Removing stuck or seized seatpost?

i'd probably agree with you on this.
i've removed a few stuck seatposts now and have had to resort to cutting them out each time. it's very frustrating + boring and takes ages.
for the amount of time and money i spent on hacksaw blades, various cans of magic fluids, caustic soda, bits of threaded bar, constructing elaborate pulling devices + weeks of time etc. etc. i should have just given the problem to someone else to sort out!

So my seat post on my lovely Pinarello has seized, stuck, tried a clamp and some penetrating oil etc, won't budge. Think it needs someone who knows what they're doing to take this out without damaging it etc. My local bike shop sounded like they made need to resort to caustic soda which I obviously don't want to do to risk the paint job.

Has anyone used this company
Or is there anyone in London that offers a similar service?

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Ice and hot water?

hot water won't damage the paint? hot first then cold or vice versa?

I used Mercian for my post. Not London, but they got it done.

Hot water on paint is fine.

Cold on the post, fill bucket with ice or dry ice, your choice, tip frame upside down and leave seatpost submerged for a good while.

Boil water, reattach saddle to seatpost and put in a set of wheels, get someone to hold frame down and then pour hot water on seat tube.

Twist the seat post using the saddle as leverage.

The contraction of aluminium and expansion of steel should free it.

The seatpost man is amazing. Totally worth it. I had a stuck alloy post in an alloy frame and tried everything. Sent it to him and he had it out and back to me in a matter of days with no damage to the frame/paint finish whatsoever. IMHO it's totally worth it, I wasted a tenner on plus gas plus a number of hours trying to lever it out and there was no movement whatsoever. John is from an engineering background and has (I presume) made some very specific milling machine that drills out the post in a matter of minutes. If it's a frame you care about send it to him.

Planning on tackling a stuck seatpost today.

Carbon-wrapped alu post (I assume) into alu frame.

It’s a compact frame with a lot of post showing.. going to try boiling water on the seat-tube and using my friend’s bench vice.

Any advice, tips, warnings?

I recall being told not to use liquids on carbon as it makes it expand and even more of a botheration? Was I fed a line? Trouble I had was a carbon post stuck in a steel frame, so might not count?

It’s out.. leverage and hot-water

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Now that’s a proper lever lol

^^ top album cover :)

Any progress with the Concorde?

For the next Seatpost Mods release ;)

Ah, now, the LBS I've trusted this to is working on it ha ha! Finger's crossed it'll be done next week. It is a really, really long seat post...
Meantime, I just secured a 501 hub / MA40 rim wheel set with original QR's, so the Tout Mavic plan for this continues at a (snail's) pace...

I think I may have a seized seatpost in the frame that I had a seized seatpost removed from. 😢 I am idiot.

Im with a very stuck seat post, LBS failed to remove it and I decided to follow Sheldons guide step 13 hacksaw it out.

if nothing else works, the final resort is the old hacksaw blade trick. Cut the seatpost off so that about 1/2" is left sticking out, then insert a hacksaw blade into the seatpost and carefully cut a slit in the post. This is very laborious, and you run the risk of damaging the frame if you cut too far, but this approach cannot fail. Once you have cut the slit, grab one edge of the cut with a locking plier and roll the seatpost up inside itself and pull it out.

First slit was made, and still no chance to "roll it into it self" to move it even after a 2nd one was made..
Does hacksawing more slits make sense or are there any other options at this stage?

Would prefer to avoid the Caustic Soda if possible...

Best way to get a seatpost out I have found is to get a thin angle grinder Disc and cut length ways up the seat tube. If you’re careful you won’t cut in to the seat post and it pops out no trouble in a matter of seconds.

If you don’t want to save the seatpost, the hacksaw trick is best with an electric saw with a good blade. Even that can take a while though.

Otherwise I usually just go down the big drill bit route and drill it out. That can also take ages but it works. If you’re careful it does no damage to the frame either. Going up incrementally in drill bit size will be quickest and easiest otherwise get a 25mm drill bit (or whatever suits the frame size) from toolstation and drill the sucker out. I wrap wet towels around the seat tube to draw heat away and have something as a cutting fluid for the drill bit.

There’s no easy way to do this unfortunately. It’s a massive ball ache what ever you choose unless it’s not badly seized.

Also make sure you take the bottom bracket out as the seat tube will be full of swarf.

Came across some advice from Park Tool that seem to make sense.
Just have to find the motivation for the 2 extra cuts... :)

If the post is still stuck, it may be possible to cut the post off and then cut it out of the bike. Cut the post close to the frame. The original post may be cut out completely with a “jab saw.” This is a hacksaw handle that allow cutting inside a blind hole. Cut the post in four places. Use care not to cut into the frame. After cutting, hit the post to collapse it. Remove the pieces. NOTE: Do not attempt to remove a carbon post by cutting it out.

Liberated 2 more!

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The hot and cold trick again?

All the foregoing puts me in mind of the admonition of an old-time bike spannerist: 'Never forget the seatpost is a service item'

every time this thread pops up i think to myself, "must go and check my seatpost"
then forget all about it within 5 mins.

Mine has been stuck for 2 years since I posted just up this page. I'm resigned to it and scared by dealing with it now. The day will come.

last post made me nervous so i went to check... it's fine 🙌