The stupid questions thread.

[widowmaker]

The word flange always makes me giggle

 

[dyna-ti]

The word flange always makes me giggle

Rhymes with Gusset


Titter

 

[ultrazenith]

How dangerous is it to set a seat post 1 cm above its max mark?

 

[lewisfoto]

How dangerous is it to set a seat post 1 cm above its max mark?

It is not a good idea, but...

The manufacturer sets the limit line conservatively to protect the company from lawsuits, but it really depends on how long the post is and how much is still inside the seat tube. The longer the post the more potential for trouble as there will be significant leverage and very little to keep it in place. I would say that if you have say 3 to 4 cm below the clamp on a shorter post and 5 to 6 cm on a longer one it should be ok?

 

[gtRTSdh]

How dangerous is it to set a seat post 1 cm above its max mark?

It is not a good idea, but...

The manufacturer sets the limit line conservatively to protect the company from lawsuits, but it really depends on how long the post is and how much is still inside the seat tube. The longer the post the more potential for trouble as there will be significant leverage and very little to keep it in place. I would say that if you have say 3 to 4 cm below the clamp on a shorter post and 5 to 6 cm on a longer one it should be ok?

Rider weight is critical here, defining normal isn't easy but say 12st is average for a fit cyclist so if you're over that then no way extend beyond the suggested limit.

 

[Cab]

Will original brake blocks damage my rims?
I was showing off my recently acquired Haro e-stay at the jumble, & pleased with how original the parts are. My mate pointed out the original brakes (work fine in the dry) will wear the almost unmarked rims out in no time & thinks I should get some modern blocks.
Is he right, if so which manufacturer makes something suitable? they're Exage canti's on the front & U on the rear, allen bolt front, nutted rear but looks as if allen type would work rear as well. Don't want to have to make do with some modern roadie stuff bodged in to fit!

 

[mattr]

I would say that if you have say 3 to 4 cm below the clamp on a shorter post and 5 to 6 cm on a longer one it should be ok?

No way near, you either need to go past the bottom of the top tube/seat tube weld junction by several centimetres, or past the end of the reamed diameter of tube (so any "extra" tube is unsupported). So in the order of 8-10 cm insertion.
You can't (unfortunately) just rely on the seatpost manufacturers minimum insertion mark, the design of frame it's being fitted to is also important.

A good thing to look at is the length of a seatpost shim, that'll give you an idea of how much insertion you need.

IIRC the "proper" spec for an engineering fit like this would be something like 3 or 4*tube diameter.

 

[ultrazenith]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.

(i) Do Shimano still sell replacement freehubs for 90s STX 8 speed hubs?

(ii) I know it's not desirable, but is possible to cut down and then thread a steel steerer tube?

 

[dyna-ti]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.

(i) Do Shimano still sell replacement freehubs for 90s STX 8 speed hubs?

(ii) I know it's not desirable, but is possible to cut down and then thread a steel steerer tube?

i -No idea
ii - No problem cutting down a steel steerer and rethreading it.

 

[mattr]

Probably easier to thread and then cut. It's easy to extend or clean up a thread (and the tools are cheap, just need a die of the correct size). But starting a new thread from scratch is a pain in the arris, easy to muck up and the tools can be more expensive (need one that will keep the die central and perfectly square, an off square headset will never adjust correctly)

(They probably sell one that's compatible, will just need to do some digging and maybe play around with spacers to get the DS bearings aligned.)