Bruce Gordon Chinook, HELP!!
 

Hello all,

I purchased a BG chinook from a yard sale awhile back. It's a swell bike, but alas, the guy that had it last rammed the campy super record seatpost way down into the frame. Crap. I've tried wrestling with it, I've tried penetrating lube. I've tried sticking the seatpost in a table vice and rotating the frame. All I got in return was a cracked seatpost. Double crap.

So, as I was assessing the damage I also noticed there was a slight bulge growing in the frame tube. What is causing this and how can this happen? I've brought the thing to several LBSs and they're giving me the stick it in a vice and twist advice.

Seeing as the seatpost itself runs on e-bay for $75ish I'm starting to think it might be worth hacking it off and drilling/filing out the remaining seatpost thereby limiting the possible damage to the frame. Does anyone have any advice before I do this? The seatpost, as I said is cracked at the mounting bracket hole, but it appears to be rideable. In other words, it's not trash--yet.

Thanks for the advice!!
Bentbuilder

Read the Sheldon Brown guide on stuck seat posts, work your way through the various option. The last one is cutting it out by hand. Take your time if you go that route. Search this forum, as there are many reports on loosening up a stuck seat post. I have freed up about a dozen bikes using the various techniques. I still have one that will not budge, hanging in my workshop, waiting for me to cut it out. I figure as long as I have projects around without a stuck seat post, I will work on them first.

Just freed up another post this AM. Getting a rash of them lately. Fortunately, I ALWAYS check before I buy a bike, and when the post is stuck, I base my offer on the value of the components (in case I do not have any luck freeing it up). Once the seller realizes the post is stuck, they are usually pretty open to an adjusted (lower) offer.