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how do people go about fitting a carbon bike with carbon rims to one of these racks? worried about damage.
I havn’t got that model, but use a Thule 591 and have used a buzzrack Quattro with carbon framed bikes with no issues whatsoever. You just do not need to clamp that tightly on the tubes and straps. Also I try wherever possible to clamp on the seat post or the seat tube area where the seat post would be but the buzzrack offers more options that the Thule design so you might struggle with the Thule but. I bother, just don’t apply much force, just take out the play and leave it at that.
The only time I did apply some pressure was with my Thule 591 and my MTB wheels as the width of the tyre meant it sat on top of the tyre channel so i’d Pull on the straps to squeeze the tyre into the channel. I wouldn’t want to do this with carbon rims. No issues with road bike wheels though as the tyre sits inside the channel.
By the way you still have the same potential issue with metal frame. If you’ve got a high spec light weight metal frame the tube wall thickness in some areas can be as little as 1mm so could be damaged with a bit of ham fisted over tightening of frame clamps or straps. Though I think you’d have to be properly giving it some heavy overtightening action to cause crush damage to either carbon or metal tubes. Your biggest risk of damage is rubbing and abration damage.
I went under a metal height restriction with a Thule 591 rack with my fat bike with carbon rims - fortunately the bike was pushed onto its side, bent the rack slightly and ripped the roof rail off the car. Apart from paint marks to the bars and carbon forks, the bike was OK.