Need a new seat post

[Al_mossah]

Thanks to a combination of a thief and a quick-release lever, my saddle and post were removed from
my bike yesterday at the station. Have no fear, BTP are on the trail of the thief.

In the emantime I needed a new saddle and post. My LBS measured the stem internal diameter as 25.4mm
(an inch in real money). However, his 25.4mm stems could not be gripped tightly enough. The 25.6mm
stems were too big, and did not fit. So now I have a 25.4mm plus an old coke-can acting as padding.

Does anyone know what standard sizes stems are?

Peter.

[Tony W]

"al_Mossah" <peterkmossnospam@nospambtopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:bledbh$9qe$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> Thanks to a combination of a thief and a quick-release lever, my saddle
and
> post were removed from my bike yesterday at the station. Have no fear,
BTP
> are on the trail of the thief.
>
> In the emantime I needed a new saddle and post. My LBS measured the stem internal diameter as
> 25.4mm (an inch in real money). However, his 25.4mm stems could not be gripped tightly enough. The
> 25.6mm stems were too big, and did not fit. So now I have a 25.4mm plus an old coke-can acting as
> padding.
>
> Does anyone know what standard sizes stems are?

Look at the seat posts listed on http://www.sjscycles.com/store/vIndex.htm

Nothing between 25.4 & 25.6

T

[Ouch]

>Thanks to a combination of a thief and a quick-release lever, my saddle and post were removed from
>my bike yesterday at the station. Have no fear, BTP are on the trail of the thief.
>
>In the emantime I needed a new saddle and post. My LBS measured the stem internal diameter as
>25.4mm (an inch in real money). However, his 25.4mm stems could not be gripped tightly enough.
>The 25.6mm stems were too big, and did not fit. So now I have a 25.4mm plus an old coke-can
>acting as padding.
>
>Does anyone know what standard sizes stems are?

I'm not sure there is a "standard" seat post diameter. My seatpost is
31.6mm while my brother's is 26.8mm. There are lots in between too, making it quite confusing.

Maybe find out from your LBS if a seat post shim will do the trick? Otherwise, they're available
online from places like Wiggle (if you know what you need).

If you're getting a new saddle by all means consider comfort and performance first. If you get one
with those "holes" (cutouts for anatomy) you could thread a cable through that to make it more
secure too. You can also buy non-QR seatpost clamps but all the thieves will need are a set of
allen keys.

I hate thieves! Can't understand how some people just don't have a conscience.

[Pete Biggs]

al_Mossah wrote:
> Thanks to a combination of a thief and a quick-release lever, my saddle and post were removed from
> my bike yesterday at the station.

What a b*****d! A conventional bolt, if not security bolt thingy, would be better for next time
instead of qr. Good luck.

> In the emantime I needed a new saddle and post. My LBS measured the stem internal diameter as
> 25.4mm (an inch in real money). However, his 25.4mm stems could not be gripped tightly enough. The
> 25.6mm stems were too big, and did not fit. So now I have a 25.4mm plus an old coke-can acting as
> padding.

You might find a different brand 25.4 happens to fit better (or even a different 25.6 may fit)
because they're not all precisely what they're supposed to be. If not, the coke can shim again
should be ok.

> Does anyone know what standard sizes stems are?

27.2 is the most common size. 25.4 is unusual. They tend to go up in .2mm increments, in
even numbers.

~PB

[Zog The Undenia]

Pete Biggs wrote:
> al_Mossah wrote:
>
>>Thanks to a combination of a thief and a quick-release lever, my saddle and post were removed from
>>my bike yesterday at the station.
>
>
> What a b*****d! A conventional bolt, if not security bolt thingy, would be better for next time
> instead of qr. Good luck.
>
>
>>In the emantime I needed a new saddle and post. My LBS measured the stem internal diameter as
>>25.4mm (an inch in real money). However, his 25.4mm stems could not be gripped tightly enough. The
>>25.6mm stems were too big, and did not fit. So now I have a 25.4mm plus an old coke-can acting as
>>padding.
>
>
> You might find a different brand 25.4 happens to fit better (or even a different 25.6 may fit)
> because they're not all precisely what they're supposed to be. If not, the coke can shim again
> should be ok.
>
>
>>Does anyone know what standard sizes stems are?
>
>
> 27.2 is the most common size. 25.4 is unusual. They tend to go up in .2mm increments, in even
> numbers.
>
> ~PB
>
>
I have a bike with a 25.4 seatpost - mine is a Kalloy. This size tends to indicate a bit of a "gas
piper" as the tubing is very thick!

[Mark Thompson]

My old, ancient Raleigh has some padding the same thickness of your coke can around the seatpost
stem. It's the original seatpost tho, so I think it was designed to be ill fitting.