Stuck seat post

[Shut Up Legs]

I have a stuck seat post on my Vivente World Randonneur commuter. I found this a few months ago, when I wanted to move the seat post down a few mm. I haven't bothered to do anything about it yet, because I can live with it being a few mm too high, but I was wondering if anyone can suggest the best way to loosen it?

I've tried squirting WD-40 around the edges of the seat post clamp, then trying to rotate the seat post by gripping the seat with both hands, but the post won't budge.

I also recently bought a rubber mallet, and was considering using that to gently (and repeatedly) tap on the seat post from all angles, hoping that the vibration caused by this will eventually loosen it. Would this work?

Another approach I considered was to loosen the seat post clamp, then leave it that way while I ride the bike for a few commutes. Perhaps the vibration during my commutes will eventually loosen the seat post?

 

[Dave Davenport]

Get the seat post in a vice and turn the bike.

 

[biggs682]

as Dave says above , try the rubber mallet to loosen . if you slacken pinch bolt and ride bike for a few commutes i think you might end up with the seat post going further in to the frame which will make it even harder to remove . my final words are best fo look in removing stuck post

 

[Lanzecki]

Soak it in WD-40. Then as Dave suggests or a proper set of pipe wrenches. Once you get it twisting it'll come out easily enough. It's just starting it off.

Ohh don't forget to swear. It does help.

 

[Andy_R]

Is the seat post alu? If so, the bearded wonder has some words of wisdom here stuck seat post

 

[hotmetal]

My 1988 Cannondale has a steel seat post that has cold-welded itself (or rusted) into the ally seat tube. I have ridden it for YEARS without a seat clamp so I wouldn't hold out too much hope that yours will budge just from riding it.

My mate's dad reckons soak it in diesel, he says that will creep into places WD40 can only dream of, given long enough. The trouble is, I've never figured out a way of getting that part of the bike to sit in a bowl of diesel. But it might be worth a thought?

 

[BimblingBee]

Another vote for clamping post in vice and using frame as lever. Be prepared to sacrifice post/saddle. Heat is another way. Rubber mallet? May be better with a feather duster!

 

[sidevalve]

Depends on how serious you are. There are several ways - 1 strip the bike,, remove BB, upend, block off seatpost [if it has an open end] and fill seatpost with diesel and leave for a week or so. 2 Heat up seat post [don't overdo it] and try with stillsons. 3 - last resort [and this is REALLY desperate] cut off top of post, and cut a slot down the length of it, [be VERY carefull] then crush the post and pull out.
Before going this far try wrapping a rag around the top and keeping it soaked in diesel for a week [yeah it's messy], it might just give it time to work.