Diagnosing my Bob Jackon seat tube misery - help!

My Vigorelli finally arrived today and having checked and double-checked it should be 27.2mm I drop a brand new greased Ultegra seat post into the greased seatpost tube and thunk it stops dead about 3-4 inches into the frame. I put a little bit of pressure on it then a bit more but its not moving.. Pull out the post and the anodising has been scraped right off the end.

Shone a torch down and had a good feel around the inside of the tube at the point it seems to be sticking and it feels nowhere near smooth. Haven't yet tried another 27.2 post yet in case its a ropy bit of kit thats oversized, but if it isn't does this sound like a 'return to vendor' issue? Could it be reamed correctly with little or no fuss or should I be thinking about returning the bloody thing if something this basic hasn't been checked before leaving the factory?

if it goes in nicely for the first 100mm then it must need reaming properly.

I'd contact BJ, tell them you intend to take it to a local frame builder to have it reamed, and send them the bill. unless they can collect yours, do the job and return for no cost, and within a week.

3-4" how far do you stick your seat post down?!! just get shorter seat post ie campag aero

if your gonna want to use the post, lob a bit off the bottom :)

dogsballs 3-4" how far do you stick your seat post down?!! just get shorter seat post ie campag aero

Fair point the post is pretty huge (33cm) but I was expecting the tubes to be basically tubular..

yeah, it doesn't leave much room for adjustment if you only have a short one.

3" isn't enough really is it? the tube should be able to take more than that

Don't accept their mistake - I agree with RPM i.e. thats shoddy.
I do have a Campy aero 27.2 seatpost if you want to ride now-now-now!

I just looked on a seat post and the minimum insertion is about 3"..

so it could be workable, the only problem is you'll have to measure it up accurately if you cut your post. and if you change saddle, or sell it to someone slightly taller or shorter, you got problems again

Thank you all.

The Gordian knot approach of sawing and bashing it into the frame appeals but I think they need to learn from their mistake especially after putting their prices up 10% a week or so ago.

I'll get the opinion of a third party @ Witcomb and if they say its a crap job then BJ must pay!

I had a similar issue with my DaFoney/Witcomb, and someone else had hassles with their Mercian.

Witcomb informed me it was because the lugged construction caused the heating and cooling of the tubes to affect this. Or some similar bunch of arse. I think Mercian-dude was told much the same. He gauged a Dura Ace post and I put a nice zigzag in my Nitto Jaguar.

I do recall from my younger days that posts always had to be wrestled into lugged steel frames to some extent or other. The way a post just drops into the lugless factory frames has perhaps mislead us.

And as dogs has remarked, posts used to be a hell of a lot shorter.

So there you have it. Buy a Wrongster instead.

A friend of mine has the same problem with his Vigorelli frame. The 27.2mm seat post was impossible to fit in more than few inches. Then he tried a 27.0 mm but the seat bolt didn't clamp seat post properly and it moved a bit. I think he finally fixed it using a the 27.0mm with a home-made shim cut from a can... but not 100% sure. So probably you are not the first or last one to have this problem with the BJ Vigorelli seat tube. Good luck and sorry for not being of more help.

Send it back.If the major players can produce perfect frames every time for a pittance, then a small, bespoke company should be able to.Otherwise what is point of paying for perfection?

could you not just polish the post below the min insertion mark with emery paper I bet you have it fitted up in less than an hour and no-one is going to see below the insertion mark

I've done that before..

and also done the inside of the tube, dowel with a slot cut in it to secure the emery paper wrapped round. then it's a bit like wanking for a bit, but it works even on steel.

but it's a new bike and BJ haven't bothered to ream it out properly

RPM I've done that before..

and also done the inside of the tube, dowel with a slot cut in it to secure the emery paper wrapped round. then it's a bit like wanking for a bit, but it works even on steel.

but it's a new bike and BJ haven't bothered to ream it out properly

I won't argue with your wanking expertise, but I'd certainly be careful with the reaming/filing action bearing in mind how thin tubes are.

mabey the frame builder welded the seat tube on upside down, most are singel butted and thicker at the bb.

kind of a worst case senario

kowalski [quote]RPM I've done that before..

and also done the inside of the tube, dowel with a slot cut in it to secure the emery paper wrapped round. then it's a bit like wanking for a bit, but it works even on steel.

but it's a new bike and BJ haven't bothered to ream it out properly

I won't argue with your wanking expertise, but I'd certainly be careful with the reaming/filing action bearing in mind how thin tubes are.[/quote]

they arn't that thin, it i only burned through one today...

my seatpost fits like a dream on my vigorelli. sorry about that.

ok, if you send it back, who's going to pay for the £25-30 of postage??? ;)

They are, shank-jockey

doubt the will ;) .

if there was something wrong with your condor, would they pay for it, to be sent to them and returned. NO WAY, HOSE'!!

you could have sanded that seatpost down by now and been out there riding

yeah, you could have used dogsballs' razor sharp wit to file down the imperfection.

have to say, i've never heard this phrase 'shank-jockey'. mind if use it where/when appropriate?

ha. 'Shank Jockey'