Planning on getting a bike rack to put my road bike on. Any recommendations for bike racks for the MINI? Also how easy is it to install ?

 

There is a DIY thread if you search the forum. Many people have done it. People seem to like the MINI OEM base. I just carry it inside because I don't carry a passenger when I go riding.

 

I had the MINI-FINI hitch put on and got a standard 1.25" bike rack from my local bike store ($150). I didn't like the MINI options because I didn't want to put anything on my roof and did not want to cut a hole in my bumper. The MINI-FINI cuts holes in the valence, but that can be replaced pretty easily. I didn't install the hitch but I hear it's not too difficult.

 

I went with the MiniDoMore hitch receiver and Yakima DoubleDown bike rack. The installer cut a small hole in the valence, but you hardly notice. I'm very happy with this combo. I posted some pics here:

Hitch receiver install

 

Definitely do the MiniDoMore receiver hitch. It takes about an hour to put on (if you have ANY mechanical inclination), is completely invisible (other than a small plastic cap in the valence), and gives you a multitude of carrier options.

I was originally going to go with the Mini rear bike carrier, but it's prohibitively expensive and requires extensive modification to the bumper cover and underlying crash bar. The MiniDoMore hitch is a straight bolt up.

I went with a Saris Thelma rack. It fits completely behind the Mini when you don't have a bike on it, folds up out of the way, and is very light (about 23 pounds). The Yakima Holdup is very nice also but weighs over 50 pounds. That would be a bear to take on and off. The only negative on the Thelma is figuring out how to lock the bikes on it. Oh, the Thelma is fairly inexpensive also.

The only thing I would add is that the MiniDoMore installation instructions aren't extremely clear on bumper removal. They forgot to mention two push pin connectors near the fender opening that have to be removed. All the connectors are pretty easy to pull out though. If you can find a parts diagram showing the fasteners, that would probably make it easier.

 

I also have the Saris Thelma. The Yakima locking hitch pin is compatible with this rack and solves the problem of locking the rack to the car. I haven't found a good way to lock the bikes to the rack. You can use a long cable lock and run it under the car but I wouldn't want to leave it on while driving. Too bad they didn't weld a steel loop to the rack so you could run a cable lock through it.

 

Yeah, I'm less concerned about someone stealing the rack (with or without bikes on) as they would need a socket wrench and would have to figure out where the pin was. The Yakima pin does solve that issue though. I wish Saris had put some place for a cable also. I'm sure I can come up with something. All in all a great bike carrier.

 

Many, many threads on this....I'm using a Thule roofrack with front-wheel-off bike trays. Works well for me, I'm hauling both road and mtb bikes on my car at least 3-4 times weekly.

 

Yeah, there are many different opinions on this. I always had roof racks but I usually had plenty of room to throw the front wheels inside the car. The Mini doesn't really have that, so the roof rack option for me would be a rail that holds the frame with both wheels attached. I do a lot of highway driving and I don't want the fuel economy hit or wind noise associated with the roof rack.

The negative on a hitch mount is having to remove it to go through the car wash, but it really only takes about 2 minutes. If I did most of my driving around town, I'd probably go with the roof rack though.

Of course I'll never drive my bike into the garage on back either.

 

With two bikes on the Thelma, do you find that the seat of one bike hits the handlebars of the other? I find that the seatpost starts to slip if I'm constantly raising and lowering it. I may try flipping the outside rear tire holder to see if it raises or lowers the bike enough to avoid interference.

As for locking the bikes, I use a long cable lock and loop it under the car and through the suspension. I remove this while driving.

 

The Thelma is relatively widely spaced between the two bike locations so there shouldn't ever be any conflict. It's more than half the width of most handlebars. Also, the bikes are offset enough that the saddle is forward of the other bikes bars. I've only had one bike on mine, but a friend often carries two on his Thelma and never has to adjust anything. He just throws the two bikes on and attaches the tire straps. It takes about 45 seconds per bike.

As for locking, I want an easy option that I can leave on until I'm ready to ride the bike. I often drive in to work with the bike on the car and I don't want to climb under the car or leave it unlocked.

 

I got the trailer receiver hitch from minidomore.com and then bought a standard bike rack that fit the receiver. I installed it all myself in just a few hours. Piece of cake. : ) All together it was cheaper to do this than any other option I explored (that wouldn't risk scratching the paint.) It also gives me the flexibility of adding other trailer hitch accessories (uh, like a trailer).

http://www.minidomore.com/mini_coope...iler_hitch.php

 

I'm going on a camping trip to Big Bend National Park in west Texas. I'd like to bring a bike along but won't have room inside the car. I'd prefer a carrying the bike behind the car vs on the roof to reduce wind drag and noise. According to the minidomore web site their hitch won't work with my rear fog lights. Any more suggestions for a rear bike rack? I also have a rear spoiler which interferes with another rear bike rack that I read about. Guess I'll try the other forums and hope to find something that works on my particular MINI (2007 MC) accessories included. If I had done research on this before ordering my car, I probably would have left those extras off.

 

I wonder if you can use it by removing the foglight when towing? The other option is to simply remove the foglight and leave it out which you would probably have to do when carrying the bike anyway. I assume they mean you can't have the foglight wired up in place and still use the hitch. Had you ordered the car without the foglight, the result would be the same, you'd have a hitch behind the location for the fog light. I think the bumper is the same but probably has some sort of insert for the foglight opening. The only negative is you paid for a foglight that you won't be using.

Have fun in Big Bend. I've done a lot of riding out there. There are some fantastic views and tough climbs, particularly in and out of the Basin.

 

I have the Mini USA Roof Rack with bike attachment. It's good enough and gets the job done. I've had it on the car for a 500 mile round trip. No problems either way - just crappy gas mileage (happens with the snowboard too.)

Here are a bunch of pics for you:

1. http://jensenkids.com/blog/wp-conten...0/img_4581.jpg
2. http://jensenkids.com/blog/wp-conten...0/img_4580.jpg
3. http://jensenkids.com/blog/wp-conten...0/img_4583.jpg
4. http://jensenkids.com/blog/wp-conten...0/img_4585.jpg
5. http://jensenkids.com/blog/wp-conten...0/img_4587.jpg

 

Very happy with my MINI-FINI hitch. It was expensive, but the bike os on the back and I could use any 1.25" rack (I have a Hollywood rack, highly recommended). This set-up also lets me open the hatch without it hitting the bike, which is nice.

 

I got the MINI factory rear bike rack. Both the rack and dealer installation were expensive, but worth it to me. There's a photo in my gallery. I can post more if you like.

 

I am interested in what the back looks like without the rack. The MA told me they cut holes in the bumper, which is why I didn't go with it. Is that true?

 

I was under the impression you had to use their bike rack. You can use any rack that's the right size?

 

I have the MINI Factory roof rails and just installed the racing-bike carrier this evening. I bought two of them, but have only put one on so far. Will take a bike down to NC for a bit of riding, so we'll see how the MINI does with mileage. Probably not too big a deal since gas is down to $2.59 a gallon for super unleaded at some stations.

The MINI bike carrier seems well made and was very easy to install. We'll see how easy, or not, it is to load a bike on it.

 

Yes, they cut two holes which are fitted with black escutcheons. There are cover plugs for the escutcheons, which I never use. Having these fittings in the bumper is not a problem for me, but for people who won't even put on a front license plate because it will require screw holes The rack goes on and comes off in a few seconds, and tilts out of the way for access to the boot, even with two bikes on board.

 

Yakima roof rack here, never an issue. First time on takes 30 minutes but after that first install removing is two minutes, getting the rack back on is 5 minutes. Very secure provided you have locking towers and bike mounts. One more plus for me, I do not notice any additional wind noise.

One more thought; there are a ton of manufactures out there with Mini toy racks...roof, bumper, hitch, ect. They will all attach to your Mini. Think about basing your purchase on the manufactures particular solution for what you are carrying. When I first bought into Yakima the decision was because Yakima had a better bike mount (in my opinion) than the others. Thule had a better ski attachment, ect. Look at everything you may carry in the future an go with the manufacture that seems to have the best solution for what you are going to carry.

 

I bought the '09 Clubman with the roof rails but not the factory roof rack for two reasons: 1) I already have a good bit of money invested in the Yakima rack system (I have four bike carriers and the cross bars already) and 2) my wife and I agree that the factory rack doesn't appeal to us in the slightest (it looks a bit strange to us, like an afterthought that doesn't blend with the car well - I think her word for it was "Yuck").

Even though the Yakima website has not caught up with the '09 Clubman with Rails yet, I am happy to report that the Lowrider Towers fit perfectly. I spent about half an hour with a guy from one of the local outdoor stores to make sure that they had a set of towers that worked, and the Lowriders fit the bill.

So, if you have the factory roof rails (or are ordering your new MINI with the rails) and already have a Yakima roof system, then fear not - there is a ready viable solution. I plan on calling Yakima on Monday to let them know about it as well.

 

Hi. Can you show some pictures of your rack installed? specifically how you have 'hooked it' onto the roof?

Thanks.

 

I am planning on getting a Minidomore hitch receiver and a maybe a Saris Thelma rack. Can anyone tell me how easy it is to get to the BOLT that attaches any bike rack to the Minidomore? With the receiver so hidden, and the exhaust shield so close (2006 MCS) is it difficult? Any help would be great.