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standing bike carrier and stress to your bike?


Redline

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hi guys,

I am thinking of getting one of the Thule towbar mounted bike racks.. now with the entry level models, you fix the pedals to the U-bar mounted in the middle of rack. Does this setup put stress on your crank or pedals/bearings or anything like that?

 

 

thanks

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Not nearly as much stress as you would put on them sprinting for instance, EVEN if the forces are in the total oppisite direction.

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no! not enough force...

do you know how strong is a crank arm? stronger than chuck norris arm...

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The best system is to probably buy a mini-van and park your bike in the van. Unfortunately we can't go out to buy a van just to move our bikes with. Most of us have to resort to a tow-bar / roof mounted solution. These solutions all have their respective drawbacks on vehicle performance and economy as well as the bike.

 

The worst solutions are the ones where your bike hangs from the top tube on a bike rack. It causes fatigue on the top tube and if not fastened properly it swings back and forward. It can also damage bumpers and boot lids if care is not taken.

 

The best solutions are the ones where bikes are held in position with a supporting arm. It causes very little stress on the bike and is quick and easy to use. These come with 2 options: The Roof mounted system and the tow bar mounted system.

I have used both and find the roof mounted system to be more fuel efficient as the tow bar mounted system seems to act as an "anchor" on the back of the car. Some lower cars may also have trouble clearing speed humps whith this system. These systems are designed to provide you with easy access to the boot of your car and can be removed and stored quite easily.

The obvious draw back on the roof mounted system is that you have to remember that you have bikes on the roof. I have heard of more than 1 incident where bikes got taken out when opening the garage door and driving in with bikes on top.

 

The system you are referring to is almost as good as the clamping system, but as you pointed out there may be slight stress on the crank and BB, If you have 1 or 2K extra to spend, get the system where the bike is "held" in position by a clamp.

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