Purchased a new bike stand this weekend and went to put my bike on it to do some adjustments. Turns out the clamp is too big to clamp my seatpost. Even if it was smaller it probably wouldn’t work because my seatpost only extends about 5", and it is slightly set back. Anyways, I can just clamp it to the seat tube, but I’ve heard that you should avoid clamping the frame, especially Al tubing.
If I just use a slight clamp force, should I be okay? What do folks do that have full aero tubing (including the seatpost)?
dude. you really don’t want to be doing that. you put a crimp in that seattube and you will be forced to throw yourself off of the nearest tall building.
slide the post out and up a ways, or get one of those park expanding seatpost clamp holder thingies.
That’s scarey. I always used to clamp my aluminium TCR by the seat tube under the belief that it was OK. I was told never to clamp the top tube but the seat tube was OK. Never had a problem despite many clamps on the seat tube.
Is it OK or not to clamp seat tube or was I just lucky?
Dunno if it’s true but a bike mechanic told me that top tubes are generally thinner on aluminium bikes than seat tubes and if you clamp them too tight they can crush more easily.
Don’t shoot me - I’m just the messanger, but that’s what I was told.
What kind of stand is it? A good stand would have a clamp that would fit pretty much any seatpost. Aero seatposts clamp in just fine in both of my Park stands as well. If you could return your stand, I would suggest getting the new Park stand holds the bike by the bottom bracket. That’d solve both your problems.
Mark the seat post with tape at your proper height, then pull it out enough to clamp it. That’s what I do. I would never clamp the tubes on my Merckx, although, if I had to bet, I’d bet they could take it. Those new park stands that hold the BB and the fork are really really cool.
I too have been clamping my fram by the top tube (not always though) but as lightly as i can get away with. The mechanic that i used some years ago always did this, but then everything was steel and since then i haven’t really used one that i can see working. I haven’t thought about it.
So there are plenty of shop owners/mechanics hanging around here, what is the correct way to clap your bike? (Aero tubing is not an issue for me as i have a CAAD7 C’dale.)
best choice is to loosen the seat binder and slide out more post to clamp too. It’s not uncommon not to be able to clamp to the post. You can clamp to the seat tube and the top tube, AS LONG AS you don’t clamp too tight. If it’s a spring loaded clamp be careful, that’s one nice feature about the Ultimate Direction clamps, they have infinitely adjustable clamping pressure.
cerveloguy. the problem with the seattube is not the clamp per se, but any additional torque you may inadvertantly apply later. maybe you are gonna put some aerobars on, and are yanking them around - maybe a pedal is stubborn, and you are bracing against the clamped frame to get it out, etc. apply just the right amount of leverage thru that clamp and “PLINK”, you just creased that thinwall aluminum and now you have to go kill yourself.
mind you, this is modern superlight aluminum frames we aare talking here - if you have a 1985 c-dale or vitus or some middle of the road trek 2200 you are likely good.
never by the top tube. never. a strong-gripped guy can pinch and deflect modern alu top tubes by hand.