Newbie question about replacing saddle

Quoted message said:

Greetings all. I'm looking to replace my manufacturer's saddle. Narrowed it down to two, will
probably go with one from Nashbar.

Quoted message said:

My bike is a 10-year-old Giant Ferrago, in good shape. Recently had a LBS do a complete "tune up."

Quoted message said:

Question(s): To install the new saddle over the old one, is it just a matter of unbolting the
current saddle? Do I have to take the whole post out? I've had some difficulty with the post (had
to adjust the saddle height) - it was extremely hard to move up or down. Is that normal, or do I
need to spray some WD-40 on it?

Quoted message said:

It _seems_ like replacing the saddle would be a fairly straightforward operation, and I would
rather do it myself than pay someone a ridiculous sum for 20 minutes of work.

You don't have to adjust the height of the seat post at all to change the saddle. The seat post
attaches to the rails of the saddle and you just need to get down and look under the saddle to see
how it is done. An allen wrench should get the job done.

Your seat post should move up and down pretty smoothly. It shouldn't be hard. I had one bike damaged
in shipping and moving the seat post takes a bit of encourgement.

If you have a steel frame, there may be rust where the seat post and frame join so I guess WD40
might help.

"Michael Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Question(s): To install the new saddle over the old one, is it just a matter of unbolting the
current saddle? Do I have to take the whole post out? I've had some difficulty with the post (had
to adjust the saddle height) - it was extremely hard to move up or down. Is that normal, or do I
need to spray some WD-40 on it?

You may need to raise or lower the new saddle to achieve the same saddle height; there's no
guarantee that the new one's depth is the same as the old. So you'll want to free up that seat post.
WD-40 is not a lubricant, but it might help you get the post out if it's mildly stuck.

The post (like nearly every metal bike part that contacts another metal part) should be kept greased
so that it doesn't sieze up. I would suggest you take this opportunity to remove and grease your
stem as well.

RichC

Rich Clark said:

"Michael Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Question(s): To install the new saddle over the old one, is it just a matter of unbolting the
current saddle? Do I have to take the whole post out? I've had some difficulty with the post (had
to adjust the saddle height) - it was extremely hard to move up or down. Is that normal, or do I
need to spray some WD-40 on it?

You may need to raise or lower the new saddle to achieve the same saddle height; there's no
guarantee that the new one's depth is the same as the old. So you'll want to free up that seat
post. WD-40 is not a lubricant, but it might help you get the post out if it's mildly stuck.

The post (like nearly every metal bike part that contacts another metal part) should be kept
greased so that it doesn't sieze up. I would suggest you take this opportunity to remove and
grease your stem as well.

Next two dumb questions:

I assume by "stem" you mean the post?

And any recommendations as to what I should use to grease it?

--
Michael Martin "It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."

x-no-archive:yes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<snip> The post (like nearly every metal bike part that contacts another metal part) should be
kept greased so that it doesn't sieze up. I would suggest you take this opportunity to remove and
grease your stem as well.

Rich

Quoted message said:

Next two dumb questions:

I assume by "stem" you mean the post?

And any recommendations as to what I should use to grease it?

--
Michael Martin

I think Rich was referring to the stem that holds the handlebars on. I think he was saying that if
the seat post was seized up, the stem is most likely to be the same way. Grease? Something light.
Some people use wheel bearing grease made for cars. Some use silicon-based white grease. You
probably should have a small tube of grease suitable for bicycles around your garage. If not, ask
your LBS to recommend some. You'll be using it from time to time for a long time....

Pat in TX

"Michael Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I assume by "stem" you mean the post?

No, sorry about the jargon, the stem is the part that holds the handlebars, and tightens into the
head tube. I'm assuming yours is this "quill" type stem, the sort with a section that expands within
the tube when you tighten the bolt. If not, ignore this.

If your seat post or the inside of your seat tube are rusting, your stem or the inside of your head
tube probably are as well. Stuck seat posts and stems are among the more difficult problems to
solve, but easiest to prevent. If you have a 10 year old steel frame and the various metal-to-metal
contact points have not been re-lubed since the bike was new, it should be done now if you want to
avoid problems when you have to replace parts. (What I'm talking about here is that when a bolt is
threaded into the frame for a derailleur, say, or even a bottle cage, grease should be applied to
the bolt threads first. Moisture and age will eventually break the grease down, so this process
should be repeated periodically wherever metal parts fit into other metal parts.)

Quoted message said:

And any recommendations as to what I should use to grease it?

Almost any kind of grease is OK for this application. Or just buy a tube of grease at a bike shop,
which will last you for a long, long time.

RichC

Michael Martin said:

Greetings all. I'm looking to replace my manufacturer's saddle.

Quoted message said:

Question(s): To install the new saddle over the old one, is it just a matter of unbolting the
current saddle? Do I have to take the whole post out? I've had some difficulty with the post (had
to adjust the saddle height) - it was extremely hard to move up or down. Is that normal, or do I
need to spray some WD-40 on it?

You don't have to remove the seatpost. Different seatposts use different methods of clamping the
saddle rails. You should see one or two bolts on the underside of the clamp. Loosen until you are
able to remove the old saddle, and then install the new one.

Assuming your seatpost is the proper diameter for your frame and is not "frozen" in place, you
should be able to move it up or down by twisting it while applying upward or downward pressure. Make
sure the seat bolt is loose enough.

You should check your saddle height after installing the new saddle. It's possible the new saddle
will be different enough, that you'll need to raise or lower it a bit.

Art Harris

Michael Martin said:

Question(s): To install the new saddle over the old one, is it just a matter of unbolting the
current saddle? Do I have to take the whole post out?

Well, you will have to adjust the height. '

Quoted message said:

I've had some difficulty with the post (had to adjust the saddle height) - it was extremely hard
to move up or down. Is that normal, or do I need to spray some WD-40 on it?

No, it is not normal. No, don't spray WD-40 on it. Pull the post out, clean it off as well as
you can (and clean the inside of the tube as much as you can as well), and apply a good coating
of grease.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you _`\(,_ | killed all of us?
From every corner of Europe, hundreds, (_)/ (_) | thousands would rise up to take our places.
Even Nazis can't kill that fast. -- Paul Henreid (Casablanca).

Michael Martin said:

I assume by "stem" you mean the post?

No, he meant the handlebar stem that sticks into the fork tube. If it is a standard stem, it needs
to be greased just like the seatpost, for the same reason. This does not apply as seriously if it is
one of the newer "threadless" designs, but it would be a good idea even then.

Quoted message said:

And any recommendations as to what I should use to grease it?

Grease? Not to be snide, but any grease will be fine. No, not bacon grease.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored _`\(,_ | by little statesmen
and philosophers and divines. --Ralph Waldo (_)/ (_) | Emerson

Rich Clark said:

"Michael Martin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I assume by "stem" you mean the post?

No, sorry about the jargon, the stem is the part that holds the handlebars, and tightens into the
head tube. I'm assuming yours is this "quill" type stem, the sort with a section that expands
within the tube when you tighten the bolt. If not, ignore this.

I wouldn't know if it was a quill type if it bit me! :-) Thanks for clearing up my confusion.

Quoted message said:

If your seat post or the inside of your seat tube are rusting, your stem or the inside of your
head tube probably are as well. Stuck seat posts and stems are among the more difficult problems
to solve, but easiest to prevent.

I didn't see any rust - I think the problem is simply a lack of grease.

Quoted message said:

If you have a 10 year old steel frame and the various metal-to-metal contact points have not been
re-lubed since the bike was new, it should be done now if you want to avoid problems when you have
to replace parts. (What I'm talking about here is that when a bolt is threaded into the frame for
a derailleur, say, or even a bottle cage, grease should be applied to the bolt threads first.
Moisture and age will eventually break the grease down, so this process should be repeated
periodically wherever metal parts fit into other metal parts.)

Quoted message said:

And any recommendations as to what I should use to grease it?

Almost any kind of grease is OK for this application. Or just buy a tube of grease at a bike shop,
which will last you for a long, long time.

Thanks to Rich and everyone else for the answers. I'll be ordering my saddle (and two pairs of
riding shorts!) this week.

--
Michael Martin "It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."

Break-free is the best I've found. Used it alot when I was a gunsmith. WD-40 turns to glue
eventually. And Nashbar now sells Brooks!