The bike hauling saga goes on....

In this thread I asked about and received information about the Sport Link and Bike Rack. The system is not in the works for me, due to my poorness. I'd like to get it eventually. I put my Saris Bones rack on the MINI and it worked well, but the bumper was compressed. Here is the picture of how it was:



The towel worked well to prevent scuffs, but the rack has two rubber feet and when the rack was removed after being on the car about 7 hours, the bumper was compressed - I could easily see where the feet had been.

I freaked out, but by the next day it was back to normal. What is inside the bumper? It is obviously squishy, but pops back?

I had also been afraid of the attaching clips (seen to the left of the tailight) leaving a mark, but they were OK.

Is there any way to make the bumper stiffer? I saw this rubber thing and it looks like it would take the role of the towel in my set-up, but would it help with support?

 

Get some shoe sole rubber and put it under the pads, may help to spread the load.

 

There is a chrome trim piece that can be fitted to that part of the bumper. Would something like that help? It might help spread the load and protect the paint. If the chrome look isn't what you want, paint it!!

 

There's also the OEM rubber bumber protector. That should soak up some of the weight your bike carrier is placing on the bumper.

 

The best solution: get at roof rack.. I don't think there is anything that can strengthen the bumper to protect against the weight of the bike + rack + the force in 70mph.

 

MINI designed attachment points for a very secure and strong OEM roof rack. It does require drilling holes in the roof and it is rather expensive to have installed, but it is strong enough for me to stand on and has the capacity to hold over 150 pounds. . . .

 

There is a thread here in NAM with roof racks (1 or 2 years old). And I believe one didn't need to drill in the roof.

 

Thanks!
I know the MINI is a small car, but I have problems washing the middle of the roof. :smile:
I am an older (40 y/o), shortish (5'4") female - I cannot (or don't WANT to) lift my bike over my head all the time, so a roof rack is out. Plus, if it is a more expensive option I'd rather save up for the sport link system.

I'll figure something out with all these suggestions, thanks!

 

The dealer has one roof rack that you can lift the bike from the side of the car.... looks preety helpful... maybe someone can help you better on this one.... I have never used one...