Transporting a road bike in the Z4 E89

[NCN35i]

Hi all,

I thought I’d put this up for the odd chance is in the same situation.

I’ve recent bought a Zed (6 months ago) and needed a way of transporting my road bike being an amateur road cyclist, I looked into a number of different solutions for this here are the options and their advantages and disadvantages…

Option 1
Boot mounted bike rack
I already had one of these from my previous MX5 so thought I’d try it, however after doing some research and test fitting I decided this was a bad idea.
Firstly the hooks that come with most of this sort of rack are never amazing and always run the risk of scratching but more importantly it means all of the weight of the bike is suspended off the back of the car supported by only the boot, and since on our cars the boot is soft close and is made to open backwards for the operation of the roof… not a risk I wanted to take.

Option 2
Tow bar
Can be done from what I’ve read, but is custom, and very expensive, so not something I really thought would be the best decision for me
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8442

Option 3
Suction mount
This is something I’ve looked into a lot and seems like one of the best options but is quite a large upfront investment. They essentially consist of a number of industrial suction cups that you pump up to remove the air. They have really good reviews and can be used on any car so should last years.
https://www.seasucker.com/collections/bike

Option 4
Riding shotgun
I’m sure some will recoil at this, but with the wheels and saddle removed my bike did fit comfortably in the passenger seat/footwell I positioned the chainring up and towards the door with the handlebars at the top of the seat. I of course wrapped the bike up to protect the seat and the bike. This does present some challenges, the obvious being you can’t bring a passenger so probably isn’t practical for most, the wheels and seatpost fit in the boot comfertable though.

Option 5
Boot
Some how… my 56cm trek Emonda ALR does fit in the boot… I couldn’t find any reference to anyone fitting their road bike in the boot and I would presume this is very subjective to the specific geometry and size of the individual bike. I had to remove the wheels and seatpost which fit around the bike also in the boot, the handlebars went in first with the drivetrain side up and it was so close I had to fold the detailer to get it in past the roof mechanism bar but once in was secure. I will obviously wrap the bike and componants in a duvet or something similarly soft to protect both the bike and car.

Ultimately our cars are not made to transport bikes but it is possible if your motivated enough… if your ride a large frame than me I would go for either passenger seat for the occasional journey or seasuckers suction mount, road bikes in general can reach extraordinary prices and as such they need to be looked after along with our cars.

For reference I ride a 2019 trek emonda ALR 56cm

 

[mcbutler]

Sorry - i dont talk to cyclists

 

[Calps]

I'd recommend the suction mount.

I was in a similar situation, albeit in an E86 - (if it makes you feel any better, I could not fit a bike in the boot even in the absence of a folding roof).

I bought two of these (https://kuppermounts.com) through kickstarter , so the outlay was a bit less than the current asking price.

I've used them regularly on both of my cars and, despite some early nerves, they perform really well. Nice and stable, well made, doesnt mark the paint, etc.

(The wider base of the seasucker would probably have given me more peace of mind at the outset, but after a couple of runs, I'm confident in their ability).

 

[Calps]

(Nice bike btw. Discs FTW!)

 

[NCN35i]

I bought two of these (https://kuppermounts.com) through kickstarter , so the outlay was a bit less than the current asking price.

This looks like a good alternative, the questions I had with these sorts of suction mount is firstly scratiching the paint, if there is any dirt at all on the paint you run the risk of micro scratches or swirl marks. But also how well would they suction to a ceramic coated car

 

[NCN35i]

Discs FTW!)

Discs all the way!
Thank you

 

[Calps]

I bought two of these (https://kuppermounts.com) through kickstarter , so the outlay was a bit less than the current asking price.

This looks like a good alternative, the questions I had with these sorts of suction mount is firstly scratiching the paint, if there is any dirt at all on the paint you run the risk of micro scratches or swirl marks. But also how well would they suction to a ceramic coated car

Both cars are ceramic coated, and there's no noticeable difference in suction prior to the coating. I doubt it has any impact tbh.

The dirt on paint is a valid point - i consider the following when fitting:
- I wipe down the roof area and the inner of the cup with a cloth prior to fitting.
- If anything does remain, there is minimal/no movement of the cup once attached to the car, so there's no real opportunity for dirt to be agitated enough to leave marks (beyond any that might be caused from the pressure of the cup itself being in place). You'd want to take care fitting/removing though, as that could allow bigger marks to appear.

Plenty of options out there though. My mounts are from the US, so might not be as feasible as something more locally sourced once postage/import tax etc is factored in. I just wanted to speak to the experience I've had with suction based mounts in general.

Good luck with your search!

 

[NCN35i]

Both cars are ceramic coated, and there's no noticeable difference in suction prior to the coating. I doubt it has any impact tbh.

The dirt on paint is a valid point - i consider the following when fitting:
- I wipe down the roof area and the inner of the cup with a cloth prior to fitting.
- If anything does remain, there is minimal/no movement of the cup once attached to the car, so there's no real opportunity for dirt to be agitated enough to leave marks (beyond any that might be caused from the pressure of the cup itself being in place). You'd want to take care fitting/removing though, as that could allow bigger marks to appear.

That’s good to know, If I need the boot for any reason I’ll pick up some good suction mounts as you suggest. But fitting it in the boot was a major achievement in itself

 

[PDJ]

In the wrong order but when I had a smart car I made the alloy rack to hold my cycle on the car it had 2 tow eyes at the rear so attaching it was easy
Then after hours of work I tried to get it in the car and it fitted so never used the rack so if any use to anyone it is here to be collected

 

[Colin_E]

Until a couple of years ago, I used to periodically transport a fold-up (Birdy) bike in the tiny boot of a Z3 . It only fitted in a specific way and everything needed to be aligned "just so" - enough that I had a few photos on my phone to remind me how
Problem though was that one time getting the pedals out of alignment by a mere few degrees put a ding in the thin & malleable boot top.
So, I'd say avoid a 'just & so fits' unless you're OK with the time & care it's gonna take. With hindsight I'd have paid a reasonable price to carry it externally.

 

[Nanu]

Can't understand why anyone would want or need a bike when they own a perfectly good car? Get a bike if your life has not been as successful as one may have hoped and you can't afford a car but.........? :roll:

 

[Bodben]

I use a suction mount on my 23I, done hundreds of miles with it and my MTB (a big old beast of a bike) I get some wonderful looks along the way!!!

I have a 'Tree Frog' mount. Great bit of kit.

I am strapping the bike to it again on Saturday to drive from Marlborough to St. Ives Cornwall (again)!

 

[Mr Tidy]

Can't understand why anyone would want or need a bike when they own a perfectly good car? Get a bike if your life has not been as successful as one may have hoped and you can't afford a car but.........?

I couldn't understand why you'd need a bike either. Until this week as it may come in hadny to get home when you can't find any petrol!

 

[Nanu]

Can't understand why anyone would want or need a bike when they own a perfectly good car? Get a bike if your life has not been as successful as one may have hoped and you can't afford a car but.........?

I couldn't understand why you'd need a bike either. Until this week as it may come in hadny to get home when you can't find any petrol!

No problem with petrol or queues here in the Northeast. Back from holiday for 3 days now and passed loads of garages b/w Newcastle and home and no a queue in sight. Cars just filling up as normal and garages with plenty fuel. Think it must be a southern thing?

 

[Mr Tidy]

Yes it certainly seems to be!

Went past my local Tesco earlier today and they had none.

 

[Mau]

I'd recommend the suction mount.

I was in a similar situation, albeit in an E86 ...

I fully second that! Albeit that I have opted for the Rockbros alternative, which is very affordable.

As for paint scratches: plain NO. Just clean the relevant roof area and the suction cup before.

 

[Calps]

I'd recommend the suction mount.

I was in a similar situation, albeit in an E86 ...

I fully second that! Albeit that I have opted for the Rockbros alternative, which is very affordable.

As for paint scratches: plain NO. Just clean the relevant roof area and the suction cup before.

Two fine machines there Mau (although the BMC is suspiciously clean :wink: )

 

[Mau]

Two fine machines there Mau (although the BMC is suspiciously clean :wink: )

Thanks mate! In my defense: this was on my way to the trails. Did not look much different when riding back though, as we had quite a long dry period. Just some dust actually. That has changed now and thus the picture will be totally different after this weekend's session I am afraid ... :evil:

 

[TomZ4]

I was wondering the same and wonder why there isn't an option to mount some sort of bracket underneath the car?

I haven't had a chance to look under yet but I'm planning to look into custom made bracket that is attachable somewhere on the back underneath the car. If this will not work I will probably go with suction as straps tend to bend the boot.

 

[RS89]

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread - I have been looking for solutions to carry a bike on my Z4 and I'd forgotten all about the Sea-sucker style mounts!

Are you all running them on Z4 coupes? Anyone running one on a E89?

I do worry about the additional force on the folding roof from the bike being mounted. Not sure how fragile they really are.

If anyone has a photo, do share