Greetings, Recently three of the bike shops in my area have closed and I am presently left with no mechanic who I know anything about. Generally I do most of the routine repairs and adjustments on my bikes, and I only consult my pro friends about the difficult problems. No one's left to consult with!! Here's my present predicament. I have a Litespeed with a titanium frame and a carbon fiber seat post. Although the seat post has been greased with some regularity (once or twice a year), it is presently seized. I have removed the binder and sprayed a fair amount of light penetrating type lubricant at the junction of the frame and post. The lube appears to have been drawn in by capillary action; to what depth, I have no way of discerning. The post remains stuck! What next? Chris Hi Chris and thanks for the question. I would remove the bottom bracket and try to add more penetrant from the inside. Hopefully there is an opening in the bootom bracket giving access to the seat tube and the bottom of the frozen seat post. Let it soak in. Then, if it still doesnt budge, remove the seat and either attach a huge crescent wrench or something that You can grasp the seatpost with and try rotating it thus working it loose. I have also placed the frozen post into a vice and rotated the frame. Of course try not to break the post. Also if You do need to try the vice trick its easier to handle when the frame is stripped of its wheels. Good Luck, try different penetrant sprays too! Mike hi, my trek y2k 8000 got run over yesterday, in my own driveway. There was a lot of component damage but only a small dent in the frame (not on a weld). Also the little part that sticks out that the rear derrailleur is bolted to was bent inward. This is trek's SLR aluminum frame. Can that little part be bent back and is the dent significant? Thanks, Jon S Jon, Hello... first I'm sure you will insure that your bike does not get run over again!! The small dent in the frame should not be a problem, just watch it to make sure it does not start to rust - if so, then you may need to treat that area or paint it. It sounds like your derailleur is bolted to a derailleur hanger and not the frame directly. Most aluminum frames have this hanger to protect the dropout itself from bending. You can try to bend it back, but probably better to order a new hanger from your local bike shop and have it put on the bike - it is simple enough to do if you can get the part...sometimes if you try to bend the hanger back it will just break anyhow, so better to replace it... ride on stan i have a specialised fsr ground control model 95-96 quite old. is it possible to change to a newer swing arm fsr 98/99 models cos i would like to replace the rear shock and the mounting is totally different. i hope you understand my explanation. thanks eric Eric, Thanx for visitin' webmountainbike. I would recommend that you call our mechanic about the swingarm, as I am not sure of the answer. You would, of course, have to get a new swingarm from specialized which might be tough. Our mechanic's name is Mike, and you can reach him at 1 301 869-4664. Also, you could try to ask Specialized. Their phone number is listed on our site under "phone numbers" on our toolbar on the left... I hope that this helps. Ride On ~~Stan~~ I bought my Trek 7000 shx in 1995 and have used it about 2 years in the 5 that I have owned it. (I'm about to replace the original tires - b/c of small wear spots- if that's any indication?) Anyway my question is how long do you think my frame will last (bonded Easton Aluminum) and the parts like the bottom bracket. I'm riding about 40 - 60 miles a week now. - I guess what I'm really asking for is the life expectancy of my frame and the components. thank you ! David F. David, Thank you for visiting webmountainbike! If you are only on your first set of tires, the bike has a lot of life left to it. The frame, bottom bracket, and components have years to go. If you like the way the bike rides, keep it going! It of course also depends on the type of terrain you ride and your weight. The frame may be under warranty> check with trek (1 800 879 8735). Replace broken components as needed, and always upgrade when you replace them. Let us know if we can be of further help! ~~MaNiMaL~~ *I'm a novice in selecting a mountain bike. Been reading some material about characteristics of different bikes. Wonder what size frame bike, etc. I should consider. I'm 6' 2 1/2 inches tall , 220 lbs. and am long legged. Thanks, Russ A BIG rider is generally over 6'4" tall, and over 250 lbs. Anywhere in this ballpark requires some special considerations. First, you must have a large enough frame size so you can have proper position and weight distribution. You probably need an XL frame. These can be difficult to find at most bike shops. However, they are out there, but usually have to be ordered. If you want full suspension, you will require heavier and stiffer springs in the front and rear shocks. Get a bike with only one or two pivot points in the rear suspension. You may also require heavier weight oil. A cid or air shock may not be a good choice, as these are designed to top out at about 230 - 250 lbs. If you get a front suspension bike, you need a good fork (rock shock Judy O.K. or Marzocchi bomber) and make sure you have a heavier spring. Be carefull of a carbon fiber frame unless you get a lifetime guarantee, and maybe go with chrome-moly or oversized aluminum. If you ride rocks or logs a lot, you will almost certainly need a heavier duty large chainring (we like Race Face), and possibly some bigger pedals to have more of a platform and better foot contact. Shimano Deore pedals are bombproof, but hard to get anymore. Regardless of what bike you buy, it is likely you will end up making some modifications before you buy it, and quite likely some components may fail after riding and require upgrades or exchanges after you "break it in". |
