How To Remove A Seized Seatpost - What To Do If Your Bike's Seatpost Is Stuck
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- A seized seatpost is a common bicycle maintenance issue. Don't do anything drastic, GCN are here to help!
Subscribe to GCN on RUclips: gcn.eu/gcnsubs
A seatpost can become seized on most bikes, and, if you leave it too long, you may need to damage the frame or the seatpost to get it out. That's where GCN comes in. Strong man and ex-professional cyclist Daniel Lloyd uses the humble kettle and shows you how to remove a seatpost with minimal damage to your frame and the seatpost. (Spoiler alert - Daniel had the help of his much stronger friends...) Don't break out the hacksaw, the chemicals or the vice just yet!
To prevent further issues, GCN also has tips on how to avoid your seatpost becoming seized again!
Are there any mechanical issues that we can help you out with? Comment and let us know.
Music: Deadly Avenger - Chevy Chase's Hair: gcn.eu/1ajNoLd
About GCN:
The Global Cycling Network puts you in the centre of the action: from the iconic summit of the Stelvio to the epic trails of Fort William, Scotland, everywhere there is pavé or dirt, world-class racing, and pro riders, we will be there bringing you all the action, essential analysis and unparalleled access every week, every month, and every year.
Welcome to the Global Cycling Network | Inside cycling
RUclips Channel - gcn.eu/gcnYT
Facebook - gcn.eu/gcnFb
Google+ - gcn.eu/gcnGPlus
Twitter - gcn.eu/gcnTW
Leave us a comment below!
Music - licensed by Cue Songs
yay! i'm a bike newbie and not incredibly strong - this method freed up my seized bike post in 30 minutes flat on a used bike from the 80s. thank you!!!
bought a second-hand road bike recently, seatpost was stuck like concrete. Poured hot water 5 times with a generous amount of wd40 in between and managed to pull it out. Thanks, GCN!
Can't thank you enough. Saved me time and money. WD40 and two pots of boiling water is all it took to do what that was going to be impossible without a bike shop. Gratitude and prosperity to you guys!
English man frees his bike seat with a pot of tea
You speak english
Reading this comment before I watched the video I'm thinking, "gotta be kidding right?" But no, s spot of tea did the trick.
😂 haha. Sometimes the most brilliant solutions are pretty simple and easy.
Absolute banger solution! A bike technician would wanna touch it, we had tried couple of things for a day, and this worked in 10 mins.
This worked for my carbon bike with aero seat post! thanks gcn!
10 year old video and the method still holds true. 2-3 kettles of boiling water, a little WD-40, and a bit of elbow grease, and it popped right out. Thanks GCN!!!
Quick search for this issue and that's actually my exact bike frame in the video, the Felt F4. Can't wait to try this out and finally dial in my optimal seat height. It's been like this for months. Thank you!
Worked for my vanmoof bike! Poured two pots of boiling water on the tube let it sit and it came out easy!! Thanks!!
Many brands have a 'carbon grip' style product. These are basically a really rough paste that you use instead of grease. They tend to work really well too.
I love you and want to have your babies. Seriously, I was praying for my beloved 2004 dogma and the hot water worked first time straight away for an otherwise locked seat post. Did the wd40 thing but clearly nowhere near as affective as physics. Then again I had taken it out 2 years ago and knew it wasn't too bad as a result. Otherwise it just wouldn't budge. I might try this on the stuck forks now. Those haven't moved in years. For others out there, my frame was an alloy magnesium with carbon post. Good luck and thanks again!!!
The tip about boiling water WORKED! THANK YOU!
I thought I'd just check that my carbon seatpost hadn't seized as I hadn't moved it in a fair while. Sure enough, I couldn't lift it out so I thought "I'll push it down a bit, just to unjam it." Naturally it went down as far as it could go and absolutely refused to move back up. However, one quick GCN vid later and it was all better.
I had a Colnago C59 seat post frozen once, after 2 days of WD40 I finally managed to get the post out safely with 3 other nervous mates helping me. about every 6-8 weeks I now take the post out and apply Carbon seat post fiber paste. Since then nothing has seized, I do the same with my stem and handlebar every 3 months with grease on the bolts and re-tighten with torque wrench. Worth it for an expensive bike!
Thanks GCN! It worked!! A lot of patience and around 10-12 full kettles, man power and some sweating but it came out! Thanks for the video, it saved me!
used this method today on a seat post that had been stuck for the past year. used a rubber mallet on the seat to get the post turning. worked a treat
My bike has a aluminium frame and a carbon post and boiling water worked for me. Took some time but well worth the struggle!
thank you so much i’ve been trying for an hour to just unscrew the screw under the bike seat and it wouldn’t budge. i boiled a pot of water and poured it slowly over the screw. it finally came undone after the first try!
I was trying to remove the seatpost from a 1997 Trek MTB that I recently acquired and it would not budge at all.
I sprayed it with some WD-40 and let it sit for a few minutes then tried turning the saddle back and forth. I was just barely able to budge it, but I gave up after a few minutes.
Come back two days later and realize that the top of the seat post is almost perfectly rectangular. So, I clamped onto it at the back of the saddle with my locking pliers and used one hand to pull the pliers one way while pushing the front of the saddle the opposite direction. This produced enough torque to loosen the seatpost. I then turned the seatpost back and forth a couple of times, and then rotated it clockwise while pulling up and it came out fairly easily.
I'll try the hot water treatment now - I've gone thru a bunch of utube vids, & you're the first with that. Excellent - here goes (I bought a circa 1989 NISHIKI CUSTOM SPORT off ebay - complete except wheelset & RD, only $67 free ship. Guess now i know why, seat post stuck hard).
Thanks GCN - this made my day. Seatpost stuck for the last two years, but not anymore:)
Worked great! First try, aluminum frame, p.o.s. box one carbon post. Whatever clear coat they put on the carbon glued it in there tight.
this was a really good method, took about an hour in total but got the job done. 10/10 thanks
Thank you so much! This did the trick for me! Applying hot water on carbon frame and cold water on seatpost. Took me 45minutes to get it out, but worth it
Thanks so much, my bike seat post was stuck tight, the kettle trick really did the job
WoW, that is THE vdo I’ve been dreaming of for all too long 🙏🏼
Worked for me. Took about 3o minutes. Lifesaver
Alu Seat post in Carbon frame - 3 days of penetrating oil ( GT85 ) and some side to side movement - TOP TIP used turbo trainer to hold down bike to enable pulling up on saddle ( hands ache after hitting saddle round )
i had this problem with a really old bike. I used wd-40 and a plastic hammer. It took some time, but it worked! :)
Exactly what steps did you do, how often? Thanks
Just used this method today, thanks for sharing GCN 😄🤙
Works well! I just let wd-40 soak down my seat tube for about 3 hours, heated it up with a hair dryer, put an old saddle on that I didn't care about, and they I hammered away with a rubber mallet. After about an hour I got it out. (I have a carbon frame with an aluminum dropper post by the way)
Had a super stuck seat post and this worked like a dream, had to use about 5 kettles, each time it moved about 0.5cm then would stick solidly again but slowly managed to work it's way out.
Took time, but it worked. Many pours and lots of elbow grease. Carbon frame and alloy post. Unfortunately, I get to do it again on another bike!
This works so well thanks. I have just had this problem today after digging out my barn living bike and now it is set up to my height. Took me two boils and some wd40
How many kettles ? And how do u compensate for the time you're boiling new water
How do you remove a seized seatpost?
Daniel Lloyd has a few tips if brute force alone isn't working for you!
#cycling
Are there any other mechanical videos you'd like to see from GCN? Comment and let us know.
***** its called pipe wrench ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ ヽ
Lovely cheers. Just removed a stuck Caron post from an aluminium frame using this method
I followed your lead and got the stuck post out with help from my son.
Simon is still my favorite GCN presenter.
Thanks!
Dan the man!
You sorted out my seat post problem, fair play to you|
Happened to me once, bike shop mechanics had some awesome stuff and out it came!
This works. Just removed an alu post from a carbon frame using this method. Takes time and some force but it does work
I'm almost to the point of taking my frame into a carbon bike repair shop....I have an aluminum Thompson post stuck in my yeti frame. what did you do to get yours out?
+Colin Lyons exactly what they did in this video. Takes a long time but it does work
Strip down the frame, put the seat post in a vice and use the frame as a lever.
Can u make a video?
That method, with WD40 soaking, worked for me.
@@visualizebykim-ian4600 Bit late, but: ruclips.net/video/izcqB2dCTzI/видео.html
thank you from Truckee California.
I had a steel post stuck in a steel frame. Had to saw it out. Anything I tried with temperature just worked on both pieces at once. The hardest part was finding a hacksaw blade the right length.
I need to try this to my bike. Thanks for the video.
Was both the frame and seat post carbon?
Quite possibly. The fact is though, if you leave your bike for that long, that's the risk you run. There is no easy way out so be careful.
I used a heat gun (not a hair drier, they don't get hot enough) to heat up the frame (not the post) for about 10 minutes. Use the hottest setting and keep it moving to avoid blistering the paint. Spray lots of WD40 on the post so it will seep down into the frame throughout the process. Turn the seat back and forth until it's finally loose and work the post out.
Great tip : try twisting the seatpost using your thighs, seating on the bike. You have way more force than with your arms/hands. I sprayed WD-40 through the bottom bracket too.
Good question. No, definitely DON'T clamp the top tube! This is normally super thin and even slight clamping pressure can crack it. Go for the seat post, much safer.
Okay... I just did mine, it took me two hours. I had to wrap a rea towel tightly to the frame and pour about 10 kettle of water on it. eventually after using a heavy lump hammer to smash the post downwards it moved 1/2 and inch. But I had to hit it very many times. The damn post was 13 inchest long and 7 inches was in the bike frame. The reason it had to ceom out was because the part that goes into the seat was cracked. It's a good job I checked it as it was a bad accident waiting to happen. I sawed off the broken bit. Greased the post and the inside of the frame and put it all back together. It seems very sturdy now.
Could you make a video how to remove a seized or stripped bolt please?!
Apparently this video you requested, will be uploaded this week
Thx man! It worked for me asswell!
Kettle worked a treat thanx
Hi Leonardo,
Try looking back through our Facebook posts - we shared some pretty cool solutions a couple of weeks ago. Ikea Hackers is a good place to start.
does the hot/cold method work with steel & other metal type frames?
worked with my carbon post and aluminum frame
@@RideWithJuboy Truly amazing that you replied to a 5 year old post with the exact opposite of what the user asked.
@@raveoreynolds6049 hey go find your self a hobby instead of trolling on others people's post
I just did this successfully on a steel frame with an aluminum seat post
@@chuckleomg I have a steel seat post and aluminium frame. I would have though that that is the best combination as aluminium out-expands steel.
Yeap, this actually worked!
Good Video-this technique does work…eventually. Just note that once you have freed up the seat, the saga does not end there, you must remove -de grease and re lube the post every 3 or 4 months or more if you ride in foul weather. Miss the re lube and you will be boiling the kettle again!
Are the same tips applicable to removing seized bottom bracket in carbon frame? If not, what would be recommended?
Can you do a video on how to properly change a saddle and the correct seat angle?
You can speed up/improve the process
1. Remove the seat before pouring water
2. Use some pliers and squeeze the heck out of the seized bar.
What NOT to do!!!
1. Do not keep tightening the seat as I bought this used and the last owner did not have the previous seized bar all the way on. My seat-to-bar attachment was deformed and took a hammer and pliers to bend back.
i never use fiber grip on my tube, believe it or not i just wrap masking tape to avoid slipping. it works like magic!
Good information. I think I can do it. Thanks for posting.
F-ing WORKED! Geesh, finally. Thanks!!!
this is why when people look at me funny when i tell them i add grease to the seatpost before insertion, I ignore the funny looks and do it anyway. :)
Thanks for this video, it helped me out big time
I recommend a titanium seat post its less likely to get stuck. Once mine is out thats what I'm ordering!
Just give the saddle a hard whack to force the seat post down (shorter). This will break the corrosion bond. Then it comes out easy. Spray on a little lubricant down the seat tube. Works for me.
Definitely follow this advice if you want to permanently ruin your bike.
Thank you so much!!
IT'S REALLY WORK GREAT....
Thanks for this clear and v helpful video!
Beautiful bike!
What about an aero carbon seatpost that you can't twist?
I have one that I applied carbon fix paste a year ago , now it's not moving at all anymore. I need to adjust it for a few millimeters.
Do you think it also works for that seatpost? Haven't tried it yet, as I just saw your video.
Can you make a vid about the proper amount of force needed to tighten carbon parts like handle bars, stems, etc? Thanks for the great info.
This is old, but to answer:
Every bolt has a specified torque that should be applied, usually given in Newton meters (Nm). You should use a torque wrench or have a good feel for what each torque feels like. This is extremely important for carbon parts.
Look at this sprightly chap.
thx you for your information.. now i can do it on my own :)
Very helpful!
Dan, you're so young! October 2022. :)
As prevention, how about lubricating inside the body pole before installing a seat post? So that the chance of internal rusting overtime is reduced! I have done this with a new bike and will monitor the results. Well I only thought of it after the seat post fall into the body pole (without the seat actually attached) and I had to lubricate inside the body pole in order to vibrate the freakin seat post out!
I had this happen once and it literally needed to be reamed out by the LBS after I shattered the carbon post trying to get it out.. insane.
Good stuff guys.
any tips for doing this to a vintage steel road bike?
Try making a little shim out of a coke can. Carefully cut a section out, wrap it around your seat post, effectively increasing the diameter.
I have a quick release seat post that's seized, guess I don't have to worry about locking it up anymore 😂😅
Personally I just use a hair dryer to warm things up. I had a stuck cassette from an old MTB that was on there for almost 8 years. It was too heavy even for 3 to move it, but after some time with a hair dryer I could loosen it like a new one.
Carbon in ally frame, unbolt seat, bolt on 3 ft of bar for leverage, WD through cage holes and down the post, about 5 boiling kettles and mine came off, but jeez I was cream crackered!!
Old video (and young, youthful, in-shape Dan!), but Dan - you may be saving me some hassle here. I'll try it and report back.
Going to try this right now. Mine is very very seized but it's broken at the top as well so it has to come out or my bike is dead....My bike is a 25 year old Mtrax 250 and it does all I could ever want from it, but I just noticed that post. If I don't change it it will snap when I am out riding.
What do you do if it's a carbon fiber seatpost in side a carbon frame with no metal sheath and it's aero/teardrop shaped?
The only thing I can imagine is to try and apply the thermal techniques simultaniously. Slowly pour boiling water over the frame, while using that freezing spray on the seat post. You'd have to apply these as close to each other as possible, without hot water spilling onto the seat post, and freeze spray reaching the frame, so maybe build an improvised shield there. The aim would be to create as large a temperature difference as possible between those parts, so that a third person could hopefully manage to pull them apart.
what about aluminium seatpost stuck in steel frame does it work?
Just did mine. Took almost 3 hours from start to finish, but more like 2 just one the post removal. The damn thing was 7 inches inside the frame.
how?
You saved my Look KG 196 You Beauties :)
Phew! What a save.
Doesn't the boiling water damage the carbon frame or paintwork? Also will the aluminium post not expand as well as the collar? Is the collar aluminium?
yes the post will expand if heated too. ideally you would differentially heat them but just making them change size is enough to get things going it seems.
The boiling water worked a treat on my daughter's bike 👍
thanks
done a few of those on the old bikes in my time.. the worst mechnical job in cycling.. or maybe a joint worst with a snapped old botom bracket race stick inside a frame!
No problem yet... but I know someone will bring their bike to my shop with this problem in the future!
Thanks its work!!
I had this problem few months ago, on a Felt also, with aero seat post wich you can't move around, luckily a mechanic could get it out, after to weeks! Now every now and then y pull it out just to clean it and make sure doesn't happen again...
Agustin Navarro any idea how they managed to get it out? I’m dealing with the same issue aero carbon seatpost in carbon frame right now.
I'm.gonna try this on my 07 orbea onix. Seatpost been stuck since 2008
Would like to find out what are the different methods of clamping your bike to a work stand. will it be alright to clamp it onto a carbon bike's top tube or a carbon fibre seatpost?
Greeeeat ! IT WORKED !! THX