Fifty Plus (50+) - Close call on the way to the gym this AM -- almost suffered a rectal insertion!

The bolt for the saddle clamp snapped off with no warning and the saddle went flying off behind me. I wobbled to a safe stop, a little shook up, and found all the pieces except the head of the bolt. I was less than 1/2 mile from the house, stiff from last night's ride, and not yet warmed up. My right knee was cranky and not happy about pushing out of the saddle uphill from a standstill. I am a rider who almost NEVER rises out of the saddle and just don't care for it or see the need. I took off pushing from the left side and backing up the pedal repeatedly and got in the groove enough to ride home and hop in the car .

This happened before on a different bike, but that time I had a brief warning where I felt the saddle shift and creak. And at that a time, my buddy David was with me who does a lot of hard core mountain biking so we traded bikes and he brought the seatless bike in.

I went to American Bolt -- an industrial bolt supply -- and bought several 8x1.25mm
allen head bolts, 30, 40 and 50 mm long. They are metric 12.9 grade which is equivalent to grade 8 American. I'm going to switch the bolts out preemptively on my other bikes that use an 8mm vertical seat clamp bolt.

When I asked about this at the bike shop they said the bolt must been loose to snap, but I don't think so. I had just gone through that bike and it had no creaks or any other noises at all. Hard to imagine I would not feel a loose seat.

Don in Austin

I had this happen to me seven miles from home, rode back standing up and my legs were a mess for two days.

A while after that I read a story about a guy who rode daily centuries without a saddle, standing all the way. I think he must have been an android or something.

"You must become one with the bike grasshopper."

Man, I've never done that before. You must be sitting with more force than I do.

Years ago I read that RAAM (aka. GABR) legend Lon Haldeman used to train for hours in his dark basement riding a bike with the saddle removed.

Wow. Next time ask for KY and some propofol.

Trek issued a recall last year for that very problem.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/778128-Trek-FX

I know Gyro had this happen to his Trek last Summer and fortunately he was alert enough to avert injury or crash.

Stories like this make me love my Bacchetta even more!

I had a bad saddle sore and rode my 8 mile comute for a week or so without sitting down. It wasn't that hard.

I had a bad saddle sore and rode my 8 mile comute for a week or so without sitting down. It wasn't that hard.

You are practiced at rising out of the saddle. I am not. I have done centuries and never left the saddle. I stay in the saddle for the steepest hills. Maybe this is not optimum technique, but it's me.


Don in Austin

I've had that happen to me too. I rode about two miles to the shop to get another bolt and I was wore out. I don't know how the BMX guys do it.

happened to me at the top of the mountain on a MTB ride once. once I stopped shaking, I rode all the way home standing. that's about as repped out as my legs have ever been.

I had a seat post snap on my Trek a couple of years ago. It was one of their Bontrager labeled pieces of junk. I hope Keith Bontrager made a lot of money when he sold his name to Trek.:notamused:

I had the adjuster bolt break on an American Classic post at the top of a mountain pass. The seat flopped to one side but I didn't fall and was able to limp into town and get a bolt from a gas station. I've also broken 3 other posts but nothing as dramatic. I've been out miles from home and had saddle rails snap on two occaisions.
Been using Thomson posts for several years and they have been great.

Just had the worst day of financial dealing since I decided not to follow my friends advice and didn't buy Microsoft stocks in 1989. It was worse than breaking your nuts on a bicycle seat.

I think I'll go buy a pie and icecream and rent a movie. I was told "Sometimes a Great Notion" with Henry and Peter Fonda is good.

This happened to me last year on my singlespeed mountain bike, about five miles from my car. Had to ride the singletrack out standing up. My legs were a little cooked. It's amazing how much you have to concentrate to keep yourself from sitting down...

If you're standing properly, it should not be an issue. When you ride a fixed gear all the time, you quickly learn that you've got two speeds: sitting and standing. The reason your legs are turning to jelly while standing is because you are keeping your legs bent all the time. When I am climbing out of the saddle on the fixie, I make sure my driving leg is straight before the pedal hits 3 o'clock. The principle is the same as in cross-country skiing: you want to be resting on skeletal structure, not muscular structure. So when my leg is straightened, I am resting on my leg bones. The thigh muscles are not under tension holding me up, they're relaxing.

So if your saddle breaks off (it's happened to me a few times on the road bike), make sure your leg straightens before 3 o'clock when you go up hills. On descents, just coast with both legs straight. And on the flat, just put it in a big gear and pretend you're climbing. But make sure you are resting on bone, not muscle!

Luis

I had a seat post snap on my Trek a couple of years ago. It was one of their Bontrager labeled pieces of junk. I hope Keith Bontrager made a lot of money when he sold his name to Trek.:notamused:

Hope he didn't

definitely riding in the 'wrong neighborhood'...

I would say that it's time for a Thomson post. And standing is a nice skill to have, IMO... adds a lot to riding. But whatever the case, glad you were not injured.