The tradition of me breaking stuff continues this. Brooks C-17 seat rail
11-13-22, 06:57 PM
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The tradition of me breaking stuff continues this. Brooks C-19 seat rail
Felt a good crack and than the seat wobble. Dang I broke the seat clamp bolts a couple months back too (Kinekt suspension post).
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
Last edited by Toadmeister; 11-13-22 at 07:05 PM.
11-14-22, 07:31 AM
#2
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New rails can be had, check Ebay.
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11-15-22, 07:13 PM
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i wonder if your seatpost clamp has a little high spot that is causing a stress point?
12-03-22, 08:40 AM
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It looks like improper heat treatment to me, based on what I see of grain structure in that break. It would be an interesting test to see how far a replacement rail would bend before breaking.
12-03-22, 08:47 AM
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My workplace has a materials lab where we could actually analyze this. The Engineer I knew retired around COVID However. Not sure who his replacement is now.
12-04-22, 10:58 AM
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I would also examine that base to make sure it isn't causing uneven pressure or damage at the edge when tightened down. I don't think that rail should have broken unless it's defective or the OP is actually bending the rail slightly back and forth when shifting weight around on the seat. I don't think that would happen unless the base is exerting uneven pressure.
Last edited by RH Clark; 12-04-22 at 11:02 AM.
12-04-22, 01:52 PM
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I'm a bit heavier than you, and I've yet to break something on a Brooks. Also, using a suspension seatpost would, I'd think, soak up a lot of the stress of your weight on the saddle. I'm guessing it was just a defective rail.
12-13-22, 12:51 PM
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I broke the rail on a B17 when I was 5 miles from home. Not a fun ride back and I was sore for days. It was over 30 years old so it was probably due to fail, but thanks for the reminder. I may try to fix it myself this winter.
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12-14-22, 10:20 AM
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This happened to me with my B66. I replaced the rails but I was never able to get the tension right again. Good luck with yours.
05-28-23, 10:28 PM
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Felt a good crack and than the seat wobble. Dang I broke the seat clamp bolts a couple months back too (Kinekt suspension post).
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
Felt a good crack and than the seat wobble. Dang I broke the seat clamp bolts a couple months back too (Kinekt suspension post).
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
6’4” 275# isn’t gentle on seats and posts.
Time for a new seat! what to get? I like Brooks and have 2 more leather ones in other bikes. But are there seats with stronger seat rails? Brooks should be steel but I don’t know what grade and strength.
11-13-23, 03:44 PM
#16
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I use the Kinekt suspension seatpost also. I bought a Spongy Wonder noseless saddle years ago and the manufacture recommended replacing the seat clamp bolts on seatposts with Grade 8 bolts. His saddle design if slid back far enough would put a heck of a twisting load on the seat clamp. Ever since I have been careful to try to get saddles and handlebar setups that centered the seatpost load in a more vertical up and down direction. I have used the Spongy Wonder for years pushed way forward which centers the load over the clamp and have not had any clamp bolt issues. Just another thing to think about at my weight range (260lbs). I love the Kinekt seatpost. Best suspension seatpost I've owned and used by far.
11-15-23, 08:15 PM
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I busted a rail on a San Marco Rolls Titanio in pretty much exactly the same place. It was close to 20 years ago. I've used Rollses (both titanium- and steel-railed) for thousands of miles before and since and have never had another one break.
The point is, unless you have a repeat performance, I would suspect a manufacturing defect, the kind of lightening that happens only rarely and is unlikely to strike twice. Granted, you have a Brooks cambium series and I ride Rolls, but both have been doing this for a long time and both have pretty good reputations, so I think the point applies.
Oh, I'm 6'3" 255lbs. I've been as much as 290 (30+ years ago) and may have weighed as much as 265-270 when I busted the rail.
The point is, unless you have a repeat performance, I would suspect a manufacturing defect, the kind of lightening that happens only rarely and is unlikely to strike twice. Granted, you have a Brooks cambium series and I ride Rolls, but both have been doing this for a long time and both have pretty good reputations, so I think the point applies.
Oh, I'm 6'3" 255lbs. I've been as much as 290 (30+ years ago) and may have weighed as much as 265-270 when I busted the rail.
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12-24-23, 08:37 AM
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Also had a rear hub’s internals fail during my September Northwoods Bikepacking trip in Wisconsin only like 10 miles into the trip…. Wound up getting a SAG and going home early…
I worked with my LBS, built a completely new heavy duty rear wheel for Bikepacking. DT Swiss 305 hub with ARC heavy duty rims. Actually got a deal as a freind had it built for himself but ordered the wrong parts for his bike.
failed another older rear rim on a different wheel also this fall. It was a cheaper budget WTB rim and had cracking around the spoke holes around 1000 miles. rebuilt with new rim…
I worked with my LBS, built a completely new heavy duty rear wheel for Bikepacking. DT Swiss 305 hub with ARC heavy duty rims. Actually got a deal as a freind had it built for himself but ordered the wrong parts for his bike.
failed another older rear rim on a different wheel also this fall. It was a cheaper budget WTB rim and had cracking around the spoke holes around 1000 miles. rebuilt with new rim…
Last edited by Toadmeister; 12-24-23 at 08:40 AM.
12-24-23, 08:43 AM
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I’m thinking the suspension adds sinusoidal load cycles to the seat rails. Think of amplitude of waves and those peaks strains add up over so many cycles. Even tho the rails are steel, they will eventually fail after so many cycles.
