Roof rack for carbon framed bikes??

[MadDad]

I should be picking up my new carbon steed this Friday and will be heading off with the family to Somerset for a weeks break (and hopefully a good few miles around Cheddar and the Somerset flats).

All of my current bikes are some sort of metal so I have always used roof mounted cycle carriers that clamp onto the downtube, obviously this is not a great idea for a carbon frame so I wondered what the alternatives are? I have seen the carriers that the forks bolt to but have read in a couple of places that they should not be used with carbon forks....

Any suggestions? I really don't want to use a rear mounted cycle rack and we probably won't have much room in the car for the bike.

[ditchvisitor]

I use a Thule 591 on mine, have pipe insulation on the clamps and wrap a cloth around the frame. It doesn't need to be done uber tight.

[Smartboy]

Same here.

I've got a carbon MTB and use Thule's 591 with no problems.

A good tip from the above to use pipe insulation (from a DIY store) or cloth to protect the frame a little, especially if the frame is dirty or has external cable routing... you might get some paint rub.

[anonymous-user]

WRT the Thule rack, the wheel straps do most of the work as far as holding on to the bike, the bar that attaches to the downtube is really just to keep it upright and doesn't need to be too tight. The clamp is grooved to stop cables rubbing too but some pipe insulation isn't a bad idea. I protect the fork stanchions on the mtb too so rain etc doesn't get forced down the seals at 70mph but that's probably overkill!!

[duff]

Used the 591 with my carbon mtb for years with no problems and I did it up pretty firm too. I use strips of thin foam sheeting, which new wheels come packaged in, under the clamp and wheel straps as it will scratch the bike otherwise.

[andySC]

Have a look at a Thule 561. I've had one for a few years & they work fine. It's the type whereby you remove the front wheel & fasten the forks & rear wheel. What I read was that they weren't recommended for bikes with carbon dropouts on the forks....mine has & has been perched on the roof of the car without any fuss.

[louiebaby]

andySC said:

Have a look at a Thule 561. I've had one for a few years & they work fine. It's the type whereby you remove the front wheel & fasten the forks & rear wheel. What I read was that they weren't recommended for bikes with carbon dropouts on the forks....mine has & has been perched on the roof of the car without any fuss.

That's the ones I've got. They've been used for Aluminium Mountain Bikes and Aluminium and Carbon Road bikes, over many miles, with no problems. A decent wheel bag is handy for keeping the inside of the car clean when the wheel is inside.

[IroningMan]

Buy a bigger car and put the bike(s) inside. You've got a couple of days in hand...

[andySC]

IroningMan said:

Buy a bigger car and put the bike(s) inside. You've got a couple of days in hand...

That's what I did Cayman-out/A4 Avant - in.

That said I could get a bike in the back of the Cayman once I'd got the knack.