Where do you clamp your bike in work stand

I've never once seen a decent mechanic clamp a bike by the top tube. Seeing loads of frames get damaged by having weird loads placed on I don't think it's worth the risk on anything lightweight if you are going to be reefing on the bike for any reason. It's also Sods Law that you forget about that cable guide that's hidden out of the way when you go to clamp the frame.
There's zero risk to clamping the seat post so why clamp anywhere else if the frame is light?
As for dropper posts, if they can take a fat ass landing on them from a great height, they'll take a stand clamp. Shop Towel, lint free cloth etc over the clamp is wise though.

I've never once seen a decent mechanic clamp a bike by the top tube.

this

post when ever possible. Top tube on the trials bikes because.. no post.

Has anyone ever crushed a frame from a bike stand or is that just fear mongering?

Yes, I have. Seatpost is what i use now.

Has anyone ever crushed a frame from a bike stand or is that just fear mongering?

I pushed in a water bottle braze on on a seat tube once. The older Park stands had no channel in the clamp where a bottle mount bolt could sit. Back in those days bikes tended to have horizontal top tubes and not enough seat post to camp. And it was standard to throw a rag around the tube as extra padding. I have also seen a Giant TCR with the integrated seat tube crushed because the mechanic did not have the adaptor one should use with frames like that. If your tubes are round enough and not tapered and you're careful you should be able to clamp a frame tube.

hahahaha. haven't heard an angle dust reference in ages….

what is angle dust?

Road bike and the hard tail I clamp the top tube. On my AM bike I clamp the post, mostly because the top tube isn't round and doesn't clamp too easily. If it's going to be in there a while, I'll raise the post and clamp the solid part at the bottom.

I wouldn't it might be too easy to crush a tube especialy since bikes are now mostly aluminium, have gotten lighter with thinner hydro formed aluminium tubes

I do sometimes turn the clamp sideways, leave the clamp open and just put the bike on the fixed half of the clamp

what is angle dust?

PCP - a gnarly disassociative drug. Definitely one of the ones that causes psychosis in long term users. Was a lot more popular before meth was the cool drug. still popular in the southern states i think, they dip cigarettes in a liquid form of it and smoke it.

PCP - a gnarly disassociative drug. Definitely one of the ones that causes psychosis in long term users. Was a lot more popular before meth was the cool drug. still popular in the southern states i think, they dip cigarettes in a liquid form of it and smoke it.

That would be Angel dust, I was wondering ANGLE dust was ;p

if you are going to be reefing on the bike

whatever part of the bike that's clamped shouldn't be taking the strain.

I'd never clamp the bike by anything but the seat post

especially a customer's bike - if removing pedals, you don't know how tight they are, and might have to use considerable force to remove

modern carbon fibre and light aluminium alloy frames have pretty thin tubes, could easily damage the frame if having to use high level of force to remove a stuck BB or pedals

not worth the risk, when the seat post is easy to clamp :)

Always seat post. Don't stress about it, and use some sense when clamping it duh! If a mechanic tells you not to clamp by the post, find another mechanic because that one is a kook.

what is angle dust?

popular in the 70,s and 80,s I remember seeing stories on the news and shows about it , gave some people super human strength . One story , dud being chased by the chops jumped off a 3 story building , broke both ankles and still ran off as if he stepped off a curb .