How to clamp a carbon framed bike with a proprietary carbon seatpost in a stand?

daniel_b

Morning all,

I am the lucky owner of a Scott Foil, which has a carbon seatpost, but not of the standard round variety.

On my other carbon bike, I bought a dirt cheap alloy seatpost, and simply swap it out when I need to work on the gears for example.

This is my dream bike, and I desperately do not want to damage or compromise it in anyway, so any suggestions of how to work on it......?

I could potentially suspend it from my garage ceiling I guess is another option, but it will not be that solid a working environment.

Or do I simply clamp it on the seatpost, but hang it at the kind of angle that would result if you picked it up by the seatpost and let gravity do it's thing:

imposter2.0

I've never had any issues clamping a bike by the top tube - carbon or not. As long as you don't have the mechanical sympathy of a gorilla and just clamp the bike firmly enough to hold it steady then there is no issue and nothing to be concerned about.

daniel_b

Imposter wrote:

I've never had any issues clamping a bike by the top tube - carbon or not. As long as you don't have the mechanical sympathy of a gorilla and just clamp the bike firmly enough to hold it steady then there is no issue and nothing to be concerned about.

Ah but the top tube on this is HUGE, square and WIDE, so I don't even think that would be an option should I want to -I could be wrong of course.

timothyw

Honestly, you do not *need* a work stand to work on your bike.

I've owned a work stand for years, but having to fit my bike work into the limited time each evening after the little one has gone to bed, I honestly can't remember the last time that I bothered to get it out - it's rarely worth it for the time gained/saved.

I just lean the bike up against the wall/sofa and crack on - you can lift up the back wheel and spin the pedals by hand when you need to.

And this is with more bike builds/groupset swaps than I care to remember.

With all that said, it should be fine to clamp onto the aero carbon seatpost if you want to use the workstand - it is a part that is designed to take compression - wrap some extra foam/old innertubes around the clamp if you want peace of mind - and obviously take it easy with the tension applied.

imposter2.0

Daniel B wrote:

Imposter wrote:

I've never had any issues clamping a bike by the top tube - carbon or not. As long as you don't have the mechanical sympathy of a gorilla and just clamp the bike firmly enough to hold it steady then there is no issue and nothing to be concerned about.

Ah but the top tube on this is HUGE, square and WIDE, so I don't even think that would be an option should I want to -I could be wrong of course.

I have a couple of 'aero' frames here with odd/wide top tube profiles - no problem clamping either of those. Not seen the Foil close up, but I don't think it's too much different...

rafletcher

One of my LBS's used padded drop bars clamped into the stand with the hooks upward, and sit the top tube in the trough formed. I have to say I'd not want to try to clamp the rectangular top tubes of my carbon frames in the same as as I do the steel ones. So much so that I have a "kneeler" type stand for them (Park PRS 22.2). But I don't have kids (so have both time and disposable income), and do have a nice big man-shed to play in.

svetty

I use stands that the bike sits on at the BB with the front fork clamped at the drop-outs........

whyamihere

You're overthinking it. There's already a much larger force applied to the seatpost which has a horizontal component, supplied by your arse when you're riding it. Clamp it just enough to stop it moving, and drop it onto it's wheels if doing something like changing a BB when you may put much larger forces on it and you'll be fine.

Matthewfalle

stick it in a turbo trainer. solid as a rock, you can move and turn everything, if you need it to higher stick it on a table.

#turbotrainer

daniel_b

I probably am over thinking it, but this cost a (to me!) large amount of cash, and I want to keep it in top fettle.
It will want for nothing, as it's my superbike - even if I am not able to do it justice.

I used to work sans workstand, but found it made such a huge difference to have it locked in and easily tweakable, especially when looking at gear issues.

As per my other thread, I have a, hopefuly, minor FD chain rub, so will see if I can fix that just on the floor, and if not will likely either go turbo route (I have an old Elite fluid chrono sat around gatering dust) or secure around the seatpost, but leave it at the least impactful angle dictated by gravity.

Like the look of the BB stands, but they appear to be over £200, so will only go that route if nothing else is viable.

I probably won't post pics, as it's nowhere near slammed at the front, and I suspect I won't ever be able to :?

Matthewfalle

just stick it on the turbo trainer.

#turbotrainer

keef66

I too am reluctant to clamp my CR1-SL by the top-tube, even very gently. I can tell the carbon there is extremely thin, and almost certainly not designed to resist that kind of force in that direction.

Luckily it uses a round seatpost so I'm able to clamp that, and let the whole thing dangle as your photo. I too concluded that the forces on the seatpost / seat-tube when descending at speed with my @rse bearing down on them far exceed those I'll apply doing this.

daniel_b

keef66 wrote:

I too am reluctant to clamp my CR1-SL by the top-tube, even very gently. I can tell the carbon there is extremely thin, and almost certainly not designed to resist that kind of force in that direction.

Luckily it uses a round seatpost so I'm able to clamp that, and let the whole thing dangle as your photo. I too concluded that the forces on the seatpost / seat-tube when descending at speed with my @rse bearing down on them far exceed those I'll apply doing this.

Yep, that's what I do with my CR1 SL, and spot on, the top tube on that you can feel the flex when you pick it up, as the Foil is pretty much the same weight, doubt it is much more sturdy.

webboo

I use a piece of cardboard from the cat food box to wrap the seat post before clamping it.

964cup

Get a proper workstand - the kind where you remove the front wheel and clamp it into a carrier, and rest the BB on the stand. Like this one: https://www.feedbacksports.com/product/ ... air-stand/

Much more secure, no risk of tube damage, and the bonus is that it holds the forks steady so it's much easier to work on the front end and e.g. get the stem aligned perfectly.

pippi_langsamer-2

One of my bikes is an old Gen1 Foil, and it's always being clamped in one of those cheap n nasty stands as pictured. Sure, the "Foil", tubes aren't round, but there's really no need to overthink it or be scared. Just don't be stupid about it, and don't over-torque the leverage on either the seatpost or top tube. Put some pipe lagging around the tube first if you're really bothered...

daniel_b

proto

Svetty wrote:

I use stands that the bike sits on at the BB with the front fork clamped at the drop-outs........

Which is what the pro team mechanics use.