Is it possible to damage my toptube with my rack this way?
10-29-11, 02:32 PM
#1
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Is it possible to damage my toptube with my rack this way?
My CAAD's aluminum toptube is pretty wide and has a large diameter compared to some bikes I've had before. I have a Thule trunk rack with pre-shaped brackets that hold the toptube. The bike's toptube fits in very snugly and I have to finagle it to get it to sit well. I was wondering because the walls on these tubes are so thin, if it was possible to dent or harm the tube in any way. Thanks.
10-29-11, 02:44 PM
#3
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Personally, I would shave/sand the brackets so that no 'finagling' was required.
10-29-11, 02:55 PM
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This is the rack I have. https://thule.com/en-US/US/Products/B...Gateway-2-Bike#
10-29-11, 06:30 PM
#6
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If any amount of dirt gets on to the part of the rack that grabs your top tube, it will grind away at your paint. And yes, if you clamp down too tight, it can squish your top tube.
10-29-11, 08:36 PM
#7
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With a similar bike rack and similar bicycle I've used foam pipe insulation from the hardware or home improvement store to wrap the top tube before putting the bike on the car rack. The straps on the rack keep the bicycle snugly on the rack, and as long as the inside of the foam insulation is clean, then there's nothing to damage the finish of the bicycle. The insulation has a slit along the side so it can be easily put on and taken off.
10-29-11, 10:34 PM
#8
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If you have any spacers below your stem, consider a frame adapter. It was originally designed to carry full suspension mountain bikes, but it will definitely take all of the abuse instead of scratching or denting your beautiful frame.
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10-29-11, 10:52 PM
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Any negative effect of using that frame adapter? It looks like a good solution, but the bike's entire weight seems to be carried on two small areas...seat post and stem...pulling both "upward."
10-29-11, 11:24 PM
#10
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I can't use it on my road bike because I have no spacers under the stem (it just doesn't leave enough room to fit the rack in there), but it works great for my 30lb mountain bike. If the stem can't handle 30lb of upward force or the seatpost clamp is so loose that 30lb of force pulls it free, you had other problems to begin with.
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10-30-11, 06:42 PM
#11
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+1 on the foam pipe insulation around the top tube. That's what I do, my Madone's been to Florida and back to Indiana 3 times this way. No marks on the frame or other issues at all.
10-30-11, 07:05 PM
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Also I can't put foam pipe insulation around the tube because it is already too tight of a fit...
10-31-11, 08:50 AM
#14
Señor Blues
I have a CAAD 10 and a rack designed for circular frame tubes. Not exactly an answer to your question, but something I do to protect the paint on my frame when I put it on the rack.
On my rack, the plastic fasteners that clip and lock around the top tube are thin and flexible enough to route under the rear brake cable. By not clamping the fastener on the outside of the brake cable I prevent the cable from being pressed onto the frame and possibly wearing the paint off.
On my rack, the plastic fasteners that clip and lock around the top tube are thin and flexible enough to route under the rear brake cable. By not clamping the fastener on the outside of the brake cable I prevent the cable from being pressed onto the frame and possibly wearing the paint off.
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