I thought the whole 'grease the seat post' thing was just old shop talk, but a stuck post proved me wrong

For years, I figured a clean, dry fit was fine for aluminum seat posts in steel frames. I mean, why add grease if it's not a moving part, right? Then last summer, a customer brought in a vintage 10-speed from Seattle that had been sitting in a garage for maybe a decade. The post was totally frozen. We tried everything, even a long pipe for leverage, and it wouldn't budge. Finally, I mixed up a penetrating oil brew and let it sit for three full days. When it finally came loose with a loud crack, the inside of the seat tube was a mess of white corrosion. The shop owner just looked at me and said, 'A little grease is cheaper than a frame.' Ever since, I put a thin coat of anti-seize on every single post I install. Has anyone else had a stuck post turn into a full-on rescue mission?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_henderson19d ago

That "loud crack" is exactly why I avoid grease. It lets the post slip over time, and then you get that creaking noise on every ride. A dry fit stays put.

terry_hayes1819d ago

Guess @charles_henderson has never heard of a torque wrench... a dry post that's properly tightened won't slip. That loud crack is the sound of a frame being saved from the scrap pile. Letting metal fuse together is just asking for trouble. A dab of anti-seize lets you actually adjust your saddle later. Fighting a seized post for three days is a special kind of bike shop nightmare.