Yakima Highroad Bike Rack – Review

Owning a carbon frame bike does have its issues. The main one after cost is how do you carry the bike on a car without clamping onto the frame. In the UK the choice is fairly limited and centres around two main roof mounted solutions. The first is the Yakima Highroad that we are looking at here and the second is the Thule UpRide.

Both of these systems clamp onto the front wheel/tyre and have no contact with the frame . As frame designs have progressed, some MTB frames have a lower shock position, being able to clamp a bike securely (carbon or not) has become more difficult.

The Yakima comes out of the box fully assembled, and uses an adjustable rubber-coated stainless steel strap system that attaches to virtually any crossbar shape. I have used the Highroad on a set of Thule Wingbar Evos and Edge without issue.

Sold separately, a conversion kit allows direct attachment to T-track crossbars for a slightly cleaner look, however I am really happy with the strap system. Once you get the tension set right for your setup putting the Highroad on the roof is super quick.

The Highroad rack can be secured to the roof bars using a lock that integrates into the unit. This requires a SKS barrel that is sold separately, but I would highly recommend getting one and fitting it. Integrated into the Highroad is a cable that can be looped around the frame, in my case the swing arm and locked (with another SKS barrel lock sold separately).

Additionally a loop on the wheel clamping rear arm also allows you to loop in a D-Lock or similar.

Loading bikes on either of these carriers is far simpler than trying to line up a clamp with the bike’s down tube — as required by many older roof-mounted carriers — but the Yakima is in a league of its own for ease of use.

You first raise the forward loop, then slide the bike’s front wheel into it, at which point the bike is already held fairly steady. From there, you pull up the rear hoop up and forward to clamp the rear of the front wheel. The knob can then be used to crank the rear hoop nice and tight against the wheel. It features a torque limiting feature. You crank it up until it clicks and as a result it removes any guesswork over whether the bike is secure or not.

The Highroad will accommodate bikes with wheel sizes from 26″ to 29″.

Out of the four Highroad racks that I or my mate own we have had one where the ratchet knob has failed and has become loose. The full rack was replaced under warranty as a result of the failed part.

To secure the rear wheel the Highroad features a simple straight ratchet strap, which can be configured for left or right use to secure the rear wheel to the rack. The ratchet strap is a hard plastic and I have found can damage a carbon wheel, especially if dirty. Yakima do sell a rubber protector that slides over the strap and is much kinder to the bike wheel. The one shown in the image below is a Thule rubber protector.

With the bike on or off the Highroad goes unnoticed. No whistling noises report.

I have to say that I did have an issue with my Highroad. Over a period of time I began to notice a knock when going over bumpy roads. I’d get out and check the setup and the bike/rack was always fine. On one occasion when I removed the Highroad from the car a small piece of metal dropped out of the rear hoop. This turned out to be one half of a rivet. The other part was long gone and as it turned out was the source of the knocking. The rear hoop is fastened onto the rack by sliding it onto two tubes with a smaller diameter and then riveting it in place. The same issue has occurred to two of my mates Highroads. All were replaced under warranty.

Eventually I did sell my Highroad, not because of the issues mentioned above but because I moved from a large framed 27.5 wheeled bike to an XL framed 29 wheeled bike. This meant that the Highroad was simply just too short. The rear wheel would hand off the back of the rack. I therefore moved to a Thule UpRide. If the Highroad was longer or could been adapted to become longer I would still be using it.

Specification: