Friday mind wandering... clamp to keep seatpost at consistent height?
#1
Thread Starter
Boots lost in transit
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 271
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From: Saint Paul, MN
Bikes: 1989 Ritchey Outback, 2014 All-City Macho Man Disc, 2016 Wilier GTS
Friday mind wandering... clamp to keep seatpost at consistent height?
When I put the bike into my station wagon, I need to pull out the seatpost to clear the ceiling.
It's not rocket surgery to remember where it goes (and newer seatposts have graduation marks on them so you can see the proper line), but I thought that a very light carbon seatpost clamp, attached to the seatpost itself, would ensure that it goes back at exactly the same height. No fuss, no muss, no brains.
(I also thought about back to college days with my mountain bike, when I'd remove the QR seat when locking the bike (so nobody would steal it!) Having a clamp on there would have prevented the futzing with it to find the right spot. (And those old seatposts had no marks at all. Just a bunch of scratches from being removed and installed 1000 times!)
The seatpost is a standard 27.2mm, but a seatpost clamp is bigger, usually 31.8.
So, anyone know of a seatpost clamp that is actually 27.2mm that would clamp to the seatpost ITSELF? Or another solution?
Or, do you even bother with this?
Should I just go back and do actual work?
It's not rocket surgery to remember where it goes (and newer seatposts have graduation marks on them so you can see the proper line), but I thought that a very light carbon seatpost clamp, attached to the seatpost itself, would ensure that it goes back at exactly the same height. No fuss, no muss, no brains.
(I also thought about back to college days with my mountain bike, when I'd remove the QR seat when locking the bike (so nobody would steal it!) Having a clamp on there would have prevented the futzing with it to find the right spot. (And those old seatposts had no marks at all. Just a bunch of scratches from being removed and installed 1000 times!)
The seatpost is a standard 27.2mm, but a seatpost clamp is bigger, usually 31.8.
So, anyone know of a seatpost clamp that is actually 27.2mm that would clamp to the seatpost ITSELF? Or another solution?
Or, do you even bother with this?
Should I just go back and do actual work?
#4
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
I also have a post that needs to be moved from time to time. My cheapskate solution was to get the post exactly where I needed it, then use some nail polish to paint a small T, running down into the slot and across the top. It takes 2 seconds to position the post not only for height, but also alignment using my painted T as the reference.
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FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#5
My best seat height is about 1 millimeter below the warning mark on the seat post; I can easily eyeball that since I frequently use the metric system.
#6
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Joined: May 2013
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From: SF Bay Area
Bikes: Bianchi Infinito (Celeste, of course)
Get a basic rear reflector and just clamp it at the right height. You could even remove the reflector. I'll wager the LBS would give you one if you asked.
#7
rubber band, rubber o-ring, mark from a sharpie, tape.
if you go on ebay, you can find various clamps in almost any size and color, advertised for use on bikes, just search for one that's close (if you can't get it perfect get one that's a little small so you can bend it open; if it's too big you can't make it smaller if it's metal), and just use it for whatever purpose you see fit.
this would do the trick, it stays in place on the seatpost and doubles as the actual clamp as well: KCNC SC 13 Twin Seatpost Clamp Cycling 30 7 27 2 31 8 27 2 34 9 30 9 34 9 31 6mm | eBay
if you go on ebay, you can find various clamps in almost any size and color, advertised for use on bikes, just search for one that's close (if you can't get it perfect get one that's a little small so you can bend it open; if it's too big you can't make it smaller if it's metal), and just use it for whatever purpose you see fit.
this would do the trick, it stays in place on the seatpost and doubles as the actual clamp as well: KCNC SC 13 Twin Seatpost Clamp Cycling 30 7 27 2 31 8 27 2 34 9 30 9 34 9 31 6mm | eBay
#8
ka maté ka maté ka ora
Joined: Oct 2008
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From: wessex
Bikes: breezer venturi - red novo bosberg - red, pedal force cg1 - red, neuvation f-100 - da, devinci phantom - xt, miele piste - miche/campy, bianchi reparto corse sbx, concorde squadra tsx - da, miele team issue sl - ultegra
Tape is easiest, why complicate things.
#10
Thread Starter
Boots lost in transit
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 271
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From: Saint Paul, MN
Bikes: 1989 Ritchey Outback, 2014 All-City Macho Man Disc, 2016 Wilier GTS
Yah, I get the tape thing. Makes perfect sense. I did the tape thing (as well as the Sharpie thing) for years on that college mountain bike. Worked fine with minimal futzing. But on a nice road bike, for whatever reason, I like things neat and tidy and less gummy.
When I built up my fixed gear, I could have used electrical tape (or zip ties) to hold the rear brake cable to the top tube. But I got some Wabi cable guides. More expensive, more complicated, but also neat and tidy and less gummy.
When I built up my fixed gear, I could have used electrical tape (or zip ties) to hold the rear brake cable to the top tube. But I got some Wabi cable guides. More expensive, more complicated, but also neat and tidy and less gummy.
#11
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Bikes: 2006 Raleigh Cadent 2.0, 2016 Trek Emonda ALR 6, 2015 Propel Advanced SL 2, 2000 K2 Zed SE
I left the dot my PT put on it during my fitting. 2 years of riding outside has caused it to break down and crumble off, but the shadow of it from the glue remains.
Super lazy solution is the best solution.
Super lazy solution is the best solution.
#14
Senior Member


Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 39,897
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From: New Rochelle, NY
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
BITD - way back, Campagnolo made a gauge for matching both the height and angle of saddles, to make it easier to set up multiple bikes for the same rider.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#15
Old fart



Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,411
Likes: 5,350
From: Appleton WI
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
I use this what I use when I pull the post to clamp in the work stand, but it might not work so well on a sloping top tube style frame:
Last edited by JohnDThompson; 03-25-16 at 02:55 PM.
#16
Old fart



Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,411
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From: Appleton WI
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

And even then it wasn't a common tool. It wasn't included in the so-called "full" tool set, but had to be special-ordered from Campagnolo.
#17
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2013
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An alternative to this would be a seatpost mounted rear blinker light.
#19
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From: 38° 53' 51.635" N 77° 2' 11.507" W
Bikes: 2021 Tern Verge X11 + Cannondale 2016 CAAD12 eTap + 2011 Synapse Alloy 5 Ultegra
I just saw this today when I followed a link on another post.
Topeak® Cycling Accessories ? Products - Ninja P
Topeak® Cycling Accessories ? Products - Ninja P
#20
Gorilla double seatpost clamp: New Gorilla Park Double Seat Post Clamp Frame 31 8mm Seatpost 27 2mm White | eBay
I put one a bike with a CF frame that insisted on slipping even with the max force on the clamp.
Upper clamp locks onto the post and supports the weight.
Lower clamp just keeps the post from rotating.
I put one a bike with a CF frame that insisted on slipping even with the max force on the clamp.
Upper clamp locks onto the post and supports the weight.
Lower clamp just keeps the post from rotating.
#22
Back in 2006, my LBS was putting a second seatpost clamp on their carbon seatposts. The theory was that that frame seatpost clamp shouldn't be overtightened, and this second clamp was insurance against slippage. I set it with a few mm gap underneath, so I could see if any slippage occurred. Kind of nice to have.
It looked like a thinner version of the usual lipped clamp that fits over the frame, with no lip, and sized to fit the post, not the frame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saddle tilt
I keep my saddles fairly level. The Aliante has a little tilt up at the front, so that the back half is more leveled.
I just view the top of the saddle against either a windowsill, bookshelf, or fireplace mantle. It's pretty easy to get it just right.
I used to scribe a mark with a razor knife on the saddle clamp, but that doesn't work very well for me. Even using the engraved markings on my Thomson seatpost clamp still doesn't easily get the tilt correct--just a slight movement in the indicator line moves the saddle quite a bit.
It looked like a thinner version of the usual lipped clamp that fits over the frame, with no lip, and sized to fit the post, not the frame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saddle tilt
I keep my saddles fairly level. The Aliante has a little tilt up at the front, so that the back half is more leveled.
I just view the top of the saddle against either a windowsill, bookshelf, or fireplace mantle. It's pretty easy to get it just right.
I used to scribe a mark with a razor knife on the saddle clamp, but that doesn't work very well for me. Even using the engraved markings on my Thomson seatpost clamp still doesn't easily get the tilt correct--just a slight movement in the indicator line moves the saddle quite a bit.
Last edited by rm -rf; 03-31-16 at 08:39 AM.
#23
We awesome,esofthesebut never went into production. They would have needed to be so cheap that the shipping would have been more that the camp itself. they could be handy for people exactly like th OP.
#24
Thread Starter
Boots lost in transit
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 271
Likes: 1
From: Saint Paul, MN
Bikes: 1989 Ritchey Outback, 2014 All-City Macho Man Disc, 2016 Wilier GTS
The Topeak thingy looks interesting (but I think it only comes with the pump), and the Gorilla clamp looks like it would work exactly as I was thinking.
I suppose another cheap and easy way to go is to just take an old 23mm innertube and put it on the seatpost. (It would be practically invisible on a black seatpost.
I suppose another cheap and easy way to go is to just take an old 23mm innertube and put it on the seatpost. (It would be practically invisible on a black seatpost.
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