Is this a regional thing? Ocean air or something?

Everyone comments about checking the status of these parts when buying an old bike. In my experience I've only run across a stuck stem, but it was easily freed with some PB blaster. And I've had to muscle out a couple of tight seatposts, but never had to cut anything out.

And I buy old wrecks of bikes. Bike boom era stuff mainly, so they're 40 years old. I really don't anticipate stuck components when I buy these vintage beasts.

Whats your experience?

I would assume it's mostly a regional thing, salt air and such. Though some may stuck due to a reaction between aluminum and steel. I live in Colorado and the only thing I ever had to cut off was one old freewheel. I don't usually even bother to check the seatpost's before purchase unless they have quick release, and I buy some severely neglected bikes. On the other hand, I grew up on the Oregon coast and I am confident that things would be degraded beyond repair much more commonly over there.

One of my riding buddies has an OCD about his bike being clean. He'd wash his bike after every ride with a water hose. His bike was brand new and managed to get the seatpost stuck.

After freeing it, he found that his liberal hosing of the bike got water in the seat tube after every wash.

When the seatpost was finally freed, it looked like it had been boiled / cooked. The anodized finish was eaten away and you can see the aluminum oxidized into a powdery mess. I suggested that he check his BB bearings after seeing this.

I'm one of the guys making a fuss over this. I don't want anyone sharing my fate. I'm happy to hear others in drier climates are not experiencing this even with salvaged bikes.

I live on the tip of an island in the Pacific Ocean, so definitely both of those things. In addition, my seatpost was fluted--identical to this one. Overall, yeah, a recipe for disaster. Even saturation in Liquid Wrench and the guys at the LBS couldn't budge it.

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...it happens regularly enough with alloy parts in steel frames that it's a concern for me here. And I live in the Central Valley of California, so pretty dry.


Consider yourself fortunate, and continue to use grease or anti-seize when you reinstall these things, for the sake of the children.

+1

Always apply a thin coat of waterproof grease to the seatpost and stem when installing them.