Bicycle Mechanics - Crashed and bent my saddle rails...fixable?

So, the title pretty much covers it. I was taking a set of kickers, cleaned the first, cased the second, slammed into the seat and then went airborne, did a wicked dive-roll, bruised my shoulder and some ribs, saddle is hosed.

The rails (steel) are completely smashed into the shell of the saddle, at fairly sharp angles where they clamp to the post.

Has anyone ever salvaged a saddle in this condition? Or should I just call it a loss and get a new one? It's a specialized body geometry (came stock on my bike, but it's comfy), so it's not like it's priceless.

you can stick a pry bar in between the rails and the saddle. However you'll never get it bent back how it used to be. Pretty much you are looking at a new saddle.

This is not something you want to break at the next
feat of derring do so not only chunk the saddle but
do a really close eyeball to the saddle clamp and
the seat post/tube to check for kinks and cracks. Breaking
a saddle rail is obnoxious, breaking a seat post at
the top of the seat tube is a real bummer.

New saddle. Even if you "fixed" it, it would cause problems such as noise and possibly sliding around.

+1 on checking your seatpost. It might be damaged too, which might make it easier to damage your new saddle. Its like chain and cassette, both must be checked and fixed.

What's a set of kickers? Sorry about the crash though, sounds like you escaped pretty well even if the saddle didn't. Check the area around the top of the seattube (frame) for any damage when you remove the seatpost, too, you really don't want a frame replacement to boot.

A "set of kickers" is a common (here in my part of the world) expression for little jumps made of dirt, one to take off from, and one to land on. Usually not more than 3" high (any bigger and they are "jumps" or "ramps" or whatever) but very steep, they shoot you up into the air quite nicely at speed. Often sets are put in line with each other, so you can jump one set, and immediately jump the next. That's what I was attempting when I ate it.

Kickers can exist on their own (i.e. no landing kicker) but then they're just "kickers", not "sets of kickers".

Thanks to all for the saddle (and esp. seatpost) advice. I figured that was the case, but being a cheap bastard, thought I'd see if anyone had successfully repaired their saddle.

So, the title pretty much covers it. I was taking a set of kickers, cleaned the first, cased the second, slammed into the seat and then went airborne, did a wicked dive-roll, bruised my shoulder and some ribs, saddle is hosed.

The rails (steel) are completely smashed into the shell of the saddle, at fairly sharp angles where they clamp to the post.

Has anyone ever salvaged a saddle in this condition? Or should I just call it a loss and get a new one? It's a specialized body geometry (came stock on my bike, but it's comfy), so it's not like it's priceless.

Not worth the risk of living the rest of your life with a colostomy bag if things fail at an inopportune time. I'd get a new saddle and probably seatpost too, considering the stresses probably applied to it. Especially if it's carbon, there could be microcracks you might not be able to see.

Not worth the risk of living the rest of your life with a colostomy bag if things fail at an inopportune time. I'd get a new saddle and probably seatpost too, considering the stresses probably applied to it. Especially if it's carbon, there could be microcracks you might not be able to see.


It's a 30.9 mm aluminum Kain (or some such) post, pretty thick walls, maybe 3-4mm. I inspected it on above advice and can find nothing indicating it was even bothered by the crash. No marks, scuffs, dings or cracks.

Based on the direction the rails were smashed, it looks like I came almost perfectly straight down on the seat, which should be along the strongest possible axis of the seatpost (longitudinal). I'd really rather not have to spend another $30-??? for another seatpost on top of having to buy another saddle. I am trying to save up for clipless & shoes, and eventually for disc brakes & wheels. But I guess a little longer wait is better than a colostomy bag. I guess. :rolleyes: