Sooooo,
I stripped my seat post on my last long ride before LP. I’m sure some one else must have had this happen and I’m hoping for any suggestions. I’m on a 2006 seduza, pretty crappy design by QR!
Help?
“pretty crappy design by QR!”
i take from your post that you only used an appropriate amount of torque when tightening the bolts, and the threads failed nevertheless. i haven’t noticed this as an endemic problem, and since it cannot possibly be user error, i must assume you got hold of a defective frame.
i also assume that you have already contacted QR about this, and they told you that you’re on your own, which is why you’re inquiring of the forum members. is this correct?
I always thought that stripping was never user error. Poor design since they did not anticipate for the excessive torque being applied by the user. 
Is there a rule of thumb what should be the maximum torque for the seat post, handlebar stem, and arm rest that should be applied?
i also assume that you have already contacted QR about this
LOL… NO ONE calls or emails the manufacturer for simple answers before posting here… even in the middle of a weekday!
I sense an immenint slowman…
Spot
And I think pretty much the same design used by Cervelo and Scott. Is yours one of the newer ones with the replacable binder or is it incorporated into the frame? If the later, you are in a tough spot. I have wondered if one you put the new replaceable unit unit above the integrated one…?
I do have the park tool - my left bolt had always been a bit off (skewed a bit to the right - left tighter). I decided to try and apply even pressure to straighten this am and knew something was off when I heard the loud crack (I know bad idea to try anything new).
I called RA (where i bought it) - they told me that the clamp wasn’t warrantied even though it is IN THE FRAME (and the frame is??).
I HAVEN’T called QR yet but I’m just trying to plan for the worst with LP <3wks…
And yes, it’s the older Seduza that has it molded into the frame…so am I up s&*t creek without a paddle…does anyone out there has some hints for repairs…I don’t really want to hear how I ‘shouldn’t have tightened it so much’ but am looking for advice on how to fix it.
Worst case I guess is gluing the seatpost permanently??
Suggestions would be appreciated…
Let us know what QRoo says. I have an 06 Seduza too and would like to know if I ever have issues with the seatpost.
“Is there a rule of thumb what should be the maximum torque for the seat post, handlebar stem, and arm rest that should be applied?”
depends on the material (of the male and female threads) and the number of threads, and the diameter of the bolt. back when most of used syntace the one everybody used to strip was that specialty female piece when tightening the armrest trough onto the aerobar. it was aluminum, and hadn’t very many threads.
you have to use common sense. don’t apply more torque than you need. the more bolts, the less torque you need per bolt, but the torque has to be even. some manufacturers give you the torque, and that’s typically the case on crankarms. otherwise, treat the bike as if it was something you cared about.
maybe QR does have a problem with its binder, i don’t know. human nature these days is to make that assumption, and why not, since end-users in general are treated like children by manufacturers. in any case, my first move would be to contact the manufacturer, and see about a remedy. i can think of several fixes for that problem.
Wow, I was looking at that seat clamp on the QR website. What a poor design choice they made. Basically the frame is trash if one embedded nut is stripped. That was the reason they manufacturers started using replaceable derailler hangers, so if that one little piece became damaged it could easily be replaced as opposed to trashing the frame or mandating an expensive fix. At least with round seatposts with integrated clamps, you could remove the integrated clamp and use an normal clamp. That looks like an expensive fix except for a jerry-rig.
Where is Richard Dean Anderson when you need him?
You should have inspected the bike when you bought it and thought, “Hmmm, do I really want this level of complexity in my racing bike? What can I possibly mess up? Will I be able to fix it?”
The QRoo design is fine.
suggestions for fixing would be appreciated rather than judgments on bike selection…just looking for info.
Contact QR or have your shop (R&A) contact QR and it can certainly be handled. Quintana Roo bikes are actually designed and created by a company that does have an actual manufacturing facility and an amazing group of skilled artisans. So if indeed your seatcollar is broken/ versus your seatpost, you can have it go back to QR and they can actually fix it in house and replace the broken integrated collar with a new replaceable one.
Cheers,
Herbert
friend of mine did the same thing, same bike… QR had the bike, fixed it, returned it with new collar. The Customer Service was outstanding and he had his bike back within a week. You’ll have it for IMLP don’t worry-
Weeman
“What a poor design choice they made. Basically the frame is trash if one embedded nut is stripped.”
apparently you’re wrong – in fact, twice in one sentence.
I am sure you can elaborate? Or can you?
The second one I could see an argument, since it can be repaired, but not easily and not quickly- as in you must send away. I would think you were wrong, but I frequently think that about your opinions. But please elaborate how this is a good design! I would really love to hear this argument. Then perhaps you could convince me that non-replaceable derailleur hangers are good design! I see the issue as the same- something integrated into the frame which does not have to be, that if broken, through any fault, costs substantially more money and takes more time to repair, and most likely deprives you of the bike for a while.
I am sure this response of yours only came because I slammed the design of your former baby, but please give me a logical argument of why this is good design. Not that I often expect good logic from you.
BTW, with old frame that did not have replaceable derailleur hangers, you could say the bike was not trashed if the hanger was snapped off, but basically it was unless you wanted to send it to a frame maker to be repaired, which sometimes cost more than the frame was worth, or if you felt like jerry-rigging a fix, which is certainly not desirable.
I am not as technically savvy as all of you. Is this an issue I could also have overtightening the clamp on a 2006 QR Kilo. Now I am paranoid. I need to get ready for work but feel compelled to go out in the garage and loosen the bolts based on the “more the bolts less torque needed” comment. I’ve always tightened them until I couldn’t turn them any more without really putting some muscle into it.
i. Call QR.
ii. Repair the thread yourself by “Helicoil Thread Repair Kit”, e.g. for 4mm bolt threads: M5x0.8 P/N5403-5. I’ve used it to repair stem, seatpost collar and cleat threads.
iii. 1 round of duct tape on seat post, 3 mega zip ties side-by-side tightly on duct tape, epoxy zipties to duct tape, more ductape to bind seatpost to seat tube. Ride around and hit some bumps, check for slippage. Clean up with citrus cleaners.
suggestions for fixing would be appreciated rather than judgments on bike selection…just looking for info.
You should buy yourself a torque wrench. You have been lucky. But your bike is not carbon which has been your saving grace. But you run the risk of either stripping something or sheering it off. In fact, you may have already caused damaged but do not know about it.
You can buy torque wrenches specifically made for bikes. Do it before its too late.
The rule of thumb on the 06 Seduza is to read the torque spec. painted right on the seatpost binder and on the aero bars. But hey, I feel this guy’s pain. I think we’ve all done something stupid that cost some bucks. At least he didn’t ram the thing into the top of his garage.