Bicycle Mechanics - Saddle Separated From Rails HELP!?!?

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DukeRyder
10-22-10, 06:07 PM
Just discovered today when I went to take my MTB out for a ride the movers F'ed my saddle up. Worst part is it's an almost new one too and I already filed my 1 claim wish I found this out sooner grrrr

How can I put this back together? I found it with the nose pulled off the rails; so it can either have the nose in that little notch or have it not able to slip over that notch. I'm really pissed off about this
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5105701183_261389d2b6_b.jpg

ultraman6970
10-22-10, 06:10 PM
Some saddles have the tip of the saddle with a screw, the tip is like a cup that holds the whole thing together. Have no idea what saddle u have in there but i suspect that to be able to put the two rails the tip of the sadlle are needs to come out 1st?
AEO
10-22-10, 06:11 PM
lots of bending.

LarDasse74
10-22-10, 06:33 PM
Sometimes these can be fixed and sometimes they can't. It takes a lof ot force to break a saddle like this; likewise to fix it. My strategy was to bend the rails in a bench vise slightly more than they originally were so they are just short enough to get the rails into the holes in the saddle, then sqush squish the whole saddle in the vise to flatten out the rails to their original shape.

Notes:
This can only be done with 100% metal rails - if the saddle has carbon rails this won't work.
THis should be a last resort because the saddle will never be exactly like it was when new.
This might not work and if you try it and snap the rails then later realize you could have done it some other way don't blame me.
Suburban Grind
10-22-10, 08:11 PM
Along LarDasse74's line of carbon rails not permanently bending, are there not also issues with titanium and nichrome superalloy reaching their tensile stress before yielding? Those tubular beams which are springs can store quite a bit of energy too. Chrome-moly and manganese steel will take plenty of effort to bend, but I predict will with some heating. So, depends on material, but bending back to original dimensions will be the real pita.

Time to get another saddle?
TimeTravel_0
10-23-10, 06:59 AM
use two seatposts. one to hold it on the silver rail part, one toward to the end to force it back in.