hatch bike rack... or maybe a receiver?

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Caconym

Caconym

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Hi! I'll be using my Mini, once it comes into being, mostly for daily commutes at interstate speeds. In good weather I like to stop on the way to work for a mountain bike ride. I have a roof rack on my Civic for this, but I skipped the optional rails on the Mini because I figured the bike would take a chunk out of my range if it were up in the wind. Thule sells a decent hatch/trunk style rack:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/bike-rack/trunk-bike-racks/thule-outway-2-_-994005

It's supposed to fit the Cooper 2-door, but I'm concerned about whether the upper supports would put too much stress on the spoiler, since it sticks out so far. Anyone have any experience?

Alternatively, and my preference, would be to install a 1 1/4" receiver for a hitch rack. Anyone tried this on the SE? There are several made to fit the 2 door cooper, such as:

https://new.minimania.com/part/G3NM...en3-F56-F55-Hardtop-F57-Convertible-From-2022

...but none that I can find explicitly for the SE. Anyone gone down this road? Thanks!
 
I’ve used a hatch rack similar to that Thule several times, with two mountain bikes. I haven’t noticed any damage to the spoiler from it. I’ve driven up to 70mph with it but not on any extremely bumpy roads or trails. To protect the paint, I put 3M clear wrap on the hatch where the hooks from the rack grab onto it.

I also looked a little at the F56 hitch receiver. It seems that at the very least, you’d need to cut a hole in the plastic underbody/bumper for the receiver and potentially to access the pin, in addition to whatever the normal installation process is.
 
There is an extensive thread on bike rack options for the SE. Although that receiver mod for the F56 is new, why do you think it won't work for the SE? Might have to cut a hole since there's no tailpipe opening, but the stuff under the rear fascia should be the same.

In addition, some of us have roof mount bikes and haven't experienced noticeable range degradation. I even drove on the freeway with my bike on the roof. Rear mount might actually cause worse drag.
 
Caconym said:
Hi! I'll be using my Mini, once it comes into being, mostly for daily commutes at interstate speeds. In good weather I like to stop on the way to work for a mountain bike ride. I have a roof rack on my Civic for this, but I skipped the optional rails on the Mini because I figured the bike would take a chunk out of my range if it were up in the wind. Thule sells a decent hatch/trunk style rack:

https://www.thule.com/en-us/bike-rack/trunk-bike-racks/thule-outway-2-_-994005

It's supposed to fit the Cooper 2-door, but I'm concerned about whether the upper supports would put too much stress on the spoiler, since it sticks out so far. Anyone have any experience?
Click to expand...

As long time cyclist, I have never been a fan of any sort of rack that mount via straps, as they just can't be trusted to stay secure. Sure enough, we put a rack like that one (possibly that exact one) on my daughter's car, and the straps (which were not new, and were taut to start) loosened enough for the rack to bounce, putting a big dent in the bottom of the hatch that cost $1500 to fix.

Inside the car, hitch rack, or roof rack is the only way to go IMO...and unless you're only transporting one bike with a metal frame, I'd be wary of anything that requires hanging the bike from the top tube.
 
I should have known to dig a little deeper into the forum before posting my questions! This awesome community is one of the reasons I'm so excited to get my SE (currently scheduled for production next week FWIW!).

Not sure what I'll do yet regarding the bike. I've likely missed the boat for roof rails since they are factory only, and I do cringe at pulling apart the rear clip and taking tin snips to any plastic. I'm also no big fan of classic hatch racks with straps; my hope is that they've improved. I have a good while to think about it, though!

Thanks for all the help!
 
Caconym said:
I should have known to dig a little deeper into the forum before posting my questions! This awesome community is one of the reasons I'm so excited to get my SE (currently scheduled for production next week FWIW!).

Not sure what I'll do yet regarding the bike. I've likely missed the boat for roof rails since they are factory only, and I do cringe at pulling apart the rear clip and taking tin snips to any plastic. I'm also no big fan of classic hatch racks with straps; my hope is that they've improved. I have a good while to think about it, though!

Thanks for all the help!
Click to expand...

This post on Reddit found a hitch that only requires cutting the underbody shield rather than a very visible hole in the bumper. It looks to be pushing up a bit on the black plastic part of the bumper but it's probably the best minimal cutting options at the moment.

Part number X7290-B (I think it's this)
utmi2LNrmFmI_vgD5tydkxYvB7TcmeOhiR_cYTEw8RY.webp
 
Definitely go with the hitch and have a pro install it. I wouldn't personally worry about the cut in the bumper.

I've had a good experience with OutMotoring's very knowledgable SMS text support.
 
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