Need 1 inch diameter seatpost??

[mm]

I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
diameter post. The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the seat.
The current post is about 10 inches long.

I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will not
mind the low-budget question I have.

I have a 24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty bad
shape.

I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth
anything now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc. Otherwise,
I have a hard time getting my better bike in and out of the small
house.

I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches in
diameter. This one is one inch. It's about 10 inches long and I'm
pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too cold to
go check) Any idea where I could get something very cheap?

I can't just use iron pipe, can I? It will break. I'll bet a
hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they
sell are made out of softer wood.

Any ideas? :) Thanks.

[Leo Lichtman[_2_]]

"mm" > wrote: (clip) I can't just use iron pipe,
can I? It will break. I'll bet a
> hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they
> sell are made out of softer wood.
>
> Any ideas? :) Thanks.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Pipe is not made to 1" OD. 1" tubing is available, but you may have a
difficult time finding something with enough wall thickness to be strong
enough, without buying a 20' length, which will cost more than the whole
bike is worth. I would not trust ANY wood. The first time you go over a
bump with your weight on the seat it will break, and you could be injured.

Do you know anyone who welds? You could add a length of pipe, or a short
length from another seat post to the top of your existing seat post. The
diameter at the seat clamp isn't nearly as critical as the diameter where it
goes into the frame.

[peter]

On Dec 23, 3:37*pm, mm > wrote:
> I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
> diameter post. *The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the seat.
> The current post is about 10 inches long. *
>
> I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will not
> mind the low-budget question I have.
>
> I have a *24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty bad
> shape.
>
> I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth
> anything now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc. *Otherwise,
> I have a hard time getting my better bike in and out of the small
> house.
>
> I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches in
> diameter. *This one is one inch. *It's about 10 inches long and I'm
> pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too cold to
> go check) *Any idea where I could get something very cheap?
>
> I can't just use iron pipe, can I? *It will break. * I'll bet a
> hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they
> sell are made out of softer wood.

I'd trust an iron pipe more than any wooden dowel, but you might have
a rust problem if it's left outside.
Our tandem probably has the world's strongest seatpost. The original
was steel but it bent after extended use. The diameter was 25.0 mm so
I got a piece of solid 1" aluminum rod and turned it down to 25 mm and
further turned down the end to fit the seat clamp. Was going to drill
it out but never got around to it and the extra weight isn't really
significant on a tandem anyway.

www.speedymetals.com has aluminum tubing for sale in a variety of
sizes. Looks like about $5 plus shipping for an 18" long piece with
pretty thick walls. I've never ordered anything from them, so this
isn't a recommendation for any particular supplier - they were just
the first one I found. BTW, if you use a tube you probably want to
cover the end so you don't get water flowing down inside the frame.

[mm]

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:54:50 -0800 (PST), peter >
wrote:

>
>
>www.speedymetals.com has aluminum tubing for sale in a variety of
>sizes. Looks like about $5 plus shipping for an 18" long piece with

Hey that's great. Thanks a lot. As you can see below, I really found
this site interesting. I might be willing to spend a little more on
the theory that the bike will fall apart but I'll still have the
aluminum!

If you don't read the rest, read the part marked "+++++++++++++Check
out this paragraph:::"

They have a solid piece for 11.53. 2011 is commonly used for high
speed automatic screw machine parts, small precision gears, machine
parts, atomizer and hose parts, pipe stems, TV fittings, auto fuel
system components, clock parts, tube fittings, camera parts,
industrial connectors, speedometer components, etc.

This is one of those places that won't tell you the shipping cost
until the very end. Worse yet, you have to register, name, address,
password, phone... They must do this on purpose but I don't know why.
Maybe to ward off small customers. But they call it shipping, not
shipping and handling, so maybe it's the regular UPS rate which is
pretty low.

Interesting. I'm learning about grades of aluminum. 2024 grade, same
piece -- $9.11 for 18 inches of rod. I thought it would be more
money because the uses sounded impressive, especially the part about
gears: 2024 is commonly used for structural components, couplings,
hydraulic valve bodies, fuse parts, gears and shafts, worm gears,
pistons, rectifier parts, missile parts, munitions, fasteners, cap
nuts, bolts, hardware, truck wheels, transportation industry parts,
computer parts, clock parts, veterinary and orthopedic equipment, and
commonly in the aircraft industry for aircraft fittings, fuselage
structurals, wing tension members, shear webs and ribs and structural
areas where stiffness, fatigue performance and good strength-to-weight
ratio is required..

*************** Check out this paragraph:::
Next comes 6061, used for bike frames. $6.55 for the piece.
(Interesting. The 1" tube with 1/4 inch walls is #6.96, with 1/8 inch
walls $3.76. But with .083 walls it's 9.41!!!!! But .065 wall is
$2.62. I'm confused. Maybe .083 is rarely made, or the price is
wrong. .058 is $8.57; .049 is $6.34. .035 is $6.04. I don't get it.

Is 1/8" walls enough? 3 more dollars and it's solid.


It looks like this grade and 2024 are both stronger than 2011 at the
top, and cheaper too. That seems strange. 6061 is commonly used for
structural components, screw machine parts, frames, brackets, jigs,
fixtures, base plates, machine parts, couplings, hydraulic valve
bodies, valves and valves parts, fuse parts, gears and shafts, worm
gears, pistons, rectifier parts, fasteners, hardware, truck and marine
components, marine fittings and hardware, electrical fittings and
connectors, hinge pins, magneto parts, brake pistons, hydraulic
pistons, appliance fittings, camera lens mounts, bike frames, etc.
6061 is used for heavy duty structures requiring good
strength-to-weight ratio with good corrosion resistance. 6061 is
easily cold worked and formed in the annealed condition. Cutting,
stamping, bending, spinning, deep drawing, drilling, tapping, etc. are
all readily accomplished using standard methods.

7075 $14.57 Due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, 7075 is used
for highly stressed structural parts. Applications include aircraft
fittings, gears and shafts, fuse parts, meter shafts and gears,
missile parts, regulating valve parts, worm gears, keys, and various
other commercial aircraft, aerospace and defense equipment and
components.

Looking at tube now:
Grade: 6061 tube is commonly used for structural components, frames,
machine parts, truck and marine components, marine fittings,
electrical fittings and connectors, bike frames, railings, truck
racks, etc. 6061 is used for heavy duty structures requiring good
strength-to-weight ratio with good corrosion resistance. 6061 is
easily cold worked and formed in the annealed condition. Cutting,
stamping, bending, spinning, deep drawing, drilling, tapping, etc. are
all readily accomplished using standard methods.

As to Pipe, no good because the 3/4 pipe has O.D of 1.05 inches. And
others are also too big or small.

>pretty thick walls. I've never ordered anything from them, so this
>isn't a recommendation for any particular supplier - they were just

I accept your disclaimer, and won't sue you when it breaks and the
stup injures me.

>the first one I found. BTW, if you use a tube you probably want to
>cover the end so you don't get water flowing down inside the frame.

[Stephen Bauman]

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:37:16 -0500, mm wrote:

> I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
> diameter post. The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the seat.
> The current post is about 10 inches long.
>
> I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will not
> mind the low-budget question I have.
>
> I have a 24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty bad
> shape.
>
> I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth anything
> now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc. Otherwise, I have a
> hard time getting my better bike in and out of the small house.
>
> I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches in
> diameter. This one is one inch. It's about 10 inches long and I'm
> pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too cold to
> go check) Any idea where I could get something very cheap?
>
> I can't just use iron pipe, can I? It will break. I'll bet a hardwood
> dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they sell are
> made out of softer wood.
>
> Any ideas? :) Thanks.

You want to use a seatpost shim to enlarge the diameter of the post at
the clamp.

Shims look like:

http://www.trisports.com/problem-solvers-seatpost-shim.html

You can make them out of aluminum cans, although there's a website that
suggests you use beer cans.

Stephen Bauman

[peter]

On Dec 23, 7:29*pm, mm > wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:54:50 -0800 (PST), peter >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >www.speedymetals.comhas aluminum tubing for sale in a variety of
> >sizes. *Looks like about $5 plus shipping for an 18" long piece with
>
> Hey that's great. *Thanks a lot. *As you can see below, I really found
> this site interesting. * I might be willing to spend a little more on
> the theory that the bike will fall apart but I'll still have the
> aluminum!

I'd opt for the 6061 for good strength and corrosion resistance. I
agree that the pricing for various thicknesses looks odd - maybe they
have a surplus supply of some sizes. I suggest checking the thickness
of some long seatposts at a bike shop and getting a tube that's a
little thicker than those. Rather get one that's stronger than needed.

[Peter Cole[_2_]]

mm wrote:
> I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
> diameter post. The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the seat.
> The current post is about 10 inches long.
>
> I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will not
> mind the low-budget question I have.
>
> I have a 24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty bad
> shape.
>
> I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth
> anything now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc. Otherwise,
> I have a hard time getting my better bike in and out of the small
> house.
>
> I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches in
> diameter. This one is one inch. It's about 10 inches long and I'm
> pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too cold to
> go check) Any idea where I could get something very cheap?
>
> I can't just use iron pipe, can I? It will break. I'll bet a
> hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they
> sell are made out of softer wood.
>
> Any ideas? :) Thanks.

You need a 25.4mm seat post. 16" is 400mm. They are made, but 350 is
much more common. You have to be careful though, the spec on length is
usually the total length, which is not the usable length (minimum
insertion depth). Online places have such posts for under $20. I have a
450mm on my bike, but those are pretty rare.

[Peter Cole[_2_]]

peter wrote:

> www.speedymetals.com has aluminum tubing for sale in a variety of
> sizes. Looks like about $5 plus shipping for an 18" long piece with
> pretty thick walls. I've never ordered anything from them, so this
> isn't a recommendation for any particular supplier - they were just
> the first one I found. BTW, if you use a tube you probably want to
> cover the end so you don't get water flowing down inside the frame.

McMaster-Carr is good about small orders & they have lots of stock. I've
used them a few times.

[mm]

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:28:05 -0600, Stephen Bauman >
wrote:

>On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:37:16 -0500, mm wrote:
>
>> I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
>> diameter post. The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the seat.
>> The current post is about 10 inches long.
>>
>> I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will not
>> mind the low-budget question I have.
>>
>> I have a 24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty bad
>> shape.
>>
>> I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth anything
>> now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc. Otherwise, I have a
>> hard time getting my better bike in and out of the small house.
>>
>> I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches in
>> diameter. This one is one inch. It's about 10 inches long and I'm
>> pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too cold to
>> go check) Any idea where I could get something very cheap?
>>
>> I can't just use iron pipe, can I? It will break. I'll bet a hardwood
>> dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they sell are
>> made out of softer wood.
>>
>> Any ideas? :) Thanks.
>
>You want to use a seatpost shim to enlarge the diameter of the post at
>the clamp.
>
>Shims look like:
>
>http://www.trisports.com/problem-solvers-seatpost-shim.html
>
>You can make them out of aluminum cans, although there's a website that
>suggests you use beer cans.
>
>Stephen Bauman

I sort of thought 3/16ths was too much to shim in this situation. I
guess not. Thanks.

Do I have to drink the beer myself?

[mm]

On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:58:05 -0800, "Leo Lichtman"
> wrote:

>
>"mm" > wrote: (clip) I can't just use iron pipe,
>can I? It will break. I'll bet a
>> hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones they
>> sell are made out of softer wood.
>>
>> Any ideas? :) Thanks.
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Pipe is not made to 1" OD. 1" tubing is available, but you may have a
>difficult time finding something with enough wall thickness to be strong
>enough, without buying a 20' length, which will cost more than the whole
>bike is worth. I would not trust ANY wood. The first time you go over a
>bump with your weight on the seat it will break, and you could be injured.
>
>Do you know anyone who welds? You could add a length of pipe, or a short

Actually, there's a welder a half mile from here, and another one
farther, and every time I get something done, I'm amazed how little
they charge.

I have a tendency to think anything I haven't bought before is very
expensive. Like lucite. When I finally needed a small piece of
lucite, to make a vent window for my '73 Buick Centurion, it only cost
a dollar.

Foam rubber was very cheap the first time I bought some, but by the
third time I needed the same shaped piece, it was expensive. I'm sure
that's because by then I only remembered that it was cheap, very
cheap, and when it wasn't as cheap as I imagined, I thought it was
expensive.

>length from another seat post to the top of your existing seat post. The
>diameter at the seat clamp isn't nearly as critical as the diameter where it
>goes into the frame.
>

[Leo Lichtman[_2_]]

"mm" wrote: I sort of thought 3/16ths was too much to shim in this
situation. I
> guess not. Thanks.
>
> Do I have to drink the beer myself?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't like the shim idea, especially as much as 3/16" You will have the
post securely clamped at the top, but the bottom (cown inside the seat tube)
will be able to move 3/16". This could cause wear to the inside of the seat
tube and the end of the seat post, gradually increasing the shake. If you
do decide to try shimming, wrap the lower end of the post with duct tape,
electrical tape or adhesive backed aluminum tape so it is a snug fit in the
seat tube.

[Stephen Bauman]

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:24:51 -0500, mm wrote:

>
> I sort of thought 3/16ths was too much to shim in this situation. I
> guess not. Thanks.
>
> Do I have to drink the beer myself?

It's a 3/32nds thick shim not 3/16ths or 2.38mm. Seat post is 13/16ths
seat tube id is 1". Difference in diameters is 3/16ths. You are
traversing the shim twice for the seat post's new od, hence you have to
divide the difference in diameters by 2.

Stephen Bauman

[Peter Cole[_2_]]

Leo Lichtman wrote:
> "mm" wrote: I sort of thought 3/16ths was too much to shim in this
> situation. I
>> guess not. Thanks.
>>
>> Do I have to drink the beer myself?
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I don't like the shim idea, especially as much as 3/16" You will have the
> post securely clamped at the top, but the bottom (cown inside the seat tube)
> will be able to move 3/16". This could cause wear to the inside of the seat
> tube and the end of the seat post, gradually increasing the shake. If you
> do decide to try shimming, wrap the lower end of the post with duct tape,
> electrical tape or adhesive backed aluminum tape so it is a snug fit in the
> seat tube.
>
>

You just make the shim long. Most pre-made shims are 3-4" long, you can
do the same with thin aluminum, I've used flashing, but I had one
seatpost shim kit (factory) that used sheet plastic with a plastic
sleeve that slipped over it. Surprisingly, it worked fine. 3/16" is a
lot to shim, but I think it can be done.

[ZBicyclist]

Stephen Bauman wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:37:16 -0500, mm wrote:
>
>> I need an extra-long seatpost for a cheap bike that uses a 1 inch
>> diameter post. The entire length. It doesn't get smaller at the
>> seat. The current post is about 10 inches long.
>>
>> I am just an occasional bicylist these days, and I hope you will
>> not
>> mind the low-budget question I have.
>>
>> I have a 24" bicycle that I fished out of the woods in pretty
>> bad
>> shape.
>>
>> I like it because it was cheap to begin with and it's not worth
>> anything now and I can leave it outside in the rain, etc.
>> Otherwise, I have a hard time getting my better bike in and out
>> of
>> the small house.
>>
>> I've looked on the web and most of the posts are 13/16ths inches
>> in
>> diameter. This one is one inch. It's about 10 inches long and
>> I'm
>> pretty sure another 6 inches would be plenty, maybe less. (too
>> cold
>> to go check) Any idea where I could get something very cheap?
>>
>> I can't just use iron pipe, can I? It will break. I'll bet a
>> hardwood dowel rod would be pretty strong, but I think the ones
>> they
>> sell are made out of softer wood.
>>
>> Any ideas? :) Thanks.
>
> You want to use a seatpost shim to enlarge the diameter of the
> post at
> the clamp.
>
> Shims look like:
>
> http://www.trisports.com/problem-solvers-seatpost-shim.html
>
> You can make them out of aluminum cans, although there's a website
> that suggests you use beer cans.

I'm currently riding a bike using a shim made out of a soda can.
This is probably from a Pepsi product, since Pepsi is a large client
of the company I work for. Making the shim is easy. Just use tin
snips to cut a strip of metal and smooth off the edges with
sandpaper. The only problem is avoiding having it slip down into the
tube -- not really a problem if you never plan on moving the
seatpost unless you grow or shrink.

--
Mike Kruger
http://mikekr.blogspot.com/

[Stephen Bauman]

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:10:51 -0600, ZBicyclist wrote:

>
> I'm currently riding a bike using a shim made out of a soda can. This is
> probably from a Pepsi product, since Pepsi is a large client of the
> company I work for. Making the shim is easy. Just use tin snips to cut a
> strip of metal and smooth off the edges with sandpaper. The only problem
> is avoiding having it slip down into the tube -- not really a problem if
> you never plan on moving the seatpost unless you grow or shrink.

If you take a look at the commercial shims, there's a collar at the top.
It's purpose is to prevent the shim from falling into the seat tube. You
can fashion such a collar by putting a bend in the shim stock before
bending it around the seatpost. A complete fold is even better because it
will eliminate the rough corner which can easily cause cuts to the skin
on contact.

Stephen Bauman

[Leo Lichtman[_2_]]

"ZBicyclist" wrote: (clip) Making the shim is easy. Just use tin
> snips to cut a strip of metal and smooth off the edges with sandpaper.
> (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aluminum soda cans are so thin you can use scissors. In fact I prefer
scissors--they are more wieldy.