In 2019 the latest generation BMW 1 Series was launched to the global automotive audience. The design for this generation prides itself on the synthesis of agility and space. Key things you'd need to consider for the hatchback formula.
This leads to the question, can you actually fit a bicycle into the luggage area of the 1 Series with the aforementioned space?
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Boot Form Factor
The luggage capacity of the 1 Series is rated at 380-litres with the rear seat backs up and up to 1 200-litres with the rear seatbacks folded down. The luggage area in that context sounds quite sizeable. However, you shouldn't just rely on the luggage capacity rating and call it a day.
Generally speaking, the form factor of the luggage area, especially when you have to close the tailgate/boot lid is quite important too when you're thinking about what you want to load. Some luggage areas may be big, but let's say the floor is deep or shallow which can make getting luggage in the vehicle either easy or a pain. Maybe the roofline of the vehicle is low so upright luggage may have to lay on its side. You may get all your luggage in but then the tailgate potentially can't close properly. These are all things to consider.
Can you fit a bicycle though?
That being said, coming back to the 1 Series, the luggage area is quite wide, the entry is big and the luggage floor is more on the shallow end. Loading luggage into this area wouldn't be a problem.
However, let's consider a bicycle. In this instance, we'll use a 29-inch mountain bike as the test case as that's a bicycle size which is fairly common. The general shape of a bicycle is long when placed upright with the only long protrusions to the side being the handlebars and pedals. In this hatchback, the boot entry is wide open so it shouldn't require any particular wiggling to get a bicycle of this size into the luggage area. It makes sense when loading the bicycle to lay it on its side so that it sits long and flat.
In the 1 Series here, you will have to fold down the rear seat backs to allow for enough space in the cabin to place the bicycle diagonally. That's how it would fit best as opposed to placing vertically or horizontally. In this instance, however, if you want to fit the bicycle, you may potentially have to remove the front bicycle wheel to allow for more space and not have the wheel rub on any interior trim pieces. You could leave the front wheel on but you may have to turn the wheel to face upright, though it can potentially obstruct your vision while driving. Also always remember to load the bicycle with drivetrain facing upwards, so as to not damage the mechanical bits while also not making the interior of your 1 Series dirty.
Verdict
You can fit an average size 29-inch mountain bike into a BMW 1-Series, but you may have to remove the front wheel of the bicycle for it to fit properly. You'll also have to lay the bicycle diagonally to maximise the amount of available space. We'd advise if you're planning on buying a BMW 1 Series with this purpose in mind, to go to a dealership with your bicycle and test it for yourself as bicycle sizes do differ. If that doesn't work out, you have the option of installing roof racks for your bicycle and perhaps an aftermarket option to have a bicycle rack on the tailgate.
