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Seat angle keeps moving upward

Old 08-26-08, 05:21 PM
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Seat angle keeps moving upward

I'm still trying to dial in my seat settings on my Campy Record carbon seatpost. I've tried having the nose higher than the rear, but that didn't work. So now I'm trying to level the nose and the rear, parallel to the top tube.

I've tighten seat to the seatpost as hard as I could, but the seat nose keeps raising up over the duration of my ride (about two hours).

Thoughts?
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Old 08-26-08, 05:24 PM
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I assume it's a single-bolt seatpost.

Check the splines aren't stripped? Also, how are you tightening it? The seatpost bolt is at an odd angle to tighten.
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Old 08-26-08, 05:28 PM
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Originally Posted by ShadowGray
I assume it's a single-bolt seatpost.

Check the splines aren't stripped? Also, how are you tightening it? The seatpost bolt is at an odd angle to tighten.
I'm tightening it as hard as I can, but perhaps I'm so fat that over the course of a ride the seat and bolt comes loose .
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Old 08-26-08, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by axelfox
Thoughts?
Thomson posts FTW.
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Old 08-26-08, 07:13 PM
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What type of post are you using? It sounds like you need one with larger splines or (better yet) a two-bolt system like Thomson as mentioned above.
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Old 08-26-08, 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by CharlieWoo
Thomson posts FTW.
Couldn't agree more. Best upgrade I put on my bike. Infinitely adjustable and relatively light.
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Old 08-26-08, 07:56 PM
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Thomson. No further discussion needed.
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Old 08-26-08, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by CharlieWoo
Thomson posts FTW.
Probably needs a setback seat post and the Thomson setback, which isn't setback nearly enough is fugly

Originally Posted by urbanknight
What type of post are you using? It sounds like you need one with larger splines or (better yet) a two-bolt system like Thomson as mentioned above.
OP said it was a Campy, see my comment above about possibly needing setback

Originally Posted by dark13star
Couldn't agree more. Best upgrade I put on my bike. Infinitely adjustable and relatively light.
Can't anyone in America read!

Originally Posted by mloywhite
Thomson. No further discussion needed.
Another conformist.
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Old 08-26-08, 09:12 PM
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Sorry, I didn't notice the OP said it was Campy Record. I'm shocked. I have a setback seatpost with the saddle as far back as possible and have not had any problems with slip with the exception of a really cheap post which made noise.
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Old 08-26-08, 09:20 PM
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I like the Thomson that came on my new bike, but I don't see it as being any better than my infinitely adjustable Ritchey post that had a proper setback. In 8 years, I never had trouble with it slipping, and it was always easy to adjust, even if I changed saddles to a different rail elevation angle:

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Old 08-26-08, 09:24 PM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo


Can't anyone in America read!
Since when is this forum just for "America"? Yes, I did read it and there is nothing about "Campy" (can't anyone spell Campagnolo?) that precludes the Thomson. The setback post works great, despite your assessment that it is "fugly." The only real open question should be whether it has enough setback.
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Old 08-27-08, 01:21 AM
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I'm already stretched out as far as I can on the bike, so I'm not sure a set back seatpost would be a good idea. I'm already looking at seatposts with two bolts (so, Thomson? )
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Old 08-27-08, 04:02 AM
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Originally Posted by axelfox
I'm still trying to dial in my seat settings on my Campy Record carbon seatpost. I've tried having the nose higher than the rear, but that didn't work. So now I'm trying to level the nose and the rear, parallel to the top tube.

I've tighten seat to the seatpost as hard as I could, but the seat nose keeps raising up over the duration of my ride (about two hours).

Thoughts?
Have you tried moving it parallel to the ground?
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Old 08-27-08, 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by dark13star
Since when is this forum just for "America"? Yes, I did read it and there is nothing about "Campy" (can't anyone spell Campagnolo?) that precludes the Thomson. The setback post works great, despite your assessment that it is "fugly." The only real open question should be whether it has enough setback.
Ugh, all the posters I quoted have US locations in their profiles, so apparently you are not very observant either. Thomson setback seat posts only have 16 mm of setback, that is not very much, and they are still fugly. I am a Thomson fan, both my single bikes have Thomsons, one Masterpiece and one Elite. My daughter's bike has a Thomson Masterpiece also.

+1 on the Ritchey WCS mentioned by Waterrockets.
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Old 08-27-08, 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by axelfox
I'm already stretched out as far as I can on the bike, so I'm not sure a set back seatpost would be a good idea. I'm already looking at seatposts with two bolts (so, Thomson? )
Now you need to clarify, the Campagnolo Record Seat Post is a setback seat post. Are you saying you are too stretched out, or are you saying you need to be stretched out more?
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Old 08-27-08, 08:00 AM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo
Ugh, all the posters I quoted have US locations in their profiles, so apparently you are not very observant either. Thomson setback seat posts only have 16 mm of setback, that is not very much, and they are still fugly. I am a Thomson fan, both my single bikes have Thomsons, one Masterpiece and one Elite. My daughter's bike has a Thomson Masterpiece also.
It still seemed like the type of generalization I expect around here. Nevertheless, the OP hadn't written anything that would rule out the Thomson and now has written:

Originally Posted by axelfox
I'm already stretched out as far as I can on the bike, so I'm not sure a set back seatpost would be a good idea. I'm already looking at seatposts with two bolts (so, Thomson? )
OP, your amount of setback should be determined by your placement over the pedals and not on how stretched out you are. You can change your stem for the latter. The Thomson is quite easy to adjust and even the setback model looks just fine, IMHO.
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Old 08-27-08, 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by dark13star
Nevertheless, the OP hadn't written anything that would rule out the Thomson ...
Ok so you are a Thomson fanboy, I can live with that.

Originally Posted by dark13star
OP, your amount of setback should be determined by your placement over the pedals and not on how stretched out you are. You can change your stem for the latter.
Something I can completely agree with. Saddle position is saddle position is saddle position, regardless of where the bars are.
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Old 08-27-08, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo
Ok so you are a Thomson fanboy, I can live with that.
What is your problem? I had the same problem the OP has and the Thomson solved it for me. If that makes me a "fanboy" in your eyes, so be it. I don't care.

OP, I am just offering something that worked in my experience.
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Old 08-27-08, 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted by dark13star
It still seemed like the type of generalization I expect around here. Nevertheless, the OP hadn't written anything that would rule out the Thomson and now has written:



OP, your amount of setback should be determined by your placement over the pedals and not on how stretched out you are. You can change your stem for the latter. The Thomson is quite easy to adjust and even the setback model looks just fine, IMHO.
OK. I think was confused on what type of seatposts there are; I thought there was "standard" and "set-back", and I thought my Campy was a "standard".
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Old 08-27-08, 01:09 PM
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Originally Posted by axelfox
OK. I think was confused on what type of seatposts there are; I thought there was "standard" and "set-back", and I thought my Campy was a "standard".
Depending on where you are adjusted on your saddle rails, you may be able to use either.
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Old 08-27-08, 01:33 PM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo
Ok so you are a Thomson fanboy, I can live with that.
The cool spelling is "fanboi"

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Old 08-27-08, 01:50 PM
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It's a little known fact that bike saddles can actually enjoy stimulation and are easily aroused.

Does it scream at you "Faster, faster"!

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Old 08-27-08, 06:46 PM
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Originally Posted by waterrockets
The cool spelling is "fanboi"
Fanboi or fanboy, dark13star is just too cool for me. Still offering advise when admittedly the OP doesn't even know what he needs.

So axelfox, your Campagnolo Record seat post is a setback seatpost. The question remains, is you arse comfortable where it is or do you slide forward/backward to find that one comfortable spot on the saddle. If it is in the correct spot then measure from the centerline of the seat post to the center of the clamping area. If that measurement is more than 16 mm then forget that anyone ever mentioned Thomson!

Here is a picture of the dimension we need:


Now if you are constantly pushing yourself back to find a comfortable spot, maybe your saddle needs to come forward and less setback is appropriate. If that is true and the subsequent measurement is about 16mm give or take 3 or 4 mm then reconsider the Thomson. Obviously if the opposite is true then more setback might be better, in this case the Thomson will not work.

The reason for such a small range on the Thomson is that one of the best things about it also makes it work on the narrowest range of saddles. The Thomson has just about the biggest, if not the biggest, clamp on the market and really does not allow as much fore/aft movement as many other seat posts. This is not entirely a bad thing as it also spreads out the contact points with the saddle rails offering more support for the saddle, if you have sufficiently long rails.

After you have finally decided that your saddle is in the correct position we can work on whether you are stretched out too much or not enough, as that still isn't clear from any of your posts.
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Old 08-28-08, 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted by WheresWaldo
Fanboi or fanboy, dark13star is just too cool for me. Still offering advise when admittedly the OP doesn't even know what he needs.

So axelfox, your Campagnolo Record seat post is a setback seatpost. The question remains, is you arse comfortable where it is or do you slide forward/backward to find that one comfortable spot on the saddle. If it is in the correct spot then measure from the centerline of the seat post to the center of the clamping area. If that measurement is more than 16 mm then forget that anyone ever mentioned Thomson!

Here is a picture of the dimension we need:


Now if you are constantly pushing yourself back to find a comfortable spot, maybe your saddle needs to come forward and less setback is appropriate. If that is true and the subsequent measurement is about 16mm give or take 3 or 4 mm then reconsider the Thomson. Obviously if the opposite is true then more setback might be better, in this case the Thomson will not work.

The reason for such a small range on the Thomson is that one of the best things about it also makes it work on the narrowest range of saddles. The Thomson has just about the biggest, if not the biggest, clamp on the market and really does not allow as much fore/aft movement as many other seat posts. This is not entirely a bad thing as it also spreads out the contact points with the saddle rails offering more support for the saddle, if you have sufficiently long rails.

After you have finally decided that your saddle is in the correct position we can work on whether you are stretched out too much or not enough, as that still isn't clear from any of your posts.
I don't know if this is a separate issue, and I don't want to go off tangent, but I'm having trouble finding a comfortable saddle. My sit bones ache after a while, so I move up in the saddle to relieve the pressure there. Once the pressure on the middle of the bottom of the pelvic bone become unbearable, then I move back to the sit bones. When I move back to the sit bones, that is when the pressure is most on the rear of the post.

Having tried two Selle Italias (max flite and Flite Ti) and a Terry Fly, I think I might need a wider seat. I really enjoy my Terry Liberator at 165mm wide (a traditionally MTB/hybrid seat), so I think I'm going to throw that on there and see how it works. If 165mm suits me, then I'll look for another 165mm road set.
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Old 08-28-08, 04:23 PM
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Although lots of people like the Thompson, it's tough to beat either a Salsa Shaft or a Race Face seatpost. Both have decoupled the tilt and the rail clamping mechanism. I find that the Race Face works a little better than the Salsa.

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