Do Clamp Bike Racks Work for DH Bikes?

S

steve17

Squid
Hey all,

I know this is a noob question but I can't find any info on this. Do clamp bike racks work for Downhill Bikes? I wasn't sure if being a thicker frame than the average Bike would be an issue.

I'm thinking of something like this: https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/stanfred-stanfred-bike-carrier---twin-pole-4-clamp/298186.html

Also, for my own car (we'd use my mates if I get the clamp rack) which doesn't have a tow bar, how well do these strap on Bike Racks work? https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/stanfred-stanfred-bike-carrier---boot-mount-3-clamp/348715.html

I ride a 2018 Demo 8 if that helps. And I'll never need to carry more than 2 Bikes at a time. My main concern is making sure these work with thicker framed DH BIkes,

Thanks!
 
rextheute

rextheute

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I'm gonna be the Bad Guy ....

Maaaaate , how much was your bike ?

I understand $$ can be tight , but a $20-$80 rack fills me with dread .
Have a look at a Yakima or a Thule - invest in roof racks or a towbar .
If it comes off and gets road rash - Bike is fucked up .
If it comes off and hits a car or another road / pedestrian - its a Shit fight

My sister had one - Note Had - it was attached and then it wasn't - not a heavy bike - now rooted after hitting the deck at 100km/h
 
Isildur

Isildur

The Real Pedant
biggest issue with clamp or bar racks is the orientation of the bikes, as they rarely have a nice straight top tube to work with. That said, you'll probably be fine with only two bikes.

Back in 2014, myself and two mates did a roadie around BC, Canada in a mini-van and 3 DH bikes (A Pivot Phoenix, Demo 8 and Giant Faith), using a Saris Bones clamp on rack. It worked great for the longer journeys, albeit with a bit of swinging around, negated by padding. Would not have wanted to try and shuttle with it though, as getting the bikes arranged safely and securely took a bit of imagination.

But it went from Vancouver to Kelowna, back to Whistler then back down to Vancouver without too much drama.
 
S

steve17

Squid
rextheute said:
I'm gonna be the Bad Guy ....

Maaaaate , how much was your bike ?

I understand $$ can be tight , but a $20-$80 rack fills me with dread .
Have a look at a Yakima or a Thule - invest in roof racks or a towbar .
If it comes off and gets road rash - Bike is fucked up .
If it comes off and hits a car or another road / pedestrian - its a Shit fight

My sister had one - Note Had - it was attached and then it wasn't - not a heavy bike - now rooted after hitting the deck at 100km/h
Click to expand...
Damn that sucks, was she using a clamp rack or a strap on rack?
 
S

steve17

Squid
Isildur said:
biggest issue with clamp or bar racks is the orientation of the bikes, as they rarely have a nice straight top tube to work with. That said, you'll probably be fine with only two bikes.

Back in 2014, myself and two mates did a roadie around BC, Canada in a mini-van and 3 DH bikes (A Pivot Phoenix, Demo 8 and Giant Faith), using a Saris Bones clamp on rack. It worked great for the longer journeys, albeit with a bit of swinging around, negated by padding. Would not have wanted to try and shuttle with it though, as getting the bikes arranged safely and securely took a bit of imagination.

But it went from Vancouver to Kelowna, back to Whistler then back down to Vancouver without too much drama.
Click to expand...
Yeah true, so I guess the bike sits on a fair angle? The Demo has a particularly slack head tube.

We're only traveling up to 30 mins at a time, sounds like a clamp should be okay, especially given that you've already had a Demo 8 on one.

Thanks
 
Isildur

Isildur

The Real Pedant
This is the one we used around Canada. It was great for the trip, but a faff to get on and off the vehicle as it was strapped onto the vehicle and needed to be removed to get at the boot effectively. The Demo 8 was a fair bastard to get on and off, with it's triple rear stay deal.

For your own vehicle and rigs, go with Roof Racks as the easiest option, followed by getting a tow bar installed, which is more difficult and depending on your vehicle may not be possible.

On my own setup, I've got a 2" tow hitch (VW Golf Wagon), but also 2x Thule roof racks. The roof racks get used every other day, the rear rack only on longer trips or where we're taking more than two bikes.
 

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moorey

moorey

call me Mia
Personally....another critic of this style. Small saving for potential big cost.
I’m all for skimping where you can....a rack isn’t one of those places...especially with DH bikes.
 
Isaakk

Isaakk

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Having had both a good quality strap-style (Yakima) & also one of those cheap clamp ones... get a good quality roof rack or towball mount. No, it's not necessarily cheap, but it sure as shit is cheaper to pay an extra couple hundred for a good quality rack that will last and be secure as opposed to needing to buy a new bike if the rack fails or damages the bike.

Also consider the pain-in-the-ass factor, having something that doesn't cause you to curse it every time you try and put a bike on is worth the extra cost on it's own IMO. If you have roof racks, can recommend the Yakima Front Loader.
 
Fred Nurk

Fred Nurk

No custom title here
Yakima roof mount products are great, fast load and unload, well secured, even kept the bike in place with a flat front, although it moved around a lot more than I'd like. The HighRoad is more solid than the front loader, but costs a fair bit more.
All my experiences with cheap racks have resulted in fucking ages to get your bike on and off, and numerous scratches, gouges and marks from either clamps not quite holding and the bike moving, or marks from the clamp arrangement itself.
Just remember the rule of thumb with roof racks, there's two kinds of people, those who have run into things with bikes on the roof, and those that are yet to. I'm in the latter group still...
 
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