# yakima holdup 08



## SeanyRocket (Jun 23, 2007)

I have posted this before and havent gotten a real answer. Does the hold up fit on a toyota FJ cruiser with a stock spare tire? None of the local shops have these racks yet and I want to be sure it fits before I spend 400 dollars and get one online! 

I have ckecked the website, and sometimes it says it fits and somtimes it doesnt!


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

SeanyRocket said:


> I have posted this before and havent gotten a real answer. Does the hold up fit on a toyota FJ cruiser with a stock spare tire? None of the local shops have these racks yet and I want to be sure it fits before I spend 400 dollars and get one online!
> 
> I have ckecked the website, and sometimes it says it fits and somtimes it doesnt!


Nobody will know for sure until you try it. And as you say, the Holdups are not available yet.

Last week I was told by Yakima that they'd be into Yakima's warehouses on April 18, which means distributed about a week after that. Well, that's assuming Yakima doesn't have yet another delay like the last few times.

You can call Yakima directly, they're very helpful. But even the technical guys there only had one Holdup demo on the showroom, and no time to play with it yet. For example, they had to put me on hold to see if it actually tilts down like it says on the web site. (The answer, only a couple degrees, so not really.)

Fit issues exactly such as yours are why I go to a local rack dealer for purchase. You can try it out on your car before you buy it. There's almost price fixing in that you can get 10% off (and no more) from anywhere, web or store. In the store, just say AAA member, or just say you saw 10% off on the web, or just ask for the standard 10% discount. You'll get it. In the store, you pay tax, but you save shipping. It's almost a wash and there's nothing like getting custom service for a custom fit. And if there's trouble or a return needed, you don't need to deal with return shipping on a heavy bulky object.

Incidentally, I pre-ordered the Holdup so I can get the $40 Hitch Rack Kick Back rebate, which is only good in April. In the unlikely case it doesn't fit, the dealer will take it back no charge as there's a big demand for it. But it won't arrive in time for my Moab trip next week, leaving me scrambling among friends. :madmax: Yakima says the holdup on the Holdups are due a major snow storm in China affecting some parts.


----------



## SeanyRocket (Jun 23, 2007)

The holdups are in at REI. I went in this weekend but ended up buying a Thule T2. I think it is a little more adjustable and it definatly fits on my FJ. The T2 was on sale and I am a member and get the 10% kickback at the end of the year so I couldnt pass up the deal. The only thing the Holdup had that I thought was really cool was the built in bottle opener, but it kinda encourages drinking and driving.... ha


----------



## SoloRider (Aug 6, 2004)

The REI in Seattle has had the holdup on the floor for at least a week and a half.


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

SeanyRocket said:


> The holdups are in at REI. I went in this weekend but ended up buying a Thule T2. I think it is a little more adjustable and it definatly fits on my FJ. The T2 was on sale and I am a member and get the 10% kickback at the end of the year so I couldnt pass up the deal. The only thing the Holdup had that I thought was really cool was the built in bottle opener, but it kinda encourages drinking and driving.... ha


Excellent news about the Holdups finally arriving! I've been checking around, and some of our San Jose area REI stores now have the Holdup in stock, but not the Plus 2 extension I need. Amazon.com has the Plus 2 in stock, ready to ship.

Unfortunately, my Rack N Road dealer doesn't yet have it, when I called today. But it sounds like they're due soon. If they can't guaranty delivery by my Moab departure on Friday, I'll get it from REI or elsewhere.

The T2 is nicely adjustable for the rail spacing between bikes. But so far I haven't seen that to be a big issue with fitting. It just means you can't compact as much maybe. I'm getting Yakima's rack mostly for the locking and compatibility with the rest of my Yakima racks. Otherwise, I may have gone with the Thule T2. Even with Yakima's big improvements on the Holdup, they are still barely matching what the T2 already has. Let us know how you like it.


----------



## JMK331 (Mar 9, 2008)

So, has anyone received and used their Holdup? I am curious if you can put two MTBs on there without conflict. I am concerned that you can't adjust the rails laterally.

Thanks


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

JMK331 said:


> So, has anyone received and used their Holdup? I am curious if you can put two MTBs on there without conflict. I am concerned that you can't adjust the rails laterally.
> 
> Thanks


After a lot of delays, I just picked up my Holdup today. Only the 2 bike version came in, not the Plus 2 extension which will be another 3 weeks.

On the Holdup, there's absolutely no issue with clearance. I tried all sorts of bikes in different combinations, MTB, road, kids,... and not even the seats and handlebars were an issue. One of the things that eliminates handlebar/seat issue, is that the front wheel is placed a little closer to center. As such, the handlebars tend to always go in front of the seat of the adjacent bike. On short kids bikes, the bike is nearly centered left and right. But on my extra large Heckler, which barely fits on most racks, the rear wheel sticks out from the side of the car much more than the front wheel, say 5" versus 2".

I'll post some pictures later.

In all ways this rack is near perfect:

It's very light, only 49 lbs and very compact when folded up, so it takes almost no room in my garage.
The front wheel well is very wide but narrows down to thin U groove to accept tires from road skinnys to over 3" wide beach wheels.
The hold down bar ratchets nicely and easily, and is long enough to fit over 29er wheels.
The hold down bar has a bend in it at the bottom so it angles to better align with the fork as you press down. The bend also helps in folding down the arm to make the folded rack very compact.
The ratchet arm on one bike is around the middle of chain stain stay on an adjacent bike, where you generally have lots of clearance.
With the proper side positioning to begin with, no work on fine tuning adjustment of side to side or for clearance is needed. They seem to have found a good position that universally eliminates interference without a lot of special adjustment for each bike.
The receiver bolt starts out with a narrow locking pin, that also makes for easy blind insertion through the pin hole as you slide in the rack with the other hand. You only need to screw down maybe 4 or 5 final turns with a wrench. It's very quick to install the hitch rack - only 3 minutes.
The rack extension into the receiver is fairly long, so the rack doesn't droop down with torque from 4 heavy bikes.
The rack curves up from the receiver and places the bottom of the bikes several inches above the hitch. On the Sportworks, which had a smaller rise and lots of droop, the rear bikes were about 12" above the ground and we scraped on entry or exit of driveways on a recent trip. The bottom of the bikes on this rack (same car) is now 20" off the ground!
The rack also angles up a little bit to compensate for droop that normally occurs from receiver play and downward torque of 4 heavy bikes sitting far out on an arm. Instead of drooping down like the Sportworks, the Holdup rises slightly from the back of the car, and it's up higher to begin with too. 
The rear wheel strap is very easy and rapid to attach. One insertion and a couple clicks.
By removal of a pin, the whole rack tilts up to fold flat against the car. With the arms and wheel wells folded, it's very tight and compact.
The rack can also down, a little more than expected from negative reviews, maybe 15 degrees. I could open the hatch with my Heckler in place if I pulled on the top of the bike to spring my bike's wide handlebar out about another 5 inches using the springy nature of the hitch and rack arm. In general, I don't like doing this. I'll most likely just take off the closest bike to properly open the rear hatch.
The Holdup looks very solid and strong, mostly metal with a hard plastic rear tray. The arms are metal with a rugged rubber covering on all touch points, even where it touches the tires.
Note on mounting: The longer bike could have an inch or two of left and right play in the wheel well if I don't push down hard on the front wheel ratchet arm. Shorter bikes didn't have as much side play because the rear tray helped prevent this.
The rack comes with a 7' cable lock using the standard Yakima key system. You can attach the lock to a pin extension on the receiver bolt (so your hitch is locked into the receiver too), or else another pin on the hitch hinge, closer to the bikes. I have a second 9' Yakima lock, so I do both to get through both wheels on all 4 bikes.


----------



## JMK331 (Mar 9, 2008)

Thanks for all the great info! Sounds like the way to go.


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

*Pictures*

Here's some pictures to support my above review. It only took me 3 minutes to attach the Rack and load the bikes! 

With the Holdup being light (49 lbs) and compact when folded, I was able to lift the rack with one arm from behind stuff in the garage and easily insert it with one hand while the other shoved in the bolt instantly as the hole came into position.

While reinstalling, I also saw the 5 other bike racks I've bought in the past, sitting in the corner. They're all going on eBay. The Holdup is typically selling for $360 (with 10% discount). I've spent way more $$ on many other racks that were a total pain. I only wish I'd bought this Yakima Holdup years ago and saved a lot of money on all the other bad and useless racks.


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

*Yakima Holdup Close Up pictures*

I took some close up pictures of the clearances and fit in various views.

Also note the front wheel well has over 3" wide clearance! But narrows down to allow skinnier tire bikes. :thumbsup:


----------



## JGill (May 2, 2008)

After a little bs from Yakima my Hold up came in 3 days ago. I doubt it will clear a spare tire though, On my HHR there is only few inches (maybe 5 or 6) of a gap between the car and the rack. See what the return policy is from where you will purchase the rack and go for it. It was worth the 2 months of delays, it's an awesome rack. Don't forget insurance in case you get rear ended!


----------



## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

*I have this rack and I only have one major*

issue with this bike. For some reason the button for adjusting the rachet arms for the front tire are facing the bike. That seems like it could be bumped up against the bike and release the arm. My dh bike has a fox 40 on it and it is about one inch from the fork when mounted on the rack. Yakimia says bikes coming any closer should not be used with this rack. It seems a better idea would have been to move the button to an area where the bike could not touch it no matter what the design. This is a top of the line 400.00 rack why would they design a rack where it may not work with some dh bikes? that said I love this rack and do not regret buying it over the t2


----------



## dirtmojo (May 1, 2006)

Wow, it looks like Yakima dropped the ball big time with the new Holdup regarding the tilt-down feature, or lack thereof. I have been waiting for this rack for a long time hoping Yak would incorporated some sort of tilt down function similar to the T2 for rear-hatch access. So Yakima no longer has this feature according to this article. Oh please I can do without the bottle opener. 

Thule T2 is still the King.


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

*Not so bad.*



dirtmojo said:


> Wow, it looks like Yakima dropped the ball big time with the new Holdup regarding the tilt-down feature, or lack thereof. I have been waiting for this rack for a long time hoping Yak would incorporated some sort of tilt down function similar to the T2 for rear-hatch access. So Yakima no longer has this feature according to this article. Oh please I can do without the bottle opener.
> 
> Thule T2 is still the King.


I was upset at first about the lack of the tilt down feature. But then, with all the bikes loaded, the hitch is pretty heavy, bulky, and tough to tilt down anyway. A tilt down could really use two people.

It's much quicker and easier to just reach in and slide out the closest bike to open the rear hatch - maybe 10 seconds. So I'm no longer upset about the lack of sufficient tilt down. More important is that it tilts up and folds very compact very easily.

And just wait until you're with a bunch of bikers after a ride all staring at cold bottles of beer with the caps still on! 

Thanks for the link of the comparative review. Both racks look to be excellent products. From that article, I finally understood why the final Yakima Holdup didn't have the spring loaded pin they'd advertised for the tilt/folding - that design wasn't strong enough. The change to a big diameter pin on a steel cable (so you don't loose it) works just fine and looks to be very strong.


----------



## endeavorc (Sep 25, 2007)

Can someone snap a couple of pics of the receiver bar that goes in the hitch? I am curious as to how many holes it has and the placement of them.

Thanks


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

endeavorc said:


> Can someone snap a couple of pics of the receiver bar that goes in the hitch? I am curious as to how many holes it has and the placement of them.
> 
> Thanks


You need to be more specific if you want detailed information. But here's what I measure with a tape. I might be off a part of an inch, so don't machine to these tolerances.

There's only one large hole for the bolt, around 5/8" diameter. A smaller hole closer to the opening is just used to hold the clip-in nut assembly.

On my Hidden Hitch, the bolt must go in the large hole on the receiver. The unthreaded end of the bolt can start into the smaller hole, but the wider threads at the base don't make it.

On the diagram I show the relative position of the tilt bolt at the upper left to the hitch bolt at the lower right. The absolute top of the hitch arm is about 1" above the tilt bolt.

All these measurements are for my Yakima Holdup 2" Hitch.


----------



## endeavorc (Sep 25, 2007)

Thank you for the picture and diagram. I am asking because I have a problem with my cycle-on pro. It works fine on the one car but the hole is too close to the end for the other car.

You have the 2" hitch, correct?

Thanks again


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

endeavorc said:


> You have the 2" hitch, correct?


Yes, I have the 2" hitch. I fixed my post above too.


----------



## endeavorc (Sep 25, 2007)

Thank again, I should have been more specific in my first post as to which size hitch I had. 

If someone has the same information for a 1.25" rack, that would be great. No one local carries the hitch so I am unable to check.


----------



## endeavorc (Sep 25, 2007)

Here are a couple pictures of the hitch and cycle-on rack, you can see in the last picture how the rack tilts down because of the lack of rack base bar into the hitch.


----------



## BigLarry (Jul 30, 2004)

*Hitch Rack Droop*



endeavorc said:


> Here are a couple pictures of the hitch and cycle-on rack, you can see in the last picture how the rack tilts down because of the lack of rack base bar into the hitch.


Is that really your rack in the back of the hitch? It's got quite a long arm with high torque!
You must have a lot of problems with it that close to the ground and that far back.

I have become educated on hitch rack droop, sadly indicated by the number of unused hitch racks sitting in the back of my garage. Using a hitch rack on sedans and other vehicles without high ground clearance always involves a battle keeping above the ground at the rear. There's three causes for rack droop:

1. Loose rack in the receiver, allowing play
2. The hitch receiver tilting downwards from the heavy torque - a bigger problem with the longer arms of 4-rack hitches. 
3. The rack itself bending under the load from weak metal or pivot points.

You're worried about #1, which is especially bad due to a short receiver insertion on your hitch bar. Also, it looks like you have an overly large hole in your hitch, allowing additional play. And finally, you don't have a lock down bolt that will reduce play and rocking. I've used 1.25" racks and found they can sometimes get away without a lock down bolt if they're a tight fit.

I have a problem with #2 and lots of heavy bikes, even with a strong Class III receiver. With a two bikes on the Yakima rack, it tilts slightly up. With four bikes, it tilts slightly down. But with other racks without a built-in up tilt, the droop is scary.

The Yakima Holdup rack is designed to counter all the above issues, and one of the main reasons I like it. Here's how:
1. It fits well into the receiver with deep insertion and minor play. It then uses a lock down bolt to prevent rattle and additional play.
2. The typical receiver down-tilt from play and torque is compensated by an up-tilt built into the rack. 
3. The rack is very strong and tight with little bend along the rack. 
4. The rack adds an 8" rise to keep the bikes higher off the ground to begin with. This is the only rack I don't scrape going out of steep driveways with a full 4-bike load.

The point is that the Yakima Holdup is well designed and very likely to solve any play or droop issues, and give you a lot of ground clearance, if that's your issue.


----------



## mtbscooter (Dec 18, 2005)

*Yakima Locking issues?*



BigLarry said:


> Here's some pictures to support my above review. It only took me 3 minutes to attach the Rack and load the bikes!
> 
> With the Holdup being light (49 lbs) and compact when folded, I was able to lift the rack with one arm from behind stuff in the garage and easily insert it with one hand while the other shoved in the bolt instantly as the hole came into position.
> 
> While reinstalling, I also saw the 5 other bike racks I've bought in the past, sitting in the corner. They're all going on eBay. The Holdup is typically selling for $360 (with 10% discount). I've spent way more $$ on many other racks that were a total pain. I only wish I'd bought this Yakima Holdup years ago and saved a lot of money on all the other bad and useless racks.


Thanks for the great detailed reveiw and photos, they really helped in my decision to buy this rack. Just wanted to make a comment on the locking ability of the rack. It seems that Yakima has missed an oportunity to assist us in securing our high priced bikes. 
Couldn't they have integrated a lock-core (which they sell for most of their other racks) into the arms that hold the wheels??? It seems that if these arms where able to be locked down the bikes would be more difficult to steal w/ the use of the integrated cable lock to secure the rear wheel and frame. It would also be helpful if the red release button on the arms was in a different location away from the fork/bike.

Hopefully Yakima keeps an eye on these forums for suggestions on improving their products.


----------



## Adam_waugh (Oct 11, 2008)

Yakima is marketing their bottle opener on all their hitch racks and that's fine but seriously, it's just a novelty. A detail that is really worthwhile though is the lockable hinge bolt. The bolt that holds the hitch base to the platform base has the same end on it as Yakima's hitch bolt which means you could put a Yakima Hitch Lock on it if you were really paranoid about someone coming along and unbolting the top half of your rack


----------



## longman (May 9, 2007)

mtbscooter said:


> Thanks for the great detailed reveiw and photos, they really helped in my decision to buy this rack. Just wanted to make a comment on the locking ability of the rack. It seems that Yakima has missed an oportunity to assist us in securing our high priced bikes.
> Couldn't they have integrated a lock-core (which they sell for most of their other racks) into the arms that hold the wheels??? It seems that if these arms where able to be locked down the bikes would be more difficult to steal w/ the use of the integrated cable lock to secure the rear wheel and frame. It would also be helpful if the red release button on the arms was in a different location away from the fork/bike.
> 
> Hopefully Yakima keeps an eye on these forums for suggestions on improving their products.


lock cores in the arms do not work, simply open the wheel qr, take the wheel out, letting the tiredown if required and take the bike. Thule uses these on the T2 and the sidearm and they are useless.


----------



## gmstrek8 (Oct 23, 2008)

Ok I am like most of you. I had narrowed it down to the T2 and the hook up. Then somebody mentioned the Saris thelma. So I have looked at all three and like things about all of them. I was pretty much set on the Yakima however in Canada it goes for $500-$600. I don't mind paying for quality but want to be sure I before I buy. Does anybody have an opinion on the Thelma in comparision to the Thule and the Yakima? The videos on Youtube are pretty helpful. Just wondering if anybody has used the Thelma?
Thanks


----------



## bookmonke (Jul 2, 2009)

How far from you back bumper does this whole rack stretch, I do like the design and idea but concerned about 4 bigs hang back that far.


----------



## willevans (Jun 15, 2006)

Why not the Raxter?


----------



## RonSchon (Jul 9, 2009)

*Rack Question*

Here is my dilemna... My wife has a Lexus RX350, and I didn't want her putting a top rack for a couple of reasons - 1 being she isn't really tall enough to manage lifting a bike and securing it above her head, and 2 - it kind of distorts the nice lines of the car. So I had the dealer put a 2" receiver on the rig. The problem with that is she never wants to put the receiver hitch on her car, so she just puts the bike in the back.

I'd like to find a tray rack that could stay on the car for the riding season, and when not being used would still allow the rear hatch door to open without doing anything to the rack.

Anybody know anything that doesn't come up so high in the stow position as to hinder the opening of the rear hatch? From receiver to back door is probably about 18 inches. I guess it would need to telescope a bit to carry 2 or more bikes.

Thanks,
Ron


----------



## Buadyen (Apr 18, 2009)

RonSchon said:


> Here is my dilemna... My wife has a Lexus RX350, and I didn't want her putting a top rack for a couple of reasons - 1 being she isn't really tall enough to manage lifting a bike and securing it above her head, and 2 - it kind of distorts the nice lines of the car. So I had the dealer put a 2" receiver on the rig. The problem with that is she never wants to put the receiver hitch on her car, so she just puts the bike in the back.
> 
> I'd like to find a tray rack that could stay on the car for the riding season, and when not being used would still allow the rear hatch door to open without doing anything to the rack.
> 
> ...


Have you looked into the 1up USA rack? There are reviews of it posted in these two threads: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=534654 and http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=522934. Looking at the photos that I posted of my rack, it looks like that the 1up USA rack with one add-on might fit within the 18" distance you're talking about in the fully stowed position. (It's about 9 inches from the hitch to the top of the license plate cutout on my car.) The rack also has a middle position that might also work.


----------



## willevans (Jun 15, 2006)

RonSchon,

I use the Raxter, which is similar but less expensive than the 1up USA rack. I have their two-bike folding version and it sticks up a total of 6" above the hitch receiver. The non-folder version is lower. Even with my rack folded up it is not tall enough to interfere with loading and unloading long items from my trunk. Try emailing them and looking on their website to see the actual dimensions.

My main reason for getting the rack was that it hold the bike by just the wheels, is fast to load, and it is so compact I can keep it on the car all season long.

__
https://flic.kr/p/3702281633


----------



## RonSchon (Jul 9, 2009)

Thanks for the super fast feedback - the 1up looks good, except $500 for the 1up plus the 1up extension. That is a bit prohibitive. That leans me to the Raxter - but no dealers in Colorado to take a look at it. I'll have to run through the discussions to see the down-sides. But big thanks - this is the category I need.


----------



## THATmanMANNY (Dec 4, 2007)

*question about main pin/safety pin Holdup*

Hi. Do you notice any play/wiggle room with no bike when the rack is up or down? I have the older PIN Holdup. I notice some wiggle room when the rack is up (haven't checked down yet, but I assume so too). Is this "room" for the pin to get in and out easier?

Thanks
Manny


----------

