Planning a 20+hr road trip with an Argon-18 E-114 (same frame as the E-112). I’ve heard that the carbon top tubes are sometimes quite fragile and sensitive to weight placed on them. This is my first experience with a carbon frame of any kind.
I’ll be driving down with a rear bike rack on the car, and the whole weight of the frame will be clamped to the top tube. Is this going to be a problem, and are there any solutions to reducing the pressure on the top tube?
Thanks!
I’ve never had any problems using a rear bike rack and my carbon frame. I wouldn’t sweat it.
If your rack use a “clamp”, absolute NO! NO! I had my E-114 top tub crushed by a work stand at a bike shop. I can’t imagine the potential damage such clamp can do over a 20hrs road trip with all the bumps and rattle…Don’t do it!
I would not use such rack for any carbon bike.
Maybe the rear racks that only support the bike are safer than the one with a clamp…
I am pretty sure that all new Argon bike are sold with a warning sticker about “clamping” the top tub.
If your rack use a “clamp”, absolute NO! NO! I had my E-114 top tub crushed by a work stand at a bike shop. I can’t imagine the potential damage such clamp can do over a 20hrs road trip with all the bumps and rattle…Don’t do it!
I would not use such rack for any carbon bike.
Maybe the rear racks that only support the bike are safer than the one with a clamp…
I am pretty sure that all new Argon bike are sold with a warning sticker about “clamping” the top tub.
Correction: “I am pretty that most high end carbon bikes are sold with a sticker warning “not to clamp” the top tube.”
Have a nice trip!
Got it used so I only heard rumours about this top tube issue!
What about strapping it down? The rack consists of a foam pad on the bottom, and then short tethers to tie down the frame against the foam pad… Bad idea? Any work-arounds?
NO CLAMP!
Should be ok if your rack has two pegs supporting under the top tube. If so, make sure you have plenty of foam/padding on the pegs/tube. The top tube is not round, but has sharp edges. Too much weight directly on these sharp edges is probably not good.
You can email Argon directly.
Wheels off and back seat
Roof rack…
Awesome thanks. Definitely avoiding clamping it haha…
Appreciate the feedback!