Seat posts for comfort bikes
 

I'm asking this for a person I met on a "slow roll" ride last night. He has a Scrwinn comfort bike with front tele forks and shock absorbing seat post. ( what came with the bike which I guess he paid about $500 for. Don't know the model, but it is a 24 speed not a 21 speed.

Anyway, he is about 300 lbs. and the seat post no longer has spring to it and also rocks side to side. He asked me if I knew of a seat post that was made for heavier riders. So it did some looking, and I don't see any weight ratting listed. On top of that I see a very wide number of them and prices ranging from about $15 to a couple hundred.

Do any of you know anything about these? Is there any made for a heavy person? I'm sure he doesn't want to spend a couple hundred on a seat post, but then again he knows it going to have to cost more then $15

Thanks! Craig

OK problem solved. I don't know anything about these spring loaded seat posts, but as we are going on a ride tomorrow I suggested he bring the bike over and I would play bike fixer.

Basicly this is just a tube inside a tube. I unscrewed a plug from the bottom and found a tube spacer, a Delrin cup, a double tapered spring and another derin cup. So no damping just a spring. There was also a pinch collar at the top. I tightened the pinch clamp as tigh as i could but still give the inter post the ability to slide. This took most to the side to side slop out. Then I re assembled the tube but screwed the plug much farther in. I'll call that a "pre load" and now the post works just fine. My guess is that the preload was left backed all the way out and the spring has sagged. I also did some normal cleaning and adjusting and suddenly everything works as it should.

While I was at it, I put my new bike up on the stand and found even though I haven't ridden in the dirt, the underside of my front derailer was super cruded up. So I cleaned both and relived them and now there is no issue going from the small chain ring back up. 20 min and two bikes ready for tomorrow's ride!

Score ! Never heard of anyone that has serviced a seatpost shock, most people just pitch them and get a rigid post and comfy seat, good job. :)

Actuly, my second choice was to just pitch the crap inside and tighten the pinch clamp. And like that, he has a free ridged post! Just glad it's working for him.