seatpost - very tight fit

[e-rider]

For some reason my seatpost is very tight indeed. It is definitely the correct size though.

It's an alloy sleeve bonded into a carbon frame. I think reaming is going to be far too excessive, as the post does fit, it just requires a huge amount of effort and swearing to move it up and down.

I was thinking about using some wet&dry on the inside of the frame (the alloy sleeve of course) or perhaps just something like those green scouring pads used for washing-up? Just to make it fit slightly easier. Sound like a good plan?

 

[ayceejay]

If you remove the clamp does the seat post go in easily?
If so you have the answer to your problem.
Either loosen the clamp all the way out before you install post or turn it 180 to see if that makes a difference.

 

[steve52]

just an idear but warm the alloy with a hair dryer first, or keep it indoors so its warm and expanded

 

[e-rider]

If you remove the clamp does the seat post go in easily?
If so you have the answer to your problem.
Either loosen the clamp all the way out before you install post or turn it 180 to see if that makes a difference.

I've tried with the clamp completely removed - makes no difference. I have now tried the methods that I suggested and neither has worked either. I'm beginning to think that the seatpost could be faulty in that it is perhaps very slightly larger than it should be. I'm sure these things can happen.

 

[Cyclist33]

just an idear but warm the alloy with a hair dryer first, or keep it indoors so its warm and expanded

Won't that make it an even tighter fit?

 

[mr messy]

Heat the female and chill the male if fit tight

 

[e-rider]

heating and chilling 'might' make it fit in, however it'll probably never come out again if I take that approach.

 

[Poacher]

Could you borrow another seatpost of nominally the same size and try that, to find whether it's your seatpost or your frame causing the problem?
Either way, considering the relative thickness of material , and the relative price, I'd much rather reduce the seatpost rather than the frame!

 

[e-rider]

Could you borrow another seatpost of nominally the same size and try that, to find whether it's your seatpost or your frame causing the problem?
Either way, considering the relative thickness of material , and the relative price, I'd much rather reduce the seatpost rather than the frame!

I have tried another post and it fits very well. Not loose, but just a regular nice snug fit. This new post is crazy tight fitting.

 

[raleighnut]

Bin the tight seat post or return it to the suppliers if possible.

 

[e-rider]

Bin the tight seat post or return it to the suppliers if possible.

Generally, I think the post is slightly too large as a manufacturing fault.
However, I have been thinking (always bad). If I were to get the LBS to run a 31.6 seat tube reamer through the frame would this do any harm? Assuming that it's already perfect, the reamer should just slide straight through without removing any additional material. If it's slightly too narrow the reamer would increase the hole diameter slightly. I can't see that this would do any harm either way, or am I missing something? Last thing I want is to make the hole too big!

 

[4F]

The post is the problem not the frame as you have found by trying another post. Bin the post

 

[e-rider]

The post is the problem not the frame as you have found by trying another post. Bin the post

I will be sending it back rather than binning it, it cost quite a lot of money!

 

[4F]

I will be sending it back rather than binning it, it cost quite a lot of money!

Fair point but that is without doubt the right thing to do

 

[ayceejay]

Can you tell us what make the SP is and what make the frame is ? It seems to me that a seat post that is not made to the correct diameter might not be of sound quality in other areas.