# New Yakima Hitch Racks



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

I was looking for some new hitch racks from Yakima, and noted a lot of places were selling out Yakima's Hookup racks as discontinued. I called up the support at Yakima and had quite a long chat. It turns out Yakima is coming out with some new and better versions fo their hitch racks in the next two weeks, by the end of February. Here's what I recall to the best of my poor memory.

1. Hookup  -> Holdup
The current Hookup is the with the rapid and convenient loading using tire wells and a swing arm on the tire like the Sport Works. The replacement "Holdup" model is lighter (35 versus 50 lbs) that will make the install easier, along with the new hitch pin (see below). The new rack is also stiffer with bigger tubes, and more convenient to use. It will be able to handle bigger frames, up to long cruiser bikes, and large 29'er bikes just fine.

2. Fullswing -> SwingDaddy
The Fullswing is a two arm hanging rack that can swing out to allow access to the back hatch without removing the bikes. The new SwingDaddy (??) will have arms closer together to fit a greater variety of bikes. It will have foam padding all the way along the arms, and adjustable positions on the arm. The swing-out releases will be much simpler and quicker to operate. The swing will be on a sliding track that works better (??).

Both models will have more colorized (red?) locations for mounting and control points. Both racks will also use a new anti-sway pin that eliminates the need for screwing in the hitch with a bolt.

What I'd like but missing is the combination of both of these: an easy load "Sports Works" type rack with a swing away access to the back. I'll have to figure out which rack works better for me.


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## stevequest2000 (Nov 10, 2006)

Wish I would have held out for an improved "tire well" rack. The hookup I have has so much slop that the front tire holder never stays in place without resting it against the forks or brake caliper. And you might as well not bother with the screw through the receiver-it doesn't work. I had to fabricate an anti-sway for that.


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

*Yakima Hitch Racks are out finally*

Yakima has now put the new hitch rack series on their web site. My local stores say they'll have everything in stock by around March 10, 2008.

Yakima's web site now has a lot of details on the new hitch racks, but not everything I want to know yet, like how the RocSteady hitch tongue works without a bolt.

I'm still not sure if I want the SwingDaddy or HoldUp. I'm tending toward the HoldUp with the Plus 2 add-on, for four bikes in the tire cradle type mount with arms. The Swing Daddy also looks nice too, in that it gets out of the way real nice, and is easily adjustable for bike handling. But I always hate the chinese puzzle of putting four bikes on the arms. And I the HoldUp cradle can supposedly swing down to let the hatch open. Before I decide, I first need to see how they work at the dealer, with bikes on them.


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## radair (Dec 19, 2002)

Thanks for the update, Larry. I have a little time to decide, with lots of snow on the ground, but I'm anxious to score some type of hitch mount. I'm leaning toward the HoldUp style, as a couple of my bikes are PITA to hang from the top tubes. Nice not to have to deal with loose front wheels, also.

Please post up if you find more info.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

Does anyone know anything about Yakima's Stickup carrier??? Looks like a great carrier if you only want to carry 2 bikes.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

If you carry two bikes, consider the fact that the tray-style racks do not appear to be adjustable side-to-side like the Thule T2. My buddy who has a Saris Cycle On found this out to his dismay. Otherwise, the racks look nice though I thinnk the T2 still rules as far as user friendliness and adjustability goes.


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## longman (May 9, 2007)

the trays on the stickup do move. To compare the Stickup to the T2 is unfair, they are at different pricepoints, you should consider the Holdup with the T2 and they are just being shipped so wait to see one before comparing or purchasing...shouldn't be a long wait, the new Yakima mast style racks are in store and make the Thule ones look cheesy and dated.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I'm comparing the T2 to the Holdup. I spoke to Yak twice, including the guy who does or participates in the test and told him about my concerns (several months ago). He told me that as far as he knew, they did not adjust like the T2, where you can actually move the crossbars sideways to avoid bike clash.

I'm not comparing the quality; just a very critical feature. It should be easy to beat the overall metal quality of the T2. I have an open mind but improved quality mean little to me if the bikes cannot be adjusted side-to-side. My buddy did not know this about the Saris when he bought it and regrets buying it now so I'm pointing out something that may be important to buyers. With his rack, our bikes clash arm to derailleur.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

I haven't had experience with hitch racks. I'm not quite sure what you mean about this critical feature. Does it ajust as far as height goes but not width???


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I'm not sure I can explain this properly without a picture but I'll try. With the T2, the two bars that the bikes sit on can be adjusted side to side. All I have to do is loosen the four allen bolts holding the clamp and move the bar to the right of left. Well, with the Saris CycleOn and the Yakima Hookup, those bars are either welded on or bolted on directly. There is no clamp that can be loosened and the bars slid. So the adjustment capability is very low.

The other thing Thule did with the clamp system (actually Sportworks designed it originally) was to also make it so the bars can be slid away from each other, in addition to the sideways movement. So bikes can be spread apart as well as slid side to side to avoid handlebar, seats, brake lever, and derailleur/ratchet arms from contacting each other.

When I talked to Yakima about this a few months ago they told me the design was complete and as far as he knew, the bars could not slide- they were fixed. You may be able to move/raise the rear wheeltray trays a bit (as in the Saris Cycle On) but not enough in our case anyway. I tried to explain this to Saris and Yakima but maybe I can never get an actual decision-maker on the phone.

I tried to do this since they make high-quality stuff but always leave out a few design features. In fact when I asked if Yakima had even looked at the T2 or the Cycle On when building/designing their new rack, he seemed a bit annoyed at the suggestion. 

I'm not bashing anyone or even pushing anyone to buy one over the other. I'm stating why adjustability is important and which one plays that game the best. On my $800 HT, it didn't matter but my expensive FS bikes woudl rather not see bike-to-bike contact or derailleur to ratchet-arm contact each time. I

think Yak and Saris make quality products in general but they both have been losing ground to Thule, especially since the T2 was purchased and the new/streamlined Thule boxes came out. I was simply trying to help. I have studied all these racks now and taken them apart to see the insides and chk the galvanizing and design. I'm no engineer but I appreciate a good design when I see one so I was simply trying to help them make the racks more adjustable.

Of course, I have not seen Yak's new rack in person so I'm simply going by pictures and my conversations with Yakima. If the new Yakima rack is adjustable enough, it may be my next rack when it is time to buy.

EDIT- we use wide handlebars too (well, I use 700mm-710mm) so that forces me to keep my trays further apart as well. If you are using 24" bars, the bikes will probably not do the handlebar or brake lever to seat contact. The derailler contacting the ratchet arm may still occur depending on the bikes.


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## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

*nm*


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Two other tray-style options are the Softride racks and the 1UPUSA or Raxter racks. Softride's rack is new but looks interesting and they made very heavy-duty products in the past. One of their racks we have is 5-6 yrs old and still going strong. The old one had some rust issues but I hear they have resolved that yrs ago. Even with the surface rust, it is solid as ever.

The IUPUSA/Raxter rack is also very nice-looking. It used to be and prob still is made almost entirely of Aluminum and is very light yet appears to be very strong. They are usually sold out by the time the season starts. If they have not changed the design/materials over the last 2-3 yrs, that would probably be the top choice. It also sits a bit higher than the others.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

I am getting an 08 Rockhopper Pro Disc and my wife is getting the Myka HT Expert. I'm still not quite sure how the derailuers would find contact. Are the bikes really close together when they are on the rack? I'm wondering how the derailer would find contact because I don't think I am too interested in screwing my derailuer up.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

*Raxter racks???*

In the picture the raxter rack looks like it would have more contact problems than the stick up... Does anyone have experience with this?


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I have a large Turner Spot with a medium-cage SRAM X.9 rear der. One of my buddies had a 575 and now has a medium Turner Spot with a long cage SRAM rear der now and used to have a Shimano long cage rear der. In both cases, the ratchet arm of the Saris Cycle On holding the inner bike touches the rear der of the outer bike. 

So we adjusted the tray to the next setting and it just about gives us a mm or two now. This change (of the tray) has raised the inner bike up a bit and the wheel sits less securely in the front tray but has not caused problems yet. His brake lever rubs against my seat as well. With a regular seatpost, I have to drop my seat almost all the way down or twist it sideways. With my Gravity Dropper, the problem is worse since dropping it or twisting it causes the cable to go under too much tension. I put a rubber strip between the brake lever and my seat.

That rack is just a pain (for our bike combo anyway) and he will get rid of it for a T2 this season. That said, the quality is good and the metal seems to withstand rust very well.


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

Flyer said:


> I have a large Turner Spot with a medium-cage SRAM X.9 rear der. One of my buddies had a 575 and now has a medium Turner Spot with a long cage SRAM rear der now and used to have a Shimano long cage rear der. In both cases, the ratchet arm of the Saris Cycle On holding the inner bike touches the rear der of the outer bike.
> 
> So we adjusted the tray to the next setting and it just about gives us a mm or two now. This change (of the tray) has raised the inner bike up a bit and the wheel sits less securely in the front tray but has not caused problems yet. His brake lever rubs against my seat as well. With a regular seatpost, I have to drop my seat almost all the way down or twist it sideways. With my Gravity Dropper, the problem is worse since dropping it or twisting it causes the cable to go under too much tension. I put a rubber strip between the brake lever and my seat.
> 
> That rack is just a pain (for our bike combo anyway) and he will get rid of it for a T2 this season. That said, the quality is good and the metal seems to withstand rust very well.


Thanks for all the detailed info, Flyer. I'm looking at pictures of Yakima's new hitch rack, the Hold Up and don't quite see the design issues you mentioned. From the picture, the arm appears to go just behind the top of the tire, which on the adjacent bike is just behind the seat tube. It doesn't appear to get anywhere close to the rear dérailleur. Am I missing something?

Also, on pictures the new Hold Up, it looks like none of the cradles are manually adjustable. It's all "automatic". The rear cradle is on a pivot so it can rotate to be closer, up, or further out, depending on bike length. That may be a lot easier if it works and all fits. But a killer if it doesn't. I'm going to bring my bikes to the dealer and check it out before I buy.

The dual arm system, such as the Swing Daddy, has even more interference issues and a major pain to load. But I can always find different ways of attaching and eventually solve the loading puzzle with a lot of work. I have the top tube adapters, but never had to use them. Instead, I usually put one arm in the back of the rear triangle, and one under the down tube.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Big Larry- the arm may be better-designed than the Saris- I'm simply pointing it out since these racks are expensive,heavy, and hard to ship back. Test out a sample rack at a shop if possible. The Saris arm stays only in one fixed position as well so it complicates the issue.

I would not have posted all this but that silly Cycle On causes us such irritation that I felt I should mention it so people at least try their bikes out if possible at a local shop. It also sticks out a bit beyond (the sides) of his Outback and sits much lower to the ground and further out when folded than the T2. He scrapes his rack once in a while while I go through the same dips unscathed. That is another thing to consider. If you're mounting it on a car, be careful with the ones that have mainbars that stick out further and sit lower to the ground. SUVs will not have this problem.

Test before you buy if at all possible with these new racks.


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## longman (May 9, 2007)

Flyer said:


> I think Yak and Saris make quality products in general but they both have been losing ground to Thule, especially since the T2 was purchased and the new/streamlined Thule boxes came out. "
> 
> dude, please don't tell me you bought a Thule box! Those things have so many problems it isn't even funny. Yakima is killing Thule with their skyboxes, at least in our store and a few others I won't name, the hitchracks will probably do the same.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

Flyer- You seem to be talking about the Saris bike rack. Which one? How does it compare with the stickup? What is your experience with the stickup?


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I'm referrring to the Saris Cycle On Pro. I have no experience with the Stickup or the new Yakima tray racks. The Thelma is pretty worthless though it is really for roadbikes.

longman- I don't have a box though I have looked at Thule's and Yakima's boxes. I'm glad to see Yak making a comeback. The few stores I know of actually stopped carrying Yak stuff 3-4 years ago. I do want a box sometimes this year so I'll look at the Yakimas instead of the Thules. I have seen a lot of Thules being thrown on cars but thankfully didn't get one. I appreciate the info.


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

longman said:


> dude, please don't tell me you bought a Thule box! Those things have so many problems it isn't even funny. Yakima is killing Thule with their skyboxes, at least in our store and a few others I won't name, the hitchracks will probably do the same.


I'd appreciate your saying a few funny things you know about Thule boxes.

By mid-March when the new Yakima hitch mounts come out, I'm going to purchase for my new Taurus X:

* Hitch Rack - 4 bike (I already installed a 2" hitch) Yakima Holdup and Holdup Plus 2 ?
* Roof Rack towers and crossbars LowRider?
* Bike Rack on roof with swing arm holders for two bikes, Yakima HighRoller ?
* Cargo Box for roof, around 16 cubic feet. Yakima SkyPro16 ?

This will be over $2K worth of gear, so I want to get it all right. I'm trying to stick with one company, Yakima or Thule, to make it all easier with cross fit, keys, and support. I'm am leaning more toward Yakima. But ultimately it will depend on my tests at the store with all the new components coming out, and what fits my car and bikes.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

longman- tell us about the pros of the Yak boxes and what the problems are with the Thule ones. I want to buy a streamlined one that fits in my garage (on a Forester) and I want it to be durable and reliable. If Yak it is, then it is what I'll get.


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## BeanMan (Jul 6, 2006)

I have a Hookup, it's a pretty good rack. I wish it would pivot down like the sport rack so that the hatch could be opened with bikes on it. That is my major gripe about the hookup.








The ratchet arms do not contact the derailleurs, not even close. Another gripe of mine is that My wifes handlebars hit my seat, so I remove it.








To avoid my handlebars we have to drop the Wife's seat down out of the way. In this picture you can see that my bars/shifters/brake levers contact her seat when it is in her normal riding position.








The mounts can't be slid to the sides as mentioned in other racks, I'm not sure I would want them to because then the bikes would hang out slighlty wider than our Toyota Fourrunner. I'd rather have to move seats than wack the bikes on something.

I Have though of putting a 2 inch spacer in the back mount to make it sit just enough higher so that we don't have the seat/shifter/brake issue.









I've never had problems with the antisway bolt in the receiver, I like it. I did put some automotive shims in the fold up mechanism that allows you to fold the rack up when not in use, this helps reduce the sway when bikes were on the rack. I've never had the problems mentioned by one poster Quoted here

"


stevequest2000 said:


> Wish I would have held out for an improved "tire well" rack. The hookup I have has so much slop that the front tire holder never stays in place without resting it against the forks or brake caliper. And you might as well not bother with the screw through the receiver-it doesn't work. I had to fabricate an anti-sway for that.


 " 
The rack works well for both our roadies and MTB's and we've never had issues with the tire holders etc. It's a pretty good rack that could be improved if Yakima decided to do it. the new light weight will be nice,

Hope this helps,

Beanman


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

BeanMan said:


> I have a Hookup, it's a pretty good rack. I wish it would pivot down like the sport rack so that the hatch could be opened with bikes on it. That is my major gripe about the hookup.
> 
> The ratchet arms do not contact the derailleurs, not even close. Another gripe of mine is that My wifes handlebars hit my seat, so I remove it.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the review.You'd think these major rack issues would have been sorted out with nice solutions after all these years.

Yakima's new HoldUp has ratchet arms with an abrupt bend near the bottom so they can reach around the fork and hold the wheel at a point right next to the fork, rather than on the front part of the tire. As such, the arm would surely be out of the way of a dérailleur on the adjacent bike.

On these tray systems, you say interference is usually between a handlebar of one bike and to a seat on the other. As you suggest, the easy solution is often to lower or remove the seat. For lower wind resistance, I often lower the bike seat anyway on my current hitch rack, even for one bike. Also, the lowering the seat by 4" is easy with my Gravity Dropper.

The new HoldUp can now tilt down for access with a "TriggerFinger" quick release, as well as for folding up with the same control.

Yakima told me the new HoldUp design is stronger, stiffer, and lighter now.

All in all, it appears I may not have much problem at all with the new HoldUp design. We'll see on testing.


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## longman (May 9, 2007)

Flyer said:


> longman- tell us about the pros of the Yak boxes and what the problems are with the Thule ones. I want to buy a streamlined one that fits in my garage (on a Forester) and I want it to be durable and reliable. If Yak it is, then it is what I'll get.


I'm not going to sit here and be negative about the Thule boxes but I'll tell you the good things about the SkyBoxes...

The lid is reinforced with 2 or 3 inserts underneath so it's really strong(you can actually stand on the top of it and not break it, trust me,3 of us at work did it at the same time)
this also helps opening the box...you can use one hand because the lid is so stiff. The lid also has a metal bar inside at the front to prevent 'fishmouthing' at speed.. the wind wants to pull the lid up and away from the base..

The box uses a handle to move the mechanisms so it doesn't matter how cold it gets it won't freeze shut like it could if you have to use a key to move everything and there's no chance of the key snapping.

You can unlock the box, take the key out and it's still closed

You know when the box is shut properly because the handle is horizontal...if any of the red warning sticker behind the handle is visible it's not closed...less chance of you driving off and losing the lid!

The mounting hardware is really easy to use and bombproof...I've NEVER seen one break.

The shape of the back of the box may look weird but it helps when trying to put them on short cars such as Foresters because the box clears the spoiler or the hatchback on a lot more cars.

Oh and Yakima just told me they are doing 'HitchRack Kickbacks' in April...spend more than $300 on any new Yakima hitchrack and get a $40 rebate. that might sway a few peoples decisions. They did a similar thing in December with the skyboxes and we couldn't get enough of them to sell.

They hired a cheif designer from Ford a couple of years ago and he's responsible for all the new stuff, he's done a great job


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Good info, longman. We all appreciate this sort of information so we can buy better products. I'll look at the Yakima boxes to see which one will fit.


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

Flyer said:


> Good info, longman. We all appreciate this sort of information so we can buy better products. I'll look at the Yakima boxes to see which one will fit.


Ditto


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

*holdup is better*

The holdup is a lot better than the stickup. The stickup won't allow your bike to be as stiff. Also the contact with the frame is bad. As your bikes move on the stickup the frame will get abused. The Holdup is better because there is no contact with the frame and the arm that holds the front tire makes it so it doesn't sway as much. its worth the extra cash for your bikes.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

Does anybody know how much the Holdup weigh?


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## moore1018 (Jun 8, 2006)

Has anyone seen a Holdup show up in their local bike shops yet? One LBS told me they would be shipping from Yakima on 3/15, but the other told me they wouldn't be available until April.

I have a new bike coming in early next week and I'd like to get a new rack before bringing it home. My LBS gave me a killer deal on a Thule T2, but I just don't like how far the T2 sits from the receiver. The Holdup looks like it sits much closer to the vehicle.

The anticipation is killing me!


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

moore1018 said:


> Has anyone seen a Holdup show up in their local bike shops yet? One LBS told me they would be shipping from Yakima on 3/15, but the other told me they wouldn't be available until April.
> 
> I have a new bike coming in early next week and I'd like to get a new rack before bringing it home. My LBS gave me a killer deal on a Thule T2, but I just don't like how far the T2 sits from the receiver. The Holdup looks like it sits much closer to the vehicle.
> 
> The anticipation is killing me!


It makes sense that some shops get the rack before others. Yakima's factories certainly don't make all of them on one day. So first ones out go to preferred dealers.

I'm talking with a major rack dealer, RackNRoad. They say they're getting Yakima's new hitch racks into their central warehouse on 3/15/08, but the local store won't have it until later in the week after shipping. Originally they said 3/10/08, but of course they get pushed out.

I have a garage full of old hitch racks, many that didn't work out quite well enough. (And I've returned many more.) I'll be using one of them until I get the HookUp. I might even wait a couple weeks into April to get the $40 rebate ("Yakima Hitch Rack Kick Back") that's coming according to Longman.

Oh, I almost forgot. You can download the detailed instruction manual for the Holdup (and others) from Yakima now.

From the instructions, it looks like you still screw in a stabilizing hitch pin. The hitch pin also has an extension that the Yakima cables can lock onto. A long cable lock is included for this purpose. 
Also, the HoldUp web site mentions a "_Premium TriggerFinger™ enables tray to fold up when not in use and down for rear of vehicle access_". But the instructions don't show the tilt down explicitly. The instructions also show a removable pin and clip for tilt, rather than a "TriggerFinger". 
Maybe the instructions are incomplete on the above items? I'll have to wait to see one.


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## syadasti (Apr 20, 2004)

3/15 is probably when dealers who purchase directly from Yakima get them. Most LBS just use QBP which is April...


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## moore1018 (Jun 8, 2006)

Thanks for the info!

Big Larry:
I've studied the images in the instruction manual trying to determine whether or not there is 'tilt down' functionality. If there is, it's not obvious. As you noted, the instruction manual does not mention anything about it. Looking at the Thule T2 instructions there is a specific section in their manual on tilt down. It makes me think it's not possible with the Holdup...but wont' know until I can get my hands on one. Hopefully it won't be long.

Thanks again.


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## dumanichi (Sep 14, 2006)

*Holdup vs. T2*

Like mentioned before the Holdup seems to be lacking adjustability. It doesn't seem like it can tilt down and I'm not sure if it has adjustment front to back. The T2 does. I just got one and really stoked about it. Some of the reviews about the T2 have been misleading. I don't know how the wheel trays could break. The wheel trays I have seen are very durable. Also, I don't know how it is possible to lose the straps that go on the rear wheel. It would take an idiot for that to happen. Because they ratchet in. All in all I think the T2 has a very smart design and is worth the money. Not sure about the Holdup and don't think I care any more.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

The Sportworks T2 held the straps in the rear wheel-tray that slides- it was a better design since one end was always attached to the wheeltray. With the Thule version, the straps are separate so some may loosen if they are not tightened down when there is no bike on the rack. Then they can fall away on the road. I keep them in the car when there is no bike on the tray. They should never fall away if tightened down enough. If not, I can see that happening if it loosens up from the non-ratchet side.

I also like how close the T2 stays to the vehicle. After some feedback from Longman here, I am really impressed with the Yakima boxes and am looking at getting one soon. I don't really need a rack but I'll check out the Holdup closely when it is available. So far, the T2 is still my favorite rack for many reasons even though I have a slight preference for the Sportworks design when it came to that rear ratchet system. It was probably a bit expensive for Thule to replicate.


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## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

moore1018 said:


> Thanks for the info!
> 
> Big Larry:
> I've studied the images in the instruction manual trying to determine whether or not there is 'tilt down' functionality. If there is, it's not obvious. As you noted, the instruction manual does not mention anything about it. Looking at the Thule T2 instructions there is a specific section in their manual on tilt down. It makes me think it's not possible with the Holdup...but wont' know until I can get my hands on one. Hopefully it won't be long.
> ...


OK, curiosity got the better of me. I just called Yakima technical support. I called twice to get different people and more information. Here's the scoop.

For tilting, the Holdup indeed uses the pin and clip as shown in the instruction manual. On the "Hitch Mount Comparison" chart, available at the bottom of the hitch product page, it also shows the Holdup having a "Premium Pin" and the other racks like the SwingDaddy having a "Premium Trigger Finger". The Yakima tech said the Swing Daddy units indeed have a spring loaded trigger rather than a pin and clip, but not the Holdup. So the web site must be in error. The Holdup just uses a pin and clip as per the instruction manual.

The Holdup can indeed tilt down, but one technical support guy said "it's not a major selling point as it only drops down a little". I asked if he meant it won't give access to all types of hatches, and he said yes. I called again and another tech actually walked over and operated a Holdup on their demo floor. He said it tilts down very little, maybe not even 10 degrees. However, he said the distance from the hitch bolt back to the tilt pin is 8" with lots of clearance, so it looked to him that most hatches shouldn't have an issue, especially with the small tilt now available. I'll check it out. If needed, it appears the inner bike could be quickly removed as well.

I asked about the hitch pin. They confirmed it indeed still needs a wrench (included) to tighten up for stability, just like it says in the manual. The hitch pin appears to be nothing new from the Hookup, except for a new name.

The biggest changes are that the entire rack was strengthened everywhere. I asked particularly about the rear tray and he said it was beefed up too, and also moved "inboard" or closer to the center to provide more strength overall.

Also, the weight of the Holdup is much lighter than the 54 lb Hookup. They went from cast iron to lower weight metals with an aero shape and improved scratch resistant paint. The new Holdup is ~35-45 lbs., depending on which Yakima tech I talk with. The Holdup Plus 2 is another 15-20 lbs. So the total 4-bike may be as low as 50-60 lbs, versus > 90 lbs for the Hookup.

The techs also said the new Yakima hitch rack ship dates have been pushed back from 3/15/08 to the first week of April. There's been 4 feet of snow in China that have delayed the production of some critical components. They confirmed the $40 "Hitch Rack Kick Back" coming in April as well. So overall, I want to wait until then.

None of the technical support folk at Yakima really knows that much right now since they still haven't been provided racks to personally evaluate due to the production lag. And the web site information indeed seems to be a mess for a similar reason.


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## moore1018 (Jun 8, 2006)

Good stuff Big Larry...thanks a ton for the details!!!


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