Best bike rack for a Mini Cooper

There is no such thing as one size fits all.

Find the right bike rack for your Mini Cooper
Best bike rack for a Mini Cooper

Choose the correct rack type for your car

The Mini Cooper is a popular hot hatch, but with so many accessories available for these vehicles it can be a challenge finding the perfect bike rack that fits properly and allows for safe transport of your bikes. This is especially true given that very few of these vehicles will have a to hitch  to fit a hitch mounted bike rack to.

When choosing a bike rack for a Mini, there are several things to keep in mind. There might be more than one option that could work for your needs, but there are also some types of bike racks that should be avoided.

Bike Rack Buyer's Guide

For even more information, check out our comprehensive Bike Rack Buyer's Guide

Roof rack mounted bike rack

A roof rack mounted bike rack is the most versatile option. You do need roof rack already fitted to your Mini Cooper though. This is a good choice if you have other gear that you also transport regularly like SUPs, kayaks or a roof box.

Apart from the 3rd party rooftop bike racks , Mini also has an OEM rack available that attaches to existing cross bars. This is a fork mounted rack which means that you would still need to remove your bike’s front wheel. Given that space might already be at a premium in a car in this segment, this is not ideal.

The rack is good quality though and features convenient fasteners, is light weight and comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

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We prefer some more tried and tested designs form manufacturers like Thule or Rhino-Rack so here are our top choices for roof rack mounted bike racks on a Mini Cooper:

ProRide Upright Bike Rack

Thule Vertex Swing Away Bike Rack

Tech Specs: Thule ProRide

  • Model Number: #598
  • Weight: 9.9 lb
  • Dimensions: 57 x 13 x 3.5 in
  • Load capacity: 44 lb
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The Thule ProRide is a rooftop bike rack that allows you to carry your bike on your roof while keeping both wheels attached. It attaches to an existing roof rack creating a secure fit.

The ProRide can be fitted to most roof rack cross bars, including round and square bars. It secures your bike using two wheel holders with quick-release straps and a padded frame clamp.

Because there is no need to remove any wheels, it’s suitable for both quick release/open ended and thru-axle/closed end fork types. Bicycles with fenders are also accommodated since the wheel holders attach to the bottom of the wheel.

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Hitch mounted bike rack

If your vehicle has a tow hitch fitted, a hitch mounted bike rack can be an option for a Mini Cooper. If this option appeals to you, we strongly suggest you opt for the swing-away type of rack instead of the tilt-away rack. This is because the a tilt-away, hitch mounted bike rack might interfere with the opening of the vehicle’s hatch. Keeping this in mind here are the hitch mounted racks we recommend for a Mini Cooper.

Thule Vertex Swing Away Bike Rack

Thule Vertex Swing Away Bike Rack

Tech Specs: Thule Vertex

  • Bike carrying capacity: 4
  • Weight capacity: 140 lbs
  • Hitch receiver: Class 2 - 2 inch
  • Hatch access: Swing away
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The Thule Vertex Swing is a swing away hitch mounted bike rack that swings to one side to allow access to your vehicle’s hatch. The rack can also be locked in place to prevent it accidentally swinging back and causing damage to the bike of vehicle.

The anti sway cradles are ribbed to accommodate any cables that run underneath the bike frame. It has an integrated cable lock to secure the bikes to the rack.

Hide-away, heavy-duty integrated cable lock allows you to lock the bikes to the rack and stores inside hitch rack when not in use.

Even though the Vertex has a stated carrying capacity of 4 bikes, some users have noted it difficult to load more than three bikes at a time, especially mountain bikes.

If you have a bicycle with a non-conventional frame, such as a woman's, child's, or full-suspension bike, you may need a frame adapter to carry your bike on a hanging-style rear mount bike rack. The Thule frame adapter part number is: 982XT

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Trunk mounted bike rack

A trunk mounted bike rack will fit most hatchbacks and is the most economical bike rack option for a Mini Cooper. If your Cooper do not have a tow hitch or you don’t have roof rack cross bars fitted, a trunk mounted rack is an option. A trunk bike rack for a Mini Cooper is fitted to the trunk and rear window of the vehicle and therefore has some drawbacks that needs to be considered. When loaded, you cannot open the hatch of the vehicle.

Most of these types of racks will also interfere with the operation of a rear windshield wiper. If your vehicle has an automatic rear windshield wiper, you should not install a trunk-mounted bike rack. If you want to buy a trunk mounted bike rack here are the ones we recommend for a Mini Cooper.

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