Dear David: re seat post It's alloy, according to the specs I found online for this bike.
Does that mean I am stuck with a bike in which I can't lower the seat? That stinks! (I didn't of course think to ask these questions, stuff that seemed pretty obvious, when corresponding with the guy I bought the bike from on ebay).
I also don't have any of these chemicals, or a workshop, i'm just a pianist with a bike she wants to ride!
Thinking after getting all these replies maybe I gotta not "do it myself" and bring it back to the shop.
is this list for bike shop owners? I don't have any of the stuff people are mentioning, I'm just a humble, know-nothing newbie OTS rider, hope that's ok.
--Julie
On Aug 7, 2008, at 12:43 PM, david.r.stacey@gsk.com wrote:
>
>
> Dear Julie,
>
> Oh dear. This is a problem that often kills an old bike. Have a
> look on Sheldon Browns website for full details, but basically If
> you have a steel seat post, keep up the WD40 remove the seat bolt
> completely, use a screwdriver to gently open the frame and get a
> gorilla to twist the seat tube free.
>
> If however it is an alloy seat post, then the thermite reation has
> occured and the aluminium has reacted and fused together with the
> steel of the frame. It can be cut out, carefully, rolled up and
> pulled out, though I have never found this works. I have heard of
> someone using a threaded bolt as a puller braced against the frame
> and winding the seat tube out, this is gentler.
>
> The last straw is to use 5M sodium hydroxide solution (caustic
> soda). This will dissolve the aluminium alloy, but not the steel.
> It also, if you are sloppy strips the paint off your frame and
> dissolves skin and eyes (and dissolve rims and cranksets), but if
> you are careful (or a chemist like me) it works where all else has
> failed. You have to plug the base of the seat tube with clay or blu
> tack and fill with sodium hydroxide solution 40g/200ml leave it
> 24hours, flush it out with water and repeat until the metal is
> paper thin and can be removed.
>
> All this is quite extreme and I would ask around for some help with
> this if you are not familiar with using chemicals. Please be
> careful and remember, if you want to put the tube down and it is a
> plain tube type, ask an engineer to cut it shorter and reshape the
> top (I've done that the other way round for a longer tube). A good
> engineer can also drill/ream out an old seat post, but he'd have to
> be a good one.
>
> Good luck and be careful!
>
> Regards
> David Stacey
> County Durham, UK
>
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