Are SeatPost Shims a Bad Idea..?

[skareb]

Don't go for shim, I'm using one and its drving me crazy with creaking sound esp hill climbing, you need to oil the contact point between the shim and frame every 2 weeks or you'll get that creaking sound.

 

[Eidetic]

Perhaps it's just me, but having a shim would bug me, even if it didn't creak. It's makeshift. Every time I looked at the saddle or seat post, I would be reminded I have something makeshift on my main ride. With a CF seat post, a shim is a risk. Definitely don't use a shim with a Record CF seat post. They will fracture easily enough without a shim. There are several threads about how comparatively fragile the Record CF seat post is.

 

[field3]

Does anyone know where I can get a 26.8mm to 27.2mm shim? If not what is the best way to fit an Easton CT2 carbon fiber seat tube into an aluminum frame at 27.2?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Scotty_Dog]

Does anyone know where I can get a 26.8mm to 27.2mm shim? If not what is the best way to fit an Easton CT2 carbon fiber seat tube into an aluminum frame at 27.2?

Thanks,
Ken

That's only a difference of .4mm or 0.0157 inches. That means a true cylindrical shim would need a wall thickness of .2mm or just 0.0078 inches. If in fact it does not tighten enough to prevent slipping as is, just try wrapping a piece of aluminum foil around the post before inserting into the seat tube. It's more common to use a piece cut from an aluminum can, but at about 0.020 inches thick, that's probably too large.