# Defective synapse seatpost?



## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

Hello I purchased my new 2011 synapse a week ago. Today I looked at the seatpost and noticed something wierd. Here are the pictures. Is it a defective seatpost? What are my actions? do I take it back to the cycling shop? P.S. Saddle holds well but I'm not sure for how long. Thanks in advance


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## pedalingsquares (Feb 14, 2009)

I see nothig wrong with the seat post. You will need the side clamps and the through bolt, but I assume those came with the bike.  :aureola:


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## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

pedalingsquares said:


> I see nothig wrong with the seat post. You will need the side clamps and the through bolt, but I assume those came with the bike.  :aureola:


That's the way seatport is and the saddle is installed on that that way. What's slide clamps?


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

The saddle rails fit in those grooves. There should be a clamp that goes with it that bolts the other side of the saddle rails against those grooves. There's nothing wrong with the pic you posted, but there should be an additional piece. My Bontrager seat post works the same way.


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## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

Opus51569 said:


> The saddle rails fit in those grooves. There should be a clamp that goes with it that bolts the other side of the saddle rails against those grooves. There's nothing wrong with the pic you posted, but there should be an additional piece. My Bontrager seat post works the same way.


Thanks for the reply

Well this is just a post without a saddle. I have the saddle and the bolt and the clamp (as not I got what it is) I just thought that seat rails were supposed to be inside those paths (when saddle is installed) on the post and both paths has to be parallel on both sides. I don't quiet get how can I adjust saddle angle. There is no way I can rotate those black holders with bare hands. Is it even possible or should be possible? thanks.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

unnamedny said:


> Thanks for the reply
> 
> Well this is just a post without a saddle. I have the saddle and the bolt and the clamp (as not I got what it is) I just thought that seat rails were supposed to be inside those paths (when saddle is installed) on the post and both paths has to be parallel on both sides. I don't quiet get how can I adjust saddle angle. There is no way I can rotate those black holders with bare hands. Is it even possible or should be possible? thanks.


The black plastic part can pivot to adjust your seat angle. Try this:

Put the saddle on the post - the rails in the grooves
Put the clamp on, set your fore/aft position and loosely tighten the clamp

Once you do, you'll be able to pivot the saddle up and down using the saddle as leverage. Position the nose of the saddle a little higher than you want it. Then, begin tightening the clamp. As you do, you'll notice the nose of the saddle start to go down. The only trick is to start with the nose of the saddle high enough initially, that it drops to the right position once the clamp is tight enough.


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## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

Opus51569 said:


> The black plastic part can pivot to adjust your seat angle. Try this:
> 
> Put the saddle on the post - the rails in the grooves
> Put the clamp on, set your fore/aft position and loosely tighten the clamp
> ...


Black plastic part is not plastic I think it's aluminum.
I can NOT put rails in the groves. ( I can only put one rail in 1 grove) the way the saddle was installed only one rail was in the grove another one was set as you see on the picture. I can not move anything on that post without some kind of tool. Once again this is just the way it was set up by bike shop I did not move anything or rotate anything.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

unnamedny said:


> Black plastic part is not plastic I think it's aluminum.
> I can NOT put rails in the groves. ( I can only put one rail in 1 grove) the way the saddle was installed only one rail was in the grove another one was set as you see on the picture. I can not move anything on that post without some kind of tool. Once again this is just the way it was set up by bike shop I did not move anything or rotate anything.


Okay. I think I see what you're saying. The parallel groove in the first pic had a saddle rail seated properly. The angled groove in the second pic just had the saddle rail running across it, but not inside it. Correct?

If that's the case, I would definitely take it back to the shop where they built up the bike. Whoever did this wasn't paying attention to what they were doing and this setup could have failed (very painfully).

If you still want to try fixing it yourself, use the clamp and, instead of using the saddle, use a long screwdriver and clamp it just in the angled groove. If that leverage won't allow the angled groove to straighten out, the LBS likely did permanent damage to the mechanism when they improperly installed it.


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## early one (Jul 20, 2010)

It is good that you inspected the bike before riding.


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## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

Thank you. So the black round things have to be rotatable? 
I'm asking all that so that LBS would not take me for a ride with some BS. if they can not fix it just get me a new seatport. I don't think I have the proper tools to fix it myself.

Thanks for the reply.


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

early one said:


> It is good that you inspected the bike before riding.


Check your saddle, then. It might have bent the rails as well.


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## unnamedny (Aug 1, 2010)

early one said:


> It is good that you inspected the bike before riding.


I already rode it for about 40 miles then I started doing some adjustments.


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## pedalingsquares (Feb 14, 2009)

The 2 outside pieces can be pryed off with a screw driver carefully. Then apply some grease either on the inside of those or on the post where they will rest. Now put the clamps and bolt in plave. The saddle has to be pressed fairly hard to get it to go on the seatpost, but it will go on. Hope this helps.:idea:


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## mikeqtoo (Apr 25, 2011)

The inner clamps should be rotatable to a certain extent. (Page 9)

http://cdn.cannondale.com/Manuals/2009_synapse_carbon_owners_manual_supplement_en.pdf

Do not put grease on them.

This post is the worst design ever, I have this on my 2010 synapse 105 and I cannot get the clamp tight enough to stop the inner clamps rotating (black cups), I have never greased them, so dont do it.

At my wits end with it now, every time I go out on it the saddle rotates. Waiting to hear back from Cannondale, just about had enough of this ridiculous design on an otherwise great bike.

But yes, the grooves should be parallel with each other. Show you what a **** design it is when even the bike shop cant get it set properly.


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## STARNUT (Jun 19, 2005)

It's not a bad design, your LBS are boneheads. if it rotates, you don't have enough torque or the dome has become unbonded from the post itself.


Take a flat head screwdriver, since there seems to be a ESL problem here this is what you're after. Use the screwdriver and pop the non parelle side off and reset it lever with the other side and the saddle installed. The inside of the black cone and the congruent dome on the post are "gritty" and under proper torque, bind to one another. If they didn't we'd see a bunch of; "I can't keep my saddle from rotating on my Synapse" posts.

Starnut


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## mikeqtoo (Apr 25, 2011)

Should clarify, this is after me changing from the fizik saddle that came with it to my Specialized saddle.

There is nothing wrong with my installation technique and no ESL problem either. How do I know there is nothing wrong with my installation technique? I can put the fizik saddle back on and do not experience the problem.

So, with that in mind, no matter how much torque I apply to the clamp the inner clamp will not stop rotating around the bonded part of the post when using the Specialized saddle.

The rails on the fizik and specialized saddles are both round in profile, and I would have hoped the diameter of saddle rails are a standard. There is nothing in the Cannondale technical literature that says you must use saddle X.

So this is one 'bonehead' that is at a loss on installing a saddle that is comfortable for me. If you are in the Edinburgh area you are more than welcome to give it a try.


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## mbevier (May 7, 2011)

mikeqtoo said:


> Should clarify, this is after me changing from the fizik saddle that came with it to my Specialized saddle.
> 
> There is nothing wrong with my installation technique and no ESL problem either. How do I know there is nothing wrong with my installation technique? I can put the fizik saddle back on and do not experience the problem.
> 
> ...


I am having the same problem with the saddle that came with the bike. It held for a few weeks, but while riding one day, the saddle suddenly wouldn't stay level (would pitch forward, etc, with pressure). So far as I can tell, no amount of torque has produced any bonding effect strong enough to stop it from rotating. I'm at a loss as well.


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