InsanityBeckons

I have a new bike with a carbon frame. What is a good rear mount rack that will not hurt the bike?

simonaway427

Any tray style hitch mount will do the trick.

I have the Yakima Holdup and it works great.

rbart4506

Depends on if you have a hitch or not....

No hitch, I've had luck with the Saris Bones racks...

Personally it's not the rack that causes the problems, it's the road debris and possible rear enders that made me move the bikes inside the car. If you have the space, lying the bike down in the back is your best and safest option.

That is where a hatchback is a dream!

vw addict

The aluminums go on the roof, carbon goes in the hatch. I don't want to think about a rock hitting the frame, plus no bugs to clean off.

teterider

Well how about transporting two carbon bikes, and two 24" kids bikes, and doing it at 75 mph?

Just interested in seeing what people do.

bradtx

IB, First consideration is what the bike will be transported by. Second it how many people are likely to also transported for the ride. When I had a small SUV I was good for four bikes and four people using a roof rack and a hitch rack. My 3/4 ton truck can carry six bikes, but is impractical for just one bike. Some cars have only one option for one reason or another, for just me I'll use a strap rack on one of my Mustangs (And I only found one rack that fits it!).

Attachment point for the bike is a consideration. I prefer an attachment system that uses the fork's dropouts, a crankarm attachment point is a strong second choice, I don't know, but perhaps more important for a CF frame. If you have to secure the bike onto a rack that uses the top/seat tubes, an old pair of socks can provide an excellant protection device.

A third consideration is security, not just for the bike, but for the rack also... bikes have been stolen when the owner was in a resturaunt and racks have been stolen when left unattended.

Bottom line is that if you can get a bike inside the vehicle, that's the best method. Sorry if I went beyond the scope of your thread, but I don't know how familiar you are with the different rack designs and their pluses and minuses.

Gratuitous pic of worst case scenario (my Mustang):



Brad

PS teterider, I've tested roof racks to 120 MPH, nothing beats a strong hitch rack or a truck for the kid's bikes.

ls0725

akansaskid

I'm not hearing anyone say don't support the CF frame by the top tube (using a traditional rear "strap" rack). I have, VERY gingerly two or three times going slowly to the LBS 3 miles away. I remember some pics on the busted carbon site of some top tubes severed by such racks. I'm hoping the pics are of anomalies and that many people support their CF bikes this way all the time.

urbanknight

Great rack, but as with any rack that supports a bike by its top tube, it can rub the paint in some spots. I still prefer to put my bike in the back seat, and only take out the trunk rack when I have passengers.

urbanknight

That's rare, and only happens if something out of the ordinary happens. For example, leaning on one bike with all your weight while trying to cinch down another, or tightening the straps so tight that they squeeze the crap out of the top tube.

DScott

Thule T2 4-bike setup on a 2" hitch rack.

It is absolutely jam-packed with awesome.

SBRDude

I have a roof rack and I also have an older yakima rack that goes into the trailer hitch. For local and short distances, I use the roof rack because it's easier and doesn't block access to the back of the (small) SUV.

The best setup I ever had was a large SUV (Ford Expedition) that was tall enough inside that I could remove the front wheel and attach the forks to a fork holder mounted on a 2x6. I loved this setup because it was easy, cheap, secure, and clean. No worries about the bike during a sudden storm or if I wanted to stop at a restaurant.

collegeskier

Those UHaul trailers aren't supposed to go above 55 mph.

vw addict

ugg, there is no reason not to put your carbon bike INSIDE the car. It is safest there for so many different reasons.

SBRDude

lots of reasons not to put it in the car, such as if the bike is real dirty, if you are maxed out with passengers and/or cargo, the car is too small, etc.

MegaTom

Wheels come off and are placed in the back seat, the frame is put in the trunk.

merlinextraligh

Carbon Fiber frames just aren't as delicate as people make them out. I've transported my Giant on a trunk mounted rack where the bike was held across the top tube with rubber grommets. It was never a problem, and I just tried to be careful not to tighten it down too tight.

I've seen other people use a piece of pipe insulation around the top tube, which is probably not a bad idea.

As for rocks and road debri, my bike has spent well over 10,000 miles on a rack off the back, and there isn't a mark on it that I could attribute to road debris.

It's also been crashed twice in races, and ridden 15,000 miles or so, and it's doing just fine.

Carbon fiber frames are a lot tougher than some people think.

Nachoman

sorry about the grotesque size of this photo. But see the bar at the bottom?
It's called a stabilization bar and it is fantastic. It prevents the bikes from swaying into each other.
Totally worthwhile.

blknyt

I also have a Giant Defy Adv 1 (CF frame) and have had very good success with a trunk mount rack, and transport of two bikes. The trunk mount seems to be pretty versatile for use with multiple vehicles and very stable.

For my setup it is helpful to reverse each bike (one bike with bars left, the other with bars right) and making sure the pedals are rotated for minimal interference. I will also occasionally wrap one or more contact points (usually a pedal) with just a rag and some tape to avoid minor cosmetic damage.

After a few thousand miles of transport, no problems at all...

Seattle Forrest

There must be some kind of shielding that can be put around the bike if you've already got a roof rack...?

DinoShepherd

First post nails it.

Absolutely the best way to get from here to there.

-Z

indybiker01

+1 if you can put the bike inside the car

if you have to put it outside the car I would wrap thin towels around the bike as much as you can to deflect rocks (especially if going long distances). I would think most bike racks would be safe for the bike itself. Just watch backing up or try not to get rear ended.

umd

You people worry too much.

urbanknight

Most people still put more miles on their bikes riding than on a rack, so why not keep the thin towels around it 24/7?

Seriously, if the bike gets ridden, it's bound to get scratches and chips. Accept it or leave the bike hanging on your living room wall.

indybiker01

on the way to colorado my buddies bike got chipped up good...a few towels and some tape would have alleviated that...