Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Q: On a Cruzbike Quest, the black seat tube wiggles. A customer asks how to identify and fix the problem.

A customer writes:

On Tue, September 10, 2013 8:19 pm, Michael A______ wrote:
Hi Robert,
I am having trouble getting the seat-back to be held securely by the tube arrangement.  The black tube wiggles in the frame tube.  I have tightened the clasp as much as I think I can, but it still wiggles, with the net being the back is lower than I would prefer.
Any ideas?
Mike A____



Hi Mike,

The seat tube.  Indeed, this should not be loose.

Please check:

- Ring/quick release (QR) clamp is around the lower (frame section) of the seat tube, as opposed to being loose and floating on the upper (black) part of the seat tube.

- The ring/QR clamp is tight.

- Bolt in QR clamp is NOT broken.  (Excessive tightening force could have caused this to break.)

- Clamp has nothing interfering with its closing and tightening.  Check both ends: the clamp and the "end screw."  The water bottle cages might interfere with this in some positions, but it need not. There's a sweet spot where the clamp closes securely but there's no interference from the bottle cages.

- No looseness in the bolts at the top of the seat, which hold the seat and racks.

- Clamp is right side up (there is a ridge on the top side of the clamp).

- Clamp is oriented so that the closing part of the circular clamp is oriented with the cut-out in the frame, where the seat tube is inserted into the frame.

- Remove and reset the ring/clamp around the frame to make sure it's properly seated.

- Make sure the upper (black) part of the seat tube is securely inserted into the frame.

- The seat braces are properly oriented.  The seat braces connect the seat tube to the seat.  Generally, the braces should be somewhere between 180 degrees (vertical, running from the top of the seat tube up to the seat) to 90 degrees (with the seat braces running horizontally from the seat tube to the seat).  As you get to know the attachments here, you can experiment with this, even going so far as to turn the seat tube backwards in order to gain an extreme recline.  The main thing though is to ensure the seat tube is adequately seated into the frame to provide a secure connection there.

All best,
Robert

------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2013 Robert Matson

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