Originally Posted by 531Aussie
I have no science to back this up, and I may have said this on your
original thread, but I really don't think aluminium drop-outs and carbon
forks were designed to be rigidly attached to a rack that essentially doesn't move.
Do they have racks with spring-loaded or rubberized attachments that would provide some "give"?
If you consider what forks are designed for -- it's to have a wheel in them that flexes and turns, therefore having plenty of 'give'.
Anyway, my two cents.
I rarely drive with my bike in the car, and if I do, I either throw it in the back seat with the front wheel off (obviously
), or take both wheels off and chuck it in the boot.
I guess having forces directed up through the fork is more in keeping with the actual work that components supposed to do than a tow ball rack holding a bike by it's top tube. Roof racks also have a little bit of give in them as they are pretty thin structures. Don't know if the structures are rubberised though. haven't looked closely at one yet.
I agree with you that I'd rather put my bike in my car. However I drive an Impreza sedan, and they don't have much space in the boot or back seat. So I have to take both wheels and seat out to move even my tiny mountainbike. I'm worried that I'd even be able to put a mid sized road bike in the thing (I should be able to though). So I thought I better figure out some solutions to transport it before it becomes an issue.