# Where do you Tarmac owners clamp your bike to a work stand?



## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

I was trying to figure this one out...

I have this stand here:

Amazon.com : Aluminum Cycle Pro Mechanic Bicycle Repair Stand Rack Bike : Bike Workstands : Sports & Outdoors

The clamps are rubber and soft. I have been clamping it on my seat tube below the seat stays and clamp it just tight enough to hold the bike in place. The "side to side" motion is inhibited by the seat stays...(AKA I don't clamp it tight enough to lock the frame 100% in place). I'm too much of a wuss to clamp it on the seatpost...which is a CG-R.

Does this seem ok by you guys? Is this a bad spot to clamp it?


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## UPSed (May 3, 2014)

Why not clamp it by the seat post? I don't think I would clamp it by the seat tube.


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

I can...it just weirds me out for some reason, I guess I consider the frame to be stronger than the seatpost but perhaps I'm wrong.. I guess I should...my LBS always does (on the seatpost)...


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Typetwelve said:


> I can...it just weirds me out for some reason, I guess I consider the frame to be stronger than the seatpost but perhaps I'm wrong.. I guess I should...my LBS always does (on the seatpost)...


Good chance you are damaging your frame. This is a very bad practice. When you clamp the seat tube under the stays, you have to do it far enough down where the top of the clamp arm does not contact the underside of the stays. There's a good chance if you check the underside of your seat stays there will be damage on them from the clamp's edge. There is a guy at our shop that used to do this, said he did it that way for 30 years before I showed him that he was damaging our frames. He's no longer allowed to do that and as a general rule that clamping position is not allowed in our shop. If for whatever reason you have no choice but to use the seat tube, make sure it's low enough where the top of the clamp cannot touch the bottom of the seat stays.

That being said, clamp it to your seatpost, it's the right way to do it.


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## UPSed (May 3, 2014)

My thinking is a carbon frame if clamped too tight may flex enough to cause stress cracks. Of course that is purely speculation.


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## David23 (Jun 5, 2012)

It would seem the strongest parts of a carbon frame would be the areas where the triangle connects, such as the BB, head tube, and seat tube/top tube/seat stay. The thinest carbon areas would likely be the center of the major tubes, furthest away from the junctions. Considering you would want to put clamping pressure/stress on the strongest areas of the frame, clamping in the center of major tubes would be undesirable. The only reasonable way to put clamping force/stress on the strongest areas of the frame would be via the seat post, which would transfer the forces to the very strong junction of the seat tube/top tube/seat stay area. Additionally, if you crack or damage the frame by clamping on a main tube, you are screwed, if you crack a seat post, you can easily replace it. Just my thoughts.


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

I'll clamp it on the seat post to be safe...like you guys said, I can replace the seat post. The frame is a different story.


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## TheBaron (Jun 5, 2013)

Seat post.


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## vertr (Aug 22, 2006)

Or use a euro style stand.


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

If you do screw up, it is a lot cheaper to replace a seat post than a frame.


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## squareslinky (Aug 13, 2009)

seat post only or get a fork mount.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

After seeing the Tinkoff Saxo mechanics use one of these, I think this is the route I am going once I get the new bike (no clamping period):

tacx.com - Spider Team-T3350


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## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

The Euro-Style stands work for me, there is little you can't do with them. Of course, there are others who say they're the worst.


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