🚀 go-pugleaf

The metal T-shaped barrel bolt that sits inside
the clamp on my Thule bike carrier (the model where
you don't have to remove the front wheel) snapped
when I was attaching my bike last weekend.
Luckily I had a spare as I was only carrying one
bike and have two carriers on the car.

Has this happened to anyone else?  It makes me
nervous to think that it could happen again when
I will be carrying two bikes or worse if it were to
happen while in transit.  Could it have been the cold
weather that weakened the metal?  (It was snowing at
the time).  Maybe I've got the clamp set too tight?
It's often difficult to get it fastened and unfastened,
but I don't want it too loose, either.  I had heard
friends and family tell of bent forks from the other
style of carrier, which is why I went with the down-
tube clamp setup, but it doesn't seem to be a very
good design to me.  More than once the plastic lever
on the clamp has separated from the assembly while
attaching a bike.  But, like I said, maybe I'm just
trying to make the thing too tight.

Linda