I love the MINI Fini Sport Link setup. I have a tendency to drive into garages with my bikes on the top Even when I know they are there, brain farts haven't stopped me twice.

Plus when the mountain bikes are all muddy after a ride, they don't drop dirt and mud all over the clean MINI.

As you can see, even with a two car garage, I can drive into my garage and avoid expensive damage to my bikes or my MINI, and since I'm usually sore and exhausted after a ride, takes very little energy to take it all down!

 

I put a rear rack on. Once. It bent the middle of the bumper down (which later returned to normal, thankfully!)

Get the trailer hitch. It's the best investment and ensures nothing touches your car!

 

I had the factory roof rack and had it removed......

now if I take the Mini I put the bike in the back with the seats foolded down.....front wheel off of course

I am fortunate that I have an Xterra for bikes, kayaks etc....

 

Saris Bones works for me. It was the cheapest solution (a tad over $100 for the two bike model) and I'm short, so I am not comfortable using a roof rack. It does compress the bumper a bit, but the marks have always come out. I have been using my Bones rack since I got my MINI in May 2005, and it has never left a permanent mark or scratch. I can take it off and put it in the back hatch (seats down) if I am parked in a place where I don't want to leave it on the car, and I can take it off the car when I'm not using it.

 

A rear rack will be better for gas mileage.

Though I don't think that you can transport a kayak on a rear rack.

Gilman.

 

the whole business of transporting large toys is a bit messy to me...... I have owned about every system and am not fond of any........ currently Yakima on the xterra for two kayake 18 and 16 ft long..... bikes go inside on the Xterra/Yakima adapter...... (have to lower the seats) I am always frustrated with the rollers moving........ My GF just got the Saris bones for the Miata and BMW and for bikes it is pretty nice and easy to come off...... I keep hoping something revolutionary will come along....

 

we have one of these. it adapts well to the curveture of the back of the car, didn't scratch anything, and held 2 bikes very securely. It adapts to almost any type of vehicle as it is highly adjustable. It's easy to put on and remove. I recommend this rack.

 

I have a Saris Bones 3 for the back of my Mini. It holds three bikes with ease. I will never, ever use a roof mount, as I know countless people who have driven their bikes into garages and other things. I also have a friend whose bike was severely damaged by road debris, to the point of not being rideable, and he found out about the damage after driving 3+ hrs to a charity ride.

Then there's the possibility of slipping while lifting the bike up to the roof and buggering up your roof. No thanks.

I know other people love their roof rack, but they're just not for me.

 

After my ex pulled into the garage w/ MY bike on the roof (twice) I swore off roof racks. (other car) I got the sport link and the Mini rack for my Mini, and I really like it. It is really solid in comparison to a similar style Yakima hitch rack I had a few years back. You can fold it down to access the hatch, and it's easy to get on an off.

Also doubles as a workstand pretty nicely.

you may also want to just pull your rear seats out and do the rearseatdelete and get a rubber cargo mat. I never used the rear seats, and I find it's easier to carry all my dirty gear (and the dog) that way.

one last thing... I didn't use my Thule hatch style rack (similar to a Saris) because they didn't spec. it as a "proper fit" for the car. While it may have worked, had I used it an experienced an albeit rare failure, I wasn't willing to risk the personal liability. Good luck.

 

I hate all the crap that accumulates on a bike when it's on top (bugs) or on the back (road grit), so have fabricated a "rack" that goes inside the back of my MCS and carries everything in a vertical position - remove the driver's side rear seatback, slide the rack in, mount the bike (if more than about 53 cm non-compact frame, needs both wheels and seatpin/saddle removed - otherwise the rear wheel can stay put, bars turned sideways) and go. Total time to accomplish from start to finish perhaps 10 minutes. Both wheels are mounted in truck-bed "forks" for wheels. Everything stays safely in place even under vigorous cornering. In additon to the bike staying clean and dry, I don't have wind whistle or reduced gas mileage, and it was cheap - two wheel mounts, a piece of plywood, an old stub of a 2 X 4, some carpet remnants, and a QR fork-clamp.

No photos available to upload - I'm still 35mm and no scanner, but if anyone is interested, let me know and I'll be glad to send you some gratis prints. If, after seeing prints, you're interested in creating your own, I'll be glad to pass along some useful hints before you start.

 

I did the bike inside the car bit once and never again. My bike is just too big and I'm not real keen on scratching up my interior.

I have the sportlink and like it. I think it is not very popular due to the high cost for installation quoted by the dealer. It is a bit of a bear to get on there because you need to drop the exhaust to tighten some mounting fasteners. Once it is on, it is very nice and is easy to put on and off the car.

I was able to install mine myself, but would only recommend that to someone with pretty good mechanical skills. Writeups are available and a lift would be very helpful although it can be done on jackstands.

 

Not to hijack the thread....but seriously..... you need to start ending your sentences and not put ..... 5000 periods after a thought...

 

I had the joy of removing the Sportlink off my MC and while the car was still in pieces, reinstalled it on my MCS! I had two MINIs in pieces. LOL

This happened because you remove a metal plate and chunk of foam during the install, and I took these from the MCS once it was disassembled and put back on the former Sportlink carrying MINI.

Installing the Sportlink isn't difficult--just remove the bumper cover, undo a few bolts that hold on the bumper, remove the exhaust, remove and cut some of the aluminum foil exhaust shielding.

It just takes time and patience.

Here's a write up I did

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...341#post551341

I have new updated pictures from my most recent install on the MCS that I have yet to post.

Richard

 

I can understand the issue if the frame is too big - I don't think a frame larger than about 58 or 59 cm would fit vertically inside the back of a MINI, even with the seatpin/saddle pulled out. I ride either a 55 or a 56, depending on top tube length, and there's about 1½ inches clearance at the top of the seat lug.

Like you, I'm not thrilled by the prospect of scratching the inside of the car, which is why everything is anchored to the plywood base of the rack I built. The rack itself is padded with foam insulation/soft carpeting where it contacts the car's interior, so I don't have problems with scratches.

One of the issues I had to face is that I rarely take a bike with me for just short distances - I'll simply ride to the start of an organized event or to meet friends. I only use the rack to carry my track or road bikes long distances (250 miles to the track in Blaine, Minnesota, or 700 miles to Keystone, Colorado for O-Fest 2002). When I did that with either a roof or rear rack (on an old Chevy), the bikes got plastered with crap and, on one occasion, soaked in a thunderstorm. Not good when you're riding classic steel frames!!

A friend of mine with an '05 MC has a Sport Link, and loves it - he rarely carries his bikes more than about 10 miles, so road dirt and weather aren't major issues. I've looked closely at it, and there's no doubt it's a strong and convenient solution to the problem of taking a bike or bikes with you in your MINI.

 

Till ya get rear ended (hope it never happens ;-).

 

I've got the Yakima roof rack (from a fellow NAMer, thank you!) for my surfboard and snow skis. Works great and looks fine.
Turn up the music and you don't hear the "noise." ;-)

 

Someone recently asked me by email what size my bike is. It is a 50cm road bike (compact frame for what it's worth).

 

I have an OEM rack with OEM bike attachments. Works great.

 

with the rear seats down i can fit two bmx bikes with the front tire off, no prob

 

Recently put the hitch rack (old Rhode Gear) into the MDM 1 1/4" receiver hitch. FANTASTIC. You can get an equivalent hitch-mount rack for between $100 and $150 (more if you really want jewelry), add that to the MDM hitch cost and it's less expensive (and more versatile) than the already-good SportLink. The SportLink may have the advantage of less "sway", but to me that's not an issue as long as it's on there to German Spec (Guttentight).

 

I like Could you post some pics of how you arranged the bikes?
Thanks!

 

I ordered the accessory MINI rear bike carrier, despite its high price and high installation cost. It is well designed, well made, and extremely easy to use, and there is almost no chance of damaging the car. Two connectors in the bumper allow the rack frame to be inserted and key-locked in place. The rack tilts, even with bikes on board, to give access to the boot. Because of its position, it does not accumulate either bugs or road dirt. However, it does affect fuel mileage. Without rack we get 34 mpg. With rack on the Interstates at 75+ we get 29 mpg.

 

My 58cm road bike fits inside the cooper with the backseats folded down and passenger seat forward, front wheel off and back wheel towards the front of the car behind passenger seat. I DID aquire a few scratches on the interior the first few times.

Recently I received Saris load bars and a Hollywood roof rack. Nice setup and I'm installing it today (Saturday). I'll post installed pics when I can but here is what it looks like setup in the dining room.

The center cargo bag is plenty big enough to fit all cycling gear for two people. It's waterproof too. I think it will work out nicely and I LOVE the way roof racks look on Minis. Some people complain about noise and loss of mpg, though.

 

I use the Bones Trunk Mount by Saris and I am happy with it. I carried two road bikes, the photo features a 3-bike.

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I will post some pictures in my gallery in a few days but until then i will explain the best i can how i do it.

1. I fold down both rear seats. If you like you can put a blanket down to protect your seats
2. I remove the front wheels from both bicycles
3. I take the first bike and put it in back tire first. The back tire should come to rest behide the passanger seat, and the handlebars on the driver side near the boot. The bike is laid on its side.
4. I put the second bike in back tire first and ontop of the first bike. The rear tire should be behind the drivers seat, and the handlebars should on the passenger side near the boot. The Bike is on its side.
5. I place the front wheels of the bike on top of the bikes in a spot that they would shift while driving.

also*
when puting the first bicycle in the pedal faceing down should be positioned so that in is closest to the boot. This is so it hangs over the folded down seat. This provides a much better fit

Hope that was Helpful
Dan