Reaming seat tube

My new frame just arrived but I think there's a slight problem with the seat tube. There is a small raised area on the inside surface of the seat tube where the seat stay is welded to it. I've tried fitting an old seatpost that's already scratched up and can just about jam it in but it's not easy, and I'd like to ream the seat tube before trying to fit a nicer seatpost.

My question is: would reaming affect the integrity of the seat tube/seat stay weld?

sounds faulty, unless it is a really cheap frame, post a picture if you can. All seat tubes should be reamed as the heating during construction can make the tube distort, but a raised area on a new frame that is so bad the seatpost will only go in with force sounds wrong to me!

I can assure you that not all frames are reamed at source, particularly at the cheaper end of things. Sounds like it just needs doing again. Lots of shops can do it. Its not a problem and wont effect frame integrity (if done well).

There's definitely a fault, just trying to figure out if it's the sort of fault that can be fixed without having to send the frame back. It's a modern steel Guerciotti bought from Planet X, so not particularly low-end, although there were evidently a few corners cut.

Here's a pic. You can see the ridge as the crescent shape below the cutout.

And here's the weld from the side:

Send those pics to Planet X, that looks very poor to me, I certainly would want to complain

Hmm yeah I might do. In fact it's a 58 not a 59 as ordered, and as you can see from the pic there's also a chip on the seat clamp and a blemish in the lacquer on the seatstay. On the other hand the size and minor cosmetic things don't really bother me, so if I can sort the seat tube out easily and quickly without having to send the frame back I'd rather just do that. Plus I have that terrible British aversion to complaining.

Honestly doesn't look like a fault to me. Ream it and it should be fine. Its clearly not been done.

Ask for a partial refund for having to do it and the other stuff though by all means.

Disclaimer im looking at it on my phone so not best quality.

Send it back. If Planet X don't become aware of this kind of problem, then some other poor bugger will get something similar without knowing what to do or who to ask questions of, put in a seat pin too a shallow depth and come a cropper nastily.

It's like standing up to motorists - we do it not just for the entertainment or adrenaline rush, we do it for the other cyclists who'll be safer because a driver is more aware of our rights as road users.

Can I complain for you? I love complaining, mostly for the reasons above!

Sure, you can be the bad cop

@Rattlebag, @adroit is clearly more adroit than you at complaining.

Right I took the frame into Edwardes this morning and asked them to ream the seat tube, which they said they could do no problem. In fact, whatever that little bump is was more than a match for their reamer, which it broke. The cutting edges just splintered off.

I also spotted another problem with the integrated headset cups. There's some hard residue in the lower cup that will stop the bearings being seated correctly and needs to be removed.

I've complained(!) to Planet X and asked them to fix the problems or give me a refund.

send the frame back along with the fault list. it is entirely reasonable to obtain either a new fault free frame (in the size specified) or a full refund including any postage costs incurred by you.

That's basically what I've asked them to do. Only thing is that I think this frame was the last one they had, and I'd prefer not to have a different one as it's a replacement for one that was stolen. I'm basically being bloodyminded in a kind of "bike thief won't stop me from having my fave bike" (albeit in a different incarnation) way.

I expect Planet X will be reasonable, their customer services tend to be pretty good by all accounts. I'll let you know.