Anyone know if the Countryman Rear-Mounted Bike Rack Prep only usable with a MINI brand bike rack, or can you use any hitch-mount types (ie. Thule, Yakima, etc.)??

 

I would think you could use any hitch mount types. They should all be a universal size.

 

It's the Mini only brand. If you look at the back bumper of the countryman you'll see two circles on either side of the bumper, take those off and you put in the Mini brand bike rack.

 

Is the MINI bike rack available yet?? I don't see it on the MINI USA site. Anyone have any photos??

 

+1

The prep at the factory costs 50 bucks at time of ordering your car.

If no prep, a mounting kit which attaches to the rear subframe costs about $150+ - the rear bumper cover then has to have two holes ( For Cooper, Clubman and Cooper S ) on left and right side drilled through so attachments can attach to the subframe kit.

Then the bike rack is like $650+ I think.

By the time you are done with labor I would expect the total to be over $1K.

It attaches sorta like the MINI Sport Link racks for the 1st Gen, only the attachment points are a bit higher up.

They make a sport bike rack that mounts to the roof top and swings your bike out and to the side of the car. Makes for easy acess, but front bike wheel has to be removed.....

 

Because the US Countryman is coming with the Bike Rack Prep Standard, do you even have the option to have the trailer tow hitch installed? (I see they have the rack for that in addition to the rear-mounted rack)

 

I looked at my first Countryman last night alongside the GM of our local dealer. We are both cyclists. The "rack prep" that is standard is two pre-drilled and tapped holes in the bumper for the MINI accessory rack, covered by body colored plugs. One of these would also be used for a tow hitch. The MINI rack is made to use these mounts and should already be available as the "kit" to make it work is already available for R56's. Any other brand rack would require a receiver hitch to be installed. I'm sure if you had a good local fabricator in your town, you could have one made, or wait for MiniDoMore to come out with their's (he's already posted here looking for a guinea pig.) The MINI rack is a bit pricier than Thule's or Yak's but you could negoiate one into your deal for less probably and nothing else is needed to make it work.

 

Sorry if I'm resurrecting a dead thread, but I found a YouTube video for the MINI Bike Rack. Looks pretty damn cool, but hopefully it doesn't cost a mint. I already have Thule hitch racks that slip into a standard receiver, but it looks like I'll have to buy one to use them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T3kkyEGJ2s

 

I think the Minifini link attachment will be available in a few more weeks. With that and the receiver attachment you will be able to use your existing bike rack. Cost should be a lot less than the MINI rack.

Check out the Minifini web site for approximate pricing. I'm assuming the link for the Countryman will be similar in price to the Coopers and Clubman.

Bill

 

I'm hoping minifini utilizes the existing two prep rack holes so we dont have to buy the frame bracket. A Sport Link Attachment bar that screws into the bike prep would be ideal (if it has enough weight bearing capacity)

 

Interesting that the bike rack doesn't look too heavy or unwieldy. May be something to think about, after all!

 

We bought the rear bike rack for our countryman. It is very compact when not in use and is easy to install. It was $636, pretty pricey but we needed the capacity. You can also access the boot without removing the loaded bikes. I did not have the link on my 05 mini but it looking at all the aftermarket items I wish I had.