Open carriers are basically gravel blasters on wheels, lol. I did the same route in reverse once and figured the cheap option was fine since my car was already kinda beat up. Came back with a fresh constellation of chips on the hood and I just sat there laughing at myself for being cheap. The funny part is my buddy shipped his clapped out Civic enclosed for less than my open quote, just because he shopped around better. Now I always tell people to pretend their ride is made of glass and just cough up the extra cash. My wallet cries every time but my paint thanks me later.

So the brown water ruined your mat or just stained it, cause I'd be way more pissed about that part lol?

Oh man, I gotta disagree there. Zip ties are great but I've seen them fail right when you need them most, especially on a bumpy canal path. I'd rather walk the 6 miles than risk wrecking my wheel or frame from the derailleur flopping around.