Re: [CR]Question about saddle supports for track bikes

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

From: "ternst" <ternst1@cox.net>
To: "Sean Flores" <seaneee175@gmail.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <C231CFF4.5EC3%seaneee175@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Question about saddle supports for track bikes
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 21:02:40 -0700
reply-type=original

Sprinters years ago would occasionally crack the seat clamps and end up on the top tube. OUCH! The saddle when forward or especially when a rider stood up to jump and sat down too fast in heat of exertion could have too much force and weight on the old style clamps and strip the serrations on the clamps and the seat would go tip down or up I've seen both happen. Motor paced guys would use them because of the forward seat position and on the steep tracks the downward force at high speed could easily strip the clamp. This could be fatal at the high speeds pacing racers would reach. They were not used too much in team races, (madisons), because the long hours in a 6-day race and the seat not having any rail flex in the front could cause saddle / crotch type difficulties. Nice crisp edge clamp serrations if a saddle was fairly centered on the rail didn't have many difficulties, but when seats were moved and clamps clicked over serrations without proper loosening, that's when problems developed.
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA 90274


----- Original Message -----
From: Sean Flores
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:20 PM
Subject: [CR]Question about saddle supports for track bikes



> So the other day someone posted a question on BF as to why people used to
> mount saddle supports on older track bikes. My only reply was when a
> saddle
> was forward mounted or had a ³flipped² seatpost, it added extra support.
> But it got me thinking, what was the point really? Were older saddle
> clamp
> s
> that unstable that they might fail during a sprint? Or is there some
> other
> reason I am just missing? Just curious.
>
> Sean Flores
> San Francisco, CA