Stuck seat posts, industrial service?

[Polisman]

Since this seems to be such a universal issue I'm amazed there's no bike shop or centrally located service to remove seat posts. It's the filthiest, most laborious job I've ever done on a bicycle. And it's also very prevalent on carbon bikes too.
A vertical or horizontal borer permanently set up would probably do the trick. In theory I guess you could prep, protect the paint, do the job and clean the finished area in about 20 mins. So, maybe 25 frames a day maximum capacity. That would bring in a good revenue. I got lazy one time, took it to my lbs and got scalped £120 for the privilege and the paint was quite badly damaged..

Surely someone somewhere can make a good business out of this? I'd happily pay £50-60 quid for the service, no one on the forum need a second or retirement income? You can ship a bare frame quite cheaply now with couriers, about £6 each way if you use a bulk service.

[PH]

https://theseatpostman.com/

[pwa]

The crude set-up of one tube sliding down another and clamped is an old technology awaiting a better solution. We successfully freed ourselves of the similar problems at the front of the bike with quill stems, but I'm still waiting for some clever engineer to redesign seat posts.

Perhaps, as the basis of an idea, we keep the tube inside tube thing, and keep greasing, but instead of relying on a clamp around the seat tube we have a collar on the seat post that limits how far down it can slide. It might slot into some shape at the top of the seat tube to stop turning. Or would this allow a poorly fitting post to move too much and do some damage?

Perhaps an insert that has a non-round aperture into which a non-round post slots and is limited by a collar that dictates when it stops going in. Easy to remove for re-greasing.

[9494arnold]

Stems and Seatpost securing Like they had in the 30's then ? And on quite a few current frames too
I've seen a Gillot and one other where the seat tube protrudes above the lug, is reduced and the saddle clamp fitted.
No seatpin to worry about !
You would have to be pretty confident of your frame size to do that though !
Or the aerodynamic tubing that came along in the 80's?

[David9694]

https://theseatpostman.com/

I wonder how he does it? Carefully controlled Physical force (no twisting), maybe some chemicals and/or a bit of heat as well?

[pwa]

Stems and Seatpost securing Like they had in the 30's then ? And on quite a few current frames too
Or the aerodynamic tubing that came along in the 80's?

Dunno. But it could be a system that works on normal frames, not requiring a special frame to take it. I could imagine, for example, an otherwise round post with a flat on the back to prevent rotation, and an insert into which it slots with minimal clamping. Descent limited by a collar. Removal for re-greasing would be simpler and easier perhaps due to the lower clamping torque necessary to stop it slipping.

[Polisman]

I agree it's very odd what with the advances in headsets bottom brackets, cassettes, braking and wheel fixings it seems a missed opportunity not to solve the seat post problem. I wonder why? Its a nightmare for bike shops stocking many different sizes of posts.

[Mick F]

The solution is obvious.

You clean and re-lube your chain don't you?
You check your tyres don't you?
You adjust your brakes and replace pads don't you?

Why not remove your seatpost, clean it and grease it, then put it back? Do it monthly perhaps.
Simple, and it doesn't need any redesign.

My quill stem and my seatpost come out in a jiffy .......... always have done.
Simple and quick.
Do it like that, and you don't need a special grease, just common or garden grease.

[tim-b]

Hi
Mick F +1

And it's also very prevalent on carbon bikes too

Because people don't see the carbon fibres as good conductors of electricity in combination with being uncertain whether grease is safe on CF
Regards
tim-b

[pwa]

Removing seat posts regularly for regreasing works for some people because they get round to it. It fits in with the way they are. For the rest of us it is a PITA that we wish we could avoid. Especially if there is a risk of having a slipping seatpost afterwards. And when a task is a PITA there is a risk that it will not get done.

[mattsccm]

But it is one of those things that isn't a pain if you do it regularly.Bet it is a minute to undo the bolt. slide it out, grease it and bung it back in.

[Mick F]

Yep.
Allen key, undo, lift, inspect, wipe, grease, back in, align, Allen key, tighten.
This works for the quill stem as well as the seatpost.

More often than not, I miss out the wipe and grease, as they don't often need it.

[nsew]

No need to pull the entire post out. Loosen the bolt off and shift the post a little and reset. Assuming it’s greased in the first place.

[Mick F]

Yep.

The main thing is, you do it.

I recently changed my pedals from Campag to Speedplay.
The Speedplay have nearly half and inch less stack-height, therefore my seatpost needed lowering nearly half an inch.
You never know, I may swap them back again in the future.

Just imagine if the seatpost were stuck solid, I'd be stuck with the same pedals and the same shoes forever!

[alexnharvey]

Have any greasers or anti-seizers had a stuck post while using those methods?