Is it common to snap off your seat rails?

[Tom]

Just did, this morning. I have no clear idea why it happened. About an eighth of an inch in front of the seat clamp on the nose, both sides. It looks like a new break all the way through, though it is right where there is a bend in them.

Fortunately it was a half a mile from the house on the way out and I was able to go home and swap the seat off the other bike and be on my way.

What am I doing wrong (except perhaps riding the wrong seat)?

[PanTerra]

Chromoly rails, Baby!

[znfdl]

Lose weight :banana:

[Serotta PETE]

Were those Chromoly? That is not usual to break rails, just by riding

Stay away from the real light seats is you are breaking more that this once. What type/model seat was it?

[Too Tall]

(THUMP) Sorry about that, I had to smack *Znfdl down...where were we? He's is usually so peaceable too...hmm?

Anywho, the rail thing is most often caused by lousy clamp design not cheesey rails or in the motif of Christophe.... What I ment to say was it isn't cheesey rails or bad clamps rather a poor interface choice of rail and clamp.

Seriously, look at stuff like Bontrager and Thompson. Their clamps are long enough to do the job right...which is becoming increasingly harder due to CHEESEY RAILS!!! No kidding.

[chrisroph]

Thomson, ritchey, thomson, ritchey......

[Tom]

Thomson metal seatpost, Specialized Alias seat.

I don't know what metal the rails are made out of except I doubt they're titanium, usually if they are the vendor feels it necessary to write titanium all over them so everybody knows what a stud you are for having it. Besides, it didn't 'ring' when it hit the road.

I do weigh about 165 pounds, but even if I plop down too hard after standing it shouldn't break. That's silly.

[pdonk]

I have broken rails on the following saddles in a manner and location similar to what you describe

Selle Italia Turbomatic 2 (ti rail) - 6 years of mtb racing on a syncros post, broke right where the post clamps the rails. Looked like a notch failure.

Selle San Marco Bontrager (ti rail) - 5 years of mtb riding, on a thomson post. Failure looked the same as the SIT2.

I replaced the bontrager with another one and expect 2-3 years more out of it before I have to become concerned.

The nice thing about the thomson and syncros head design is that even with a broken rail, there is ussually enough grip left to get you home. In both cases I road for another 2 hours on the broken saddle.

I have also bent chro mo rails on various saddles.

[Kevan]

die.

More often than not my saddles, which ain't Brooks (let's hear it), break where the rail disappears into the backend of the saddle's plastic frame, coming unglued or whatever they do.

[Too Tall]

Bummer Tom. That is a good seatpost clamp and should work well with any saddle. Aside from bad luck...was the saddle clamped well forward or back of center? You probably would have said so. The "Alias" is a hepped' up version of the old Body Geometry non?

[bulliedawg]

I weigh 180- 185. I broke saddle rails on three straight Koobi saddles (all replaced by the company) before giving up on them and going with the Fizik ti. The Fizik has been rock solid.

[Tom]

Blue Sky told me to bring it in and they'd give me a replacement.

I went up there last night and they did.

I have to take them some home brew and oatmeal cookies one of these days.