First, don't worry too much. This is pretty common and in almost all cases not too serious.

Try using the "T" handle wrench which gives you twice the leverage of the "L" shaped wrench. The aluminum inside there is kind of soft so the assembled can get a little stuck. Just be gentle and patient... it will work.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Just back from the shop. The problem is worse than I thought. When the seatpost fell, it just fell about 1/2 an inch, but it took the binder bolt with it. When we removed the seatpost we could see that the bolt is twisted down, and no tool in the shop could get it to move at all. Things are looking quite grim...I don't know for sure why it happened, perhaps it wasn't tight enough (or maybe tight enough) and with my weight on the saddle (I am 200 lbs), the bolt couldn't take it.

That sounds ugly. I have a new '04 DA myself & I only have about 300 miles on it. While I weigh less than you (170lbs) this bit of news spooks me. You might want to contact Super Dave through this forum, it should be warrantied. Let me know what happens with this situation. Good luck. I LOVE my DA and would have a difficult time with it turning against me. Hang in there.

PS there's a post from a awhile back on this forum from another DA owner ('02 model I think) with the same problem and he used teflon tape to help with the grip when it slid down on him. Is this something that happens with riders over 200lbs I wonder? Do a Felt DA search.

Wow, the only thing I can say is that is awful. What in the hell was ever wrong with seat collar tabs anyways? Why not just put an aluminum collar there and have at it? Oh wait, that is not cool.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

Hey thanks record10ti, I can always count on your antics to get me through the dark spots. Campy is very cool, but you don't get caught up in that, right? Actually, I haven't had any problems with my post, but it does worry me that someone else is having problems (call it sympathy pains if you will). BTW: I didn't buy the DA because I thought the seatpost is cool, though it is pretty, I bought it because it fits me perfectly and I love the way the bike handles. See you at Lake Placid!

The real irony is that a Softride rider is ragging on Felt regarding durability problems.

I talked to Jim Felt about what happened, and we came to the conclusion that the piston piece that the binder bolt fits into was never installed. The piston thing is supposed to be what contacts the seatpost and keeps it in position. The way I had it, the bolt itself was against the seatpost, and that wasn't going to hold anybody's seatpost in place, no matter how big or small they are. That's my rough understanding of it, anyway, not being mechanically-inclined. I have to strip it down and send the frame to Felt, with a 50/50 chance of it being salvagable. So the lesson is to make sure you or your mechanic knows thoroughly what's going on, and reads the directions when you're working with such a highly technical bike like the DA.

Sorry to hear about your DA. I had the same problem but DID have the piston installed. Even then you need to tighten it with a T handle wrench at a pretty good torque. The teflon tape around the seat tube refers to the squeaking I heard when cranking hard while seated. I wrapped the seat post with it to muffle the sound and has stayed at the same position since. I think the tape also helped keep sweat and water from seeping down into the frame. Good luck with your bike.

I was just going to reply asking if the piston was installed when I read down to the rest of the posts and see that that was mentioned.

I loaned my DA to a guy racing for IMFLa and had just discovered that his Litespeed Saber had a broken chainstay hours before he was set to leave. We did an emergency frame-ectamy and got his bike built and then packed.

When he set it up in his hotel room before the race after repeated explanations on how to use the seat binder, he still forgot the piston, rode 112 miles, torched the seat post as his saddle slid down about an inch over the hole distance.

He went on to complain to me how bad the design was, blah, blah, blah...

Who built your bike? Were you told how to service the post?

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

I was not even thinking about the Softride...very valid point however (I have only killed one Carbon Beam though). What does piss me off is on my Litespeed Ultimate - every time, and I mean every time I need to move the seat for any reason the bolt breaks. The tabs are not welded square and bend the bolt when I get the post tight enough - thus it snaps when trying to remove it. So, move my seat - $15.00 for a new binder bolt...every time. I even have two binder bolts duct taped under my seat just in case I need to move it on a ride. Litespeed told me to send it to them and they will look at it...I just dont see a value in that as I am not sure what the welds would look like when ABG is done as they no longer put on seat tabs.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

You can probably have the tabs cut off and mount a separate collar like current frames have,

Also, are you using a Campy binder bolt? They are known for being weaker than most other binder bolts. I think this is by design - i've heard the Campy reasoning is that it's better to break a binder bolt than a collar. But at any rate, if you're tired of breaking binder bolts you may want to look something besides Campy.

I have tried Campy, and others...the Campy ones snap, the others bend, creak, groan and strip as they are bent too...

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

what happened was that someone who will not be named in any way built the bike up, but did not do the time-consuming, more skill-orientated things like the cables and housing. It was then shipped here, to my LBS, minus the piston and any directions, which the guy must've left at his place. The mechanic at my LBS, who had not previous worked on a DA with that kind of seatpost binder, assumed that the seatpost situation was already handled by the previous guy, who is not a mechanic by any means, just a long-time cyclist/triathlete with some knowledge about putting together bikes. And I assumed everything was going to be fine and didn't investigate the seatpost binder too seriously, seeing as how it is out-of-sight, and the seatpost didn't move when i tightened the bolt and pushed down on the saddle. Plus as I said I am not skilled or knowledgable at all regarding technical bike stuff.

2nd lesson: Do not get overly attached to your new bike, because it may break. The more important machine by far is your body. Lance could still kick everyone's butt riding a $800 entry-level road bike

I would think that Felt will be cool about this and take care of you...yes?

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

i think so...but I am trying not to think about too much, no use worrying. I didn't pay for it to begin with anyway. My first big race is St Anthony's on April 25th, and Mr. Felt thinks I'll be able to ride the DA for that. I'll be ready either way, as I just did 50 minutes of steady-state intervals at an average speed of 29 mph, on my 3 year-old aegis trident, which has seen better days. Going 30 mph in a tricked-out DA would be nice, though...

Just like Tulio would take care of you if you f-ed up one of his Egropower levers.

No, actually the opposite of what he'd do.

-SD

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https://www.kickstarter.com/...bike-for-the-new-era

"the Campy ones snap, the others bend, creak, groan and strip"

bend, creak, groan--you aren't using ti bolts are you?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

No, I am not using Ti bolts...I had - they would just seize into the braze on's. They were VERY hard to turn and would strip the 5mm hex as the threads were stronger and would not bend like on a steel bolt.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

"I had - they would just seize into the braze on's"

just making sure. ti is prejudiced against members of its own race. it doesn't like mating with its own kind.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Once you go to a steel binder bolt you will never go back to Ti...besides, Ti does not really want you back if you had gone to steel.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?