HELP Just bought my new Planet x bike and there are problems

epo-aholic

Just took delivery of my new Planet x pro carbon sl and went out on it for the first time yesterday and there seems to be a major problem.......

The post size is quoted at 31.8 and thats what planet x have supplied. I set up the right saddle height tightened the collar and off i went for a 15 mile loop - i had to stop 3 times to adjust the post as it had slipped down upto 3 cm each time even though the collar was tight!

On getting home i had a closer look and it seems to me that the seat tube internal measurement is greater than 31.8 - the post slides all the way in - this isn't normal is it - i've never had this happen before - can i do anything or is it just a case of giving them a call monday morning when they are open?

Any ideas? thanks in advance, jonathan

Slow Downcp

Try a bit of hairspray on the post before you insert, should help it stop sliding. Also make sure the clamp if torqued correctly.

epo-aholic

Hi mate, thanks fo the reply but i dont think you quite understand........

the post doesn't touch the sides of the seat tube

and

The clamp has no more room for tightening - ie no space (metal on metal)

i can only summise there has been a batch made with the incorrect seat tube size - its that different!

cheers

brownbosh

Use the planet x 'get satisfaction' facility on the 'contact us' part of their web site and you will get a quick reply. I had problems with my stealth which were sorted very quickly. They will give you the correct size. My stealth aero post seems to have an alu collar insode the seat tube for reinforcement which assists with grip or that would be too big too. Also dont forget carbon 'grip paste'.

epo-aholic

thanks mate, will guive that a try!

voxegam

I had this problem fairly recently (ie. a week ago). I have had the bike for 8 months now and a week ago I noticed myself getting closer and closer to the bike. I have read reports on the web saying that Planet-X's seatposts are smaller in diameter than they should be or the seattube is bigger in diameter...etc. I had the same problem in that I tightened the clamp as far as possible and it still kept slipping.
In the end, I bought a new seatpost ( I was planning on doing this fairly soon as the bottom of the post had started to corrode away for some reason....apparently quite common with the planet-x posts), a Thomson Elite and a new seatclamp (purely cos the old one was stiff and a bit grimey). This has completely rectified the problem.
I should add that the Thomson post is really quite special in my eyes....a masterpiece in engineering.
I hope this helped.

pabloweaver

had exactly the same problem with my PX. Use some carbon grip paste AND make sure the bolts are tightened to correct torque. Applied both of the above principles and not had a problem since, although clearly one or the other could be the sole solution !

epo-aholic

thanks for all your replys - just been out on the bike for 2 hours, tried the hairspray thing and tightened the bolt way more than i would have liked and it only shifted about 2 or 3 mm. Light at the end of the tunnel perhaps?

once again all your help much appreciated.

J

sturmey

2-3mm is still 2-3mm too much. I would not tighten it any further. I would try another seatpost first and see if that makes a difference.

epo-aholic

hi sturmey,

I've tried 2, same result!

the hairspray worked in a fashion but as you say far from ideal........

i'll give them a call tomorrow morning.

cheers

J

fast as fupp

make a shim out of a beer can- honest it works!!

epo-aholic

fast as fupp wrote:

make a shim out of a beer can- honest it works!!

lol

neonwarhead

Hmm, I'm expecting my frame to arrive tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up, I'll have a careful check-over. Was it a planet-x seatpost? I'm getting one of the FSA ones on offer from them at the moment, not sure if that'll make a difference?

epo-aholic

It wont because it was an FSA carbon one i was given - its now wrecked btw!

i also tried an easton ec90 and its done agood job of scuffing that up too.

good luck, me thinks you'll need it

J

Takis61

Had similar with my new Ribble, though the post was a reasonable fit. Took a whole tube of carbon gel, but after a couple of rides it sorted itself out.
Your problem sounds a little more severe !

sturmey

I think Planet X really have to sort this out for you.

A slipping seatpost means your bike is virtually unrideable. Must be a bummer.

I feel sure they will help.

Keep us updated.

bazbadger

On my PX pro Sl there is a shim in the seat tube.

sounds to me like you are missing this bit...

epo-aholic

bazbadger, can i have a pic please?

cheers

justresting

google ' seatpostshim' then go to problemsolver ( I think the site is called pricepoint )

epo-aholic

JT - dont understand mate - post size is 31.6, tube inside diameter is 31.6!

neonwarhead

epo-aholic wrote:

It wont because it was an FSA carbon one i was given - its now wrecked btw!

i also tried an easton ec90 and its done agood job of scuffing that up too.

good luck, me thinks you'll need it

J

I'm not sure that this'll help but mine is fine - rode it for an hour last night, 2 or 3 seatpost height adjustments to fine tune the riding position, and it stayed nicely in place at all times. No marking of the post either. I can get a pic of the seatpost/clamp area if you think it'll help. best of luck getting this sorted! It's a medium frame with an FSA SLK in-line carbon post fwiw.

Oh, and persevere if you can, because the bike is epic when it's working right!

neonwarhead

epo-aholic

Sorry, didn't see the pm before writing the reply, YGPM!

pabloweaver

Hi epo,

as I mentioned I had the same issue and then oddly enough swapped the PX post for an FSA carbon like your good self ...it slipped, it creaked ...............god did it creak ......then I got a torque spanner and tightened to 6nm ( think the range is 5-8 ) along with loads of carbon grip grease ...

no slip no creak ...sorted !

ps ..I love my Planet X

neonwarhead

Quick update - first long ride today. Water stop at 2 hrs, post had slipped down by about 5mm. Repositioned, torqued up a bit more, no snags for the remaining hour and a quarter.

Gav2000

My carbon seatpost (from DHCyclesport) had a collar on it that sits above the seat clamp and adds a 2nd level of slipdown prevention.

It's rather like a clamp for a reflector or rear light but much neater. I thought it was a funny addition at first but it has meant that my saddle has never slipped down and I don't need to tighten the seat clamp too tightly onto my carbon frame. The torque I've applied to my seat clamp is less than 5Nm as my Ricthey mini torque key hadn't clicked when I decided it was tight enough when last adjusting.

Maybe there's a market for these seatpost collars as stopping carbon posts slipping does seem to be a problem?

Gav.

mike ives

Got my Planet X a while ago and put a Ritchey WCS seatpost in it . Applied some carbon paste to the tube at the same time. Hasn't slipped once. I seem to remember also getting a shim with the frame.
HGope you get it sorted.

rockmount

I almost had the opposite with mine ... the original alloy post corroded in the frame, I could hardly get it out. Planet-X said I should have applied grease to the post before fitting, I don't know how that would help a slipping post, and doubt it would prevent electrolytic corrosion. IMO the best thing to do with the standard alloy post is to chuck it in the bin, and get a carbon one, unless of course you want to risk ruining your frame completely. I seem to remember Cannondale having trouble some time ago with frames splitting due to electrolytic carbon / aluminium combinations. In the aerospace industry intimate contact between any aluminium alloy, and carbon fibre is strictly prohibited.

epo-aholic

Just an update to anyone with an eye on this thread..........

contacted PX and they sent out a different style of collar - this one works perfectly!

People at PX couldn't have been more helpful, 5 stars from me - i will be back!

cheers

neonwarhead

Really pleased to hear that - enjoy the bike!

epo-aholic

cheers dude!

felgen

fast as fupp wrote:

make a shim out of a beer can- honest it works!!

No, really I did this, though used the foil off a wine bottle as I have more class :shock:

Interstingly I did measure my seatpost diameter as I was playing with my new micrometer, and it was an alloy P-X post and measured 31.5 not 31.6 - either way a nice firm fit and no slippage.