My buddy recently had his frame replaced because it was cracking in the rear dropout. He then noticed his new frame was doing this as well. Is there anything that the bike companies say in their warranty that carbon frames should not be ridden in a trainer?
Great question.
I’ve wondered about this.
I see guys hooking up $10K bikes to trainers, so I thought I’d do the same with my $5K bike.
Even if the warranty does “discourage”, I’ve noticed a few things that would make it safer for the bike:
- Don’t clamp the rear too tightly (we guys want it tight!)
- Don’t rock the frame while pedaling… Out of the saddle work should be limited in the trainer.
Best bet is to contact the manufacturer - they’ll tell you point blank if it’s ok to use the bike in a trainer. Tom D did a survey a while back and posted his findings here at ST.
I contacted one of the bike companies direct just out of curiosity for myself and they responded promptly and clearly (they also ask that you keep the communication confidential, otherwise I’d share what they said). Very helpful, and very friendly to work with.