Special Cleaning and Lubrication, Part 1

The Seat Post

Of all the repairs bicycle mechanics do the frozen seat post is the one they "hate" the most. It has been know to write off the occasional bicycle frame and the odd mechanic. Which, given the price of bicycle frames these days you really don't want to avoid.

So, depending on how much moisture your bicycle sees you will want to occasionally remove your seat post and give it a "clean and gel".

Remove the post and damp rag it with a clean damp cloth to ensure the seat post is clean. Wipe the post dry with a clean rag.

In the next step step we will apply Finish Line "Fiber Grip" (Carbon Fiber Assembly Gel) to the portion of the seat post that gets inserted into the frame. This anti-galvanic Gel prevents corrosion between the seat post and the carbon seat tube and keeps the seat post from slipping by incorporating little plastic grit particles in the gel. The plastic particles safely increase the coefficient of friction between the seat post and the seat tube and prevent the seat post from slipping. Once the seat post as been treated with the assembly gel you can re-insert it back into the frame and adjust as per normal. Wipe of any excess Fiber Grip from the post so the post doesn't collect dust will riding. Fiber grip also works great for aluminum frames and the occasional slipping seat post as well.

Tip 1: If you think you have some moisture in the seat tube you can wick it dry by inserting a clean rag into the seat tube and tipping the bicycle up side down and giving it a bit of a shake.

Tip 2: If it is a full suspension bike "do not" tip it upside down as some suspension forks and disk brakes don't like being tipped upside down.