pstock

I picked up a silly cheap Softride. (Cool bike. actually very comfortable.)
cleaning it up today, I am stumped as to how to adjust the level of a saddle with this seat clamp, which seems to be proprietary.

normally the inner discs would turn, on grooves to allow the saddle level to adjust. But these inners seem fixed.

Now, that may be because the bike was not terribly well maintained - everything is rusted and semi-seized. These might be galvanically seized too?

my first impulse when faced with a situation like this is to grab a couple of Vicegrips and give'er. But I've also broken a lot of stuff that way.

I am soaking the clamp now in Liquid Wrench.

but any insights?

FBinNY 

It's been a long while since I last saw one of these, but if I haven't slipped a gear entirely, the inner parts of the clamp system are supposed to rotate within the bracket. odds are yours are frozen by corrosion.

Hopefully a long soak in penetrating oil, followed by some not overly brute force may solve your problem,

pstock

Thanks FB.
But hmmmm this morning these clamps still seem very secure.
Interesting too, they are lined up perfectly perpendicular to the vertical clamps (that affix to the beam.)
that leads me to suspect that they were made that way and so might not be adjustable. (which seems strange)

the only other way I can see to adjust the level of the saddle would be to adjust the entire beam (where it affixes to the top tube) that clamp is adjustable, but I would have thought that was to allow adjustment of saddle height, like raising or lowering the seatpost on a traditional bike.

I must still be missing something.....

ssulljm

Along w an ample dose of wd-40 like penetrating oil,
1st remove the allen screws that hold this clamp to the beam, slide the entire clamp back off the beam.

I suggest you then use a punch that will allow you to insert said punch in 1 side that the bolt slid through and gently tap the opposite inside part of the opposing frozen in place clamp.
9-12-3-6 will be your inside target spots, part should pop out
Once out, I use a fine white lithium grease to coat the pieces with when reinstalling.
Let us know if this helps
Jim

rhenning

Pstock you do not have the clamp taken apart far enough. When you tighten the clamp it wedges things together but there is an infinate amount of adjustment. I have 2 single Softrides and one tandem Softride (Burley) bikes. The pictures will show what it looks like with the seat clamp apart. If you have questions ask. Roger

pstock

ahhhah! Excellent help. I think I see (the inner discs are inset into the "frame" if you will, not welded to the outside.. I'll tackle this again tomorrow.
as always, THANKS

rhenning

Yes they are set into there at an angle that matches the black beam holder part. That is what wedges them tight. Roger

fietsbob

ah like the conic wedge on a Cinelli quill stem

Maybe with a thin punch . [start with hardwood , and see if that is rigid enough, then aluminum , before steel (leaves a mark).]

On the far side, reaching thru, tap around the edge of the bolt hole. to break it loose ..

rhenning

I found a couple of pictures. The red bike is a preproduction bike frame number 51 and the other is a first year production bike. Roger

pstock

taadaah! brilliant. I tapped them out (from the inside) and they are now great.
Irony was that this bike was parked on the street when I reinstalled the clamp and as I was fiddling to get the seat on one of the rounds dropped to the pavement and went CLunk, roll..... and to my horror I looked down and it came to rest about 2" from a sewer grate. That would have been a complete disaster as I expect finding a replacement piece would be near impossible.
but it didn't happen. so, we are all good. Thanks for your help.