Yakima is a big name in the USA and offers a wide range of transport solutions for bicycles, outdoor accessories and roof tents. In this country, bike racks from the city of the same name in Washington state are still rarely seen.
The products certainly have potential, as the last test showed. This time, Yakima is launching the revised version of the JustClick 2 with a stylish black frame and brand new LED lights. Will the JustClick 2 be able to impress with its function as well as its looks?
Assembly without great effort
The Yakima also comes fully assembled out of the box, only the support arms still need to be attached to the curved bracket. However, this is best done when the bikes are loaded for the first time.
In terms of workmanship, the Yakima bike carrier is no slouch. The materials are of a consistently high quality and there are no edges in the working area that could injure your fingers. Only the holder for the plug is not very well thought out and can break off if handled carelessly.
Attach and connect
On the way to the car, you will notice a special feature of the JustClick - it has small castors. This makes it reasonably easy to transport the not quite lightweight bike rack to the coupling - even if the wheels are somewhat small and hard.
Surprise number two: Just like the Uebler i21 Z60 the Yakima does without a classic clamping lever. Instead, the carrier is clamped onto the coupling by folding down the rails, which makes assembly much easier.
A small window clearly shows whether the bike carrier is securely clamped to the coupling. By the way: dismantling is just as easy. Simply fold the rails back up and the Yakima can be lifted off the coupling.
Plenty of space, but only on the first rail
The rails can be manually extended to a maximum width of 129 cm. The LED lights can also be adjusted to the desired width. For bikes with a particularly long wheelbase, the ratchet straps can also be moved further outwards using an Allen key - but only on the rail closest to the vehicle.
It's a shame that the ratchet straps cannot be offset on the second rail, which somewhat restricts the maximum possible wheelbase. On the other hand, Yakima has thought about the positioning of the wheel holders: both ratchets are orientated towards the front and are therefore quite comfortable to use - even if they are a little choppy at times.
Gripper less suitable for fat frames
The Yakima bike carrier uses classic grippers to clamp the bikes. And when it comes to ease of use, you can't go wrong here - the grippers are very easy to remove from the grab rail and move to the desired position.
The curved bracket offers all kinds of offset positions. However, the grippers are not very suitable for bulky or angular tubes, such as those often found on power e-bikes. A diameter of around 8o millimetres is the limit.
The rails could also be a little wider so that even fat and heavily profiled tyres can stand securely on them. What we liked in the test, on the other hand, is the second rail, which is sufficiently spaced and slightly offset in height. Collisions with the frame or handlebars and saddle can thus be prevented quite efficiently.
The Yakima can also be optionally upgraded with a third rail. This is simply clamped onto the second rail, but is then positioned at a very short distance and is therefore more suitable for children's bikes.
There is good news for bike travellers who want to take their bike with them to Italy on the back of their car. The regulations on labelling with a warning sign have changed. Find out what's new in the transport of two-wheelers here.
Yakima JustClick Evo 2 bike rack - info & price
- Price: 739 Euro
- Weight: 17.3 kg
- Stowage dimension: 99 x 29 x 77 cm
- Rail length / width / spacing: 129 / 6.9 / 25.5 cm
- max. wheelbase: 125 cm (134 cm on the first rail)
- max. pipe diameter: 80 mm
- Carrier / bikes lockable: yes / yes
- Equipment: Secured folding mechanism with foot control; carrier and support arms lockable; plug holder; rails and LED lights extendable; extension for 3rd bike; transport castors
Conclusion & Valuation Yakima JustClick Evo 2 bike carrier
What we particularly like about the Yakima JustClick Evo 2 are the small transport wheels and the clever clamping mechanism - put it on, fold it down and it's ready to go. The height-adjusted rails can be pulled out and create space on the carrier. However, bikes with a long wheelbase only fit on the inner rail close to the vehicle, otherwise the locking straps are not sufficient. The JustClick does not like fat tyres (from 2.5 inches) and bulky tubes. Top: easily adjustable grippers and high-quality workmanship, but somewhat bulky storage dimensions.
Stefan Frey
Editor
