Help Please Holdsworth Road Bike

Masonavickof

I was given an Holdsworth Road bike from the 1970's by my father in law. Great bike, really love it, but the seat is too low for me.

I have tried to adjust the seat post but with no success, put it into a vice to try to dislodge, but it is stuck solid.

Took it to the local bike shop, the guy said that if he heated it or used costic soda it would damage the paintwork.

Any suggestions please greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

ugo.santalucia

Wd40?

Masonavickof

Thanks

no joy with WD40

mm1

If its an open tube seatpin (i.e. a plain tube without a cradle, i.e. the sort that used a collar / clip over the top of theseat pillar), you could try using a jigsaw or file to cut a slot in the pin and then crush the remaining circumferance in a vice). Could also try inverting the frame and soak with a more effective penetrant than WD40

Yossie

WD won't do shit.

Pop down the local B & Q and get some penetrating oil (3 in 1 do one in an orange can)/Gas Plus. Take an old person so you get a discount on a Wednesday and if they die on the way home you can immediately steal their watch/jewellery/contents of wallet/purse and then forge their will so you get everything and their family get nowt.

Get a hide mallet (small toffee hammer wrapped in a rag will do the same job if you don't have a hide mallet - wrap it in a rag so you don't doof up the paintwork).

Tap fairly hard all around the seat post to try and break some of the corrosion seal.

Spray the penetrating oil liberally all over the seat post - hopefully it will seep down into the seat post tube and start to break the corrosion. Do this over a number of days fairly frequently each day. Tap all around the seat post area while doing it and this help the penetrating oil penetrate.

You can also spray upwards if there are any bottle cage thread bosses.
Remeber the put the bike upside down if go this way.

Then get a hot air gun (the ho's hairdryer may do this but I don't know if it will get the seat post tube hot enough) and heat it up - you normally use a blow torch for this but that ill jazz up the paintwork.

This will expand the exterior metal but leave the seat post cold enough not not expand, therefore creating a theoretical gap big enough to shimmy the seat post out.

Heat up the seat post tube until its nice and hot, a final few smacks with the ho/mallet, loads of penetrating oil then stick the seat post in a vice nice and tight and use the frame as leverage.

This should do it.

Alternatively, cut the seat post off, drop a hacksaw blade or a Dremel with an extension in and cut out the remains of the seat post out, file off until nice and smooth, grease up, new seat post. Job jobbed.

If all that seems too much, send to a specialist frame man - Argos (not the cheap electrical retailer though - they will be about as much use as the "advice" above) or similar.

HTH

Y

Masonavickof

Thanks Yossie..

I will give it a go...