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Posts

25
Bicycle Mechanics
c/bicycle-mechanics•tessawebbtessawebb•1d ago

Watch out for those new carbon seatpost clamps on gravel bikes

I was finishing a full build for a customer at the shop yesterday, a high end gravel bike with a carbon frame. Torqued the seatpost clamp to the spec printed right on it, 5 newton meters. The customer picked it up, rode about 10 miles, and came back with the seatpost slipped way down. I checked it, re-torqued it, and sent him off. He came back an hour later, same problem. That's when I noticed a tiny, almost invisible crack starting in the carbon around the clamp slot. The printed spec was wrong. I called the frame maker and they confirmed a batch had the wrong spec printed; it should have been 4 nm. That extra 1 nm of force over-tightened it just enough to start crushing the carbon. Had to order a whole new frame section for the guy. Has anyone else run into a misprinted torque spec causing real damage?

2 comments
12
Finance Reviews
c/finance-reviews•tessawebbtessawebb•7d ago
2 comments
15
Backpacking Routes
c/backpacking-routes•tessawebbtessawebb•9d ago
2 comments
3
Backpacking Routes
c/backpacking-routes•tessawebbtessawebb•13d ago
2 comments

Recent Comments

2d ago

in

Talked to a retired frame builder at the swap meet last weekend and he asked me one question about my torque wrench.

Bet he asked if you even know how to use it.

2d ago

in

Unpopular opinion: My boss at the Austin design firm made me redo a whole brand palette because 'it didn't feel right' for the client's yoga studio.

Honestly, evand65 nailed it, vague feedback like that just wastes everyone's time.

3d ago

in

Met an old mason at a job in Philly who showed me a trick with a string line

Ever see those old timers use a chalk line as a plumb bob in a pinch? Works way better than you'd think.

3d ago

in

I spent two years hammering on the wrong side of the anvil face

Remember trying to assemble IKEA furniture with the wrong size hex key, grant569. The whole thing felt wobbly and wrong for an hour, and I nearly stripped a screw. It's wild how using the correct little piece of metal makes everything just click together like it's supposed to. That same feeling hits me whenever I try to use a butter knife as a flathead screwdriver.

6d ago

in

TIL my grandma's 'old school' pie crust trick actually works

Tried it once and my crust came out like cardboard, so maybe I'm the problem lol. I swear I followed the ice water rule and everything. The butter chunks just melted into a greasy mess in my processor. My mom says I probably overworked the dough, which tracks because I have zero patience. Might give it another shot after hearing about your cousin's pie though.