Still Mountain Bike-less
The theory was that if an old 27.0 seat post came out of the seat tube, then a new 27.0 seat post should go back into the seat tube. Even the least mechanically inclined should be able to accept that premise. Problem is the theory only holds if the 27.0 truly is 27.0 and not some tenth, or more, greater.
Understand this, I hold a nearly impeccable record of breaking things by forcing them to do what they were not intended to do. It is the main reason I have avoided carbon fibre bikes up to this point; something would be turned too much, too tight and, Crack-a-Doom, there it would go. Tuesday evening I twisted that post one way then back the other, all the while pressing down as much as I could until I finally got it to the minimum insert line. That took about fifteen minutes. Another fifteen and I got it down another quarter inch. That is where it stopped with another two and a half inches to go before it would be rideable. Only after a half hour of struggle did I realize "son of a bi..., it just doesn't fit." Now, of course, I had to get the damned thing back out, so, back to twisting, and wrenching and, this time, pulling without the benefit of weight. Somehow it did not take any longer, but two nights later I am still sore in places I didn't know could get sore.
"What the heck" I thought, "something is not what it says it is." For just such a case I bought a handy-dandy digital caliper from Harbor Freight last summer. Other than testing it a year ago, it has not been used. Until now. Not content to trust a single measurement I made several, each over 27.0, most ranging between 27.16 and 27.30. Measuring the inside diameter of the seat tube further confirmed that no amount of "forcing" would have helped the post into the tube. So now, apparently, I begin my search for a 26.8 long seat post.
Understand this, I hold a nearly impeccable record of breaking things by forcing them to do what they were not intended to do. It is the main reason I have avoided carbon fibre bikes up to this point; something would be turned too much, too tight and, Crack-a-Doom, there it would go. Tuesday evening I twisted that post one way then back the other, all the while pressing down as much as I could until I finally got it to the minimum insert line. That took about fifteen minutes. Another fifteen and I got it down another quarter inch. That is where it stopped with another two and a half inches to go before it would be rideable. Only after a half hour of struggle did I realize "son of a bi..., it just doesn't fit." Now, of course, I had to get the damned thing back out, so, back to twisting, and wrenching and, this time, pulling without the benefit of weight. Somehow it did not take any longer, but two nights later I am still sore in places I didn't know could get sore.
"What the heck" I thought, "something is not what it says it is." For just such a case I bought a handy-dandy digital caliper from Harbor Freight last summer. Other than testing it a year ago, it has not been used. Until now. Not content to trust a single measurement I made several, each over 27.0, most ranging between 27.16 and 27.30. Measuring the inside diameter of the seat tube further confirmed that no amount of "forcing" would have helped the post into the tube. So now, apparently, I begin my search for a 26.8 long seat post.
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