[urbanheroes]

Hello,

I see lots of people on MTBR seem to have Uzzi VPX's.
I really stoked that I have now got one too..
I got a medium as I'm about 6 foot and although I haven't done any seroius riding on it yet, I am well impressed so far.
I got really lucky and bought second hand, as a complete bike, although it has barely been ridden and most of the components are brand new! I've had it a couple of days and have been fettling and switching components about to get her feeling right and am just about happy now.

I agree with the people who posted reviews on this frame and said that the cable routing sucks - I'm considering running a continuous outer down the down-tube and along the chainstay to the rear mech as the bottom link moves much less under compression. That way I shouldn't get any of the cable rub on the seat- tube and ghost shifting!

Anyhow, the reason I am posting is to ask fellow Uzzi owners if they have had any problems inserting a long seat post all the way into the frame? The bike came with a Race Face Next carbon post which measures 350mm from the underneith of the head to the end. Long I know, but the seat-tube is longer so I expected it to go all the way down!
I'm going to use this bike as much as possible for everything, so it's essential I have a long post and it's one of the things that attracted me to this bike (obviously not the only thing!) after owning a Spesh Enduro and struggling with an interrupted seat tube.

Basically, the post will go down about 6 inches no problem. After that it gets progressively tighter, although it will go down most of the way. It feels like the post is having to flex to suit the seat tube and that I'm not very inpressed with!
Because the outside of the the seat tube varies in diameter along it's length, it's tricky to see if the tube is straight, but I get the feeling there is a tiny bit of weld distortion going on!

Has anyone else encountered this problem at all? If so, did you solve it and how?

I look forward to hearing from you if yr not too busy busting out on down hills and sending gaps!

Thanks, Rupert.

 

[Rover Nick]

I have the same problem. As far as a soultion, I don't know. I just loosen the collar most of the way and push or twist the seat and pull

 

[1soulrider]

Mine is like that too. I had hoped it would smooth out over time.

 

[Ojai Bicyclist]

You have to ream seattubes on pretty much every frame out there. It's nice when manufacturers do it but don't expect. A good shop should be able to do it.

 

[.Danno.]

That came up on the Intense board a long time ago. It ends up that they only ream the tube 6" down.

Some use a smaller diameter post and a shim to get around the problem.

 

[L. Ron Hoover]

I got the shop to ream mine. It took 10 minutes and now I can get my 400mm Thomson all the way down. I've had my Uzzi for almost a year now and that's the only complaint I've had.
I'm not having any issues with the cable routing on mine.

Super fun bike!

 

[urbanheroes]

Interesting, thanks for all your replies. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem!
Those of you who had your seat tubes reamed, do you know what diameter reamer was used and do you have any idea how much material was removed? I think it would take quite a bit to get my post to slide all the way in easily. If I shove it most of the way in without the clamp on, a gap opens up between post and tube at the front!

I did consider using a smaller post and a shim - last resort tho as I have this lovely long carbon post!

I've emailed Intense to get their view and will report back!

 

[-C-]

Can also confirm its a tight fit, even with lots of lube - so to speak

 

[jbogner]

Some people have the issue, some don't. I've got a 400 mm Thomson that pops way out when I'm pedalling (I'm 6-4) and slams down to the layback bend when I'm DH'ing. Easily 12 inches of post in there. Some post/frame combos are just tighter than others. Ream it if it's a problem...

 

[Blaster1200]

The seatpost insertion issue is a long-standing problem with Intense frames. They only ream it a certain amount, leaving little room to lower the seatpost very far. I couldn't even fit a 30.9mm post past the reaming point! How bad is that?! (it's supposed to be 31.6mm)

And I spoke with Marv from Intense in person, and even showed him the problem, he commented, "We only ream it XX [I forgot] inches." I explained that I realized that...Hello! :madman: But he just said that's the way it is. Lame response.

You can read a lot more about this by searching the Intense forum. Maybe Intense has improved on this, but I don't know.

I think the best solution for Intense frames is to use an undersized post with a shim.

 

[urbanheroes]

post pain..

Hey Blaster :madman: is about right!
I'm in the UK so can't head up to the Intense factory and knock them for being lazy and complacent! I just have to make do with emailing Brendan Collier ('technical' guy) at Intense and not getting anywhere!
I've been as congenial as I can and at no point insinuated that I think they are slack for not thinking this stuff through properly as that would just get me nowhere. Trouble is, all I got was lots of emails evading my questions, and no bloody answers anyhow! Grr.
In a very long winded way, the answer was pretty much "that's the way it is" too..

What did you do about the problem?
I don't think my seat tube is straight enough to stick a reamer much below 6" as the massive amount of weld on the front of the seat tube has bent it slightly at the top, so the bit above the top tube is at a slightly different angle to the rest. If I shove my carbon (bendy) post all the way down, without the collar on, a gap opens up at the front between the tube and the post! The reamer will be guided by the first 5" of the tube and try to bite into the back wall. At best, it will take a bit out of each and give me an oval opening at the clamp and a load missing from the back wall further down the tube!

Did you go for the shim option in the end?

Anyone else got an experience to share?? :madmax:

 

[.Danno.]

Anyone else got an experience to share?? :madmax:

Uzzi Seatpost Problem ???

UZZI Seatpost insertion problems

 

[urbanheroes]

Geez, thanks Danno. I never realised there where so many people out there with the same problem!
Considering the evasive responses I got to my emails to Intense, and the sheer amount of people who have had this problem, I'd have thought Intense would have done something about it by now!

I read with interest the post from whoever it was who said that Turner seat tubes flare out to a larger ID beyond 6" or so. Seeing as the OD of the seat tube on my Uzzi changes diameter, internally butting it is not too much to ask and the perfect solution to controlling seatpost fit.
I realise that a frame with this much weld and gusseting will be inclined to distort a tiny bit during welding however well it is fixtured and with a clearance of 0.1 to 0.15mm between post and tube, there is bound to be interference with a long post!
As ever, the devil is in the detail and this is one detail whoever designs for Intense overlooked.
I'm an industrial Designer / Design Engineer and Designers are often accused of not thinking of the reality of manufacturing products when they sit there sketching or on CAD and making all the decisions. - The guys at Aston Martin are terrible for that.
I make a point of nailing as much of the detail as I can first time, and if I miss something, I get it fixed as soon as a revision can be made. - that's just having pride in your work, and being fortunate enough to have control over putting issues right.
Being a small company, Intense should have both these things so I think their designer needs a good slap and if anyone from intense reads this, good. If your half as committed to making a quality product as your website and your prices make out, you will do something about it and post a reply....

The Uzzi VPX might be a freeride bike, but in my opinion, thats all the more reason for wanting to have a long post to help out on the climbs (The top of Frome is a long way to push on a fire-road - I might be English, but I've been to the North Shore) and slam right down for the technical stuff. A DH bike with a short post is fair enough, but not Freeride.....

 

[.Danno.]

Geez, thanks Danno. I never realised there where so many people out there with the same problem!
Considering the evasive responses I got to my emails to Intense, and the sheer amount of people who have had this problem, I'd have thought Intense would have done something about it by now!

I read with interest the post from whoever it was who said that Turner seat tubes flare out to a larger ID beyond 6" or so. Seeing as the OD of the seat tube on my Uzzi changes diameter, internally butting it is not too much to ask and the perfect solution to controlling seatpost fit.
I realise that a frame with this much weld and gusseting will be inclined to distort a tiny bit during welding however well it is fixtured and with a clearance of 0.1 to 0.15mm between post and tube, there is bound to be interference with a long post!
As ever, the devil is in the detail and this is one detail whoever designs for Intense overlooked.
I'm an industrial Designer / Design Engineer and Designers are often accused of not thinking of the reality of manufacturing products when they sit there sketching or on CAD and making all the decisions. - The guys at Aston Martin are terrible for that.
I make a point of nailing as much of the detail as I can first time, and if I miss something, I get it fixed as soon as a revision can be made. - that's just having pride in your work, and being fortunate enough to have control over putting issues right.
Being a small company, Intense should have both these things so I think their designer needs a good slap and if anyone from intense reads this, good. If your half as committed to making a quality product as your website and your prices make out, you will do something about it and post a reply....

The Uzzi VPX might be a freeride bike, but in my opinion, thats all the more reason for wanting to have a long post to help out on the climbs (The top of Frome is a long way to push on a fire-road - I might be English, but I've been to the North Shore) and slam right down for the technical stuff. A DH bike with a short post is fair enough, but not Freeride.....

I agree totally. I think in one of those threads I posted the links to I said I that I couldn't believe they let something as small as this become such a big issue without fixing the problem. That was one of the reasons I gave up on the Uzzi as my next bike. When Intense went with the non-interrupted seat tube design for the new Uzzi I thought, cool I can slam the seat all the way down. Wrong.

The shim solution is viable as long as the welds don't penatrate too far, and the seat tube is pretty straight. No guarantees though, you just have to try it and see.

I own two Turners now, and they have 4 inches of 27.2 seat tube at the top before they flare bigger. I have no issues at all. I slam my seat over 8" down for steep stuff and jumping, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I'm sure you'll fix your problem with a shim, reaming, or both and things will work out fine. It is a shame that you've got to do all that on a high end frame targeted for freeride though.

 

[kidwoo]

I think they did so something about it.

I can insert an uncut post all the way down in mine.

 

[.Danno.]

I think they did so something about it.

I can insert an uncut post all the way down in mine.

Cool. Maybe they ream it further now, but then again maybe you're just lucky because yours isn't that new. Some do go all the way down without interference, just none I've seen.

I really think it's a great bike aside from a couple little things that maybe all the *****'n on the boards has helped rectify. :thumbsup:

 

[kidwoo]

maybe all the *****'n on the boards has helped rectify. :thumbsup:

heh heh heh

 

[bettermanNZ]

VP-Free is the same too - reamed out for about 8" then can't move any further ... quite annoying for a freeride bike.

 

[.Danno.]

VP-Free is the same too - reamed out for about 8" then can't move any further ... quite annoying for a freeride bike.

I checked into that a while ago too and it may be more than just reaming for the free. It seems to hit a really solid stop.

The actual numbers were M - 9.5", L - 10", and XL, 10.5" and you're supposed to leave 4" in the frame minimum. Just recently a friend snapped his seat tube and he was only leaving 3" in the frame. Annoying is right.

 

[urbanheroes]

Thanks again for all the responses..
I shall fix the problem for sure, I just don't want to void any warranty in the process!
The only applicable suggestion that came of my enquirys to Intense was to ream the seat tube 0.005" or about 0.13mm oversize! Hmm, not gonna help the seat stay up when it's extended much! Besides, they where quick to point out that if I did follow this particular gem of advice, any warranty would be void.. Thanks a lot for the tip!

What I really wanted to know was what the minimum design limit of the wall thickness was, so I could figure out how much material I could remove from the back wall of my distorted tube below the top 6" (turner style) before I compromised the frame integrity. I never did get this figure, so either I risk it, or get a new post shim it. Either way, I'm on my own..!