Seatpost Won’t Stay Put!
- Thread starter GTV
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Clean off all grease, file the slot, rough sand the post, hone or rat tail file the seat tube for bite scratches, mark the right height, slobber JB Weld over the length in the bike on the post, clamp and wipe the excess. Heat will make it removable (maybe) but the heat will also ruin your paint. If you are keeping it and happy with the post just fix it permanently, the next guy's problem.
Don't want to be preachy, but "the next guy's problem" is not good for bike karma. Properly-sized parts (including properly-sized shims, if necessary) are much more elegant and good for the soul. Jury rigging is certainly a time-honored process, but it is generally beneficial to make the modification in a way that can be reversed. Can I have an amen?
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Amen. There are too many old bikes in the world. They need to be fixed for cheap, before they are discarded. I have thrown away hundreds of bikes. I give away many real nice Italian, French and English road bikes and 1930s to 50s balloners. I give away some 70s stuff too. I'm currently giving away a 1930s Colson frame, and everything to go with it except chain, fork, seat post and spokes. I got it back after I gave it away once and nothing was done with it. I have several Colson bikes already. I collect trailers full of bikes from slum land lords after the university lets out. They go to the the volunteer fire department scrap drive, even the Bridgestone mountain bikes, Chicago Schwinns and early Japanese road bikes, dime a dozen I say. Too many bikes come my way, too expensive to ship and almost no one else here wants them. I offer them free but people think I'm nuts and don't follow up. I think I have a bike mechanic at a local shop that will take the Colson. He ended out with a 60s Raleigh road bike I gave someone else and after 2 years they decided they didn't want it. I told the mechanic to take it. Not sure if he finished it or not, needed a bottom bracket but the rest was there. Most people want the newest elite stuff and can't fix anything. We have a high end bike market here, old stuff is not what people want. I just want to see this stuff ridden again, even if it's jury rigged. I can't even dismantle and store the Schwinns, Euro bikes and Japanese bikes that come my way, no more room. If a local collects any of these bikes it seems they don't want any more.
You may be inundated in your part of the world...but, its a classic bike drought in my part of the world 
.
So...before your next scrap run, I'll put in my dibs for any intact cruiser frames from the '60s and earlier (all 26" and 24", 20" on a case by case). 70s and later cruisers on a case by case. Schwinn road bikes 58cm and larger. Chromo road bikes 58cm and larger. Raleigh (and derivatives) camelbacks, any size. Schwinn camelbacks, any size. GT triple triangle camelbacks (late '90s, early 00's) any size. BMX cruisers (all through '80s, case by case '90s+...but, probably all). 70s/early 80s BMX (case by case). To be safe...run everything else past me as well
. I'll do bikeflights plus a bit extra to cover your expenses 
.
Jason
PS - if you are having any troubles giving away '30s Colsons (or anything that looks like a '30s Colson
)...I'm here for you, man!
.So...before your next scrap run, I'll put in my dibs for any intact cruiser frames from the '60s and earlier (all 26" and 24", 20" on a case by case). 70s and later cruisers on a case by case. Schwinn road bikes 58cm and larger. Chromo road bikes 58cm and larger. Raleigh (and derivatives) camelbacks, any size. Schwinn camelbacks, any size. GT triple triangle camelbacks (late '90s, early 00's) any size. BMX cruisers (all through '80s, case by case '90s+...but, probably all). 70s/early 80s BMX (case by case). To be safe...run everything else past me as well
. I'll do bikeflights plus a bit extra to cover your expenses .Jason
PS - if you are having any troubles giving away '30s Colsons (or anything that looks like a '30s Colson
)...I'm here for you, man!
It's true most people can't or won't fix bikes anymore. I blame the big box stores and China dumping so many crappy bikes on the market, joe average figures they are all cheap junk so nice bikes get tossed when tires wear out or chain rusts up solid. Picked up a few older mountain bikes at police auction this year for $2, its crazy.
There's definitely a market here for decent used bikes. Unfortunately, I think we have the other end of the problem where good used bikes are more than box store junk, which means a lot of people who'd be better served by a decent used bike just buy junk then get disappointed and disillusioned with cycling because riding those things is terrible. Educating them on the difference is a problem we'd have to get to first, but the only cheap used bikes that aren't junk look like junk, so it would be a tough case to make. That and we have a generation that has largely never learned how to fix things because so much is unserviceable and/or more expensive to fix than new disposable junk built by near slave labor overseas.
I keep an eye out for cheap chromo frames (my favorite frame material for the money), but the only stuff cheap enough for quick builds and rehab are hi-ten frames with low end components and 27" steel rims and I don't want to put effort or money into those kinds of bikes.
I keep an eye out for cheap chromo frames (my favorite frame material for the money), but the only stuff cheap enough for quick builds and rehab are hi-ten frames with low end components and 27" steel rims and I don't want to put effort or money into those kinds of bikes.
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You may be inundated in your part of the world...but, its a classic bike drought in my part of the world
So...before your next scrap run, I'll put in my dibs for any intact cruiser frames from the '60s and earlier (all 26" and 24", 20" on a case by case). 70s and later cruisers on a case by case. Schwinn road bikes 58cm and larger. Chromo road bikes 58cm and larger. Raleigh (and derivatives) camelbacks, any size. Schwinn camelbacks, any size. GT triple triangle camelbacks (late '90s, early 00's) any size. BMX cruisers (all through '80s, case by case '90s+...but, probably all). 70s/early 80s BMX (case by case). To be safe...run everything else past me as well
Jason
PS - if you are having any troubles giving away '30s Colsons (or anything that looks like a '30s Colson
The big road bike frames have been a problem for me to get rid of. Some real nice Schwinns and Fujis I had to strip and scrap. I dumped a GT MTB as I already had one and a Schwinn camelback. I just gave away a1960s 24 inch Hawthorn with twin top tubes. Haven't had a BMX cruiser so far. I avoid BMX bikes unless I want the parts. I think I found a home for the Colson at last nights bike ride. They are going to be driving out here in the next week to get it but I have heard that before. I stopped taking bikes but I could take them again and pass stuff on or scrap them, but I now live far away from town and opportunities are far less than a year ago when I lived in town.
I don't want you to go out of your way...I just don't want you making any more trips to the scrapper (well, bike related trips ). I remember when you were trying to clean out some stuff, and were saying you were going to take it to the dump...I though it was just hyperbole...until you said you dumped it all 
. I'll take you more literally next time around 
.
I'm 6'2", my wife is 6'1"...the daughters are tall, but not quite as tall...the son-in-laws are 6'2" and 6'5". So, I always have an eye out for taller road bikes, even though I rarely ride a road bike...just in case
. The big schwinns are for all-weather attack bikes. You can fit bigger tires on them and, with upgraded forks especially, can take most anything you throw at them without much complaint.
Jason
). I remember when you were trying to clean out some stuff, and were saying you were going to take it to the dump...I though it was just hyperbole...until you said you dumped it all . I'll take you more literally next time around .I'm 6'2", my wife is 6'1"...the daughters are tall, but not quite as tall...the son-in-laws are 6'2" and 6'5". So, I always have an eye out for taller road bikes, even though I rarely ride a road bike...just in case
. The big schwinns are for all-weather attack bikes. You can fit bigger tires on them and, with upgraded forks especially, can take most anything you throw at them without much complaint.Jason
Was the Hawthorne one of these...?
...looks a bit on the small side, but...I can see a use for it.
Jason
...looks a bit on the small side, but...I can see a use for it
.Jason
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Yes, but black, black fenders and a different chain guard. White striping and white wheels. The double top tubes seemed higher on the seat tube, otherwise similar. My riding buddy wanted it for his grand sons when they visit. It was in a pile of bikes behind a bike shop. They said I could have all the bikes. I told them I don't want anymore bikes and they said there is one I would want and it was the Hawthorn. I put new tires and a chain on it and gave it away. I was thinking about taking off the fenders and putting 26 inch wheels on it but it has a good home now and still original.Was the Hawthorne one of these...?
View attachment 86012
...looks a bit on the small side, but...I can see a use for it
Jason
