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Did I save my frame just in time? (Reasons I hate aluminum pt. 2)

4426 Views 30 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Jayem, Apr 1, 2022

George2112

Discussion Starter · Jan 27, 2022

Been riding with an old seatpost for months on my aluminum bike and noticed that It occasionally slipped unless really, really tightened. Then recently I found out that the seatpost is actually too narrow for my seat tube by a very tiny margin! (dun dun dun)

Swiftly, I removed the seatpost and made plans to buy a correct size one.

Now, there's no visible cracking or stress marks on the seat tube.
But the seatpost has been really clamped down hard and for a considerable amount of time and since aluminum is the drama queen of metals, I'm now paranoid that I may be riding a potential death trap.

Would continuing to ride the bike with a properly fitting seatpost be risky or do you think I dodged a bullet just in time? IK the final verdict is mine but I feel a lot better getting a second opinion on these things from people who have a lot more experience with bicycles of the mountain variety 😅😅

1 - 20 of 31 Posts

baker

· #2 · Jan 27, 2022

useless anecdotal experience here...I did this (overtightened the seat clamp due to too small of a seatpost) with an aluminum frame back in the day for quite a while. Then, I wised up and cut a shim from a beer can and ran it that way for a few years. That frame never broke, I just ended up getting another bike at some point...

Reactions: 2

127.0.0.1

· #3 · Jan 27, 2022

if you inspect it well, pre-ride, mid-ride, post-ride, every time, you can figure it out before sudden death

Reactions: 1

Wabit

· #4 · Jan 27, 2022

You hate a particular material because you put the wrong sized thing in it?

This is incredibly strange.

Reactions: 5

2021Mach6

· #5 · Jan 27, 2022

It's fine. You'll be ok, just keep an eye out but pretty common for people to do to their seatpost.

And better it's aluminum than carbon ... Probably would've cracked carbon.

Reactions: 2

OneSpeed

· #6 · Jan 28, 2022

If it's not cracked most likely you're OK. I'd check it after every ride for a few weeks just to be safe but most likely if it was going to fail it would have already.

Reactions: 3

FrankS29

· #7 · Jan 28, 2022

Wabit said:
You hate a particular material because you put the wrong sized thing in it?

This is incredibly strange.

To me, it’s a lot less to do with “wrong size” and the insane amount of possible sizes.

pick a fucking size and be done with it already.

Reactions: 3

plummet

· #8 · Jan 28, 2022

Coke can shim.

Reactions: 3

baker

· #9 · Jan 28, 2022

FrankS29 said:
To me, it’s a lot less to do with “wrong size” and the insane amount of possible sizes.

pick a fucking size and be done with it already.

I'm in full agreement with this...just look at this pile of extra seatposts of varying sizes that I've acquired over the years.

Blue Wood Metal Engineering Electric blue

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Reactions: 4

George2112

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 28, 2022

Wabit said:
You hate a particular material because you put the wrong sized thing in it?

This is incredibly strange.

it's less that i hate the material itself and more that i hate working WITH it

George2112

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 28, 2022

2021Mach6 said:
It's fine. You'll be ok, just keep an eye out but pretty common for people to do to their seatpost.

And better it's aluminum than carbon ... Probably would've cracked carbon.

yeah i'm probably never getting a carbon bike, i'm way too clumsy for something that delicate

Reactions: 2

George2112

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 28, 2022

baker said:
I'm in full agreement with this...just look at this pile of extra seatposts of varying sizes that I've acquired over the years.

View attachment 1967322

oh my

George2112

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 28, 2022

*OneSpeed* said:
If it's not cracked most likely you're OK. I'd check it after every ride for a few weeks just to be safe but most likely if it was going to fail it would have already.

your reply gives me some peace of mind, thanks

i check my frame regularly already anyway

Reactions: 2

2021Mach6

· #14 · Jan 28, 2022

BudgetBikeRider2112 said:
yeah i'm probably never getting a carbon bike, i'm way too clumsy for something that delicate

I have a carbon bike ... The advantages are minimal.

FortOrdMTB

· #15 · Jan 28, 2022

BudgetBikeRider2112 said:
Been riding with an old seatpost for months on my aluminum bike and noticed that It occasionally slipped unless really, really tightened. Then recently I found out that the seatpost is actually too narrow for my seat tube by a very tiny margin! (dun dun dun)

Swiftly, I removed the seatpost and made plans to buy a correct size one.

Now, there's no visible cracking or stress marks on the seat tube.
But the seatpost has been really clamped down hard and for a considerable amount of time and since aluminum is the drama queen of metals, I'm now paranoid that I may be riding a potential death trap.

Would continuing to ride the bike with a properly fitting seatpost be risky or do you think I dodged a bullet just in time? IK the final verdict is mine but I feel a lot better getting a second opinion on these things from people who have a lot more experience with bicycles of the mountain variety 😅😅

So your telling us your thingy was too small for the hole?

Reactions: 5

stripes

· #16 · Jan 28, 2022

BudgetBikeRider2112 said:
Been riding with an old seatpost for months on my aluminum bike and noticed that It occasionally slipped unless really, really tightened. Then recently I found out that the seatpost is actually too narrow for my seat tube by a very tiny margin! (dun dun dun)

Swiftly, I removed the seatpost and made plans to buy a correct size one.

Now, there's no visible cracking or stress marks on the seat tube.
But the seatpost has been really clamped down hard and for a considerable amount of time and since aluminum is the drama queen of metals, I'm now paranoid that I may be riding a potential death trap.

Would continuing to ride the bike with a properly fitting seatpost be risky or do you think I dodged a bullet just in time? IK the final verdict is mine but I feel a lot better getting a second opinion on these things from people who have a lot more experience with bicycles of the mountain variety

So, expiring minds wanna know: which aluminum bike hurt you?

George2112

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 28, 2022

stripes said:
So, expiring minds wanna know: which aluminum bike hurt you?

every aluminum component i ever touched turned to dust ._.

noapathy

· #18 · Jan 28, 2022

BudgetBikeRider2112 said:
every aluminum component i ever touched turned to dust ._.

It may be time to stop washing it with sodium hydroxide.

Reactions: 5

stripes

· #19 · Jan 28, 2022

BudgetBikeRider2112 said:
every aluminum component i ever touched turned to dust ._.

You didn't answer my question. Which frame is this? Make, manufacturer? Not really a hard question.

Sparticus

· #20 · Jan 28, 2022

Frame materials are like wimmin.
They're all different, they each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages and you have to learn how to handle each one specifically in order to maximize its potential.
=sParty

Reactions: 3

1 - 20 of 31 Posts

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