Originally Posted by
loimpact
Actually, I meant to type more in there but I was late for my morning group ride so figured I'd see where this thread went when I got back. I knew the appropriate responses would arrive. (and they did)
To elaborate.....you'll hear folks say to never do such things and especially not to clamp in a bike stand by the top tube. (usually, only seat post). Nevertheless, I've got a buddy w/ a 2008 size 58cm S-Works Tarmac which has ONLY hung and will ONLY ever hang by the top tube. He works in NHRA top fuel & funny car & laughed at me suggesting him clamping the top tube could pose a problem.
Has somebody ever actually damaged a top tube of a carbon fiber bike by doing anything other than crashing?
I have yet to see proof.
I've worked on a friend's Kestrel bike that had such thin tubing on the top tube that clamping it by the top tube would deform it. On my own bikes, I clamp primarly by the seat tube rather than the seat post but do not worry about clamping by the top tube when it's the best clamp point for the position I need to put the frame in.