Had a carbon seatpost just... give up on me yesterday

It was on a customer's gravel bike, a 2021 model with maybe 4,000 miles on it. I was doing a routine clean and re-grease, torquing it to spec with my 5Nm wrench. Heard a quiet crack, and the whole top clamp area just split. No warning, no over-tightening. It was a brand I've seen a lot lately, but this is the first failure. Had to call the customer and tell them their ride was delayed a week for a new part. Has anyone else seen carbon posts fail like this without any clear cause?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamw752d ago

Honestly, that doesn't surprise me one bit. It feels like everything is getting lighter and more complex, but not always more reliable. I see it with tools and parts in my own line of work. The push to make things cheaper and faster seems to leave out some of the old toughness. A quiet crack at the right torque is a real sign something was wrong from the start. Hope the company makes it right for your customer.

henryt182d ago

Exactly. Even my phone case cracked too easily.

smith.elliot2d ago

Yeah, that "quiet crack" is a dead giveaway.