Nitto Seatpost? Not Really

In my formative cycling years, back when I was 10 and paper thin, I ruled my corner of the universe on a Schwinn Traveler. The bike had a two-piece seatpost. There was the post and a separate clamp that secured the seat. Problem was, the clamp wasn’t all that great. I didn't weigh any more than a sack of feathers. But hit a big bump and the seat would tilt violently back. -- the biking equivalent of a bucking bronco. I’d hang on and hope I didn’t land on the pavement noggin first.

I haven’t thought much about seatposts since then. With the modern seatpost, what’s to think about? It’s just there, doing its job. Grease it, slide it in the old seat tube, adjust the seat to your liking, ride your bike. End of story.

Lately, I’ve been reliving my childhood seatpost experience. And it ain’t a pleasant memory.

My new Coho randonneuring bike has a great mix of parts. But the one weak link has been the single bolt Nitto post.

Here’s how it’s described on Peter White’s site:

This is about the nicest single bolt seat post on the market. Extremely well polished with top quality machining for the clamp. This is clearly the best looking seat post available. It's extremely well made, as are all Nitto products. When making adjustments, you can't isolate the fore/aft positioning from the tilt, so it's not as easy to make small adjustments as it is with a two bolt post. But once you do have it adjusted, it won't slip.

Sure, it looks good. Nice and shiny. But as for no-slip: horse pucks. Mine has angled back as much as 10 degrees.

It did it on the very first long ride I did, the 230-mile fleche. When I finished, I noticed the seat had about a 3-degree angle to the back. Odd. I could have sworn I’d had it level at the start.

When I got home, I reset it. Next long ride was the S.C. 300K. When I got done. I checked it. Same problem.

And again on a 20-mile ride around town.

I was fast losing confidence in the best looking seatpost available. Maybe it’s true what the say – looks aren’t everything. Maybe at 195 lbs. I was too big, too fat, for this single-bolt design. I mentioned this to Chuck. He said the post/clamp interface probably had some grease on it. Clean it with alcohol, he said; that should cure it. He also sent me a small sample of valve lapping compound, a gritty substance that he said would help bind the two surfaces.

Okay, Saturday’s 300K, I’m riding along and I notice a new pain around the old groin area. I was in a pace line and did not want to stop, but it was obvious what was going on. We hit the control at 100K. I climbed off and had a look. I joked later that the saddle was pointing at the North Star. Everybody had a good laugh. But there was nothing funny about it at the time. The damned thing wrecked my left knee for half the ride and -- how shall I say this in polite company? –- it nearly put Junior Johnson in a coma.

The fix: I angled the seat down in the front by about 5 degrees and climbed aboard. By the time the Nitto finished with its slipping down life, it was back to level. Is that any way to set a post? No, it ain't.

I didn’t have any more problems the rest of the ride. Maybe it’s cured. Who knows?

I know there are a lot of you out there who swear by Nitto products. Me? I spent part of my Saturday swearing at it. If you’re a big guy like me and don’t want to spend any of your precious time thinking about your seatpost, you might think long and hard before you buy the single bolt Nitto post. As for me, I'm thinking about replacing mine.

Mechanical Issues

A friend wrote this week:

It seems I learn a little more about how to do these rides each time out. My main weakness now is I don't know about bicycle maintenance & repair. I haven't been able to find a course so I pick up what I can. Any time you have hard earned advice I have an open mind.

My randonneuring experience on more than 50 brevets or permanents is that only a few mechanical issues (beyond a crucial part failure, like a rim or the frame) will end your ride. For instance, I’ve ridden more than 120 miles where the rear dérailleur would not shift. It was inconvenient but not a show-stopper. But there are some things that will sideline you for good if not repaired.

* Tires. I carry one now, folded up beneath my rear tool bag. I’ve cut a tire so badly that it could not be booted. But for those cuts that can be repaired, I usually carry a tire boot. I have one made by Park Tools. Truth is, I’ve had very few flats on brevets (knock on wood). One reason is that I always inspect my tires before any brevet. It only takes a minute for a quick check. Do the tires look worn? Are there any big, suspicious cuts that might conceal a piece of glass or metal? If so, I fix, or switch the tire. Also, I use Michelin Pro Race tires. They are incredibly puncture resistant and perform well in roll tests.

* Tubes. I usually carry two tubes and a patch kit. As I’ve just noted, I’ve had very few problems with flats on rides because of preventive maintenance. I foresee the day when I have three flats, but I'm not looking forward to it.

* Broke spoke. I’ve had this happen a couple times. This is a huge problem on modern bikes with very little clearance and low spoke count wheels. I’ve switched over to 32-spoke or higher wheels, and I usually carry spare spokes or a fiber fix spoke kit. I also carry a spoke wrench. I’ve built several sets of wheels, which is a fun way to learn about wheel repair. That’s an invaluable skill on long rides. I periodically take my wheels off, check them for loose spokes and true them.

* Bottom bracket. I’ve had the BB loosen up on a few long rides. This can bring things grinding to a halt -- or at the very least, prove to be incredibly annoying. There’s usually not much you can do about this unless you’re willing to carry an assortment of tools (or stop in the local Wal-Mart and buy a $5.99 tool set with hammer and punch, as I once did). The better solution: If you suspect the BB's loose, or if the bike is fairly new, get it tightened before the ride. This one comes to mind because the BB on my new Coho just loosened up. The BB was a brand I did not have the tool for at home. I had to go into Ed's shop after pulling the crank arms. I ordered the puller while I was there.

* Rear derailleur adjustment. I’ll be honest. The 10-speed der. adjustment is still a mystery to me. I can get it close, but never perfect. Hearing myself say this, I’m going to crack this riddle. But it should not stop you. I rode PBP with my rear derailleur out of adjustment. I figured out which gears to avoid.

* Broken chain. I’ve seen this happen a few times and it will definitely end your day if you can’t repair. But it can be done roadside, assuming you carry a chain tool. I usually do, as well as an extra pin and a bit of extra chain. My current chain has one of those snap links in it, so I could shorten the chain if need be and get back on the road.

Of course, you can expect things to get ugly on a chain fix. Here's a shot of Brother Tim's hands after a successful repair. He broke a spoke on the same ride b/c the rear der. damaged some spokes when the chain snapped. He finished the century with a very wobbly wheel but a great attitude. He was not going to be denied.

* Front derailleur adjustment. I’ve seen people break chains by throwing the chain and trying to pedal it back on. The front der. is usually pretty easy to adjust with the two set screws. If you’ve been throwing your chain to the outside, or dropping it inside, take a moment to get this squared away.

* Lights. A broken light could/should put an end to the night ride. What to do? On my set-up, I carry a spare bulb for the front dynohub light (and often a spare battery light). I have redundant lights in the back.