Serotta on eBay with seatpost stuck in seat tube...

[bulliedawg]

Check out this Atlanta on eBay. The aluminum seatpost got stuck into the seat tube, and the LBS tried to remove it. What a mess!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22681&item=7130166259&rd=1

[dirtdigger88]

that is not pretty

Jason

[CNY rider]

Oh the humanity!

[Too Tall]

1 bottle of ammonia and this should a never happened.

[Tom]

I can't believe that a shop wouldn't know that. I sure hope they told the owner they planned to trash the tube before they did it.

[BumbleBeeDave]

That is indeed not pretty. How on earth would they have gotten it that way? It's just broken off? He's in the Boston area--I wonder what alleged "bike store" did this?

Anyway, I guess if you DID buy this you could say you got it directly from "Bent Serotta." . . . Yeah, I know. Sorry. :rolleyes:

BBDave

[eyebob]

I have a Fierte and my seatpost (Thomson) is pretty tough to take out at this point. Any suggestions?

BTW, my first choice wil be to buy some penetrating oil since it's only a 2 year old frame that has only seen dry pavement (okay, a little rain).

BT

[TimD]

Ammonia? Somehow all that materials science I was forced to take (but enjoyed and have used) while studying EE and CS failed to cover that one. Could you elaborate?

Thanks
TimD

[Too Tall]

Gee, I can guess how that happened. The shop Gorilla said "well it will ruin the seatpost but if we clamp it and twist than 99% of the time the post will come out". Oh brother.

Sure, Ibob. First, check your spec(s). Some seatposts are not sized correctly. Also, check the inside diameter of your seattube...best way to do that is using a sizing guage at a good shop and calipers for the seatpost. So, check the facts before applying any remedies. If it all checks out you may be dealing with simple build up of corrosion and gar-bage' in the seattube. A good shop will use a flexhone with lots of cutting oil so there is not heat build up. No worries, this will not re-size the seattube...it will just clean it up nice and shiny.

Hope that helps.

[Big Dan]

I had a seatpost stuck on my Colorado like that. It came out after clamping it
and turning the frame from side to side. Now that's not a good example of how to do it. :no:

[Too Tall]

TimD, I've used the Ammonia trick with great success. If the problem is aluminum oxidations...which it usually is at least partially...than this will work great. Have patience. I've tied rags around seatposts and just given the rags a few squirts a few times a day and use a rubber hammer to tap the tube. Patience patience patience. Sheldon Brown goes into detail: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

[toaster]

I had this problem with my Legend Ti and an aluminum Thompson seatpost. Ammonia, and various penetrating oils did not work. Gently warming up the tube and using C02 to chill the aluminum did no good either.

Solution, cut off the post and leave about a quarter inch of the seatpost above the frame and then using a hacksaw blade mounted in a holder that allows the blade to be used like a knife (for lack of a better description) you proceed to carefully make two cuts lengthwise from the inside out where you can then squeeze the seatpost together away from the frame tube and pull it out.

It's painstaking work but can be done in about an hour or so.

Carbon seatpost replaces aluminum and lesson learned.

[bulliedawg]

I had this problem with my Legend Ti and an aluminum Thompson seatpost. Ammonia, and various penetrating oils did not work. Gently warming up the tube and using C02 to chill the aluminum did no good either.

Solution, cut off the post and leave about a quarter inch of the seatpost above the frame and then using a hacksaw blade mounted in a holder that allows the blade to be used like a knife (for lack of a better description) you proceed to carefully make two cuts lengthwise from the inside out where you can then squeeze the seatpost together away from the frame tube and pull it out.

It's painstaking work but can be done in about an hour or so.

Carbon seatpost replaces aluminum and lesson learned.

Where were you when that poor bastard needed you?

[Ti Designs]

I hold the frame in a split tubing clamp off the milling machine table and remove what's left of the seatpost with a boaring bar like shards of aluminum foil. I always take the time to center the jig, but I've never had to cut to steel. When the seatpost is thin enough it breaks free from the sides just from the force of the cutter.

The best part is handing it back to the owner. I always keep the aluminum chips in a plastic bag which I hand back to them as if that were the part they wanted to keep. "I saved your seatpost..."

[Elefantino]

I'll bet the guy who worked on that bike probably drives into garages with his bike still on the rack.

[Too Tall]

Ti Designs - As the guy said in The Seven Samuari "I like your philosophy"...THAT'S funny....here's your seatpost... :cool:

[Sandy]

The winning bid was $162.11. If I bid $.11, and won, I would have thought I paid too much. Who would want that frame? Really?

Seatpost Sandy

[Ti Designs]

The winning bid was $162.11. If I bid $.11, and won, I would have thought I paid too much. Who would want that frame? Really?

$.11 plus shipping and about $5 in hardeware and you could have been the first one on your block with a set of Serotta wind chimes. If you wanted to go hog wild you could have a dancing banana cast for the bottom weight/ringer...

[ShockTreatment]

Funny. Not a total waste though; he could get the seat tube replaced for $125 plus $300 for paint, so under $600 for a like new frame.

[Too Tall]

There is an Atlanta for sale on eeeebaaay for a but it now price of something like $450. Lezzssee, 1+1 = nevermind. Still howling over the "here's your seatpost" comment. Actually, *** is it with people and EBAY anyway? It never ceases to amaze and defy explaination. People sell perfectly worthless stuff for $$'s and strangers fight over it.

[Sandy]

"People sell perfectly worthless stuff for $$'s and strangers fight over it."

Kevan- I need your picture and fast. To EBAY you go.

Your best bud,

Sandy

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . at how stupid people can be on eBay. Buying jerseys for $70 you can get on the Nashbar sale page for $45. Bidding good money for stuff that is damaged or useless and it is soooo obvious in the photos. I always check retailers sites before bidding on something I know can still be had in the stores.

BBDave