Roof Mounted bike carriers for a carbon bike

We bought a Thule EuroClassic G6 last year on line from http://vangadgets.co.uk it's pretty heavy to get on and off but as we travel up and down the country quite a bit with the kids we didn't fancy having the bikes on the roof rack of our car. We had to buy a towbar from Witter but we decided as we are going to keep the car for a few more years yet it was worth the cost!

I've been using a Thule 591 for my Cayo the last year. No bother.
I sometimes put pipe insulation around the clamp but not always.
Frame not snapped.

Seasucker Talon? Expensive but simple and small and would fit your needs.

You can get wheel clamp roof brackets by Yakima so will not damage frame or forks.

I am using a Thule 594XT Sidearm which although it is not that cheap it grabs the front tire to hold the bike on my cars roof. It is very sturdy bike rack and I recommend it as you will not buy one every year.

As Raleigh already said i can recommend the OutRide 561 bike carrier from Thule, too. Very stable, cheap and reliable.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380639388178 is a cheap option. No lock so don't leave your Pinarello on whilst you nip for a wee at Watford Gap

The front fork clamp and rear wheel sitting on the rack is more than adequate. That's how the bike designer has designed the bike to take much higher loads than a bit of sideways sway on an unladen bike (take off any heavy bags etc).
I've transported bikes and tandems many thousands of miles over the last 40+ years on a carrier that simply clamps the front forks by the axles without any issues whatsoever. I simply sit the rear wheel on the carrier and tie it down with a toe strap to stop it bouncing.
No danger of scratching or crushing your frame.

personally ... wouldn't trust a clamp on the downtube as
it's in an area where that type of force is not designed
for ... but, pro bikes on team cars seem ok so who knows
Me being paranoid (can't afford a new frame more like!)
means I'll stay with the 561 for now

Thule 591 - I've got 2 and they're very well built and a doddle to put on / take off. I've had no issues with the down-tube clamp on my carbon frame, although I do put a bit of cardboard between the frame and the cables to prevent any possible scratching. That's more out of vanity than anything else though!

Probably silly question, but can't the bike go in the dingy when towing and towbar rack if you're not?

An alternative is the Atera Giro Speed. This clamps the forks like the Thule referred to above but should be slightly cheaper. Have a look at http://www.roofbox.co.uk/ for what will fit your car and prices etc.

thule outride 561 ... clamps the forks not the frame.
works perfectly on my nanolight
added bonus is the 15/20mm bolt through adapter so I can
fork mount my carbon mtb as well !!

Elite San Remo

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elite-Remo-Universal-Locking-Carrier/dp/B0035G2YWS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368566077&sr=8-2&keywords=elite+san+remo