Im running a Ti modern USE post on my gravel bike / and a carbon one on my winter and it’s a very similair design to their old ones. Done loads of miles on it and its been faultless but it’s only 2-3 years old. The design can’t be that bad if they are still using it all these years later
Is my USE seatpost going to kill me?
- Thread starter red_dread
- Start date
Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
A plane crashed so dont get on a plane. Everything can break, at some point, and if the best this thread can come up with is two failures out of the 1000's of USE posts and all other posts that are almost the same then it isn't much to worry about. One thing that is rarely brought up, when reporting failures, is the ham fisted ineptitude that actually exists amongst the many who would describe themselves as great mechanics. It is always the fault of someone else in 99% of cases. Rarely do you read honesty like, "i got Nm mixed up with ft/lbs", or "i have absolutely no feel for what is tight enough".
Doesn't apply here though because we are all totes amazing.
Doesn't apply here though because we are all totes amazing.
FO you make a fair point re mechanical ineptitude on an owners behalf. However there’s plenty of us who’ve been about bikes and in my case motorbikes for a long time 40+ years in my case.
Regards the failure of my seat post it was tightened using an appropriate torque wrench, it failed at the obvious point of stress in the post where the round bar goes through the seat post shaft. Interestingly there was an aluminium insert bonded into the post down to the point where it broke.
I did look for a replacement Ti post for a while but eventually bought a Thomson.
Regards the failure of my seat post it was tightened using an appropriate torque wrench, it failed at the obvious point of stress in the post where the round bar goes through the seat post shaft. Interestingly there was an aluminium insert bonded into the post down to the point where it broke.
I did look for a replacement Ti post for a while but eventually bought a Thomson.
And that's the point - if you hear creaking then investigate it. It was the sound of a fatigue crack spreading.
Yes I broke a bolt on mine - it had probably done 20 years of service. For the cost of a bolt I now replace them as a matter of course every couple of years. It's a highly-stressed part. We have to remember that a lot of this stuff is getting old, and in the case of aluminium components they have a finite fatigue life (unlike steel).
Attempted Mustache
Retro Guru
I have ‘retired’ the USE post that was on my ‘88 Cinder Cone after the one on my audax bike failed catastrophically without warning - spilling me across a Sussex lane. Upon inspection on removal the rail clamp parts had begun to warp. I count myself lucky - things could have been worse.
Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
I use Thomson and USE posts and haven't any issues. I have really pushed the danger boat out as i modded the top of a Thomson to take the halfpipe of the USE rail clamp. I just couldnt poop those last grams!
The real reason for doing the latter was twofold. The Thomson part had a different radius to that machined into the post and where the saddle rails sit, in that original part, had slight bows to them. Pretty sh!t and could be causes of squeaks and maybe causing stress to the head which is why you find the odd pic of the heads that have snapped off. If you have the inclination; take the saddle off and check how the lower part of the post sits in the head if the post. I held mine up to the window to see light where it shouldnt be. A 6" metal ruler used to check where the rails sit.
On the subject of really seriius saddle injuries.....does anyone remember the super lightweight plastic BMX saddle and post combo that was called the UNO? or something like that.
The saddle would crack around where the post was joined to it and all of a sudden the post was up your arse. No sliding off the back with that one! A chum had it happen and he was very lucky to only get a minor entrance but lost alot of blood and needed a good few stitches where it isnt conveniant.
He was so traumatised and embarrased about it that the family moved out of the area to avoid the bullying that was likely to happen and went and started a new life. Sad but at least he didnt die which i think did happen somewhere and why those saddle/post combos were banned.
