3

I got an S-Works carbon saddle and it feels great. However, siting on it during workouts, I am feeling small nudges from these two screws on my seat post. Is it something that I did wrong? 87kg (191 lbs) rider.

Can anyone suggest a workaround? Can it be trimmed/cut using a saw, or, perhaps I should look into similar and shorter screws at a Home Depot/Walmart.

enter image description here

Improve this question
6
  • 5
    Are you positively sure it is the screws that is bothering you? Something else in the saddle construction might be creating a similar feeling. You might want to temporarily shim the bolts with additional spacers (2-3 mm in height) at the bolt heads to see if that makes a difference in sensations. Or to use chalk or similar "sticky" material to prove that bolts' shafts indeed touch the saddle from underside. – Grigory Rechistov Jan 27 '20 at 17:06
  • Thanks for the suggestion. Yes. I am positive they touch. I confirmed this while doing a workout – Amir Jan 27 '20 at 18:07
  • 1
    Are they the original bolts? I'm guessing not given their length. Seat rails are pretty much all the same size, and those do appear excessively long, but you also have a generously large cutout to drop into. – Criggie♦ Jan 27 '20 at 18:15
  • 1
    The fact that some part of your anatomy is being pushed far enough through the seat cutout to touch those bolts is worrisome in itself. – Argenti Apparatus Jan 27 '20 at 21:24
  • 1
    I am partial to these saddles myself (Specialized with carbon rails). I have had at least one bike I had to trim bolts on as well. Take your time, trim them right and you'll never have to deal with it again. @ArgentiApparatus It doesn't take much. Just a bit of fabric from loose shorts, or smooshed licra from bike shorts with a thick chamois can catch a bit on the screws. Combine that with a small bit of saddle flex and you have something "catchy" but not really dangerous. – Deleted User Jan 28 '20 at 14:29
3

Seats, in general, have different heights. So the point of contact and rail distance changes in different saddles.

If you get a saddle with a narrower seat to rail distance (as yours) that's when you get this problem.

You can 100% cut or replace the bolt and it will not affect safety. (As long as you don't cut it too short, ie the bolt should be long enough to use all of the saddle clamp nut threads.)

Before you do decide to cut though, make sure you are 100% happy with the saddle position. If you cut the bolt to short and decide to change the position, you can compromise the saddle by not leaving enough threads for to grip properly.

If you should to cut, make sure you don't damage the bolt threads as it could lead to damaging the saddle nut threads.

Improve this answer
5
  • 6
    When I cut bolts I like to thread a nut onto the bolt past the place where I need to cut. The nut and bolt head provide a good clamping surface for the vice. After cutting the bolt grind or file the end so the cut end looks like the factory end. Then thread the nut off the bolt to clean up a misaligned thread. It's always easier to cut a long bolt shorter than a short bolt longer. – David D Jan 27 '20 at 18:35
  • 1
    I would suggest at least high tensile bolts, with a chrome finish, not the cheapest 49c bolts made of low-grade chinese cheese steel. If OP wants to bling it up, Titanium bolts would be super light, and being so high on the bike have a larger effect. – Criggie♦ Jan 28 '20 at 0:19
  • @DavidD excellent points. On this case, I'd be tempted to fit a sawblade through the saddle and trim them in place, following the form of the clamp, and then clean up with a file. This will provide the most thread engagement without being long or short, and no un-aero hole. Downside, the shoulders of bolt will be squarish and require filing to deburr. – Criggie♦ Jan 28 '20 at 0:34
  • 3
    I wouldn't use the saw blade whilst the saddle is on as you risk cutting the material of the saddle. I would mark the bolt with black permenant marker, remove it, put the nut from the seatpost on the bolt where it would be in the picture and cut the bolt. This way, when you remove the bolt, you make sure you have clean threads. – abdnChap Jan 28 '20 at 11:48
  • 2
    Definitely use the approach of winding on a nut (or two jammed together) but rather than the seatpost nut, use a disposable one - and deburr with a file before winding the nut off – Chris H Jan 28 '20 at 16:45
2

Those bolts have standard metric treading and you should be able to find a shop with a shorter bolt or you should be able to find one at an Ace Hardware, Lowes, etc.

I would also suggest a stainless steel replacement if you have the choice.

Yes you can cut the bolt but I would: 1. Remove the offending bolt 2. Thread it through another nut and make the cut 3. Clean up the cut with a file 4. Back the bolt out of the nut

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.