavy. Which is not a problem when installing it when your arms are fresh in the morning. But at the end of a long day of riding it can feel very heavy to your tired arms when you’re taking it off your car.
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