Micro adjust seat posts

Hi all,
Does anyone know when these came on the market? I'm doing a 1953 rebuild and thinking along the lines of a steel or alloy seat pin with a saddle clip.

By micro adjust I guess the Campag posts which came out in the 60's fit the bill......we had a genuine cranked spanner in the bike shop but even then fiddling with those 2 bolts under the saddle was a nightmare !

Shaun

I think I had a steel one in 1958, in the little pink Hetchins, but the beautiful bikes of the US bike boom of the early 1900's had a lot of different saddle fixings, not one as bad as the adjustible clamp we were stuck with.

Thanks guys - you got it spot on. Damned fiddly things. I've wasted far too much of what's left of my life swapping saddle on a Syncros 2-bolt in-line seat post (circa 2000) on a mtb. It's now in the graveyard box. In the end I found an old SR Laprade single bolt seat post (circa 197. Not 5 minutes of a job to fit

As far as the post-war rebuild goes - I'll stick with the simple pin and clip solution. Those were the days when 'aggregate gains' didn't exist. If you wanted to race faster you simply trained with more bricks in your saddlebag.

AFAIK they first appeared in 1957 I think, from Campagnolo. Brian Robinson used one in the TdF and 'Sporting Cyclist' magazine even had a (very poor) photo of it. It took a little while for copies to appear (Zeus possibly the first) but then other manufacturers 'improved' the design. I still think the original Campag design is the most secure and adjustable even if it is a fiddle.

Get an 10mm (edited thanks to Keith below!) double ended spanner/ring key which has the ring end cranked. This makes the adjusting job much easier and is a damn sight cheaper than a Campag original!

Ideale French saddles had a very adjustable traditional style clip which was also very good but I don't know if this predates the Campag one.

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... &AbsPos=56

I actually had a couple of these which had spare tub strap fitting slots -

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... &AbsPos=57

Paul, in addition to the original tool, I preferred exactly what you described, but it was 10mm.

keithglos":165j4zbb said:

Paul, in addition to the original tool, I preferred exactly what you described, but it was 10mm.

Click to expand...

Oops

I'll amend my post!

just my tuppence worth but if anyone is considering the purchase of a 10mm spanner then a slim 10mm ratchet spanner from B&Q's or such is in my opinion the most convenient method of tightening those bolts! I've had these posts on my bikes since the early 60's and have no trouble tightening those fiddly bolts now.....

keithglos":3ugyefg6 said:

Paul, in addition to the original tool, I preferred exactly what you described, but it was 10mm.

Click to expand...

We used to tighten the front bolt with fingers, and pull the back of the saddle down by tightening the rear with the spanner. This obviously tightens both bolts.

Keith