First: I'm so new to this whole thing that I gotta ask: I only have to loosen both sides to be able to move the saddle up, right?
I can't work with the left side. Right side is OK and if I loosen it I can turn the saddle right and left – just not up.
I want this saddle a bit higher. What can I do?
by Economy-Big1260
10 Comments
Loosen the bolts as you have done and pull hard. They are reknowned for getting stuck so you are doing the right thing but not pulling hard enough
Try turning left and right as you pull up, and if the seat post in un-greased, throw a little on there. May help next time.
Definitely find a proper replacement for the striped bolt tho
That bolt head looks rounded…. Are you sure it’s actually loosened?
Don’t forget to grease the seat post as well,when you do finally remove it.
One side of the bolt is operational as the other is keyed into the frame to hold it as you tighten. Once loose, if the saddle doesn’t easily move by turning left / right spray some light lube (less is more) around where the post enters the frame and try again. If it’s still stuck there are progressive ways to try to get it out. Try simple stuff first.
If the bolt head is rounded use an easy out to take it out and replace.
The side shown is not supposed to turn, it has little key on it that fits into a notch on the frame that keeps it from turning. See here: [https://www.jensonusa.com/problem-solvers-seat-binder-bolt-chromoly-21mm](https://www.jensonusa.com/problem-solvers-seat-binder-bolt-chromoly-21mm)
If I were you, I’d remove the seat post binder bolt completely and squirt some wd-40 or other penetrant into the slot and around the post, then rotate back and forth a bunch while pulling up. It’ll eventually free up and move.
Replacing the stripped out bolt head isn’t necessary as long as the bolt’s little key and the notch in the frame are still in good shape. If you do replace it, go to a bike shop to get the right size.
This looks like it might be a job for the angle grinder. Thin cutting disk, go in the gap of the collar, cut the bolt in half. Get the seatpost moving, and replace the clamping bolt.
If you can loosen the drive side and not the non drive side (right and left respectively) then I’m the non drive side is keyed (designed NOT to rotate)
The good news is that you can rotate the seatpost. Just drip some lube around the top of the seat tube and rotate the post. Keep adding a little more lube and keep rotating. With just a little amount of time it will be able to start taking out of the frame.
Once completely out, grease that seat tube to avoid future issues
Once bolt is loose and seatpost is turning, you can try twisting the post back and forth while forcefully pulling up. Post should move up, and reveal the classic zig zag scratch pattern seen on many older used seatposts. Hopefully your new higher setting will not show the scratches too much. Then retighten the bolt, replace it if either side is rounded off too much for a proper allen wrench fit. If the zig zags bother you, you can have a bike shop deburr the upper portion of the seat tube.