IAmSam

Hi all...

7x9mm carbon rail saddle

When I first got it I asked around and was mostly advised to absolutely not put this saddle on a seatpost meant for good old fashioned 7mm rails so I've been using it on a Thomson with their special clamp for "oversized" rails.

Now I'd like to use this saddle on a one-bolt titanium Campag Chorus seatpost but have not been able find any special clamp or adapter meant to help it play nice with crabon rails.

Is there such a thing? Or...do we think I could get away without one this time?

TIA

MooneyBloke

Somehow, I've always been very very leery of having a clamped-upon surface made from CF. Back in 2000, I got a bike from Peter Mooney, and it was set up with Campagnolo Record 10 of the period with the exception of the seat post. They had moved that to CF, and so I specifically asked to stay with the (now Chorus) titanium post. If I were you, I'd genuinely look at a different seat. I really don't want to be looking at a railing failure when I'm many miles from repairs.

icemilkcoffee 

Only the rotary style of seat clamps that clamps onto the sides of the seat rails, have a problem with oval carbon seat rails:


The seat posts that clamp onto the tops and bottoms of the seat rails, typically have no problem with oval carbon rails as long as the clamping bolts are long enough to cover the additional height of the oval rails. No adapters needed.

Road Fan

I don't know if the Campy clamps are made for carbon 7 x 9 rails or not. I have a few carbon railed saddles, two leather and one fully carbon fiber. Both are Selle AnAtomica, with the Series 2 aluminum saddle frame. I'm not using the full carbon saddle. The original SA frames have straight rail lengths about 8 cm. For the Ti rails on the standard Series 2 saddles that length has been reduced to about 6 cm, too short for me on road bikes without a lot of seat tube layback. I replaced the Ti rails with the SA carbon rails, which are back up to the old 8 cm length. On these bikes I'm using the Nitto S84 saddle, which has a two-bolt micro-adjusting clamp, identical to that on the S83. It just has more setback than the S83, by about 20 mm.

When I install the saddle I try very hard not to expose the saddle rails to any sharp edges, nor to force it if I need to raise the nose, rotate the seatpost, or slide the saddle forward or back ward. So far no apparent wear and no sign of saddle rail scratching. I also never crush the 7 x 9 rails by over tightening the saddle rail clamps. I only crank down the bolts hard enough to keep me in place.

So far, pretty good; no problems!

repechage

rotary style of seat clamps, reads so Western Electric.

mgopack42 

I have carbon rails on my infinity seat. First one broke just behind the clamp, and I assumed it was because I was sitting up a lot on the trainer last winter. Bought a new set, and followed the instructions to the T. (Don't remember ever seeing instructions the first time though). Second one lasted about a month of rides. I had to take a screen shot of the video, but this one broke both sides just in front of the clamp. Lucky for me it happened about only 6 local, in town miles from home, so I could ride gently home. New to this modern stuff, and I thought I needed carbon rails since the bike came with them. But this clamp cradles the rails from top and bottom, so either will work. Sticking with steel rails.

Road Fan

Interesting comment, makes me want to see Western Electric triode tubes paired on a 1923 touring bike!

Portlandjim

Carbon rail saddle rail questions are not exactly a Classic & Vintage topic. This is a photo of my Tarmac S Works SL7 saddle and post. The post clamp hardware is made to work with a saddle that has carbon rails. Use a carbon rail saddle on vintage seatpost at your own risk. Jim Merz

Bad Lag

This is a very poor place to apply graphite fiber technology. Handlebars is another. It can be made to work but...