Removing a stuck seatpost

Warning: what follows is of no interest to anyone who isn’t a bike nerd!

A seatpost is not something you normally think of as needing maintenance, any more than you would consider ‘maintaining’ the seat tube it fits in, except of course for the occasional clean. And if only one person ever uses the bike there is no obvious reason to fiddle with it.

However, and this is especially the case where the seatpost is made of steel and the frame of aluminium, leaving its seatpost untouched for years can render a bike worthless to anyone else who doesn’t have the same inside-leg measurement as the previous rider.

The seatpost is in pretty close contact with the tube. What happens is that moisture invariably gets between them; oxidation takes place, and post and tube become bonded. In severe cases, there is no way, short of superhuman ingenuity and perseverance, of getting the post out.

A specimen horror story starts at the 14’16” mark.

The problem has been solved – except for terminal cases – by the ever-ingenious Phil Vandelay:

Unless you have access to Herr Vandelay’s wonderful machine, bike mechanics suggest periodic (say every 2-3 years) removal of the seatpost and lubricating it with a decent grease. This will save you a lot of trouble if ever you want to share your bike or sell it.