Thule 591 and carbon frame.

[shanta]

Just spoke to my LBS , who sold me the bike, and they say not to clamp the DT....yikes

 

[Milkfloat]

I am no engineer, but I fail to see how clamping at the fork and the lateral stresses inflicted is significantly worse than clamping the downtube. Has anyone ever heard of downtubes being damaged by a padded clamp? Certainly pro teams have been clamping they bikes for a long time.

 

[shanta]

I agree, seems silly but why are so many sources saying not to. Anyone out there ever actually buggered a carbon bike this way ?

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's amazing though, how many people I see driving around in otherwise empty cars with a bike displayed like a trophy on the roof or boot, ready to get covered in road salt or damaged or stolen. FFS last week I even saw a bloke driving a VAN with a bike on a towbar rack! Something tells me a bike is a bit of a lifestyle statement for some folk. I'd rather nobody knew I had an expensive bike. We regularly have 3 bikes + 3 adults inside the Passat estate and we've even had 4 + 4 when two were kids.

It's a matter of practicality. To get my bike inside my car I have to put the back seat down (or at least half the back seat down) and remove the wheels. The most annoying result is that the mudguard stays sometimes get bent and it's a right faff straightening them out again. It also means I can carry hardly any luggage in the car because the bike is there. Then there's the problem that for one of my bikes removing and replacing the rear wheel is a non-trivial exercise. Two bikes might be possible, but it would not be easy. I've never tried it and I doubt I ever will.

The Brompton, yes. That can go inside the car.