Bike rack options for Mini Clubman?

[joelh]

Anyone have a rack solution for this car? My wife just ordered one and Mini wants $550 for a roof rack that she doesn't want on her car anyway. I found an aftermarket receiver hitch but it involves drilling out the bumper. I am wondering about a saris bones but their website doesn't indicate that it will work on this car.

Suggestions are appreciated.

[Jawn P]

I worked at a shop that sold a ton of Saris Bones racks.

As long as there is a sturdy metal top on the rear hatch with no spoiler or anything in the way, you should be set.

[xjoex]

I have the factory (which is a thule btw) on my mini, but the bumper mount one is sooo slick looking.

If I am driving solo, which I do a lot as I drive to DC for work all the time, I throw my bike in the back with the wheels off for better gas mileage.

-Joe

[joelh]

Maybe I will revisit the hitch. I already have a yakima receiver mount. Usually when we go off for the weekend I take a bike, and I don't think our luggage plus a bike will fit in the car.

It is a really cool little ride. My wife has wanted one since the mini came out, she is pretty psyched to get it.

[Karin Kirk]

Congrats on the car! What colors? Stripes or no stripes?

We adore our Mini and it seems that many of our friends have them too despite the fact that there are no dealers in this state. A good friend has the clubman and she stows her road bike in it easily, but she's got 650 wheels.

Post a pic when the car arrives!

[timto]

I was a roof rack user for a long time. But mileage, noise and hoisting bikes and finding places for front wheels .... I then bought a friends hitch mounted saris that holds the wheels only. Quickly folds out of the way.

Easy to get a bike on, no need to remove a wheel, out of the way of the wind. I wish I had done it sooner.

[austex]

I bought the MiniDoMore hitch to mount a Thule T2 rack on my wife's Clubman. Then, Uncle Sam did the Cash for Clunkers thing, and I bought a pickup and mounted the T2 "trays" in the bed. Still haven't installed the MiniDoMore hitch, so I can't report...


Tom

[joelh]

Congrats on the car! What colors? Stripes or no stripes?

We adore our Mini and it seems that many of our friends have them too despite the fact that there are no dealers in this state. A good friend has the clubman and she stows her road bike in it easily, but she's got 650 wheels.

Post a pic when the car arrives!
She got the Clubman S in Chili red. I was pushing for that new chartreus color, but she has been focused on red for a long time. Some of our favorite driving is on the Blue ridge parkway, and I am really looking forward to taking it up there.

[Ken Robb]

She got the Clubman S in Chili red. I was pushing for that new chartreus color, but she has been focused on red for a long time. Some of our favorite driving is on the Blue ridge parkway, and I am really looking forward to taking it up there.

If I drove my Cooper S on the Parkway I'd go broke paying the tickets. Isn't the speed limit still silly slow?

[Ken Robb]

I have 2007 Cooper S and the hatch fits too tightly for the hooks of either my folding racks to fit. I went to REI and their info is that only roof or hitch racks are recommended. I don't know why this is so. The hatch seems very sturdy to me.

[spiderman]

and it was installed for a premium--
--not sure i would do it again--
but it works!
the locking mechanism is touchy
and made out of low grade plastic.
i have to admit
i cannot install the system myself.
it is so tricky
only my wife can tweak it into position!

[austex]

I have 2007 Cooper S and the hatch fits too tightly for the hooks of either my folding racks to fit. I went to REI and their info is that only roof or hitch racks are recommended. I don't know why this is so. The hatch seems very sturdy to me.


OP asked about Clubman which uses "barn doors" rather than a hatch, so no place to "hang" a hatch-type rack...

[Ken Robb]

OP asked about Clubman which uses "barn doors" rather than a hatch, so no place to "hang" a hatch-type rack...

I know--but other posters got into a discussion of Minis in general so I thought a heads-up on limited rack availability was appropriate.

[jeffg]

She got the Clubman S in Chili red. I was pushing for that new chartreus color, but she has been focused on red for a long time. Some of our favorite driving is on the Blue ridge parkway, and I am really looking forward to taking it up there.

With a Clubman the bike should fit inside! I have a Cooper S and I can fit a Legend with a 57cm TT/11cm stem by just removing the front wheel (though the front passenger would not have a lot of leg room. Take off both wheels -- fits two bikes and two cyclists easily.

[rounder]

I don't know how it will fit on your car, but i just got a saris bones rack for my car. I had a 15+ year rhode gear super shuttle that i had used without problems on various cars, but wanted something better. I used it last weekend for a 300 mile round trip drive. Looking out the rear view mirror after 50 miles, noticed that the foot that rests on the trunk was floating around from side to side and then wasn't touching at all. I pulled over and tightened down everything. No problems thereafter either coming or going. I figured that the problem was new strap stretch which seemed to go away after i tightened it. So far, think the saris bones rack works well. I like that the straps can't slip and tighten down everything so that the bikes don't touch. So far so good.