http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: rail fail en Thu, 21 May 2026 06:22:08 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266674 Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:16:01 +0000 acsimpson 266674@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The seatpost which came with my Boardman had a nasty habit of breaking the rail clamp bolt. It would creak most of the time but then the bolt would shear without warning. It happened twice before I bought a new seat post. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266657 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:24:08 +0000 I were right about that saddle 266657@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/15/team-sky-british-cycling-no-doping-charges-jiffy-bag">Now drug-free cyclist Wiggo's had a rail fail.</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266655 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:06:04 +0000 unhurt 266655@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm always pleased to offer a platform for puns. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266654 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:03:46 +0000 ARobComp 266654@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sorry if I made you lose your train of thought. </p> <p>I'm reasonably chuffed I managed to get some puns in though. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266652 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:49:54 +0000 unhurt 266652@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Thread de-rail? I would rail against this, but... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266650 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:40:53 +0000 ARobComp 266650@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>**rail wifi fail dual post** </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266649 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:40:53 +0000 ARobComp 266649@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Scotrail cancelled the 6:15 to Edinburgh from Queens street. Helpful lady commiserated that I'd missed the 6pm as it had been running 5 minutes late. </p> <p>Oh wait... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266647 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:12:11 +0000 unhurt 266647@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@roibeard thanks! I will PM you. Struck down by germs at the minute so not sure if leaving house tomorrow but will see...</p> <p>@sheeptoucher You kept that quiet! Do I have to come fetch it? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266644 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:54:28 +0000 Sheeptoucher 266644@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've got a torque wrench... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266643 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:27:23 +0000 Roibeard 266643@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You're welcome to my micrometer (Vernier guage), and the torque wrench is a good call. Saddle bolts are done up surprisingly tightly...</p> <p>Daughter's saddle kept tilting until I broke out the torque wrench - I'd done it up hand tight, but no where near as tight as the spec!</p> <p>Robert </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266642 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:12:43 +0000 unhurt 266642@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This broken rail seems to be generating quite the shopping list! I might be in the market for <em>borrowing</em> a micrometer. Or swapping baking for a loan? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266641 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:10:06 +0000 I were right about that saddle 266641@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Maybe it would fit? </em></p> <p>Aha! Torque wrench and micrometer! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266640 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:09:20 +0000 unhurt 266640@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Actually... there's a suspension seatpost on my old Cannondale tourer (currently in bits in a friend's garage). Maybe it would fit? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266639 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:08:15 +0000 I were right about that saddle 266639@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Torque wrench and suspension seatpost? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266637 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:06:50 +0000 unhurt 266637@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@ivangrozni, cheers for the link - helpful! (And hmm: "riding technique and where you ride impacts rail longevity. Roadies who bounce their upper body with each pedal stroke stress the rails much more than smooth pedalers. <em>Cycling over rough roads has a similar effect</em>." - my italics. Hello sets, potholes, more sets - and a landrover track...)</p> <p>@crowriver Maybe a new seat clamp first - and I think it might be time to buy a torque wrench... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266633 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 17:43:23 +0000 crowriver 266633@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hm, so maybe worth investing in a new seat post too? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266618 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 15:09:04 +0000 ivangrozni 266618@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This article gives some answers: <a href="https://roadbikerider.com/tech-gear/tech-columns/diy/1241-preventing-and-fixing-broken-seat-rails-by-jim-langley">https://roadbikerider.com/tech-gear/tech-columns/diy/1241-preventing-and-fixing-broken-seat-rails-by-jim-langley</a></p> <p>Below a certain level, you should be able to cyclically load steel infinitely or so the "fatigue-limit philosophy" goes (it is a controversial topic - with some opposing views). You would think the saddle rail would be designed so fatigue should not be an issue - i.e. fatigue limit should be well outside expected loading. Maybe something was acting as a stress-raiser? localized dirt where it was being clamped? Or over-torqued? In the article above they also talk about cradle-sizes and designs (IWRATS barking up the right tree) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266617 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:54:50 +0000 crowriver 266617@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Vanadium enables greater hardenability of steels, but can lead to embrittlement."</p> <p>Also, vanadium steel spanners are generally rather thicker than saddle rails, and are not usually subject to regular pinching and flexing forces at concentrated points on the spanner shaft, unless misused.</p> <p>@unhurt, if I were you I'd just go for bog standard steel rails and maybe save a few bob on next saddle to boot? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266613 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:40:56 +0000 Rosie 266613@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a seat shear off when I was riding my bike. Fortunately I was on a cycle path, not going fast and I fell sideways into a hedge so was only bruised. I still think of that ragged cylinder of steel and shudder. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266612 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:39:36 +0000 Arellcat 266612@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>maybe steel rails are the way to go - but this one is so comfy...</em></p> <p>'Vanox' (V2O3) is mostly likely the addition to the steel, not the entire material of the rails. Vanadium enables greater hardenability of steels, but can lead to embrittlement. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266611 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:34:56 +0000 unhurt 266611@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ahhhhhh that might be it - the clamp cradle was replaced when I put the new saddle on because the bolt was stripping; the previous clamp cradle was maybe an infinitesimally better fit? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266607 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 14:13:43 +0000 I were right about that saddle 266607@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Vanox is just vanadium steel like they make spanners out of. When you blow the picture up (many pixels!) that looks to me like metal fatigue. Maybe one rail was flexing at the clamp, or maybe the seatpost clamp cradle doesn't <em>quite</em> match the rails of that saddle? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266600 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:57:13 +0000 wingpig 266600@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote><em>"Also: lift bike by frame instead of saddle?"</em></blockquote></p> <p>When I expressed discomfort at storage solutions requiring hanging an entire bike by a single wheel, people pointed out that this would usually involve lower forces than involved when a person was sitting on the bike. This is sort of similar, in that a bike weighs less than its rider in most cases, but might be a similar force-in-a-direction-not-designed-for sort of issue. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266599 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:52:54 +0000 unhurt 266599@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not titanium! And, well, I suppose that would be sensible, but it's a hard habit to break.... (The previous one of these I had survived a lot of woman-handling with a vast amount of gear on the bike, so not sure why this one has decided to fail!)</p> <p>ETA: Hmm, thanks @crowriver maybe steel rails are the way to go - but this one is so comfy... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266597 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:49:32 +0000 crowriver 266597@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Titanium rails? Maybe go for steel rails next time?</p> <p>EDIT - I see they're "Vanox" - Vanadium trioxide. Maybe brittle?<br /> Get a steel railed saddle next time, I doubt it will break.</p> <p>Also: lift bike by frame instead of saddle? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18366#post-266596 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:18:05 +0000 unhurt 266596@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oops:</p> <p><a href="https://flic.kr/p/ZtfTk3"><img src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4564/37720785404_477eb9123d_n.jpg"></a></p> <p>Selle Italia Diva, year and a half old - lifting bike up one step into flat and it just snapped. It's sheared exactly behind the clamp, and when I went to take it off it was done up RATHER tightly - contributing cause? </p> <p>Anyway, now I need a new one. But do I get the same again - pretty comfy, same model as the one I used in Canada (that one has lost a lot of its "skin" and is now an emergency backup)? Never had a sadle rail fail, slightly worried it could happen when far away from replacements! </p>