transptorting carbon-fiber frames

no, just the other day i had 4 carbon bikes laying in a truck bed together. and if your really good you dont have to use blankets and they come out with no scratches.

audio_terrorist said:

hey people, when im transporting my bike (carbon) in the box of my truck do i have to do it anyway different from my alum bike,

i usualy lay down a blanket, then my bike, and if i take anybody else, i just put another blanket on top then the otherbike.
i always lay the drivetrain so its facing up.

do i have to be more carefull of anything.

thanks a billion.

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Dear Audio:
Take pride in your bike. Buy a truck bed mounted bike rack. Not only will it protect your investment but you wont look like a rube.

audio_terrorist said:

will that carbon tweak twist, or warp. if anything heavy get put on top of it.

i'm probaly worring to much, but i dont want my frame to loose any of its stiffness because of something stupid.

thanks

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I'm curious myself. I just bought my first carbon bike (Kestrel Talon), and I was immediately told not to use my current bike rack that clamps onto the top tube. So, the alternative is just to lay it in the back of my truck. But, I'm worried that I'm going to damage the frame just laying it back there.

depends on how heavy the object is laying on top of it. If its something like 3 or 4 other bikes, then no shouldnt be a problem. You crash carbon bikes right? so why couldnt you lay a few extra lbs on it. about the roof rack clamping to the bottom tube i could see how that would be a problem. usually the carbon is thinner in the middle of the tubes to save a little extra weight, but this could cause problems because of compression on the tubes, not because your pressing it only one way. kinda get what im saying?

Heres what goes in the back of my trunk when i drive with my bike to a race. trainer bike without wheels on, 4 wheels (2 are extra wheels in case of flat) on top, bag of clothes, pump, and some other small things i need).

audio_terrorist said:

will that carbon tweak twist, or warp. if anything heavy get put on top of it.

i'm probaly worring to much, but i dont want my frame to loose any of its stiffness because of something stupid.

thanks

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the beauty of carbon is how strong it is, it has a very high elastic modulus (resistance to bending deformation) and a high torsional modulus ( resistance to twisting deformation) you will find it hard to bend carbon with out it cracking. carbon will not deform or bend like metal it will undergo "catastrofic falure" ie. it will just snap.......thats what my engineering text book says any way. as a precaustion I never put anything heavy on my bike!!

Iron Man said:

as a precaustion I never put anything heavy on my bike!!

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Except of course you when you ride it? I sure hope you don't leave your carbon fiber sitting in the garage never to be ridden.

Maybe I'm not understanding the question, but it seems like putting a bag of clothes, or another 15 pound bike, or some extra wheels, is nothing compared to the weight of the rider?

-Matt

Why don't you buy one of those bed attachments for 10 bucks. (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=3702&subcategory_ID=4413) If you don't want to drill holes in your bed, you could mount it on a piece of 2x4 the width of your bed and you'd be set. Seems like it would be worth it in light of how much you paid for your bike.

chris

mattjf said:

Except of course you when you ride it? I sure hope you don't leave your carbon fiber sitting in the garage never to be ridden.

Maybe I'm not understanding the question, but it seems like putting a bag of clothes, or another 15 pound bike, or some extra wheels, is nothing compared to the weight of the rider?

-Matt

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Relative to the lateral forces that a frame is subjected to when you push it into a hard corner, twenty or thirty pounds is nothing. The only danger would be if the object on top of the bike had sharp edges and was allowed to bounce around.

mattjf said:

Except of course you when you ride it? I sure hope you don't leave your carbon fiber sitting in the garage never to be ridden.

Maybe I'm not understanding the question, but it seems like putting a bag of clothes, or another 15 pound bike, or some extra wheels, is nothing compared to the weight of the rider?

-Matt

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im a climber not a sprinter!! i only way as much as a decent suitcase full of luggage!! mabye two suitcases and an over-nighter!!

You guys are pussies........heck!, carbon frames are goddamn bullet proof......why bother cluttering up the truck bed (and risk chipping its paint), I just chain my carbon bike to the tow hitch and drag it behind me when I'm off to a race.

Keep in mind the danger from punctures - a CF frame that impacts a sharp object can end up with a hole punched in it, and then the frame is ruined.

I have two tiedown straps in the bed of my truck, for transporting my bike. Stand the bike upright, anchor the straps to the eyelets in the front corners of the bed, put the hooks on the other end of the straps on the handlebar stem, snug down the straps. Holds the bike upright, and relatively tight to where it doesn't move around. Same setup is used to transport a tandem, except two additional straps at the back go on the rear seatpost.

Okay, I have a variation on this question. I store my bike on a hanger that supports the bike by the top tube. Is this a problem?

No, like Buddy2004 said, carbon frames are bullet proof, Ive crashed it and had people run into it in a crash. hanging it by the top tube is not anything near a problem.

the owners manual for my synapse states that while carbon fiber frames are very strong, they arent bulletproof. instead of bending like theyre metal counterparts carbon fiber frames or forks will completely break if hit hard enough and need to be replaced. it doesnt state how hard the crash needs to be because there are too many different variables. would i stack other bikes on top of my carbon bike? no, because i wouldnt want it scratched. id make sure my bike was on top with a blanket in between.