Clamps on bike tube--protection??

[Deanwvu]

Hey guys,

What do you recommend to protect a bicycle frame when you hard-mount something to it with pipe clamps or some similar hardware? I want to avoid marring my frame.


Thanks!

 

[spinningmagnets]

A strip of rubber cut from an old bicycle innner tube...

 

[Drunkskunk]

A strip of rubber cut from an old bicycle innner tube...

+1
Bike tubes to protect bike tubes

 

[LewTwo]

1) Polyoxymethylene (aka Delrin) --- less likely to adhere or bond to a painted surface
2) Polychloroprene (aka Neoprene) --- more flexible, higher friction coefficient
3) Piece of old inner tube (aka Butyl Rubber) --- easier to come by

 

[teklektik]

40mil PVC rubber shower pan liner (Home Depot) - not a shower curtain liner, but the heavy gray liner that is put under a shower stall during construction. This stuff is flexible but very dense - not squirmy and compressible like inner tube - very good under clamps.

Around here Home Depot, etc sell it by the foot off the roll - (I think 1 ft of 48" wide is about $5). Also good for battery insulation - all sorts of things...

 

[aroundqube]

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/EMDCI/Home/Products/ProductCatalog/~/3M-Temflex-Cotton-Friction-Tape-1755?N=5431881+3294280628&rt=rud#variantView

 

[Raged]

Depending on how much clamping force you use (how heavy is the pack you're trying to hold), I used rubber hose (car radiator spare parts you can pick up for $3), cut it up to the right diamater then taped it the frame. Being rubber, it pretty much grips solid where you clamp it.

 

[melodious]

I wrapped my chain stay with an old inner tube & zip ties. Rode for a year with it including salty winter roads. I was doing some bike maintenance and decided to remake the chain stay wraps. Found tons of corrosion through the bike's paint and on the CroMo frame. IMO, it wasn't enough to affect frame integrity, but it does "scar" the bike's appearance. I ended up just sanding out the rusted areas and painting over.

Would pretreating the area with rust inhibitors before placing wrap & clamps help for the long term?

 

[markz]

Its better to not use protection :wink: so the bike looks old and rusted, then its less likely to be stolen! :lol:

 

[dogman dan]

My my, nobody said duct tape, or electric tape.

Like the shower liner idea.

 

[speedmd]

Hockey / friction tape is my default.

 

[Deanwvu]

Thanks a ton guys! I'll think I'll try the shower-curtain liner idea. Simple and cheap, just like me!

 

[Htfan]

Did anyone mention shrink wrap? On the "U" brackets I use to mount my controller I first cover the "U" with shrink tube. This helps keep frame scratches to a minimum.

 

[amberwolf]

I usually use my finger as padding first, while tigtening the clamp, ten have to undo it when it gets tight enough to hurt and realize what i'm doing.

 

[teklektik]

.

 

[Deanwvu]

.

Where did you get the semi-circle (bike side) to flat (hardware side) "wedge" in that photo?

 

[teklektik]

It's a saddle clamp from DX Engineering. The saddle is cast aluminum and the U-bolts are stainless, threaded 1/4-20. I refitted them with stainless NyLoks in place of the supplied SS hex nuts. Also used one of these to attach a rear torque arm (see my build thread).

Pricey but an excellent product.

See: DX Engineering Saddle Clamps

 

[ebent]

Eisenglass, a clear plastic frequently used in marine applications. It is upholstered with zippers and turnbuckles. Because it is clear it is almost invisible.