[jacksonpt]

I've heard all kinds of horror stories about clamping a bike by it's frame tubing when using a work stand. Everything from scratched up paint to collapsed tubing.

Well, there isn't enough seatpost exposed to clamp there - and raising the saddle is a hastle at best. But clamping the bike at the seat tube would work perfectly.

Is crushing the tubing really that big of a concern? I'd obviously be smart about it and only make the clamp at tight as it needed to be to hold the bike. FWIW... the frame is reynolds 631 steel.

*flame suit on*

 

[splat]

I do it all the time , I never had a Problem

 

[Echo]

On a steel frame, if you're not an ape about it, you should be fine. I wouldn't do it on my road bike just because I wouldn't wanna scratch her :love:

 

[binary visions]

You can do it, and might have no problems, but it's a really poor practice to clamp your bike's frame. Think about both the stress of the clamp on the frame, and whatever stresses you're putting on it while you work on the bike - every time you push or pull on the bike, you're putting a bunch of stress on that thin tubing.

Just go through the hassle of raising the seat - it should only require one allen key.

I had a friend who used to keep a seatpost permanently clamped in his stand and he just slid the bike onto the seatpost, because he had chopped his other seatpost so short there was nothing to clamp.

 

[firetoole]

as a former wrench I can tell you that clamping on the post tube is a bad habbit, I have seen it warp. doesn't really crush the tubing (but it can) it compress on the seat post and makes it hard to get out, or it will weaken the frame over time. it is totally ok to calmp on the top and down tub (sometimes a pain depending on your cables) and if you are worried about scratching trow a towel over the clamp on your stand before you put the bike in.

 

[luken8r]

i just use my trainer and sit on the floor ink:

 

[Westy]

Other than for working on the stuff mounted to the handlebar I find work stands too low. I hang the bike from a hook in the ceiling to get at stuff like cranks, pedals, shifters etc.

 

[H8R]

If you MUST clamp the frame, clamp it right near a tube junction, the tubes are most likely butted and a little thicker right near the very ends. Don't clamp it right in the middle where the tubes are thinnest.

At the shop I worked at we had an old guy take his brand new custom painted Lemond Victoire and clamp it right in the center of the top tube. He clamped it hard enough to f*ck up the tube and scrape off the decals and paint. He then got all pissed when we told him Lemond would not warranty the frame.

"I've been clamping my bike like that for years! I've never had a problem!" His old bike before the Lemond was a Schwinn Letour.

 

[LordOpie]

If you MUST clamp the frame, clamp it right near a tube junction, the tubes are most likely butted and a little thicker right near the very ends.

So wait, if you clamp it at the top of the seat-tube where the tubes are strongest -and- you've got the added strength of the seatpost, that's still a bad practice on a regular basis?

Just seems to me if that's true, then clamping on the seatpost would be bad too cuz as you torque, the bottom of the seatpost is pushing on the ST at a specific spot, that being the bottome of the SP. Yeah?

 

[sleepinggiant]

Old steel bike are ok to clamp buy the tubes because they are not drawn as thin as new bikes. NEVER on carbon or aluminum. But really, just go thru the hassle of raising the seat, and if you dont have enough post, go buy a kalloy $14.99 post from your lbs to use when working on your bike. To me its just not worth the risk.