# Snapping FSA Carbon Seatpost VIDEO'D!!



## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Over simple whoopdies out at Epping Forest, London, United Kingdom

I couldnt see what the cam was seeing so i held it a bit high when showing the damage. One more hit and i think i'd have a new anus made for me :skep:






Now looking for a new light weight (lightest i can get) which is made of reliable METAL in 27.2mm x 350mm with offset.

Also i'll be selling the 2month old FSA K Force carbon handle bars and going for lightweight metal i think for my style of riding


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## MattP. (Oct 3, 2005)

Thomson, nuf said.


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

MattP, i need to know what the lightest, strongest post would be in metal, which is 27.2mm x 350mm with offset. 
Have been looking into thomson but they arent exactly light


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## crazylax42 (Jan 17, 2007)

american classic

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=17142

also see thomson masterpiece.


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## crazylax42 (Jan 17, 2007)

oh and for bars, I'd say CF is fine, but if not then check out Easton EA90 or race face deus


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## V.P. (Aug 26, 2007)

damn, thats pretty scary : /


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## vmajor (Oct 1, 2007)

Light = new anus

Get Thompson.

V.


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## sagecycles (Nov 16, 2006)

I have seen lightweight metal seat posts do the same thing. get a torque wrench.


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## ronoranina (Aug 25, 2006)

Like the idea of lightness, but man.. i just don't trust CF yet.


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Yeah, me either
I'm permanently put-off buying anything carbon which has to be a load-bearing/load-flexing item.
CF brake levers etc cool, but those guys buying full CF frames, or having the rear swingarms made from it- look out! Its just a matter of time.
The warranty even states it. Read up on it carefully.

CF, i think, is purely designed for XC riding and for someone who is sponsored. They have all the advantages of the light weight, and strength, then replace the CF items at the middle and/or end of a season to be on the safe side.

You shouldnt spend 1000's upon 1000's for carbon lightness and strength, but have to constantly check it for stress cracks etc, always wondering if today is going to be THE day....

It puts you off riding at your limit and beyond for fear of component failure.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2008)

I ride in Epping forest with my Wife all the time and we both have Thomson, if you don't feel safe you'll ride slower with a lighter one not faster.


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Absolutely. Total agree with you there!
I went with a Thomson Elite. With that i just fit and forget as its never going to fail on me.


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## steve001 (Mar 17, 2008)

thomson elite best seatpost's you can buy IMO also pretty good given that youve got 27.2mm one so you could always transfer it to a new frame and shim it rather than havina to buy a new 1


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Quite true. Very good point


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

I can't believe I just "listened" for a seat post to break! :skep: 

Dude, next time have an Ass-Cam so we can SEE it happen.


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

hahaha "ass-cam"

Better hearing that than hearing it make a second butt hole for me. Never planned on EVER snapping a seat post, let alone a carbon fibre! 



Wont be a next time. Not with my Thomson Elite


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## commutergrl (Sep 3, 2007)

My lbs (who alas does not sell gary fisher) tells me that carbon fiber can be compromised pretty easily. I couldn't really tell from your vid but if your post looks like mine does, it was toast before you went on that ride. There's some special carbon lube for things like seat posts that can get scratched when they are adjusted. 

I don't know if that would've saved it but I think that's the way CF is supposed to be treated.

for what it's worth
commutergirl


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

commutergrl said:


> My lbs (who alas does not sell gary fisher) tells me that carbon fiber can be compromised pretty easily. I couldn't really tell from your vid but if your post looks like mine does, it was toast before you went on that ride. There's some special carbon lube for things like seat posts that can get scratched when they are adjusted.
> 
> I don't know if that would've saved it but I think that's the way CF is supposed to be treated.
> 
> ...


I did a lot of research into carbon fibre after this incident.
There are so many diff types of designs and nanotubing (strongest) etc.
The thing with CF is you need to continually check it for stress crack/fractures. 
Would be a lot easier to see if it was white in colour and not black/grey! The idea behind the shiney outter glossed-look is for failure protection. Stops it from splintering and tries to keep it "held together sort of" if it snaps - which is did thank the Lord!

Theres no lube that ive read of as such, but if you scratch the outter polished carbon webbing you can buff that out with some polish or special wax stuff. It wont actually stop it from breaking though.

Admittedly, i did have a couple of loud crack noises earlier in the ride. One where i had to stop, then got back on the saddle really quickly, but having my cargo pants catch on the back of the seat and pull it forward. Was a loud crack. That was the second time in that ride that it made the crack noise. The third was when it finally went. 
Sure, carbon is strong, but you need to keep checking it which isnt easy to the naked eye.
Most manufacturers only allow a 2year warranty from date of manufacture. The date on mine was 03- on an 06 bike

The post snapped in the middle. Not near either clamping end. Im 5 11' and the frame is a medium (small in my mind anyway!) so i have the post up a bit. Well within its safe range though.

The other thing that was hard to see was the crack itself as i have reflective tape all over the post and my bike as my bike is anodized black, so i have it for night riding and to cover brand names to avoid theft.

If you have carbon fibre bars, you need to check them each and every time the bike is dropped. Lets face it, we never intend to drop the bike, it just happens. It happened to me with my bars when i leant it against a wall at the petrol station. Gust of wind, over she went.

You need to be sure not to use bar end protectors most manufacturers claim. I do anyway but i dont do them up super tight. Im talking about the ones you insert then tighten up with the internal allen key so it opens the plug inside, forcing the pressure outward. That puts a lot of stress on that section of the bar.
Theyre getting better and more advanced with the bar designs now though and strengthening and thickening those areas which need it lke the grip ends. 
My FSA K Force XC bars dont have that reinforcement in the grips to my knowledge and definitely do not have nanotubing design, so i have to be careful.

I would never ever buy a bike which is all carbon fibre or even partly carbon fibre (in a MTB) as they just havent got things guaranteed enough for peace of mind. Metal still wins outright for longevity and less problems


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

*Pics of snapped post*


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## Yukon-RSX (Feb 6, 2007)

That's just sheer stupidity. You were riding across rough terrain! No wonder the bloody thing snapped, my grandmother's arms are stronger than that Carbon shiter.


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Rough terrain? ummm you must ride road or something coz this is exactly what mountain bikes are designed for and its nowhere NEAR as bad as ive ridden before. 
This was simple whoop-dees. No one elses posts snapped

It was due to the fracturing earlier that i mentioned above

Just bad luck really.
Ive smashed the broken sections with a hammer and they didnt get damaged at all but having said that, thats a direct, side on impact, not a flexing back and fourth stress break...


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## Yukon-RSX (Feb 6, 2007)

Yeah but I wouldn't put a plastic seat post on a mountain bike. :skep:


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## CETFLY (Feb 12, 2008)

Yukon-RSX said:


> Yeah but I wouldn't put a plastic seat post on a mountain bike. :skep:


Me either from that point onwards.
It came as part of the bike setup, so mmm not much to say on that!


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

Holy crap! Well that's what may of happened to you.


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## commutergrl (Sep 3, 2007)

*Thanks for the info*

good to know. If I can get the name of that carbon lube stuff from my lbs. I'll try to post it here.

Speaking of protection (from theives, scratches, various commuting dangers, etc.) I started tailoring a rubber suit for my new (now gone) bike from used innertubes. I was slipping them on where I could (like the carbon seat post and fork legs), and sewing them on where I couldn't.

Pulled off all the stickers I could to confuse the potential thieves as possible.

Some better fabric stores sell that green/silver stripe that lights up big when a headlight hits it. I wrap my left arm in it 'cause that's the arm in traffic. When I wear that jacket at the office, people who see me down the hallway ask me if I have lights on my arms (overhead flourescents are providing the light). That makes me feel pretty good about my night visibility.

You might be able to glue it on the back of the seat post rubber or post.

c


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## MajorMojo (Feb 9, 2007)

Sorry I disagree with all you Carbon Fibre Chickens....I have an all Carbon frame and not concerned whatsoever. If you manage to damage a CF frame chances are really good you would have damaged that allum frame as well.


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