My shop manager told me to stop using grease on carbon seatposts

When I started at the shop in Boulder, our manager, a guy named Dave, saw me putting a thin coat of grease on a carbon seatpost before install. He stopped me and said, 'You'll never get that thing out again if you do that. Use carbon paste or nothing at all.' I thought he was being too careful, but I listened. Fast forward six months, and a customer brings in a high-end bike with a carbon seatpost totally seized in an aluminum frame. The previous shop had greased it. It took us two hours, a ton of patience, and a special clamp to get it free without wrecking the post. Dave just gave me a look that said 'I told you so' without saying a word. That one piece of advice saved me from a huge headache down the line. Has anyone else had a customer bring in a seized carbon part because of the wrong lube?

3 comments

3 Comments

miasanchez19d ago

Yep, seen that exact mess before.

reed.jana19d ago

Totally get it @miasanchez, I just had to step back and start fresh with a clear list.

torres.blair19d ago

Ugh, right? @miasanchez knows the deal. Sometimes you just have to scrap the whole thing and make a new list from scratch.