Hi just got a Torker CX and the seat is a bit too tall. How do i go about shortening it?
And i noticed the seat also twists with moderate force. Is this normal or am i not utilizing the seat clamp correctly?
Are you sure it is too tall? Most beginners underestimate how high the seat should be.
A hacksaw will so the job but ideally you would cut the post with a pipe cutter. These use a sharp wheel rotated around the tube to make the cut and leave a rounded end on the cut.
Lever clamps never provide enough force. Use it to find the right height then change to a bolted clamp.
Make sure a good amount of seat post is in the seat tube. Adds extra strength and it comes in handy as well in case you need to increase the height in the future.
Pipe cutters are okay to use, but sometimes warp the edges:
Seems like steel has less issue of that, but you might want to take note, especially for future purposes.
Use a pipe cutter or a hacksaw to cut your post. Clean all the sharp edges off the end with a file afterward and it’s good to go.
A lot of people have trouble getting enough force out of their lever clamps but sometimes it’s from incorrect use. When you clamp it, open the lever and tighten the thumb nut on the other end of the bolt as tight as you can with your fingers. Then close the lever and it should be quite a bit tighter.
Use a hacksaw
Many people suggest using a pipe cutter to cut the seat post.
I’ve cut many seat posts, most with a pipe cutter. The pipe cutter takes a 1000 turns to cut through. Although it does create a nice square cut on the pipe it also creates some buildup / ridge along the edge. That edge absolutely needs to be filed off before putting the post into the frame.
I recently found a post in the bike forums that suggested using a
http://www.amazon.com/Omix-Ada-17115-01-Radiator-Hose-Clamp/dp/B000FQ973A
. With a little care the clamp helps to prevent the saw blade from getting out of alignment.
I tried it and it resulted in the least effort ever to make the cut; it was square, and there was minimal filing to clean up the final cut.
I could never get a square cut with a hacksaw… Now I will never cut a pipe without one.
I also used liberal amounts of light oil. Most places suggest using cutting oil. I used chain lube… and it seemed to do the trick, almost as if the metal was softened by the oil. Of course that’s not what happens but it does making the cut quicker. My guess is any oil will work; it helps to minimize the heat generated during the cutting process.
I cut my seat post this week using a hacksaw. What I did differently was how I held the tube in the vice.
- Get a piece of timber about 3-4" long, 1.5" wide, 0.5"-0.75" thick.
- Toward one end of the length of timber drill a hole through the piece the same diameter as your sea post.
- Using a saw, starting at the end nearest the hole, make a cut along the timber parallel to the long sides. You want to aim for the hole centre.
- You now have a saw cut finishing in the hole. By clamping this end of the timber in the vice the saw cut will be forced closed and the seat post will be firmly clamped by the timber without damage. You can now slowly turn the seat post as you make the hacksaw cut and your cut will be square and the finish neat.
Get a file and chamfer the post end as you rotate the post within the timber clamp.
Added some photos to help explain previous post…
I use a grinder on all my seatpost cuts does it so damn quick and effective.
Excellent tip pozac. I’m a builder and this sort of innovative thinking is what makes the difference between being able to do anything well and not.
Thanks for the recognition kiwi. I figured that some would not recognise how easily the seatpost could be held to produce a nice finish. Easy when you ar told how.
A Kiwi builder. They do some really nice timber work down in Australia’s 7th state.
Mate, sharp as an over inflated franger…
I thought we were the West Island?
Moreover, citizens of NT Australia will tell you we already have seven states.
Hmm. I would buy a shorter post cause your going to need that longer one at some point I’m sure. They are pretty cheap. When I do cut one I use a Park head tube cutter guide. Works great on seat posts too.
pipecutter
I just use a pipecutter, its not like its hard to file and deburr a seatpost it would take more time to make that wood jig than to use a hand file or a grinding wheel or hand grinder if you are impatient. the cut is so much more perfect, i also use a pipecutter on bicycle forks and handlebars for the same reason.
A hacksaw worked for me. Then file around the edges. I agree with an earlier poster: start off by cutting off a small amount, maybe 1/2". I started with a long, 400mm seat-post and hacked it down in four installments, removing about 2" total. If you tend to ride with the seat-post either all the way up or all the way down, then changing crank length or shoes could require cutting or buying a new seat-post. If I replaced the 165mm cranks for 100mm cranks on my 26" MUni, for a long-distance, flat road ride, I would raise the seat ~ 65mm. I might find, under those circumstances, that the seat-post was too short.
Welcome to the forum JannaDik 