Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - seat post clamp blues

I thought the 520 was clyde proof....I guess it's just not idiot proof. I went for my ride this evening and made it just over 5 miles when I decided to stop and lower my seat just a tad. Well I must have got a slight bit over zealous retightining it after lowering it. The alen screw in the seat post clamp snapped off right below the head. I figgured OK why not steal a same sized alen screw from a rack or someting for the ride back. No dice, using the same alen wrench I found it fit the ones holding my water bottle holders but after removing the screw it was obvious it has smaller threads. No biggie as I couldn't get the broke off part to come out by hand and my little multi tool don't have any pliers. OK, I can either call for a ride home or just ride the bike with a loose seat. Strange thing is, I think this was the most comfortable I've ever been on the bike. I would hear a car coming up from behind and as usual would look back ever so often to see if it was going to come on around or wait fro me to signal it on by. The seat would turn slightly with me. Peddling normal on a straigt flat section and it did not feel any different than when clamped on. Peddling hard on a steep hill and it moved ever so slightly but not in a bad uncontrolable fashoin, just giving to the hard peddling. Then one on long down hill I let go of the handle bars and I could sit there and stay straight or swivel around almost like on a bar stool. I figgure that leaving it this way would soon damage the seat post but util I make it to town to get a replacement screw I may ride it again. Any reason not too.

Coy Boy
BTW my seat post was only up about an inch so it is not drastically lower. For most I imagin bottomed out would be way too low.

I'm sure the loose post is causing some kind of damage to the frame/seat tube. Just as a spoke without proper tension is allowd a little bit of movement that cause a broken spoke.

I bet the loose post is prying the tube open. I wouldn't chance damaging the seat tube. Just like a spoke, you can't see it coming till it's too late. And you're a Clydesdale!

yep, about 240# right now. Trying to get down to arund 200#. I'll get me a new bolt asap. I went ahead and rode some more after posting but only about 7 more miles but did drop off the mountain. I was a little nervous at around 30 mph so I got out of the seat. Coming back up it worked fine though. Still I dont want to damage anything so I'll ride the OCR the nest few days. It's feeling neglected so this might be a good thing.

I have had a version of this on both my bikes

My older raliegh seat post bolt snapped on a ride adjustment. It was an embarrassing ride home because I am pretty tall and my seatpost is usually very high. Let's just say people were giving my funny looks.

Yesterday I killed my carbon fiber seat post on my OCR 1. It kept creaking and I kept tightening (don't do this) until we got a little nick in it so now we have an aluminum one. This one also creaked and figured out why the first one creaked. Oh well it came with the bike and I was suspicious of it anyway. I kept the carbon post and will screw it to the garage wall as a trophy.

Pretty soon I will be purchasing a torque wrench. Maybe the scrawny guys are strong enough to twist these things off?