So I have a little girl on the way and want to expand the storage in my mini for strollers, and things of that sort.. I'm looking for lower profile roof rack for a decent price. Also a cheap basket to throw stuff in big enough for a stroller and/or folding chairs. I've seen a lot of them rated for 125 pounds which would be great but idk which ones would fit on a mini. I did do some research and people have posted that Thule bars will damage your car if you don't get adapters and that you should go with the OEM mini bars. But me personally I think the OEM mini bars looks horrible. I'm open to ugliest ions. Thanks in advance.

 

http://eurostance.co.uk/wp-content/u...-roof-rack.jpg

this is the type of roof rack i want. I know this is a 1st gen, but i think it looks great! i believe this is a thule setup.

 

I am in the same boat as you at the moment. When I went to my local bike shop, they looked up on the Tule web site, and it said that the racks were in development. Will look at the MINI bars, that hook on to the rails without any drilling (some require this to happen) Tule can then supply the bike holders that go on any rack, along with the front wind deflector.

P.S. much cheaper in the states than here in Australia
Cheers,

Ken

 

Having removed a set from my mini...I can attest that the connection to the mini roof line is stout and it results in an incredibly solid rack system. I owned yakima racks previously for a civic and the cross members sagged over the years of bearing the weight of surfboards and bikes. The OEM mini one is head and shoulders better imho, although the esthetics may not be as nice....

 

I just ordered the MINI rack this week. I love the look of the Thule aero bars but for the price OEM MINI was the way to go I think. We shall see over time.

 

I like the OEM bars myself. The only issue I had (this won't matter to the OP) was that if I wanted to leave the bike racks up all of the time, which I do since I go 3-5 times a week, I had to install the Justa spoiler and trim the ends of the rails about 2-2.5" in order to open the trunk all the way. I'm not sure why they designed it this way, but it is amazingly sturdy. I don't worry about my bikes up there at all and we have a lot of often neglected roads here. I see other cars/racks at the trails and they look wobbly. Would freak me out. I never was too crazy about the JCW spoiler when I got the car, so I was not sad to see it go. I really prefer the justa (non) spoiler more. I'm happy with this set up.

 

What kind of bike racks are those?

Side note - I'm on my second set of MINI Fork Mounted bike holders. The first one (purchased Aug 2012) broke and I replaced them a few weeks ago. For some reason, this years model, the bike holder rail is too long and I had the same issue as you. I was about ready to cut it so it doesn't interfere with the spoiler, but then I called MINI and they said this years model rack was "manufactured incorrectly" and is too long, and to "turn it around" so the bike mounts facing backward. I tried it and it's super wobbly that way. Frankly, I think it's a BS response from MINI since there was no issue last year, so I'm looking for different bike rack options.

 

The new OEM fork-mounted rails. Are yours straight? Turning them around looks awfully ridiculous! I tried that and the back wheel hangs over the windshield. This is not a permanent solution unless you take the racks off after every use. This is too much to-do for me when it's already a hassle to do everything else required to get to the trails + unloading it all after you're whipped (x 2 bikes).

You'll have to make the cuts. I placed my largest bike on the rails and put some tape where I could make the cut (or have the cut made in my case). I also had to angle the back of the rails more toward the edge of the roof to get the extra clearance needed.

I figured their intention was that most people remove the bike racks, leaving just the rails/mounts, when done, and that they had to make them long enough to fit an XL road bike?? I wondered why the front bike rack didn't just overhang the forward most rail a little, and/or make that adjustable, but maybe this was not possible. At least they made it "cut-able" with how all the stuff slides right back in.

 

Looks very good muzak Looks like you have the racing Bike Rack .

Racing Bike Rack


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82722326515/






There is also Straight rail fork mount version.


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82720443635/







&

Touring Bicycle Holder - which hold the tube on the frame. And the wheels.


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82712180241/







And here is the factory MINI Roof Rack Base Bars

Roof Rack Base Bars - R56 & R55* (*without factory roof rails )


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82712149225/




On the roof basket: We have the rock mount version. Fits to the OEM MINI bars.


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/ES2568365/




&


If you are looking for aftermarket bike mounts we also carry rockymount euro pitch fork in multiple color. Fits the MINI OEM Roof racks Most guys running a Cooper S spoiler with cut the rear of these by 3 inch so when you open the trunk it does not hit the post on the wing.


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/Euro_PitchFork_Bicycle_Rack/





Hopefully that gives you some more ideas of what you are looking for.

Someone pic of the OEM MINI Rack with Rockeymounts.




Thanks

 

Thanks for the details on that. Glad I ended up with the ones I got. From the pics, it looks more robust. The touring was not an option for me; needed the fork mounts with all the highway driving and how tall a 29er is.

 

You are welcome.


The MINI touring is more for people who like to keep the front wheel attached to the bike and more of a 10 speed bicycle rack in my option. There is some many options from the factory. All the MINI Racks match the base bars if you are looking for consistency, the rocky mounts add the color which is great for people who have a theme or a look.

Thanks again.

 

After quite a bit of research, I decided to stick with the MINI brand roof rails (not what you want to hear). The way they attach is a PITA to put them off and on, so I just leave them on. I've always been a big Yakima fan in the past, but the Yakima and Thule racks which rest on the roof sheet metal have too many scary warnings about roof damage.

The current version of MINI brand racks don't touch the sheet metal. Special sockets made just for that purpose are built into the edge of the roof of R56 MINIs. (If yours is another series, then you'll need to investigate.)

I don't own any MINI brand attachments - my bike mounts are Yakima, which I use on the other car. I occasionally use the MINI rack for hauling lumber and canoes, but mostly I got it to expand our capacity to haul camping gear on long road trips. When mounted the crossbars of the MINI rack are about 27" apart, so your basket will need to work with that.

The list price at most MINI dealerships is way too high, but if you shop around they can be had for less than $250. Which is still plenty high, but less than sheet-metal work if your roof gets damaged.

 

I also opted for the OEM rack, because I'm using it for a cargo box and wanted to get the system with the highest weight limit. If I were only going to use the roof rack for bikes, I probably would have gone aftermarket since there's not much variance to the amount of weight I'd be putting up there. Because I'm throwing a bunch of random stuff on the roof, I'd rather not risk damaging the roof gutters or have to stop and weigh each item and keep a running tally of the weight.

I also like that with the OEM rack doesn't interfere with the sunroof.

Here's the OEM rack with Yakima Rocketbox Pro12:

 

hey folks..
I am VERY interested in this topic, Can anyone attest to the ease or difficulty of installing AND uninstalling these OEM base racks?
I don't want to leave them on all the time, but when I want them I will put them on and take them off as needed.
question:
I cannot locate these perforated lines for the "groove" for the life of me!!!
what is left after the uninstall?? I mean, the Groove or slot that the rail sits in, what does that look like without the rack on?
What about waterproofness WITHOUT the bars on? that slot or groove is now exposed correct?
pictures would be awesome

thanks !!!!

 

Check this:

I can attesst that removal is not a "5 min" process, at least not the 1st time after initial installation. On the other hand, it's a stout connection to the mini.

 

Installing/removing isn't as simple as aftermarket racks but the level of difficulty seems to depend on the person - there seems to be a VERY wide variance on people's experience with the installation. I found this thread very helpful: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...roof-rack.html (excellent install instructions begin on the last post of page 2). Remember to loosen the allen bolts on the underside of the rack before you start the install to give the rack a little more "play" and makes it easier to get the clamps seated into the grooves properly. I think patience and wiggling (the bars, not you) are key to the install/uninstall. IMO it takes more finesse than brute strength to get it done.

The rack comes with plugs that go into the cut-outs in the gutter, so it's not open to the elements when the rack is removed. Post #74 on page 3 of the thread linked above has pictures of the rail when the caps are in place.

Here are the measurements for where to find the perforations - to see them it helps to use a flashlight or direct sunlight: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...6-post304.html

And of course, good luck!

 

The lines are VERY hard to see. I looked several times without success before I finally saw them.

Use these instructions under bright light to find them. These measurement are for a 2010 r56 justa Hardtop:

Between the plastic rain gutter and your metal roof is a narrow rubber/vinyl seal, about 3/16" wide (tall). On each side of the car, there are 2 sets of very fine vertical lines molded into that seal which indicate where the slots are hidden. Each set consists of 2 faint lines about 2 1/2" apart, and it's about 27" between the 2 sets.

As a reference point, use the vertical line formed by the back of your door glass. From that line, measure towards the front of the car, and find the faint vertical lines in the roof seal at about 16 1/2" and 19". Find the rear set by measuring back from the reference line about 8" and 10 1/2".

The MINI rack comes with some black trim pieces to fill in the slots when the rack is off.

I was a bicycle mechanic for 20 years; I do my own plumbing & electrical work around the house, and I change the oil and do minor maintenance on various cars, mowers, chainsaws and tractors. Still, I found the MINI rack installation to be frustrating the first time, and not much easier the second time. For me, it is not a trivial process - not something I'd want to do on a daily basis. After the second installation, I just left it on.

 

On fifteen15 instagram page they have a mini with a black oem roof rack. It's made me change my opinion on the oem roof rack. But I want to know what paint they used that won't get scratched away with a basket being on there, and I want to know how a fairing looks on the oem rack. Gotta photo search.

 

Finding the perforations is best done on a Sunny day and a magnifying glass would help too. Use a credit card or similar to feel along the rain gutter molding to find the approximate area.

I don't recommend the installation unless you are someone that is very mechanically inclined.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought a hammer would work a little better