question about the bmw bicycle lift.
 

hi, when you're ready to lift the bike on the roof, is it all via human strength or does the bike lift utilize some form of springs to asist the lifting? can't tell from the pic.

http://catalog.niello.com/00003581f.jpg

Strength I think. Though I might be wrong.

thanks. wow it must be awkward to lift a bike on the e70...?

Apparently this makes it do-able!

It isnt easy at all to lift a bike on top of X5... You must have running boards to do that (unless you are 6.5'+ feet tall:)

yea i have running boards. btw does anyone know why it's called "running board"? you dont run on it...

Probably for the same reason you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway....

I put my bikes on the roof (using OEM E70 rails and Thule Bars). I'm only 5'10and use a small step to put them up and can take them off without. I considered the lift but thought it didn't add much ay £250! As the car plus bikes is quite tall I also didn;t want the extra height this loaded gives over the bikes. You can't see it on the pic in this thread but it adds extra height. I think this attachment makes mounting easier but I find the normal way ok.

My 2p worth

Using the bike lift pictured, the bike weight is offset by SPRINGS in the lift, and you simply guide the bike up or down. It locks at either the top or bottom of travel.

How do I know? My wife has them from a previous car. Anyone else have them?

I have never had trouble lifting two bikes onto an X5 (OK, I am 6'4"). They aren't mountain bikes, but one is a full race tandem. I mount two front wheels in the centre of the rack, and if I can't reach them easily I step on the door sill with the door open (no running boards). Note: take your cycling shoes and cleats off before stepping on the door sill.

This bike lift is such a BMW solution. Overengineered. They charge a fortune for it. It doesn't hold the bike as securely as a fork mount. It creates more wind noise, and puts more weight up on the roof.

The better solution is a Thule or Yakima fork mount, and if necessary, a Rubbermaid step stool for $16, as Chester noted above. Just my $0.02.

We just use a Yakima hitch mount rack that will hold 4 bikes. This rack works very well and is easy to place your bike on. We used it on the vehicle we replaced ('96 Yukon). I works great on an X5 provided you have a hitch installed.

A hitch mount is convenient (until you want to access the luggage compartment) but I have always found that the bikes get dirty as they are in a low-pressure zone. If I had mountain bikes, it would be my first choice. For high end road or race bikes, though, I prefer the roof mount. And if it is only one road bike, I find that it is always easier to put it inside where it is clean and secure.

I've got heavy ass downhill bikes. No way am i lifting those on the roof. It would kill your back for sure !!! The rack attached the hitch is the way to go.

We just have mountain bikes and only take them to local trails. Yes, they are heavy! We could have bought a van and put them all inside, but then we would have had to drive a VAN.

I have 3 mountain bikes and use Yakima roof racks to transport my bikes. I'om only 5' 7" but never had any problems mounting my bikes. As long as I do it in a flat surface. It's pretty easy to do it on Yakima mounts and I'm even using the old mounts with wheel trays.

I carry both my bikes (top end TREK road bike and Fully Mountain bike) on a hitch attached rack from Thule.
No hassle and very stable, even at high speed and easy on the back (very important as I have a bad back...)

LOL at the stool, the EXACT one I use...daughters is pink though :) World the same over :)

LOL, ours is blue (but I don't use it for the bikes). We even took it with us when we moved to the UK, and then brought it back to Canada. Yes, the world is the same everywhere :thumbup:

I looked into this and yep, I was wrong above and dms was right. From the installation instructions
"The heart of the bicycle life is a gas spring which is located inside the kinematic unit."