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PSA: Noticing a ton of seized seatposts in local shops lately | Bicycle Mechanics - HW Forums

PSA: Noticing a ton of seized seatposts in local shops lately

I was grabbing some parts from a couple bike stores over the past few days. Every place I walked into had a mechanic fighting with a stuck seatpost. It just clicked for me how common this problem is around here. People probably aren't putting grease on them when they first set up the bike. Now I make it a point to mention it during every basic service I do. It's a five-second step that prevents a massive job later. Seeing it over and over really made that sink in.

3 comments

3 Comments

susanh467mo ago

What about using anti-seize paste on seatposts from day one? I had one freeze up years ago, and it was a real pain to get out. Now I always smear a thin layer on any new post before it goes in. It costs a little extra but really stops rust from building up. I watch buddies skip this and later fight with a stuck seatpost, so why take the chance? Maybe it's not common for everyone, but a five-second step sure beats a huge repair job later.

cameron7246mo ago

James, you said most modern alloy posts in carbon frames don't weld themselves overnight. But what about steel frames? Or the cheap alloy-on-alloy setups on a lot of entry-level bikes? That's what I see seized all the time. A guy last week had a post totally frozen in a steel commuter bike he rode all winter. That salt and moisture makes a real mess.

james_clark7mo ago

Wonder if we're blowing this out of proportion. Saw one guy in my shop last month with a stuck post, but it was on a bike that sat in a damp shed for ten years. Most modern alloy posts in carbon frames with a dab of grease don't just weld themselves overnight. Feels like mechanics are sharing horror stories and suddenly it's an epidemic. I clean and regrease mine maybe once a year and have never had a hint of a problem.