I have a couple of Enigma bikes and always have had a great experience, in fact I have another on order (Excel) and expect to take delivery soon.

My Etape is about 2 years old and is used mainly on sportives and in the winter and during the last couple of months, I have noticed that my Thomson seat tube keeps slipping, not by much about 0.5cm on a long ride, but it is really getting to me.

I have taken the tube out, cleaned out all grease, rubbed down the inside of the top tube, replaced the seat clamp and have even bought a new Thomson seat post and it still slips. I am using the correct torque, even went up to 11nm and the same problem after a long ride this weekend.

Anyone got any other tips?

Thanks

Email  

Hi Henry,

If ever there is a problem with a seat post slipping in a titanium frame it usually involves a Thomson. I was the distributor for Thomson seatposts for many years and I have great experience of them. They are beautifully made but they are undersized. This is fine on an aluminium frame, a steel frame or even a carbon frame, however it is a problem on a titanium frame. Titanium is so hard that it is very difficult for the seat clamp to compress the seat tube enough to grip an undersize seatpost, however hard you tighten the clamp. The problem is further compounded by the hard anodized finish of the Thomson seatpost.

Your new Excel frame should be ready next week so can I suggest that you bring your Etape along with you when you collect the new frame so that we can have a look at it?

Jim

Perhaps apply a carbon friction compound like Finish Line's Fiber Grip? I'm not sure if this would provide sufficient defence against galling, though...

Hi Ben,

I should have mentioned that I also tried that, but no luck with that either....

Jim, thanks will bring the frame along, hopefully you will be able to help....

Email  

Hi Jim I'm having the same problem with my etape and the thompsom seatpost, if the thompsom seatpost is the problem why i don't have the same problem with my enigma elite? and what could be a solution for this problem?

Thank you

Luis

Email  

Surely a shim of some sort would be an easy solution for this?

Email  

Hi,

Go for Ritchey carbon post...no probs at all

Email  

Luis,

The Elite is made from steel and so the seat clamp can compress the tube that tiny bit more to tighten the post.

Jim

Same I had the seat post slip over a period of a month about 20mm then nearly 25mm over a single 200km hilly race so now I have wrapped several turns of black electrical tape around the seat post no problems. The frame is a custom Ti and the seat post is a carbon Truactive/Scram, the bolt tension is as per the instructions. I say use tape.

Email