Does anyone have a good recommendation for the best way to transport bicycles on a MINI? ...on the roof? ... on the back? ...taking the front wheel off and stuffing it inside?
Thanks for any ideas.

 

I use the factory Mini roof rack......I like it. The bike trays are THule

 

How does the factory roof rack mount onto the MINI? From the accessories catalogue, it looks like it's bolted right into the roof.

 

I have been debating just this question. Yes it does bolt into the roof.

Roof rack is a good option if you do not mind hucking the bike up there and pulling it down from up there. Roof also has a larger increase in wind resistance due to the bikes being up in the wind. So what is the real plus? They are up there on top so if you get rear ended they are safe, plus you do not have to wory about the exhaust harming your tires.

The rear rack exposes you bikes to being rear ended and your rites could be effected by the exhause (more so in a MC than and MCS.) But you are lowering your wind resistance and if you drive into the garage they are not going to get knocked off. Which is why I am going with the out back approach. The Mini roof rack is attached so if your biks hit something the rack is going to stay there and you bike is going to get hurt. Yakima and Thul roof racks are good because they are engineered to come off if the bike hits something, and from experience not a lot of damage is done besides paint scraping.

The roof rack is also a bit cheeper than the sportlink system, but I am nervous about things on the roof, especially with out a sunroof where I can watch so I am getting the sportlink and letting my bikes hang out back where I can keep an eye on them.

 

i previously used a yakima, and noticed that i put a minor dent in the roof. that was on my 03. i'm going with the sport link this time around. my friend has it and LOVES it.

 

I have the Sportlink and it is one decision I feel was right from the start. The thing is awesome. Easy to take off and on the car...and just as easy to take the bikes off and on also. It is STURDY, no cheap feel anywhere in the design. Comes with 2 built in locks..one to keep people from removing it from the car and the other to prevent the tilt feature from....well, tilting. It can tilt out of the way (with the bikes attached) to gain access to the boot. I recommend it over everything else out there.

Now it is expensive (worth every penny IMHO). And it is only designed to hold 2 bikes. I think you could rig another one if you had to...it is more than strong enough to hold the extra one.

 

I have the sport link and love it. Very stable at hwy speeds. Check out this review http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/s...eferrerid=1459

Cheers.

 

Here's another vote for the SportLink. Awesome system!


Also, you can buy a ski (or snowboard) adapter, so it's a year-round toy-hauler.

 

A couple of other observations:

Roof racks can render a sunroof almost useless due to noise. I have a '98 VW GTi (planning on ordering MCS in Nov/Dec) and the roof rack is sooo noisy at speed - wind noise - that I cannot really open the roof at all without my ears bleeding and head exploding. That stinks, but a spoiler or windbreak on the leading bars of the rack might help. On the positive side, the bikes are up high (no problem lifting them up there, but bikes are 27 pounds), out of the way and safely secured, as long as we do not drive into a garage.

Trunk or hatch mounted racks, while they elimiate the noise issue and the hefting the bikes up on the roof, can put the bikes in such a position that they bottom out on certain short steep uphills or dips in the road. I should say that I have no experience with the Sportlink Sytem. My wife had a Camry (ugh) and a hitch-mounted rack and she always had to drive very carefully to gaurd against our bikes bottoming out or rubbing on the road.Something to do with how far back and low the bikes were carried and the approach and departure angles of the car. Also, some of these racks can scratch the bikes paint or crimp/crush your bike's cables or hydraulic brake line. Suggest you stay away from racks that mount with straps and clamps or hooks as they will scratch the cars paint. Better to go with the hitch mounted esign and be careful.


I have a Thule rack with the Big Mouth system and I really like it.


Hope this helps.

 

Yikes.. So it really does bolt into the roof. So for this to be installed, the dealer would need to physically sheer four holes into my roof? And what about times when I don't want/need the roof rack?

I think I would prefer the SportLink system as well if it weren't for the fact that my brother and I also snowboard and whatnot. The roof rack is just more flexible in that it can carry a bigger array of stuff (like a good'ol photon torpedo luggage carrier if for some reason I had to carry four people + baggage on a multi-day roadtrip). For straight-up bicycles though, the SportLink looks like the bee's knees.

Anyway, passing interest; he still has a Honda Element that we use for actually toting around the larger sports equipment.

 

... There are ski and snowboard adapters for the SportLink?? Got a link or product number? That would solve some issues (as noted above). I'm not to high on the idea of having the roof rack bolted THROUGH my roof.

 

I've had my eye on the SportLink and Bike Rack since about a half a year
before it was released, but my wife's VW Cabrio has a "pea-shooter" rack
http://www.birdautomotive.com/Bike%2...GTI%20Golf.htm
that does ok for now, and the sportlink/bike rack is a bit pricey for a
redundant system (only need one bike-able car in the household).

Now, if she trades her cabrio for a MCC or MCSC (as she's threatening to
do someday), then one or the other is gonna get the SportLink.:smile:

 

I've used the sportlink and the Yakima Mighty Joe 3. I like the sportlink since it is so stable at high speeds and looks very cool even without the bike rack part.

 

Here's my one thread and here's my other thread about this. The Saris rack is only about $119 or so (less on sale) and once I figure out a good way to protect my bumper, that's what I'm going with. I am planning on getting a Sport Link when I can afford it.

 

My road frame is CF and your not supposed to hang CF on a Sport Link type system. That is why I went roof

I have damaged equipment and roofs in the past and in fact the Mini has some bad scrapes now that need to be repaired.

The factory rack system is a clean and carries a lot more weight than a Yakima or Thule.

I also carry a kayak from time to time so I needed a roof system.

There is some noise but my car has a ton of noise from the engine so I really don't care. My car has a lot of performance mods and the roof rack gives it a very gentile look sort of wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

2 Minis, 3 years, no problems. Bikes, skis, windsurfers, lumber, futon couches, etc. Cheap, easy to pop on and off, plent-o-accessories, and... no holes in your roof.

 

I put my road bike in my MCS with the seats down leaving the back wheel on...however, that said, my bike is only 47cm...

 

I have a Saris hatch carrier. It looks great, (nice and curvy) works with both cars, (we have a Prius too) and no dents, wind noise, or "bottoming out".

Oh, and it was 150.00

 

For real??

 

Love my factory rack. Strong enough for me to stand on and is great for carrying my 16 foot sea kayak. . . .

It is certainly the best option if strength is your major concern as it is mine. . .

 

How does the factory rack come off (when you don't want to use it)?

 

Good question. I wonder the same?

Could you post pics of how you take it off? I'm thinking of getting one and am curious...

 

I also have a 16 ft kayak that I carry on my Yakima rack on my IS300 sport cross. I was thinking of getting the kayak adaptor for the factory rack.....

I started to describe the process for taking off the rack and it did not read well. a couple of bolts per tower and a plastic cover for the bracket. I never take it off so it is really no big deal......I like the look

 

Write-up not necessary; just snap a few pictures of where the bolts are, and perhaps whatever the hole looks like (both capped and uncapped). I can figure out the working from there.

 

Will do but it will have to be tonight