Rack on a carbon frame

[Onyer]

I plan to go touring next year using my Specialized Roubaix, but I will need to carry stuff in panniers. I have a rack that I could fix to the seat stays with clips at the top and bottom. But is this a good idea? or would it put too much strain on the seat stays. I have used this solution on an ally bike before and it was fine.

Another solution would be to purchase a beam rack to fix to the seat post. But my feeling is that there would be a similar strain on the seat stays and seat post.

Any other ideas?

 

[fossyant]

Not a good idea with carbon as it's designed to be strong for the purpose in hand. If the frame isn't designed for a rack then don't. The seat stays on the Roubaix are designed to flex more than a race frame to increase comfort.

If you want a rack, then get a frame designed for them, or certainly a beefy frame, and not carbon. Clamping the tubes causes problems too.

 

[vickster]

I have a colleague who has a seat post rack, but the weight able to be carried is quite limited. Definitely can't use though if have a carbon seatpost, not sure why would strain the seat stays?

As above, look to get a tourer

 

[AndyPeace]

I've got a carbon Trek Madone and it has eyelets for a rack, you can however get racks designed to fit bikes that don't have mounting points. They mount via the wheels quick release and by a bracket that you fit to the brake boss, like this one.
Your bike, The Roubaix, is a tough bike by design, I can't see any issue with doing this.

 

[Onyer]

I've got a carbon Trek Madone and it has eyelets for a rack, you can however get racks designed to fit bikes that don't have mounting points. They mount via the wheels quick release and by a bracket that you fit to the brake boss, like this one.
Your bike, The Roubaix, is a tough bike by design, I can't see any issue with doing this.

This looks like a good solution. I'll pop into Evans tomorrow and see what they have to say.

thanks

 

[Smurfy]

A rack designed for seatpost mounting might be the only option. Unfortunately this is far from ideal, as it puts more load on the seatpost, and the CofG of the rack and panniers may well end up much higher than if you had a normal four-point-fixing rack.

Mounting a rack at the wheel spindle is also not very good, as bikes tend to have short, hollow QR spindles, rather than the old style long, solid, nutted spindles.

Lugs and bosses for anything and everything is where a steel frame comes in handy. Many steel frames come with a good range of lugs and bosses, and if not then a framebuilder can add whatever you want before a respray.

 

[fossyant]

You will void your warranty fitting a Rack to a Roubaix. That's quite important as Spesh give a lifetime one.

How much weight are you thinking of. I wouldn't load up either of my old high end steel bikes with racks, but I have an alloy framed bike that's designed for rack and guard.

You are at risk of putting the frame beyond its design specification.

 

[Onyer]

You will void your warranty fitting a Rack to a Roubaix. That's quite important as Spesh give a lifetime one.

How much weight are you thinking of. I wouldn't load up either of my old high end steel bikes with racks, but I have an alloy framed bike that's designed for rack and guard.

You are at risk of putting the frame beyond its design specification.

Very good point. It would be quite light as we only plan for 6 days riding so no need to carry too much weight. Maybe I'll look at getting a cheaper ally bike nearer the time.