I definitely should have checked the old seat post more carefully. It was pretty trashed when I bought the bike and wouldn't maintain the seat angle. I'd start riding with a nice level saddle, and 20 minutes later it'd be pointed towards the sky, applying lots of unwanted pressure. There were no markings to be found. The 26.6 was obscured enough that I checked the old Schwinn catalogs to make sure it was 26.6 and not 26.8. I tossed it as soon as the new one arrived, trusting the numbers a little too much it appears. Live and learn!
I ran out (in some
stupid hot heat) and grabbed a tube of Park Tool Supergrip Carbon and Alloy Assembly Compound yada-yada — what a name! Applied it to the seat post, installed it (noticed more resistance even at this stage), and gave it a weight test in the apartment. The seat post seems to be unmoved. It's still stupidly hot, so I'll wait until this evening to give a test ride, but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic right now.
Originally Posted by
madpogue
So with the brake hanger out of the way, you were still unable to get the ears to come together enough to grip the post tightly enough? Did the ears come all the way together with the brake hanger no longer between them? If not, then you need to check (still no answer) if the bolt and nut are bottoming out.
At this point, I don't believe the bolt is bottoming out. The ears definitely came together more tightly but the post still slid pretty easily with pressure applied. The carbon grip seems to have made a difference. I'll find out later tonight.