Thule roof bike carriers - how tight on a carbon frame?

[Paul_L]

Am going on holiday this week and plan to take mine and my son's bikes. I've bought 2 * Thule Proride 591 bike carriers as these seem to be very highly recommended.

I've tried them out, just to make sure i know what i'm doing, and when tightening the jaw clamp on my carbon bike i was a bit nervous about overtightening. On my son's steel bike i tightened it as much as i physically could, but i was not quite as agricultural with mine.

What's the advice on using these on carbon frames re. tightness?

Thanks
Paul

 

[compo]

I have neither a Thule system or a carbon bike, however I have a similar roof carrier. I would have thought that you only need to tighten the clamp sufficiently to stop the bike moving from side to side. The straps round the wheels secure the bike to the carriers. To avoid marking the frame it may be worth a bit of rag round the frame inside the clamp. (I'm guessing that bit!).

 

[smokeysmoo]

It shows you in the instructions that you don't deform the rubber bits on the clamp, (or that may have been the older version now I've just looked at the instructions again!). It's one of those things that you just know when you do it. As compo says, no side to side will do it. I've never used a rag either as the clamp is rubberised anyway, but that said it wouldn't so any harm either.

I've used the Thule 591's and carried all sorts from Trek Madone's to Focus Cayo's to a Scott F01L and a CAAD10, so you've nothing to worry about

They are, as the reviews suggest, a fantastic piece of kit.

It's a little disconcerting if you have a panoramic glass roof though as you can see the front wheel wobbling about madly on the motorway

 

[alans]

Smokeysmoo Sums it up perfectly.

I use a toe strap around the down tube & front wheel to keep the front wheel straight when lifting it onto the roof & this also minimuzes wheel wobble in transit

 

[biggs682]

dont forget to wrap in plastic bag first so the carbon does not get wet or else it wont be there when you arrive

 

[fossyant]

I use 4 of the lower end Thule racks badged as Halfords Advanced. Don't use cloths as you get scarey clunks, best let the rubbers do the job. And I also use an extra toe strap to dampen the wheel wobbles. Tighten that a couple of inches away from the main mount strap.

You will find the ideal tightness.

I don't have a carbon bike, but I am more worried about paint damage, and that isn't as tough. Just watch tube profiles. My sons mtb needs a the clamp backing off to fit as the profile is angular. Each bike has its place, so it's actually fast to fit now.

 

[CopperCyclist]

This thread puts my mind at rest. I am shortly going to be getting a Thule ProRide (father-in-law) lending my one for a long term loan, and I was concerned about whether it would be safe for a carbon bike, so whether I needed to get a fork mount. I'm glad to see it'll be fine as long as I don't over tighetn it! A few more sportives are on the cards now

 

[cbs]

This is a question that I have been thinking about myself, my road bike is aluminium, but my wife's is carbon and I have worried about this method of transport. I have one Thule 591 plus some old cheapy Halfords racks, the latter of which won't take my road bike due to the width of the downtube. The Thule fits it OK, but you can't quite get the clamp at right angles to the tube due to the two bottle cages. I haven't yet carried the carbon bike up there - that so far has gone in the car (an 7 seater MPV) as we have only travelled with it without kids or dogs.

I have been assured that carbon frames are much stronger than their weight suggests and that the breakages you see pictures of are really quite unusual. I do still wonder though about clamping something around a tube that may not be designed to take stress in that way. I have considered a fork mount system, but it seems that there are not many available apart from the Thule one, which is actually more expensive than the 591, but appears to consist of fewer parts!

Perhaps I don't need to worry and a another 591 would be just the ticket (when the discounts next co-incide on Wiggle)...

Colin

 

[Hacienda71]

This is a question that I have been thinking about myself, my road bike is aluminium, but my wife's is carbon and I have worried about this method of transport. I have one Thule 591 plus some old cheapy Halfords racks, the latter of which won't take my road bike due to the width of the downtube. The Thule fits it OK, but you can't quite get the clamp at right angles to the tube due to the two bottle cages. I haven't yet carried the carbon bike up there - that so far has gone in the car (an 7 seater MPV) as we have only travelled with it without kids or dogs.

I have been assured that carbon frames are much stronger than their weight suggests and that the breakages you see pictures of are really quite unusual. I do still wonder though about clamping something around a tube that may not be designed to take stress in that way. I have considered a fork mount system, but it seems that there are not many available apart from the Thule one, which is actually more expensive than the 591, but appears to consist of fewer parts!

Perhaps I don't need to worry and a another 591 would be just the ticket (when the discounts next co-incide on Wiggle)...

Colin

Same concerns here. I would feel much more comfortable clamping to a thicker piece than the downtube which although designed to be strong the way a cyclist exerts force on it when riding, may not be quite as strong with a load applied compressing it. The Thule 561 seems an option but gets mixed reviews.

 

[Paul_L]

Well i am now firmly ensconced in a damp Norfolk for a week, having carried mine and son's bikes all the way from a damper Yorkshire.

I am happy to report the Thules did their job. I tightened the clamp just to the point of a firm grip. There was another notch if i decided it needed it, but as smokeysmoo suggested you know when it's tight enough.

Fortunately i don't have a sun roof, as i'm a paranoid bugger at the best of times without having to worry about looking up and seeing your bike wobbling all over the place.

I like the idea about the extra toe strap to stop the front wheel wobbling. I can see that would work.

 

[al-fresco]

I've used a Pro Ride for over a year now - just added a second one in fact. Can't fault it. A doddle to use and never so much as damaged paintwork. I use open sided bottle carriers and find that the clamp slips nicely inside them.

 

[400bhp]

there's a thread on here and some stuff around the net that advises not to carry a carbon bike in standard roof mounts.

You might want to ask a mod to move this thread to somewhere that more people view (bike accessories, kit for example).