I'm after a boot-mounted rack for Mini Cooper. Two or maybe three bikes. Have had good Yakima roof mounted racks before, but any others particularly recommended?Buzz rack, Thule etc?
Saris Bones, bit spendy, but flexible mounting for 2/3 bikes depending on model
Nothing specific to recommend, but these guys are useful to compare options.
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/cyuk/offer.php?utm_source=ctc&utm_medium=magazine&utm_campaign=CYUK-5%-discount
If you're putting 3 bikes on a hatchback, likely you need to budget for trailer electrics too due to the rear light clusters being covered.
Seems I overlooked the fact that 2 out of 3 bikes are carbon framed, so i've got to be a bit choosy. The Thule Outway platform 2 might work... and it potentially avoids needing an accessory plate/electrics too.
Seems I overlooked the fact that 2 out of 3 bikes are carbon framed, so i've got to be a bit choosy. The Thule Outway platform 2 might work... and it potentially avoids needing an accessory plate/electrics too.
That looks a decent option. Thule website doesn't list it as fitting the Mini Cooper, but I guess you know that - not many official options for a rear-mounted rack. Mine has the JWC rear spoiler and it's actually easier to thread straps through it than the standard Cooper spoiler (assuming you have any spoiler that is).
I only use my car occasionally for carrying a bike so went with the suction rack I already had (use a van most of the time).
Yes Thule says it doesn't necessarily fit but I found another site saying it does. Might see if I can trial fit one at a shop.
I actually already have a suction system but:
1. I don't trust anyone else in the family to use it safely
2. The roof panel flex makes me wince
I would steer clear of the Saris Bones. Tried one about 4 years ago and couldn't fit a single one of our bikes on it securely due to the size of the arms and shape of the frames
Would likely be fine on full size relatively gatey bikes, but on full suss bikes with wiggly frames and sticky outy bits, or small people's bikes, it's a right PITA.
2. The roof panel flex makes me wince
It's the worst roof flex I've had on any vehicle I've used mine on (including, coincidentally, a Vauxhall/Holden Monaro 😀 ). No damage to mine after quite a few uses.
I assume yours is also this shape of Mini - 2014+ F56? The previous R56/2nd gen have proper roofbar options, I had the genuine BMW/Mini bars permanently fitted to my previous Mini.
I did initially look for a better solution for the F56.Without the factory roof prep options are limited. Closest I found was the Yakima Q tower system that slots in under the plastic weather strip and accesses slots under the roof panel: https://www.minif56.com/threads/trying-to-locate-the-hidden-slots-for-yakima-q128-clips-on-the-roof.69569/
Yeah, +1 on the saris being a pain for anything other than a big front triangle. It was also built like a tank (good), but it dented the hatch at the top due to the big stiff clips. This was on a gen 7 civic. So avoid it if you are already wincing about the suction type making the roof flex on the mini.
If you can, best option would be proper roof footpacks and roof bars with your yakimas or thule carriers, or spend a bit more and get a tow bar/ tow bar carrier.
Not the Saris bones - everyone used to reccomend these as the default clip on rack but we had a nightmare with them when I worked in a LBS years back - they flex, they are all plastic and the clips and fittings snap or cannot be tightened much.
I much prefer a less stylish, but far sturdier 'traditional' tubular steel rack - Halfords, Hollywood etc.
I would honestly try do down the route of towbar or roof rack if at all possible - bikes are big, heavy, and very expensive these days, and if your talking modern suspension bikes the frames are so different from the regular tubular triangle, that hanging them from the top tube gets very very difficult.
I much prefer a less stylish, but far sturdier 'traditional' tubular steel rack - Halfords
My Halfords one was £30 back in the 90s, still works, done many many trips with it, including to the Alps a good few years back. Last use carried my son's Remedy and Hardtail down to Exeter (3 hours) when he went to Uni. 3 bikes might be a problem, but only cos of the length of the tubes 🙂
Got a towball on my car now, so don't need to use the Halfords any more, but would trust it if necessary, it is a bit of a faff... hmm, but then so is the towbar one!
Yep - it's an F56.
So the tubular ones I've looked at don't carry the requisite weight. All bikes are 15kg.
Not fitting a towball to the Mini. Already have a vertical rack on the other car.
I actually had a Saris briefly...but it didn't work with the car a Triumph 2500S.
Not a cheap option, but there's the MINI rack that attaches to the rear towing eyes. You need the "rear luggage rack preparation" option from factory, or it can be retrofitted: as standard MINIs only have a threaded insert in one side to screw the towing eye into, but the prep option added a 13-pin socket and an extra threaded hole behind the flap on the other side too.
Then you can use THIS genuine MINI rack which screws into the two holes.
My MINI only has the RH threaded hole, so I'd need to change the rear chassis member/crash bar and add the electrics.
The genuine Mini option would be great but I suspect it would be a faff assuming we even find the rack in Oz.
Went with a Thule platform rack in the end. Seems pretty good.
That looks good @reeksy. Keeping a note of this in case I end up in a situation of wanting/needing to use my Mini more often to carry bikes (it's not a cheap option!). I suspect I might have issues with my rear spoiler if I can't thread the top straps/bars through the spoiler gap.
Edit: 1270mm max wheelbase! All my bikes are longer than that but could be worked with if it came to it.
Edit: 1270mm max wheelbase! All my bikes are longer than that but could be worked with if it came to it.
I hadn't seen that!!! Mine is 1287mm apparently - probably is a bit longer than ideal, but the straps seem to work fine. I drove for an hour at up to 70mph without any issues.
I hadn't seen that!!! Mine is 1287mm apparently - probably is a bit longer than ideal, but the straps seem to work fine. I drove for an hour at up to 70mph without any issues.
It'll be fine, I've had my 1360mm WB G1 on my van rack with max rating of 1280mm. Worst case rotating the bars/fork 180deg shortens the wheelbase.
Reminded me of this pic someone posted in a Geometron group recently 😀
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