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Cracking saddle

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Old 09-16-18 | 01:28 PM
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Cracking saddle

So I need your help.

My saddle cracks a lot. I have a Trek Domane with standard seat post (steel clamp with carbon post) and a WTB rocket saddle with titanium rails.

You can reproduce the creaking by holding each edge of the saddle and torquing up and down...

The interesting thing is that the creak can increase or decrease depending on how tight the front and rear screws are set. The issue is that you need to adjust those screws in order to set the ideal saddle angle.

I went to my LBS and they said the creaking seems to be from where the rails is inserted in the saddle. They put some lubricant in the area but didn't helped a lot.

I tried to install another saddle (sella italia also with titanium rails) and something similar happens.
Thoughts?

Is this to be expected?
Is there something wrong with the clamp in the seat post?
Is this common in titanium rails?

The creaking drives me nuts when riding.

Any thoughts?
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Old 09-16-18 | 02:11 PM
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You try greasing the seatpost bolts?what about hardware on seatpost clamp? Ie barrel nut if it has one.

You can also try wiping down clamp interface/saddle rails too with some rubbing alcohol. I’ve heard of lightly greasing seatpost/ti rail interface too but IME can lead to slippage but something else to try if all else fails.
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Old 09-16-18 | 03:16 PM
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I tried grease.. same issue.

I tried cleaning too. Even though not with alcohol.
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Old 09-16-18 | 10:22 PM
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Put a lot of grease anywhere metal touches metal.

In my case it was the lower saddle clamp part moving against the seatpost that was the issue. I had cleaned and greased it but I hadn't put enough grease.
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Old 09-17-18 | 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by dvai
So I need your help.

My saddle cracks a lot. I have a Trek Domane with standard seat post (steel clamp with carbon post) and a WTB rocket saddle with titanium rails.

You can reproduce the creaking by holding each edge of the saddle and torquing up and down...

The interesting thing is that the creak can increase or decrease depending on how tight the front and rear screws are set. The issue is that you need to adjust those screws in order to set the ideal saddle angle.

I went to my LBS and they said the creaking seems to be from where the rails is inserted in the saddle. They put some lubricant in the area but didn't helped a lot.

I tried to install another saddle (sella italia also with titanium rails) and something similar happens.
Thoughts?

Is this to be expected?
Is there something wrong with the clamp in the seat post?
Is this common in titanium rails?

The creaking drives me nuts when riding.

Any thoughts?
For me, the type of creaking you describe is usually from dirt and dust in the seat rail clamp.

Take out the saddle and clean the seat clamp VERY thoroughly. Then apply a bit of WD40 to the area. (don't know about grease, seems messy to me). The reinstall the saddle and see if that worked.

Could also be dirt between the seatpost inside of the seat tube. You can take the seatpost out and clean both thoroughly with a rag. Then apply some fiber grip paste to your CF seatpost.

Good luck!
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Old 09-19-18 | 02:55 PM
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I get this same sound on my Domane, using an SMP saddle. It comes and goes so I've never really done anything about it. Drove me nuts as I was thinking it could be BB or spoke or who knows what! Creaking stopped when I unweighted the saddle. May try some of the fixes listed above.
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Old 09-20-18 | 10:13 AM
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What do you mean with "unweighted the saddle"
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Old 09-20-18 | 10:45 AM
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I expect the Ti rail is flexing, get steel rail saddles,
or live with the side effects of your gram cutting.

...
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Old 09-20-18 | 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by dvai
What do you mean with "unweighted the saddle"
Getting your butt off of it.
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Old 10-04-18 | 05:46 PM
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I tried everything.... complete cleant rais and clamp.... with grease, with carbon grip...
Still creaking.

So I switched to a Fabric carbon saddle (carbon rails) and the noise is gone.

The Fabric Scoop is not as comfortable as the WTB but should do.

So is the creaking issue a known problem with titanium rails?
Maybe my saddle had an issue?
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Old 10-04-18 | 05:51 PM
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Make sure it's not your seatpost creaking inside the seat tube. I've had a couple of them I've had to shorten by an inch or two so they don't stick down so far. If they go down too far they can creak. It does sound like it comes from the saddle.
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