Hi guys. Sorry for photo quality. So I took out the saddle to take these pictures. I'm not an expert and don't know all the terms but basically this is the but where the saddle goes in and it's bent out of shape. I can't attach the saddle properly because it just slides down and when I sit on it I end up sliding off the back. Is it fixable or no?
by 3-things-of-yoghurt
14 Comments
Oh boy
If it’s aluminium, no. At least not that it’s still safe.
Steel yes, but I’d look at how much that costs and whether the bike is worth saving at all.
I’d use an adjustable wrench (or a mallet?) to bend the “ears” back into place. Use photos of other seat tubes for reference. Then you’ll need a seatpost clamp. There are many seatpost standards. If you have the original seatpost, you can measure that to help figure out the clamp. Good luck!
fo sho! and probably on the cheap, just need a frame swap. no worries, they probably can be found for free lol maybe even such you barely even need to swap over any parts, with upgraded or in better shape components win/win/win ;-p if in a pinch but be uber careful, just go to a hardware store and get some clamps, but one on the seat stem itself, so even if it’s loose, it cannot slide down past the stop lol
You could totally use some jubilee clips ( band clamps ) to put the seat post back in and tighten them up and squeeze the frame back around the seat post. That way when you take it to the local dump they can scrap it all in one piece 👍🏻
The correct question isn’t “can this be fixed?” it’s “is this going to be worth fixing?”. If you’ve got enough money most things can be fixed, including this. But whether it’s worth the time and money and hassle is a much better question.
If you’re desperate I’d put the seatpost in and tap it into place with a hammer, maybe use a heat gun too – may or may not work
It looks like steel due to the present rust so it probably won’t crack, good idea to be gentle with it
The most logical idea that comes to mind is to put the seat post back in place, hammer it from end to end, and then spray plenty of rust remover inside;
If it’s steel (appears to be) It’s not “fixable” but you could make it work with enough gumption. My concern is the bike in general looks beat and based on your description it might be beyond your current expertise. Do you have a bike kitchen or coop near you? It’s gonna take a lot of trial and error finding the correct seat binder collar and hammering on it to get it close to round. No shop will do it. Based on the rust I see on the brake arm, it seems like a heap and not worth the fuss.
It’s steel. Honestly, if it’s all you have, yes.. you could fix it.. It’s not ideal, and if you can, best to replace the bike at this point, but.. you gotta do what you gotta do when you’re strapped.
First off, you need some sort of clamp.. Even if that were round, the seat post would slide in and out if you don’t have the fastening bit. In the olden / box store bike days, it was a nut and bolt through a clamp. Nowadays it’s usually a quick release style, which is a cammed lever that clamps the post into the sleeve.
To “fix” this, I’d put the seat post in there, and gently tap the metal all around it with a hammer to slowly work it back into the proper shape. Not so hard that you dent the seat post. You might need to salvage the clamp from a donor bike or hit up a bike shop. It’s what actually puts tension on the sleeve to clamp the post from moving. It looks like the attached picture, but needs to be the proper size for whatever you’ve got going on there.
https://preview.redd.it/5044307hcleg1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&s=c22f0586c8e52af9c5b695f1e7dd52f91774c5d6
Again. This is not a “oh sure it’s fine” course of action. This is a “you can’t afford a new bike but need to ride” course of action. If that’s the case, I get it.
Where’s the seat clamp?
Doesn’t look too hard to fix tbh considering it’s steel, you should be able to bend it back in place with a bit of creativity, like putting the seatpost in and gently smacking it all around with a rubber mallet, or a regular one but you’ll damage the paint. Maybe adjustable pliers could also help.
It is also missing the part where you tighten it, but it shouldn’t be hard to get a new clamp with a quick release.
Serious answer: it is fixable if you are making an art project or if you need a bike that is not worth stealing.Â
Insert the seat post and re-shape the frame with a pair of vice grips. Then remove see seat post and give it a few more gentle squeezes to make sure it’s tight. Make sure you grease the seatpost and set the height. This may be the last time you’ll ever adjust the height, so make sure it is correct. If the frame is too damaged to fit the seatpost collar, gently hammer it in place.Â
If you can get it heated up enough you can probably tap that splaying back mostly into shape with a hammer. But you’ll need something solid you can slot in to shape it around. The head of a spanner might work, Just turning it as you tap and being careful not to get it stuck in there.