Had a carbon seatpost just... give up on me yesterday

It was on a customer's gravel bike, a 2021 model with maybe 4,000 miles on it. I was doing a routine clean and re-grease, torquing it to spec with my 5Nm wrench. Heard a quiet crack, and the whole top clamp area just split. No warning, no over-tightening. It was a brand I've seen a lot lately, but this is the first failure. Had to call the customer and tell them their ride was delayed a week for a new part. Has anyone else seen carbon posts fail like this without any clear cause?

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3 Comments

williamw755mo ago

Honestly, that doesn't surprise me one bit. It feels like everything is getting lighter and more complex, but not always more reliable. I see it with tools and parts in my own line of work. The push to make things cheaper and faster seems to leave out some of the old toughness. A quiet crack at the right torque is a real sign something was wrong from the start. Hope the company makes it right for your customer.

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henryt185mo ago

Exactly. Even my phone case cracked too easily.

8

smith.elliot5mo ago

Yeah, that "quiet crack" is a dead giveaway.

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