I was doing research on the web throughout the winter for a new hitch rack.  Picking up a Subaru Outback last summer (official vehicle of the Pacific Northwest) that didn’t have a hitch, I went with a single roof tray; a Yakima ForkLift.  I purchased it in Portland at the Rack Attack and it functioned perfectly.  The combination of the lockable front skewer and rear wheel strap really secured the bike firmly.  And the tray attached directly to my car’s roof crossbars, so no additional mounts were needed.  But as you can imagine, removing the front wheel and lifting the bike on and off the tray got old real quick.  With the bike attached to the tray the car/bike would not fit into the garage as it was too tall to sneak under the top of the door opening.  Not a huge deal, but I like to get organized the night before a big ride and have my bike on the rack ready to go.  Plus it’s just less messing around in the early morning.

On my previous vehicle I had a simple Yakima Roc 2 hitch rack that could hold two bikes.  When the Klein Adept was my main ride I used a top tube adapter with the rack due to the bike’s odd frame geometry.  The rack was simple, lightweight, and easy to hook up to the hitch.  The only suspect element was the stabilizing strap for the frame downtube.  The weight of the bike would be supported adequately, but with the wheels unbraced, the bike would really sway in the wind, especially when driving through the Columbia River Gorge.

So after all my research I decided on the Yakima HoldUp (1.25 inch version).  A few weeks back I took the first step and had a hitch installed at U-haul opting not to go with an expensive factory hitch.  It really came out nice, the 1.25 inch hitch is compact and it’s tucked away tight to the underside of the car.  Folded into the new rack purchase was my REI member dividend and 20% off coupon, so I placed the order online and saved close to $175 with all my discounts.  Yakima also has rebates available on new racks purchased through April 30, 2010 – so get on it.

I picked up the new rack at the store, brought it home, and followed the straight forward assembly instructions.  The rack is very well designed and I was impressed right from the start.  What I really like is how the rack can remain attached to the car and just be folded up against the rear gate.  The wheel trays fold in as well when not in use resulting in a more compact form.  Loading and unloading bikes is a snap and the StrongArm firmly stabilizes each bike.  The design of the arm and wheel trays will accommodate a wide range of tire sizes.  Included with the rack is a cable and integral lock to secure bikes to the rack (and locks the through-pin to your hitch).

Overall, this rack is excellent; it’s well made with a simple yet purposeful design.  The completely assembled unit is a bit heavy at 50 pounds however, so be careful when attaching it to your vehicle or finding a place to store it in the garage when not in use.

A few additional photos:

             StrongArm securing the front wheel.                                            Rear wheel tray and strap.