# My first casualty of being a fat guy.



## fatguybiking (Jul 14, 2012)

Yesterday I noticed that my stock seat post on my Trek 4300 is bent. It isn't too bad, but it does prevent me from dropping my seat all the way down. It was only a matter of time before something gave out. I'm 6'2" 315 right now, but started 3 months ago at 343. I have a bad case of upgrade-itis, but no money to do it.


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## 4nbstd (Apr 12, 2012)

fatguybiking said:


> I have a bad case of upgrade-itis, but no money to do it.


Obamacare should include bike upgrades.


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## fatguybiking (Jul 14, 2012)

4nbstd said:


> Obamacare should include bike upgrades.


:thumbsup:


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## grizzlyplumber (May 15, 2008)

4nbstd said:


> Obamacare should include bike upgrades.


Who says it wont?


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## swopeti (Dec 12, 2009)

i would recommend some seat post Viagra should straighten that thing right out.

Get a thompson it supports my 300+ butt


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I've never had an issue with stock. Just gotta learn how to ride light. That said, I ride a Thomson now. You have to actually try to make one fail.


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## fatguybiking (Jul 14, 2012)

Nubster said:


> I've never had an issue with stock. Just gotta learn how to ride light. That said, I ride a Thomson now. You have to actually try to make one fail.


I know, I'm still learning. I ride like a 300lb man with a piano on my back. I'm surprised nothing has really broken yet. Just need to practice.


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## alowell (Aug 13, 2012)

Keep it going!


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## BigKahuna (Jan 19, 2004)

I rode fullies for years, and am now on a hardtail 29er. I too need to learn to get my butt up off the seat more. Those roots don't like bikes! And our trails are chock full of roots and rocks! Which means my lard-posterior needs to stand up more!


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## fatguybiking (Jul 14, 2012)

BigKahuna said:


> I rode fullies for years, and am now on a hardtail 29er. I too need to learn to get my butt up off the seat more. Those roots don't like bikes! And our trails are chock full of roots and rocks! Which means my lard-posterior needs to stand up more!


My "home" track has ton of roots as well.


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## bigwooly (Aug 14, 2012)

the seatpost doesn't get bent sitting in the garage so at least you're using the bike. Keep up the good work. 28 lbs in 3 months in good work.


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## fatguybiking (Jul 14, 2012)

OK, now my seat rails are bent. Might be from when I was trying to ride a wheelie and went back way too far and got layed out on my back and bounced my head off the ground. I guess at 32 years old and 315lbs I shouldn't be trying to do any "tricks". Just glad I had my helmet on, even though I was just in my backyard.


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## The Grouch (Dec 31, 2010)

*I feel your pain*

I'm 6"3 ,250 and I have bent 2 saddle rails & my seat post in the last three months. I guess I also need to learn to ride lighter.:madman:


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## ArmedSuspect (Aug 10, 2012)

6'2", 245 on a hard tail 29er...

i like to think that i do a good job of keeping my rear off the seat but on the last two "real" rides i've managed to mangle my seat rails. 

yesterday i re-adjusted my seat to compensate for an already bent rail. i thought it would be good to go for another ride until i can get to the LBS and get a better seat.... wrong!

sooner or later i'll figure out exactly where i'm going wrong. i don't remember being on the seat for anything rough but i was probably concentrating more on staying on the bike than where i was in relation to the saddle. 

other than that... lots of wheelies and i'll jump anything i can see. it was just a matter of time


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## freighttrain48 (Apr 30, 2012)

Get a Thomson and it wont bend but your seat rails will I find its better to keep buying cheap saddles at sports authority than seatposts standing up on down hills also helps a ton. Btw if your only bending seatposts your doing better than most of us superclydes


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## duggs9903 (Apr 5, 2009)

*Thomson*

Picking up a Thomson is a no-brainer. Sure, they can be pricey, but if you pay close attention to fleabay, you could pick off a newly listed post for good BIN price. Also, I've had great luck on my local CL. The beauty of Thomson posts/stems is they really maintain their resale value so if you ever buy a new bike and need a different size, you won't be stuck with a high end part that you have to throw in your bin. Also, when it comes to saddles, yup, I've had a few fail on me, but in the past two years, I've owned a Fizik Gobi, SDG Duster and Brooks and my fat arse has yet to destroy them. Best of luck!


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## ProfGumby (Feb 27, 2008)

fatguybiking said:


> I know, I'm still learning. I ride like a 300lb man with a piano on my back. I'm surprised nothing has really broken yet. *Just need to practice*.


Thats the big thing! (no pun intended)

I bent the seat rails on the stock seat on my Rincon and recently stripped out the jaws of the front and rear height adjustment. The remedy has been, different saddle (the C-9 off my last mntn bike) and I JB welded the holy hell out of the jaws after aligning the saddle in the correct position.

I also slid the saddle forward and gave my seat tube a wee bit more height. When my weight is on the saddle there is so much less pressure too far back on the saddle and less wrenching of the jaws on the seat tube. Also I have learned to pick my butt up off the seat when on jarring terrain and climbing.

Not standing up on the pedals when climbing, just lighter on the seat over the bumps when going up and totally off the saddle on downhills. Since all this I have not had one hard hit ram the seat halfway up the out door ( :eekster: ) and nothing else has broken on the bike.

The magic formula for me is lose weight, get more fit and learn better technique.
:thumbsup:


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## BigKahuna (Jan 19, 2004)

Wrecked my first saddle tonight! I've been 240 or more almost my entire riding career! And have never as much as slightly bent a seat rail. Well, tonight I killed one. I was playing around in the yard, on my little wooded trail loop. I went off a Napolean Dynamite sized jump, and both feet slipped off the pedals, and I landed my entire bucket'o lard onto the saddle. I got stopped and realized something was wrong. My WTB saddle was tilted about 45* to starboard! I pulled it off and it's done! One rail is almost completely crushed! In 10+ years of being a superclyde, this was a first for me.


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## trdspectacoma (Jan 24, 2011)

I just switched to a downhill seat post. so far so good. I was thinking eventually doing a i-beam setup for me but it works so far.


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## turbo addict (Aug 24, 2012)

I bent a seat when switching from my hardtail to my fsr. The answer was to take my thudbuster out of the hardtail (that I havne't ridden since I bought the fsr) and install it on the fsr. No bent seat or seatpost since and an even smoother ride. 
PS I didnt have any issues with the hardtail and (thudbuster 3" version with one purple and one black elastomer) either.
PPS 6'2" 258lbs on a good day in boxers.


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## bubba1472 (Aug 11, 2012)

Bent Handle bars! I've been through 2 pairs so far


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## atomicmanatee (Sep 1, 2012)

I didn't break it permanently, but the angle adjustment on my 2003 raleigh m80 seatpost went 3 notches out of adjustment because i didn't get my fat butt off the seat enough.

edit: nevermind, it is permanently f'ed. won't even support my body weight riding flat without drooping now.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

4 cheap saddles in 2 or so seasons of riding. Bent the rails into a banana shape. I finally got one with chromo rails, we'll see how well it holds up. I think it was from the many times I was too tired to stand going over rough patches and the occasional major ass slam from near-wipeouts.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


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## big terry (Apr 22, 2012)

cro mo rails dont bend, they just go PING!!! really loud when they let go.

on my 2nd post and 5th saddle of the year...


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## jeffj (Jan 13, 2004)

I would recommend either sliding your saddles forward so the clamp attaches to the saddle rails as far back as possible or at least close to it. If you're using a seatpost with a zero setback clamp design, and can't be comfortable with the saddle that far forward, I would recommend either a layback type post, or one with a setback clamp design so the saddle can be supported where it carries the most weight.

Or, you can keep buying saddles on a regular basis.


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## SpyderPride (Jul 22, 2008)

Jeffj- this will definitely be on my list if the chromo rail saddle doesn't last more than two seasons of hard riding. Since I ride a hardtail, that slight amount of cush from the rails flexing is nice... But yeah, installing more than one new saddle every few years sucks. Especially when the padding is broken in perfectly.

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2


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